HP-41 RAMBox Questions

[rprosperi]

(02-24-2020 10:48 AM)Jurgen Keller Wrote:  I'm pretty sure that this RAMBOX went through my hands. Good to hear that it ended up in good hands. This guy also found a few 41CY and contacted me to restore the OS. This project ended up in the RB2INI module (after many sleepless nights).

As you found out in the meantime, this is a 32K RAMBOX. It runs fine with the "-RAMBOX 64b" ROM except that a few specific functions like PG<> do not have any effect. I guess that the "ES RSU- 1A" was loaded to save the RAMBOX OS to mini cassettes because a few of them were part of the package that this guy uncovered. The other three ROM's (-KATASTER 1, -ING-VERM 1, -ING-VERM-2) are most probably related to surveying. Back then I didn't save these images because without documentation I thought they are more or less useless.

I think I have a RAMBOX with the "-RAMBOX 32" image. However, currently I don't have easy access to my collection. Due to some renovation work in the attic I had to put them into boxes. That's also the reason why I was neglecting my hobby in the last few weeks. If I'll find the right box I will save and share the image.

I thought of building a ROM to recover a 32K RAMBOX. However, it's relatively easy to recover it with "standard" tools like CLONIX. That's why the priority of such a project is low.

Enjoy your new gadget. For my part, I like the possibility to load FOCAL programs into RAM which allows for building your personal ROM images.

Thanks Jürgen, yes indeed the seller mentioned that you had seen the items, however I though it best to document the process and get all the useful answers captured in the Forum for the next folks that acquire one of these.

It's interesting that in the end, using these is really pretty straightforward after all, even though they initially seem so complex and foreign. I suppose that comes from the vaunted status these held 'back in the day' due to their high cost, relative scarcity, and limited set of knowledgeable players who knew what they were doing.

So many years later, and armed with tools like Angel's modules, Diego's NoV/CLONIX great documentation like your recent HP-41CY article and advice from so many experts, it's really not hard at all and in fact bring back some of the core fun that the 41 family of HP and 3rd-party products did in the 80's and even all the years since.

Now if only I can get my hands on an MLDL2000, I feel I would have personally experienced most of the most important 41 toys. Tools! I meant tools.

The image that doesn't seem to be available is the "-RAMBOX 1B" version; there are several versions of the RAMBOX 32, RAMBOX a/b, RAMBOX 64A/B, etc. which I now can see have W&W version info tagged inside, which can help to paint a historical picture of how this OS evolved. It will be interesting to check this if/when someone can provide a copy of "-RAMBOX 1B", but I suspect this was probably from some individual that simply appended the 'PRFAT FAT-listing FOCAL program from the manual onto the end of the -RAMBOX 32" image.