Colin McMillenThere are two types of cable websites. The ones with $4 cables and $150 shipping, and the ones with $20 cables and $20 shipping. Choose your poison.
It also seems that a lot of cable vendors are confused and believe the Apple double mini-din-8 (used for connecting old Macs to ImageWriter II) are supposedly straight. They are not, they are null-modem.
I don't like knowing more than vendors because now I can't trust any listing unless I email to get the actual cable pinout.
#retrocomputing
I don't like knowing more than vendors because now I can't trust any listing unless I email to get the actual cable pinout.
#retrocomputing
Also I'm being gaslit while I have an actual working cable and a continuity meter in my hands.
This is very annoying.
This is very annoying.
It's the second time in a few months that people try to gaslight me in my areas of expertise and I do not like it and I wonder how women manage to not rip throats out after a few years of that shit
Ok, enough digging in the internet trying to find an actual model of cable that I actually trust will work.
This ends with me getting an Alibaba manufacturer to build them for me from a pinout I can trust.
Let's just hope I can trust the Alibaba manufacturer to not mess it up.
#RetroComputing
This ends with me getting an Alibaba manufacturer to build them for me from a pinout I can trust.
Let's just hope I can trust the Alibaba manufacturer to not mess it up.
#RetroComputing
Aftermath of my Alibaba custom cable experience : I have received my 50 "vintage Mac serial cables" (50 was the MOQ). Cost me 290€ shipped and taxed, about 6€/cable. That means I can bundle them at 10€ each with my #AppleII hardware without losing money, which is a very reasonable price for my scale of operation.
#Retrocomputing
#Retrocomputing
Karl Baron@colin_mcmillen I can confirm you are not insane.
I’m lucky these are still available new from a reputable brand on Amazon Japan https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00008BBEN
Regionales Retro-Rechenzentrum e.V.@kalleboo @colin_mcmillen For some reason, Mini-DIN8 to Mini-DIN8 in Apple Fashion is easy to get in Germany, but not RS232 Mini-DIN8 to D-Sub 9 or 25 for generic RS232 devices like modem or printer or DCF77 time signal receiver or so
@kalleboo Every cable sold should come with the wiring diagram like on the picture you sent. That would solve so much 🙂
fergycool@colin_mcmillen I can give you a link to one that is definitely wrong. I know as I bought one and it did not work. Being impatient I cut the cable and rewired it :-)
@colin_mcmillen Eeek. I did not buy 24 of them though. That must have stung!
@fergycool Yeah, it'll sting when I'll get to cut one end and hand-solder 24 connectors correctly myself 🫠
@colin_mcmillen Look on the bright side. With all that practice the last few cables will be works of art! Seriously I hope you find an "accurate" supplier.
@fergycool I'll have them made to spec. Apparently (if that works) with a MOQ of 50, it's even going to be cheaper - like €6 per cable, shipped & taxed.
Terin Stock@colin_mcmillen the one that charges $150 shipping will also take 2-3 weeks to ship and won't pay VAT.