Colin McMillenMay 11

There 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.

#RetroComputing

Show threadColin McMillenMay 11
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
Show threadColin McMillen
Also I'm being gaslit while I have an actual working cable and a continuity meter in my hands.
This is very annoying.
May 11 at 4:32pmWeb
Show threadColin McMillenMay 11
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
Show threadColin McMillenMay 11
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
Show threadColin McMillen1d ago
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
Show threadKarl BaronMay 12

@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

Show threadRegionales Retro-Rechenzentrum e.V.May 12
@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
Show threadColin McMillenMay 12
@3rz @kalleboo where do you get them in germany?
Show threadRegionales Retro-Rechenzentrum e.V.May 18

@colin_mcmillen @kalleboo https://www.partsdata.de/Druckerkabel-AppleTalk-Apple-SERIELL-MD8-180cm/M-2005

and nice little ...

https://www.partsdata.de/Mini-DIN-8-Umschaltbox-A-B-C/M-2011

Druckerkabel AppleTalk Apple SERIELL MD8 180cm | M-2005

Druckerkabel für Apple Mac SERIELL, 1.8m, Mini-DIN-8 männlich / Mini-DIN-8 männlich, z.B. f. ImageWriter II, HP DeskWriter u.a.    

partsdata
Show threadColin McMillenMay 12
@kalleboo Every cable sold should come with the wiring diagram like on the picture you sent. That would solve so much 🙂