Herb's Terminals and Printers

This page Last updated Oct 11 2011. This material began on my DEC Web page.

To email me or to order, see see my ordering Web page for my email addresses.

For more info or to order:

Check our SHIPPING AND ORDERING INFORMATION before you order.
To order, send an email message with your ZIP code or address (so I can quote shipping costs) and the items desired. My email address is on my ordering page as linked above. If you are making inquiries or comments, the postal address is not required of course.

I mostly deal in Mac and old S-100 equipment (pointers later). But I also obtain other old computers in the process. Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) items for instance.SGI and Sun systems. Also, we list related equipment like terminals, tape media, and so forth. Despite their age, there is still interest in these systems.

Terminals
Printers

On other pages:

If you are interested in these systems, you might be interested in other older computers. Check my my S-100 Web page to see all my S-100 (Altair, IMSAI, etc.) docs. Also check my Intel Multibus, STDbus and VME lists of docs and hardware I have.

Meanwhile, I have other activities on this Web site: Check my Home page for links to other sections on Astronomy and Optics; Apple Macinstosh stuff; S-100 computers and 8-inch floppy drives; SGI, Sun and DEC equipment; some "odds and ends" computer stuff; electronic and other test equipment; and personal information.

To contact me check my Web page of ordering info, contact info.

- Herb Johnson

Terminals

Tektronix 4001 graphics display terminal. This is the small model, green screen about 10 inches diagonal. Got it April 2001, at that time it would power up but was not functional. These were used in the 1970's for graphics, X-Y or vector drawing not raster scan.

LSI ADM-3A terminals

LSI ADM-3A terminals, the little blue Lear/Seigler terminals so popular and cheap in the early 1970's! A few available, let me know of your interest, but we don't plan to give them away. These will have lower case text, display 80 X 24 characters, and have basic cursor control and scrolling. Here's a 2008-date WEb page about the ADM-3a.

Units we sell will be clean and working as described, with little cosmetic damage to cabinet and keyboard. Price will depend on the CRT display. Our "best CRT" will have modestly bright and unfuzzy text; our "good CRT" will have dim but usable text, some "mottled" CRT problems. Our "poor CRT" will have CRTs which are working but too dim and not usable, or with a lot of screen burn, and/or a lot of "mottled" problems. Terminals with good or poor CRTs are intended for CRT replacement. Also, some of these CRT's are obscured by a "mottled" or "moldy" appearance. This is due to some changes in the material between the front glass plate and the CRT, not the front which can be cleaned. The material between the layers is a kind of gel, which over time LOOKS like it is getting moldy and translucent. Here's a slightly mottled CRT and text. I have some CRT's which look like partially frosted glass.

Please don't ask for "perfect" or "like new", these are 20-25 years old! We test for basic functions but we don't guarantee EVERY function or EVERY feature. Cover for DIP switches NOT INCLUDED.

Here's some images of a "best CRT" ADM-3A terminal:
the front
the back
the side
the CRT's light "burn in" It is less noticable than this photo suggests.
the back ID plate and connectors
the screen with text displayed
the quality of character display

Prices will depend on what we have available, our time available, and market value. But in 2009 a price for ANY ADM-3A would be no less than $149 plus shipping. We will also charge $15 for handling and packing, plus actual shipping costs. This covers packing materials and box, to protect these fragile CRT's in transit. THIS IS NOT A CURRENT OFFER OR QUOTE and WILL change. Shipping weight for an ADM-3A terminal is 45 lbs; that and your location relative to New Jersey USA will determine shipping costs.

For weak or cosmetically damaged CRTs, replacements have been available from a CRT vendor. These will have thinner fronts. The glass on these terminals is about 3/16 inch back from the cover. The CRT's on my ADM-3a's have an extra heavy (1/16 inch + thick) added glass plate "glued" over the tube glass. The "glue" seems to be quite thick (1/16 inches +), and over the years develops opaque "spots" or areas which look like "mold" but is probably not. Replacement CRT's can be made flush by adding a few washers, spacers, and / or elongating 2 holes in the original aluminum clips which hold in the tube.

The typical ADM-3A CRT is Samsung 12ZBY4N, white phosphor. If you plan to replace the CRT with a new/unused one, we can refer you to a source for CRT's. As of 2008 a rebuilt CRT was offered by them for $75 plus shipping. VDC1201DPWFBE (white phosphor) was one model they provided a 2008 customer. (Note: they shipped UPS and the first tube arrived broken. Advise them accordingly to improve packing, ask for double-boxing, consider FedEx.) For a fee plus CRT costs we MAY be able to replace a CRT in a terminal we sell you; but we'd charge labor plus cost of CRT and its shipping - over $100.

Some ADM manuals are available as photocopies, ask for costs of a copy:
..ADM-2 operator's handbook, polling descript. 80 pgs (half sized)
..ADM-3A operator's handbook, 50 pgs (half sized)
..ADM-3A Maintenance Manual, schematics, 110 pgs (full size)
Prices depend on whether you want full page copies, or half-page copies. Please describe the manuals and format you want.

Nick Papadonis repaired and restored his ADM-3A terminal during the summer and fall of 2011. He and I discussed his progress, here's some of his notes and repairs. He did a lot of work but by October 2011 the terminal was mostly operational. Here's a Web page about what he did to restore his ADM-3A terminal.

other terminals

Electrolabs ESAT 200B terminal card Docs only. 12 pages, no schematics.
--- also includes price list, 4 pages on 10MBy tape controller card.

Other terminal manuals:
Hazeltine 1400/1410 reference manual, 45 pages, no schematics.
Teleray 10 series CRT Data terminal, Research Inc
Freedom 200 User's Manual, Liberty
Freedom 200 VDT User's manual, Liberty
Tlevideo 950 Operator's Manual
TECO TM-12 PC miontor, Data Electronics Devices
MicroScan 5aP, 5EP Intelligent Display System, ADI

DBIT company supports PDP-11 emulation and also running PDP-11 cards from Intel/Pentium based computers. Check there for details.

References

My references for SGI, Sun and other sales are on my SGI Web page.

Herb Johnson
New Jersey, USA
follow this link to email @ me

Herb's Terminals and Printers

For more info or to order:

Terminals

LSI ADM-3A terminals

other terminals

Printer manuals

Digital tape drives

Links to useful sites

References