+InsaneMultitasker Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 If someone here purchases the HFDC and intends to use it with an MFM hard drive, be aware the card has the original tranceivers (LS31/LS32). These two chips can be problematic and when flaky, result in data errors during format verification as well as during normal reads/writes. Since the seller used a clamshell to keep the card cool, there is a good chance the chips are OK. I still have replacement parts if future repair is required. My SOP is to pro-actively replace the two chips if an HFDC is sent to me for service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 On the CorComp/TI RS232 question: it depends. If you want to make an HDX, you need the TI. Most other software doesn't really care which card you have. Some early CorComp cards had issues with some of the other PEB cards, but that's the only issue I'd ever seen--and it was fixed on later revisions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 That Geneve is from the same seller and has the same description as this auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MYARC-Geneve-9640-TI-99-4A-Texas-Instruments-compatible-RARE-/141511090911?pt=US_Vintage_Computers_Mainframes&hash=item20f2b7e2df The picture is different though (previous one had a case), so it's probably a second Geneve. Last one went for $750, which is waaay too much for my tastes. I put in a bid that makes sense to me, but I'm almost certain I'm not going to win it... looks like the price of this one is taking off too. If it's already $300+ with 5 days to go, It'll likely sell for the same price (or more) as the last one in the last 10 minutes. I wish ebay would simply allow us to bid exactly what we're will to pay instead of the stupid "hidden bid" system. That way if I'm willing to pay $750 for a Geneve then my bid would show that right at the beginning, and anyone else interested knows right from the get go whether they can afford it or not, just as I would see if my bid is too low immediately. I bid $3.00 on the TI RS232...last one sold for $82 (but it was one of the aluminium shell versions) so my bid is actually just a lark. VERY unlikely it will survive the final minutes of the auction. Of course, I'd also like all the speculative traders to fall off the edge of the world, but I doubt if that's going to happen either. Hope you win the Geneve though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 A Geneve sold at the 2013 Faire for $60. A steal of a deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 A TI 32k x 8 card just got posted if anyone needs one. This is of special interest if you're Canadian, since the seller is a Québécois... Can you say; "No duty AND cheap shipping!!!" No? Then how about; « Pas de tarifs douaniers ET la livraison sera pas cher!!! » Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjas Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 (edited) Will someone in Ontario please grab these? http://www.kijiji.ca/v-electronics/kingston-on/old-computer/1041814512?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true Nothing rare, but... Two consoles + RF modulator + Parsec for only ten bucks?! Get them before I have to depress myself by looking up shipping quotes. Of course whoever gets them could always send me the Parsec cart as gratitude for showing them the advert. You all have a copy of this by now right? Edited January 7, 2015 by xjas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMole Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 looks like the price of this one is taking off too. If it's already $300+ with 5 days to go, It'll likely sell for the same price (or more) as the last one in the last 10 minutes. I wish ebay would simply allow us to bid exactly what we're will to pay instead of the stupid "hidden bid" system. That way if I'm willing to pay $750 for a Geneve then my bid would show that right at the beginning, and anyone else interested knows right from the get go whether they can afford it or not, just as I would see if my bid is too low immediately. I bid $3.00 on the TI RS232...last one sold for $82 (but it was one of the aluminium shell versions) so my bid is actually just a lark. VERY unlikely it will survive the final minutes of the auction. Of course, I'd also like all the speculative traders to fall off the edge of the world, but I doubt if that's going to happen either. Hope you win the Geneve though. Nope, my max bid was 300 USD, and I don't plan on increasing that (and it turns out the seller doesn't ship to Europe anyway...). But yeah, it'll probably sell for close to $1000 again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I've probably disassembled 5-10 Parsec cartridges within the last year to get the shells for other purposes. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Will someone in Ontario please grab these? http://www.kijiji.ca/v-electronics/kingston-on/old-computer/1041814512?