Date   : Fri, 27 Jul 1984 23:29:00 MDT (Fri)
From   : "Frank J. Wancho" <WANCHO@Simtel20.ARPA>
Subject: SIG/M distribution

Bill,

I'm actually on the tail end of one of the three regional distribution
chains of SIG/M because I asked to be in that position.  I have been
travelling alot in recent months and thus cannot guarantee quick
turnaround to the next point if someone is behind me.

SIG/M is getting considerably better organized of late.  Almost every
month their Regional Coordinator sends out the three sets of updates
about a month before they are "officially" announced.  Thus, by the
time I get them, convert the disks, and have them uploaded, the
announcement is made, giving the appearance of being timely.

BTW, for those interested in such things, I had found an 8" disk
controller that behaves properly in my N*, called the MCP/FDC, from
MCP Computer Products.  It's only drawback is that it doesn't pass
through the two-sided disk signal from the 50-pin connector.
Otherwise, it's a clean, simple, and relatively inexpensive ($199)
board that doesn't require any mods.  Unfortunately, it was only on
loan, and is now sitting in another N* running TurboDOS...

I still have a semi sick DJDMA awaiting the new PROM set.  If that
doesn't fix the double-density-only problem, it goes back for repair.
There are two CCS2422 FDCs which still cause memory parity errors on
write, even after replacing my ancient 350ns RAM with 150ns RAM...
(that change seemed to cure the mpe's on read), and a CompuPro Disk 1
that hangs the system (and the factory could care less about their
boards in foreign machines as they are a System House now... so much
for the leader of IEEE-696 cards...)

A possible cure for my troubles is in the works: we are applying the
IEEE-696 upgrade mods to the N* CPU card (as published in the April
issue of Microsystems).  I'll let you all know the results of that.
(I may even end up believing the rumor that the N* motherboard is
noisy and splurge on an active termination card.)

Sorry for the core dump.

--Frank