Wanted: One old-style HP equipment rack - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 02:02:35 am
content: This is something I've been seeking for a while, with no luck. Maybe asking here will help.I need one more of these old HP 19" equipment racks, of extruded aluminium and diecast frames. The five HP racks I have are all the same: equipment space height = 1425mm = 32 U.See the pics of three of the ones I have. Originally the ones in my pics did not have castor wheels - I added those.The reason I need this exact rack in particular, is that I have five of them and space in the row for one more, but only one of these. My workshop room just happens to fit six of these in a row along one wall, but not an inch wider. Due to their design these have very little excess size over the 19" equipment they contain. Each rack frame is just 536mm wide. That's only 25mm more on each side of a 19" rackmount instrument's mounting brackets. Modern racks are never that compact, so they absolutely don't fit in the one remaining rack space in my lab. The close fit of six of these wasn't planned, it's just a coincidence of the building size.Also, it would be nice if the row of racks matched.These racks consist of diecast top and bottom frames, and four extruded aluminum vertical struts. The frames bolt to the struts with large hex-head machine screws; 4 each at top and bottom. Getting those undone requires a really big allen key: 5/8" A/F.Then there are various essential small bits such as the nut-strips that slide into the vertical struts. (They take UNF #10 screws.) Also the top cover. There are sometimes side sheets, but they're optional. If I can find one locally with them, great. Otherwise, doesn't matter. Slides, power rail, etc I can improvise.<p>I need one of these so badly I'd even pay for shipping from the USA. It would have to be disassembled and packed in two parts (the frames in one, the struts in the other), but my US reshipper could handle the resulting large parcels.

author: teksturi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 09:45:04 am
content: I try to do little bit searching. I found couple site that you may want contact. Also little bit info where are this rack used. I do not know are this same model what you'r looking for but you can check.Here might be same rack. If it is then we know it is also used for hp 1000 system. Also hp museum might give you good info where to find your rack.http://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=109Couple of this racks. You may want to contact.http://www.infionline.net/~wtnewton/oldcomp/hp2100/HP_photos.htmlFind Hewlett-Packard (HP) 2100 System. You can contact this person also.http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/visible-storage.htmlLooks like same rack. Nothing special here. Just want to but nice old photo in the forum.http://about.keysight.com/en/newsroom/backgrounders/na/Hope this help a little bit.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 11:41:31 am
content: Thanks teksturi. Yes, those are the ones. HP used them for *everything* back in the 60s & 70s; I don't think they made any other type then. I don't know if they even made different height ones, possibly not. There must have been thousands of them. I too can find many pictures with those racks from back then. Including in the HP catalogs. But not the racks by themselves, with a part number.Amusingly my HP1000 computer came in one of the ones I have, similar to a couple of your pics.Unfortunately now most people think these look clunky. Also they contain a lot of aluminum and there's considerable scrap value. So it seems not many survive today.Thanks for the links. The HP Museum is a particularly good idea, I hadn't thought of them.But I'm going to leave it for a while more before pestering US sources, just in case one turns up in Oz. Fingers crossed.Completely off topic: Pizzahut started doing discount coupons again. Yay!

author: gslick
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 07:39:38 pm
content: I have a couple of those racks. One containing an HP 1000 2113B and HP 7906 disc drive and the other containing an HP 7970B 9-track tape drive. The system originally ran circuit simulation software for a company doing circuit design.My racks have stabilizer feet that slide out of the front of the racks at the bottom. I can't see those in the pictures you posted of your racks.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 13, 2015, 02:34:38 pm
content: Quote from: gslick on November 12, 2015, 07:39:38 pmWow, that's very close to the HP 1000 system that came with mine:HP 1000 E-Series Minicomputer, model 2113E, Options: 004, 014 (with interface for 7970B)HP 7970B tape drives (Qty 2) (Have calib manual, need schem manual)QuoteNo, mine don't have them. Making some kind of substitute is on the 'todo' list. But not a high priority, since I don't have many proper slide-rails, and so most of the gear in the racks sits on L-section corner rails. Which means the equipment can't be hung out the front of the rack anyway.Is it convenient to take some pics of how they are fitted?I guess you're not offering to sell me one rack, since you're using them.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 13, 2015, 03:19:41 pm
content: i need to make a stop tonite at Weirdstuff warehouse. They may have a few in the back room... i'll let you know

author: gslick
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2015, 04:42:16 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on November 13, 2015, 02:34:38 pmYeah, it's a fairly complete HP 1000 configuration and I couldn't ever see scrapping it out for parts. I just need to get around to getting it up and running again.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2015, 05:08:52 am
content: Quote from: gslick on November 14, 2015, 04:42:16 amThat's exactly the state of mine. Except I don't even have spare space to allocate to it, and I got stuck overhauling it when I couldn't find a schematic of the specific power supply. Only for earlier models. Plus mine had to be evicted from its racks, as I needed them for other things.The HP 1000 is quite an interesting architecture, particularly in the facility to create custom microcode. Though I imagine finding the software tools and doc to actually do that, and getting them running, would be a major effort.Quote from: free_electron on November 13, 2015, 03:19:41 pmThanks. I appreciate the effort.