[CQ-Contest] MS DOS and Flea Market tips wanted

[k4oj]

AD1C mentions the CompUSA house brand mother board is set up for two 
Comm Ports with unique IRQs...that is nice but I want more....

What I am wondering is - were there mass produced PC's which 
automatically came with 3 or 4 comm ports?  To me those are what I wish 
every position had at my place - this is kind of a re-hash - but in the 
past we have talked about who sells cards to add the extra comm ports... 
did a manufacturer IBM/Dell/Gatway/Whoever produce four comm port 
machines with non conflicting IRQs on as contract for some industry?

With the older machines about to become un-supported my Microsoft, IF 
there was an industry that had purchased computers in bulk that had 4 
comm ports on them I would love to meet one of their Sustems guys and 
slip him a greenback or two.... undoubtedly this stuff is going to be 
replaced (if it hasn't already) and not to have to sub contract out 
adding the extra comm ports to a two port machine would be just ducky - 
I am more than content with DOS based logging software - I have not been 
sold on Windows based stuff at all - as far as I can see the DOS based 
programs do all I could ever want and I have some scores to prove that!

1 - I need a comm port to interface with the network (even when I am 
single op I have two computers running for redundancy and my ease at 
SO2R - not to mention it makes an excellent back up - the one time 
recently I did not do this the logging computer crashed and I lost the 
first night of the ARRL Ten Meter contest due to it)

2 - I need a comm port to interface with the network (ptional - can go 
LOOP network and only need one for netowrking - but it seems the LINK 
option always boots right up versus the loop where it takes work to set 
up system parameters in the autoexec files wheras I have a box full of 
null modem adaptors!)

3 - I need a comm port to interface with the packet spot sucker - this 
can be on one computer in the network since once it gets into one 
machine that info is shared through the network

4 - I need a comm port to interface with the rig - this is as far as I 
am concerned MANDATORY - if you have not automated your station yet - DO 
IT!  No more tranmistting into the wrong antenna and hosing the linear 
at ) Dark 30.  I actually switch the antennas by driving the automated 
boxes directly from the transciever so I can enjoy the switching even 
when the computer is off)

... TO ME an ideal find would be a computer like a low end Pentium 100 
some odd megaherz with 4 comm ports ready to be used.... as I mentioned 
at some positions in a multi-multi we can get by with two minimum (rig 
and network) - but I like the idea of finding a half dozen of these soon 
to be extinct puppies looking for a contest home where they only have to 
compute for a few weekends each year!

ANYONE KNOW OF AN INDUSTRY THAT USED SUCH A MACHINE (bunch of them) that 
I should look at as a possible source for "ideal" station ocmputers?

73,

Jim, K4OJ