New Zealand Vintage Computer Forums

Me, with one room in the house it could possibly go in once I get rid of the bed, wardrobes and everything else.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =509414100

At the time I was thinking it might be more appropriate for somewhere else but right now I am more inclined to bite the bullet and pay for some kind of haulage company to send it to Dunedin. I see Auckland Uni already have a System/360 set up which was my initial thought when looking at the auction, but I thought I don't have any centrepiece in the collection which might be good to draw looks/awe and furnish an entrance way (talking hypo-imaginary-thetical museum again here).

The last mini/mainframe on trademe I saw was some Philips system which sold for about $20something in CHCH with all the extra parts filled a garage. I was disappointed to see my fear for that auction came to pass, and the buyer cherry picked it breaking up what was a complete (possibly uniquely so on a world scale) system and the rest when to scrap.

Does anyone recommend who might be cheap for getting a system of this size across the islands? Has anyone heard of Pickford? I cannot get pictures so unfortunately don't accurately know the total volume to ship. I know 'The largest piece is the tape drive. Approx. 1.50m long, 1m high, 55cm wide. The 360 stands 6ft tall and about 75x75.' And I'd be certain the 'Wang printer. Keyboard. Two dumb terminals. Modems. 5 other supporting units' will be 15-20kg a piece. It sounds like the best part of a van load.

I actually think I left a System/360 at the computer recycling place here in Dunedin a couple of years back thinking it was just some sort of medical equipment. I just took a few of the funky looking terminal screens, jumbo IBM modems, XT-clone boxes, an IBM 5xxx-something monitor, and Sord M-23 incomplete parts machine . I took photos at the time but won't be able to find them easily to confirm.

I can't really speak for Pickfords apart from they're office movers. IBM uses Fliways for heavy equipment.

Are you planning on powering it up?

YetiSeti wrote:Does anyone recommend who might be cheap for getting a system of this size across the islands?

Cheap? Probably no one. RBG uses Mainfreight for it's broadcast equipment (I've just got a Tascam BR-20 from them), Exeed uses Bullet Freight for HP bulk freight servers, printers etc, but for something that big you'll be paying a fair amount. Exeed charge me $60+GST for an ML350 server (30-35kg).

YetiSeti wrote:Sord M-23 incomplete parts machine.

Oh! Oh! Oh! (puts hand in air and waves it around). If you ever want to get rid of that let me know!! I'd love to find the SGL graphics board (neither of mine have it) and only one of mine has the arithmetic processing unit. Then there's the issue of Teac 100tpi 5.25" drives....

YetiSeti wrote:Me, with one room in the house it could possibly go in once I get rid of the bed, wardrobes and everything else.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =509414100

Woah! The big iron! Let us know how you go firing it up!

tezza wrote:

YetiSeti wrote:Me, with one room in the house it could possibly go in once I get rid of the bed, wardrobes and everything else.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =509414100

Woah! The big iron! Let us know how you go firing it up!

I might want to make a collaborative project of this and see who else might interested in this part of the island (i.e. Invercargill etc) and maybe make a weekend gathering of it (maybe even appropriate videos - Electric Dreams, The Colossus, etc - on my jumbo rear projection tv). I probably will have some suitable fire extinguishers on stand by.

Pretty please youtube any powerups!
I'd love to see this.

Actually a firing up event would be a great excuse for south island members of this forum to get together!

On the "moving it" front, I can offer the following recommendations to try first and get a quote.

Conroy Removals - many of the arcade/pinball/jukebox collectors and operators use them for moving machines around the country.

Fliways - "specialist" IT equipment movers - have used them in the past to move complete racks (inc. fully populated), servers, desktops, big printers etc.
They can also provide a "pack, wrap and pallet" service which is useful if you need a pile of gear collected that is loose etc.

YetiSeti wrote:

tezza wrote:

YetiSeti wrote:Me, with one room in the house it could possibly go in once I get rid of the bed, wardrobes and everything else.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =509414100

Woah! The big iron! Let us know how you go firing it up!

I might want to make a collaborative project of this and see who else might interested in this part of the island (i.e. Invercargill etc) and maybe make a weekend gathering of it (maybe even appropriate videos - Electric Dreams, The Colossus, etc - on my jumbo rear projection tv). I probably will have some suitable fire extinguishers on stand by.

Keen. A friend was actually sorting a freshly decommissioned Unisys Clearpath for himself but alas, total system board failure. He broke it up, keeping only the rack. Absolute waste.

okay, an urgent response needed here. Sorry for last minute plea. Things were quiet on the communications and I only heard back from the guy last week when I happened to be on Stewart Island and didn't read the guys email till last night.

It seems like it's not a System/360 but possibly an HP 1000 running Artemis 6000 and early 1980s vintage on the console but other parts are 1960s.

I've struggled to get pictures, but got this one from him https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/x ... directlink, which doesn't look like http://www.hpmuseum.net/exhibit.php?cat=37&class=3

It is described as having parts taken out from the inside and many spots of suface rust and not in the best dry storage.

"Original invoices for the box was always referred to as an IBM 360. But several modules have HP stickers and labels on them. Maybe the main unit is a 360. The tape drives and all that goes with it are still unique from the 1960's"

"All the other units and supporting devices are in the same condition as when bought in the early 1980's. Always stored in dry conditions. The drive unit for the tapes on the outside looks like a large deep freeze chest for the home."

"I have a lot of electronic gear but know of no electronics hobby club who may want my electronic gear for parts for their hobby or use as is."

Anyone want any of this stuff destined for some inorganic waste free dumping/recycling coming up next week? I need some contacts outside of these forums to email as well.

Bob Doran and the Auckland Uni is the best bet, but I only have his email address at Uni. Does anyone have another email address of his?

okay, a plea here - does anyone know Matthew H. de Valk in Auckland?

I paid in good faith $225 after the buy now on the auction till shipping could be sorted but the computer turned out to be neither a System/360, nor then the HP 1000 machine (well, at least not in an original case but possibly transplanted into a more generic PC like case and upgraded). It took some time to get photos from the guy to confirm what the computer was and when I finally got a message back he said the computer had been gutted. After that I did my best to assist him in placing the computer parts rather than recycling them but all has gone silent.

I am now without my money and the guy is not responding to any communications over the last few weeks. I am feeling like I may have been done.

Hmm...don't know him Clinton and I don't think he is a member of this forum (at least, I don't recognise the name?).

Sounds bad. I hope you find him and there is some resolution.

oh, it's the same guy (lefaucon) selling the Compaq Portable that I have tried to be helpful in posting some information into his auctions for (and again today).

So I know he's around but just not responding to my emails. There may be some reason for it all, but he certainly knows he has my money and hasn't been forthcoming about refunding it. Hopefully trademe might help.