PROTEK 1200 MODEM
This is really a modem as I imagined it to be watching American movies in the eighties.
In The Netherlands these where not that common as we could connect a modem direct to the landline. That was not allowed in many countries so an acoustic modem was needed.
Using this modem you just needed to put the telephone handset into the device. No need to connect specific wires.
This modem is a 1200 baud modem allowing transmitting an receiving computer data through the normal telephone line.
The modem can be used with any standard rotary dial or push button telephone. The modem requires four AA sized batteries
Manual: Open link
COMMODORE VIC 1551
A nice find to add to my collection is this 1551 drive for the Commodore C16. If differs a lot from the normal 1541, 1570 or 1541-II drive not only by its color but also the way it connects to the computer.
The Commodore 1551 is a floppy disk drive for the Commodore C16 / Plus/4 home computer. The color matches the C16 and Plus 4 brown.
The big difference is that the Commodore 1551 and plugs into the cartridge port, providing faster access than the C64/1541 combination.
Manual: Open link
COMMODORE VIC-SWITCH
This is a device that is quite rare to find. The manual describes the usages as follows:
VIC-SWITCH enables eight VIC 20 or CBM 64-computers to communicate with the same pripheral devices.
If more than one user wants to communicate at the same time, the VIC-SWITCH will put them in a queue. The waiting users will get access to the peripheral devices in a consecutive order, i.e. number 2 is served before number 7. But if number6 is communicating at the time number 2 and number 7 asks for a peripheral device, VIC-SWITCH will open the channel for the user connected to number 7 as soon as number 6 has finished. In this way no priority is given to certain users.
VIC-SWITCH should only be connected to COMMODORE products designed for serial IEEE communication e.g. FLOPPY DISC VIC-1540, GRAPHIC PRINTER VIC-1515.
CONNECTING AND PREPARING VIC-SWITCH
On the front panel, shown in Figure 1, there are nine LED's. The left-most LED is lit when the power is on. The other eight indicate which computer communicates with a peripheral.
The back panel, Figure 2, of the VIC-SWITCH consists of nine DIN sockets and a connector for the power cable. The leftmost DIN socket should be connected to the peripheral devices.
The other eight are input sockets for VIC 2Q/CBM 64-computers. However, all eight inputs does not have to be used-any configuration of up to eight will work.
The cables for VIC-SWITCH will come in the lengths : 3, 6 and 12 meters i.e. 9, 12 and 18 feet. Longer cables are not recommended. When the computers and the power cable are connected, all the LED's on the front panel should be off, except the LED indicating that the VIC-SWITCH is on.
If a LED is lit when the system is set up, VIC-SWITCH signals that a peripheral device is not switched on.
If it happens that a LED still is lit, the user of the corresponding input number should press the RUN/STOP-key and the RESTORE-key at the same time until the light goes off.
When VIC-SWITCH is started, it is essential that all LED's showing communication are off. We recommend that the VIC-SWITCH is powered on last.
If a user of a computer wants to turn it off, it is recommended that the communication cable is disconnected before the computer is switched off, this will prevent disturbancies for other users.
PHILIPS AV7300
A nice and simple device that I came across in an online second-hand online store is this TV tuner.
Perfect for easily connecting old computers and game consoles such as Pong with analog signal to a monitor. Nice and retro.
COMMODORE C16 DATASETTE
This is the datasette that was specially for loading programs from tapes on the Commodore 16 and Plus/4.
Although similar in appearance to the 1530 models, the 1531 usd an mini-DIN connector.
For some reason they used an other connector on this computer than was used on all commodore computers before. A adaptor was available to use this datasette on the Commodore 64 and 128.
COMMODORE MPS-803 PRINTER
Remember the sound of this printer. At nights when I was printing my long program listings and even used it for my school papers.
TELTRON 1200
After watching wargames and reading Hacktic (a Dutch hacker magazine, see archive Hacktic ) I for sure needed a modem.
So now I could visit from BBS at a speed of 1200/75 Baud, what an experience. Unbelievable in today's internet age.
