On 25-Nov-2001 Don Yuniskis wrote:
>      The SS1+ and SS2 appear to use some form of bracket
> to mount the drives to the chassis (?).  While I happened
> to have a few extra drives to make the machines *run*, I
> currently don't have a reliable way of fastening those
> drives to the chassis (unless I just start drilling
> holes and screw them down).
>      Can someone describe what these look like?  Perhaps
> I might be able to spot something similar in my next visit
> to the surplus shop.  Or, do they have some "special value"
> (like SIMMs?) that causes them to be stripped from the
> machines before sale?  (I had assumed their removal was
> just a consequence of someone having pulled the drives, too!)

Yes, the brackets, AFAIK, look like this (side view)

               |
               |
               |
 --------------+
  +          +

Those little "+" signs represent the tabs to slide into the holes on the base
of the chassis. I don't know where you can get more of them, but I'd love to
know, too.

>      Likewise, each of these machines have "slots" for 
> daughterboards -- three per machine, I think (though the
> LX/Classic/IPC seem to have only 2?).  The unused slots
> leave gaping holes in the back of the chassis -- which I
> assume is not intended!  :>  I guess some masking tape
> or bits of cardboard could plug them up... But, are there
> some sort of "plug" that fits these openings?  If so,
> what do they look like (again, so I know what to look
> for...)

Those are for the SBUS slots; presumably there were SBUS cards installed in the
machine before they were tossed, so the covers would have been removed. There
are little flimsy metal coverings that fit the back openings, and they are
about the size of the hole with two metal prongs sticking out the bottom to fit
into the corresponding holes on the back of the computer.

>      Also, I would like recommendations for NIC's that
> implement "10MHz" ethernet with AUI or AUI/10Base2 (!)
> interfaces.  Obviously, this would let me turn boxes
> into small routers...

I presume you mean 10 Mbps... any standard PC Ethernet NIC should talk to the
Sparc. If you want to plug 10BaseT into it, you'll have to buy an AUI<->10BaseT
transceiver, which shouldn't run you more than about $15 these days.

- Julian

[      Julian C. Dunn <jdunn@aquezada.com> * <julian@dreaming.org>       ]
[     WWW: http://www.aquezada.com/staff/julian/  * PGP: 0xFDC205B9      ]
[     "There is a world outside of this room, and when you meet it,      ]
[      promise me you won't meet it with a gun." -- 10,000 Maniacs       ]