# My hobby



## g_axelsson (Mar 17, 2017)

I got a question in another thread and I think the answer is better suited here...

In http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=268558#p268558


snoman701 said:


> g_axelsson said:
> 
> 
> > As many knows, I collect old computers, but even I would have classed this card as scrap.
> ...


I rarely buy boards, mostly because what I collect is so rare and specialized. I've only done it two or three times. Usually I get it for free because the guy want it gone, and I offer to take everything he wants to get rid of. It means I have to get rid of old TV:s, 15 year old laser printers, copiers... and so on, to get the few golden nuggets in between. What I don't keep for resale or my collection I scrap and sell to the local scrap yards.
Older computers that I don't collect but think can have a value to others are stored until I either find a buyer or someone who wants it in trade or I might just give it away.

The more modern stuff, CPU:s, memory and expansion cards I put up for sale on a website, http://www.home.neab.net/gandalf/CeramicCPU-2015/sales.htm It is updated directly from an excel sheet I use for inventory.
Some CPU:s and cards are sold on auction sites but most goes via my website today. When I have more time I add stuff to eBay and other sites.

The stuff I collect and keep is really early computers, old ones with core memory, the first personal and home computers, like Datapoint 2200 which I have two of. I just got an offer to trade one for an Altair 8800 but haven't decided what to do yet. I also like odd computers with a place in computer history, Osborn 1, GRID laptop or just the strange ones.

Out of nostalgia my main collection is anything that has to do with Norsk Data AS, a Norwegian computer company started in 1967 and went out of business in early 1990:es. Over the years I have collected quite a few machines, from 100 kg hard drives with 10 Mbyte capacity to the top of the line machines they built at the end.
http://www.ndwiki.org/wiki/User:Gandalf
This summer I got two nice systems, NORD-1 from 1972 and ND-100 from 1986. I got them for free but the transport cost me close to $400-500 each.
http://www.ndwiki.org/wiki/NORD-1_Serial_47 This is my dream machine, one of 10-12 still remaining and if I can get it running it will be the only one in running condition. The design is from 1967 so the design will be 50 years old even if the machine is only 45 years old. It isn't totally dead, it does run something but I think it reads only zeros from the memory so the result isn't very exciting.  
http://www.ndwiki.org/wiki/ND-100_CX_Serial_657 This one was a bit boring, started straight up but I can use it for reading floppys and testing hardware. Built in 1986 and still going strong, not as modern computers.

Other hobbies I have is coin collecting, mineral collecting and of course refining. :mrgreen: 

Göran


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## snoman701 (Mar 17, 2017)

Those are awesome.

I've got some boards I'll have to photograph to see if you can identify them. They look similar to the nord boards, but have a rotary number wheel. All gold plated traces with gold fingers. 

I just now "asked" for a lot of stuff on another forum. He states, "bins filled with parts ranging scavenged from 20's radios to ic's for the honeywell 6", need to go to garbage. My response..."when dumped, please dump in boxes and mail to me. Stuff like that has a home. I like to connect garbage to people who love it. Stuff like that RARELY makes money for the time involved.


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## g_axelsson (Mar 17, 2017)

snoman701 said:


> All gold plated traces with gold fingers.


That single statement reminds me of one manufacturer of mini computers, HP. They had circuit boards with gold plated traces, not only the fingers.

You can send me some pictures to my email [email protected] and if I can't ID it then we can post on the forum. ... okay, we could post a few just as show off. Even if there are few computer collectors here, gold plated traces are always appreciated. :lol: 

Göran


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## snoman701 (Mar 17, 2017)

It sounds like HP, but I don't think these boards are. I've got quite a few HP boards, they are always pretty proud of their boards and mark them as such. Of course, I'll have to be able to find them to show them off, and that right now seems like quite the difficult thing to do.

Just hung some drywall and painted. Once I've got my new electrical panel on the wall, I can move all the furniture back.

I hate moving. Never again.


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## philddreamer (Mar 17, 2017)

Speaking of nice & strange parts, I posted back in June of 2014 some beauties...
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=7109&start=1530#p213184

At the time, I wasn't able to find info on them, but while reading your posts, I started searching again and got a "hit" on one of them, (INTERPOINT - MFL2805S) http://www.interpoint.com/products/product_listing/mfl/

at Octopart:
https://octopart.com/mfl2805s-interpoint-30398748

What a surprise when I learned what it went for back then!!!


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## g_axelsson (Mar 17, 2017)

Yeah, the prices back at "the good old times" could be quite high.
The 64 kbyte ram in the NORD-1 had a price tag of $40.000 when they bought it. :wink: 

Göran


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