At 10:55 AM 11/26/02 -0500, K4BEV@aol.com wrote:
>I believe that this is only a problem if you WANT to buy a NEW computer.
>I just love the fact that the old machines are going for a couple of bucks.
>Might not be suited for the latest and greatest version of AutoCad, but they
>run TR just great, have a bunch of ISA slots, memory is CHEAP, etc., etc. Put
>a modem in there just to send your logs in and away you go.
>
>Like it says at the local Auto Recycle Plant (used to be the junk yard):
>Why buy new, when used will do?
In fact, I now run TR on an old machine with ISA slots. It is set up with
4 serial ports, etc. for 2-radio use. The trouble is that I want to be
able to record contests, which I can't do on the same machine, and I also
want more horsepower for modeling, etc. So I built up an XP 1700+ machine
and set it up with a mechanical KVM switch to conserve real estate on the
desk by using the same keyboard, monitor and mouse. Only problem is that
when I swiotch these peripherals away from the fast machine and then come
back to it, the machine is losinging time erratically on the order of 2-3
percent. This is visible as a freezing of the cursor and/or text input,
and by the system clock falling steadily behind real time. Overnight last
night, for example, it lost 3374 seconds relative to Dimension 4.
I *think* I'll be able to beat this without investing in an expensive
electronic KVM switch, by connecting separate keyboards and mice, and
switching only the video, but that's unlovely. I'm also denied the use of
Internet spots without a kludged connection between the two
machines. Windows and a fast processor would solve all this, but there's
nothing like TR for CW contesting!
73, Pete N4ZR
Sometimes a tower is just a tower
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