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
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