Microstar!

Did you call? See the photo by my info at left! I have quite a few Microstar cards of various versions, a few manual crossfade units like your picture, software, and manuals if anyone needs any information. There is Microstar info on my website tetinc (dot) net. Lots of these are still in service.

Bless you for trying to maintain old systems, as I have a soft spot for doing that. However, I question whether you are doing clients a favor, or not. Basing a lighting control system on 30+ year old personal computers and throwing more money at it isn't a good idea . An Apple IIe is ripe for disk drive failures, CRT failures, power supply failures, and just plain failures. It makes more sense to update vintage dimmer systems with DMX to 0-10V converters, and going to a console or a modern computer.

I think he is just admiring the fact that he saw it.

FMEng said:

Bless you for trying to maintain old systems, as I have a soft spot for doing that. However, I question whether you are doing clients a favor, or not. Basing a lighting control system on 30+ year old personal computers and throwing more money at it isn't a good idea . An Apple IIe is ripe for disk drive failures, CRT failures, power supply failures, and just plain failures. It makes more sense to update vintage dimmer systems with DMX to 0-10V converters, and going to a console or a modern computer.

Click to expand...

There are four or so systems in small community theatres that I sold 20+ years ago that are still going strong and they like them so much they haven't (and probably can't afford) to give them up. Usually 24-36 dimmer analog systems. Haven't sold one since then, but I still get someone that needs a replacement card or part every once in a while for systems I didn't sell, so they're still out there working. The software is still way better for simple theatre cue recording/playback for conventional fixtures than most anything even today IMHO, and you have the CRT (or flat panel!) display available with the composite video system. In my experience about the same reliability as an Express, with plenty of IIe parts available on Ebay and much simpler with fewer parts to fix than units of today; none of this SMT stuff. Obviously not ready to run much DMX except maybe an I-cue with 0-10 to DMX conversion. If you've got a IIe sitting in the basement, I'll send you a genuine 5.25" floppy so you can run the software!

thats awesome.

If you want the controller for parts send the postage. I let the trigger cards go a while back. If I had known then I would have saved them and shipped them too. Was the first computer board I worked on in 1979(?)