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true Nothing rare, but... Two consoles + RF modulator + Parsec for only ten bucks?! Get them before I have to depress myself by looking up shipping quotes. Of course whoever gets them could always send me the Parsec cart as gratitude for showing them the advert. You all have a copy of this by now right? My PEB cost me $30 to ship from the Ottawa area, and with 3 cards (controller, firehose interface, 32 x8) it would have been considerable heavier than these.....Kingston is closer than Ottawa. But while I REALLY apprciate the heads up, I've got an Ubergrom board on the way, so need an empty cart as well. Counting chickens before they're hatched though. I've found Kijiji users often don't like to ship items out of town, prefering for local pick-up. I'll answer the ad now. If the consoles are dead, I'll have started to amass quite a little collection of dead 4A's/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Anyone need MULTIPLE TI's that's living near Blandon, Pennsylvania for a local ONLY pickup? << LINK >> One of those external drive boxes would be sweet! I'm about an hour away from here. But $400? Not happenin'. I might send him a message about the 2 external drive boxes right before his auction expires. Gazoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) This one seems like a standard TI Ebay ad ( and is a "Buy Now" instead of "Bid Now", which I always appreciate) A pretty typical headline; "2 Texas Instruments Home Computers TI99/4A 1 look brand new other is used" and a pretty average price at 49.95 for the pair. What makes the ad noteworthy is to be found when scrolling through the pictures...lo and behold, it includes a nearly-new Acoustic Coupler with the box! Nowadays they usually sell for A LOT more than 49.95, so it would be like getting a couple free consoles (and a bunch of empty cartridges....I mean application modules) Way too pricey for me to ship and import this just to get the extra goodie (and he won't sell it separately)...but if you're close to the seller it might be worth it... Edited January 10, 2015 by PeBo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 GRAM Kracker up, starting at $50. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 181636942619 And anyone in the Colorado Springs area, this has been up for almost a month, and updated a couple days ago, but looks like a nice starter set (no price given, though.) https://cosprings.craigslist.org/sys/4803574226.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 GRAM Kracker up, starting at $50. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 181636942619 Good find! ebay.ca doesn't show this ad, since the it states he "might not ship to Canada", but I sent him a message, asking him to make an exception this time, so hopefully I'll get a chance to bid. Potential shipping costs are a bit scary, but the fact that this is a re-post suggests that the actual price may stay low (unless the reason for the re-listing is that a "reserve" wasn't met last time) Not sure what happened to the Free Trade treaties that Reagan and Mulroney were so proud of (and that Alex Jones got so paranoid about), but they sure never made it down to consumer level, and while cross-border commerce may be easier and cheaper for big corporations, the costs and hassles for just-plain-folk haven't changed a bit... ...hey I just realized, I owned my first 4A throughout the Reagan presidency! Man that makes it seem more recent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Interesting finds. A Speech Synthesizer module for the Apple built around the TMS5220. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 131386626122 X10 PowerHouse for Commodore 64 (I always wanted the TI PowerHouse.) eBay Auction -- Item Number: 181637509541 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyerd Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Just bagged the CorComp RS232 card without a clamshell. Looks like the first FDC controller I tried the 80/80/80 track mod on and failed will be donating it's clamshell, once I've remembered where I put it!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Interesting finds. A Speech Synthesizer module for the Apple built around the TMS5220. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 131386626122 X10 PowerHouse for Commodore 64 (I always wanted the TI PowerHouse.) eBay Auction -- Item Number: 131386626122 Linked the same auction twice there bro... (just so you know, yes we are paying attention) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Ugh, dammit. I know I copied the second one. And, no, I did not pay attention. Here, and fixed there, too. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 181637509541 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ti99iuc Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 but why this nanopeb arrived to this CRAZY price ? http://www.ebay.it/itm/281552442698?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz442 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 but why this nanopeb arrived to this CRAZY price ? http://www.ebay.it/itm/281552442698?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Uhhh, I have NO idea....new there $50....