Introduction

[erd]

Hello,

I've been collecting vintage computers for over 20 years, starting with a DEC PDP-8/L that I haggled down to $35 and an armload of junk at the Dayton Hamvention. Lacking documentation, it took two years of systematic swapping to identify and replace the bad cards (it's much faster now that I have a special chip tester harness).

My main focuses are (non-PC) DEC hardware, 1970s micros (especially those with 6502 and 1802 processors), and boxes with a 680x0-family processor (Amigas, Classic Macs, NCR Towers, etc.). I also have a collection of Sun hardware, but that's more utilitarian than collectible.

My PDP-8 collection is nearly complete - I require only a VT78 (DECmate in a VT-52), a PDP-8/m and a PDP-8/f to have something from each model. Given the prices that a PDP-8/m fetches on eBay, I don't see that happening anytime soon, but hopefully I can track down a VT78 at some point. I doubt I'll ever have one of every PDP-11.

My latest rescue was a box of MicroVAX 2000 and Qbus workstation parts,
and an empty BA-123 with Lab I/O inserts.

-ethan

[Erik]

Welcome to the new VC forum!

Where do you find the room for a whole family of PDP-8s? That is an amazing collection!

Erik

[erd]

My stuff is somewhat distributed... the Straight-8s (along with some of the -8/as, some PDP-11s and the VT52s) are in a friend's basement. The -8/Ls, -8/e, an -8/a and the -8/i are at the computer room at my farm. The remainder (DECmates, -8/S, etc.) are at my house in town.

I don't have a warehouse like some people, but I do have a 30'x50' quonset hut at the farm with about 20 racks of DEC CPUs and
peripherals there (PDP-11s and VAXen). The VAX 8200 and several
more PDP-11s are in my basement.

As I said... I've been at this for 20+ years. Some of this stuff was
purchased at market rates, some was rescue.

-ethan