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 My GUESS would be that it's some poor TI enthusiast getting back into the hobby that does not know about the guy who makes them, the going prices, or the TI-Community at large. If you had a lot of money to burn, and all you saw were the astronomical prices on eBait, you might think that was a good deal too. This is another good reason to post links to this site when visiting others that have been INACTIVE for years. Spread the word, so some other TI user does not get hosed. Besides, the more the merrier here, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Note that several folks were in the bidding war on that one--so there are multiple isolated eBay users that need information out there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 My GUESS would be that it's some poor TI enthusiast getting back into the hobby that does not know about the guy who makes them, the going prices, or the TI-Community at large. If you had a lot of money to burn, and all you saw were the astronomical prices on eBait, you might think that was a good deal too. This is another good reason to post links to this site when visiting others that have been INACTIVE for years. Spread the word, so some other TI user does not get hosed. Besides, the more the merrier here, right? When I first got back into the 4A a couple weeks ago, and discovered the nanoPEB first place I went looking for one was ebay (while a sale of them was not happening) as a result of my findings on past auctions (not the maker's "buy now's", but third party "bid now's"), I budgeted $150 + shipping to get one ...thanks to these forums, I found out about emailing (is it Malilo??) and got in on the run just before Xmas for the regular $45.99. It never ceases to amaze me how blatantly some people are willing to profiteer off others. It's sociopathic capitalism, and it's not a pleasant thing to watch. (Then again they'd call me a bleeding heart commie pinko just for saying that, so nuff sed.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 And, no, I did not pay attention. Not to worry bro We've got your back in your advancing decrepitude. « evil grin » Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 It's sociopathic capitalism, and it's not a pleasant thing to watch. (Then again they'd call me a bleeding heart commie pinko just for saying that, so nuff sed.) Then you misunderstand. The term "capitalism" itself is actually meant to be derogatory by taking the basis of a free market, which is returning on a resource investment, and vilifying it as profiteering. But a free market actually exists as part of the civil society and is bound by the social contract -- that is, a free market is beneficial when not used for profiteering. Anyone who decries "capitalism" is denouncing the Marx/Engles definition, which is really profiteering on a free market. Now, a simple question: if someone puts up an item for auction which sells new for $50, and that auction bids up to $150, what is the responsibility of the seller? As a seller, I may expect that a buyer (or several) would do his or her research and skip my auction once it exceeds a particular value commensurate to a person's perception of value. Now, as an experienced seller, personally I would put said item up for what I feel is a reasonable price to start the bidding, with a buy-it-now of some amount under new cost. The free market does not protect the uninformed or ignorant buyer. By design, if you want to call it that, unscrupulous sellers will be punished by diminished value in his or her investments, either being pushed out of business or losing investments -- even if eventually. Particularly shrewd sellers can move from business to business reaping harmful profits every time. This is where a regulated free market comes into play, where the people who participate in the market, both buyers and sellers, make steps to protect both and punish violators of the social compact inherent to the market. In short, you should not be so quick so infer derision on your opining, especially built from such inflammatory terminology. If someone does, you know can explain your position and if they still cannot come to grips, phuq 'em. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeBo Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) In short, you should not be so quick so infer derision on your opining, especially built from such inflammatory terminology. If someone does, you know can explain your position and if they still cannot come to grips, phuq 'em. Any act that knowingly takes advantage of another, whether they be disabled, disadvantaged, or simply do not hold the knowledge to make an informed choice, is sociopathic in my mind. I simply wish that, in my 60 years, I had seen more than the smallest handful of examples where the unscrupulous suffered for their actions in any meaningful way (if at all). More often than not it is a slap on the wrist and back to business as usual. In no way did I mean to infer contempt for an entire system, but just for those portions of it that do not hold at least a modicum of moral imperative at their centre. And in the West, the regulators are far too often beholden to the regulated. But as you said, I was indeed stating my opinion, and as such was not making a statement of truth, but only the truth as it is perceived from my vantage point, which will always lie moderately left of centre. Edited January 13, 2015 by PeBo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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