retro [Old IBM 8530] I Need Everyone's Help. I Dunno What I Should Do With My Grandpa's First PC...

[APCNewbie209]

Alright so I found an original IBM Model 8530 and it's CRT monitor, a classic 8503001 in my grandma's attic.

 

I wonder what I should do with this machine?  Realistically.  All it needs is a power cable for the CRT and the PC itself then she should be up and running.

 

I have a whole packet of floppy disks too.  Stuff even containing an original (maybe pirated copy from my uncle) copy of Contra on it too!  Plus some other software and other things my core two duo of a brain can't handle.

 

So I have a real delima.

 

Do I keep this PC until I can somehow find a power cord, os floppy disk, and keep it as is?

 

Or do I turn this into the ultimate retro PC sleeper build for emulated retro games?

 

Also, where can I even find power cords for this device?  I would love to use the CRT for my laptops retro games.  But God knows I'm a certified dumbass and can't find anything.  Any and all help/suggestions/ideas would be great.

 

I'm pretty sure this was my grandma and grandpa's first computer he used for work before going to the military.  So I would love to get this PC up and running somehow for grandma.  I just need to know how and where to find spare affordable parts.  

 

Any tips and help will be much obliged on what I should do with this ancient piece of tech history I have sitting in my closet rn.

 

 

[APCNewbie209]

Sorry if I'm posting in the wrong location.  I'm just out of the loop on modern forums that aren't reddit.  

[APCNewbie209]

Funny enough.  I did try to play siege with the keyboard and mouse.  It didn't work.  Don't try it.  Can't kick me down for at least trying eh?

[8tg]

A 286 PS/2 model 30, neat

Note these machines were the introduction of a few standards we still have today, namely ps/2 and VGA

 

I wouldn’t gut one of these to make a sleeper for a few reasons, the inherent value of the machine as it is being one but putting that to the side. 
1) these are very compact machines that will require you to basically fabricate your own entire rear I/o plate to do anything with modern hardware

2) they’re not that visually interesting externally 

3) a “sleeper” in something this old isn’t a sleeper, it’s like seeing a clean example of a boring mid 80’s car in the wild, someone knows what they’re doing with that car these days, they know it attracts attention, it’s not sleeping, same applies to 80’s beige boxes like this 

 

I would try and get it working well as is, these use the same power cords as modern pcs. Just plug it in, see if it turns on.

 

[APCNewbie209]

9 minutes ago, 8tg said:

A 286 PS/2 model 30, neat

Note these machines were the introduction of a few standards we still have today, namely ps/2 and VGA

 

I wouldn’t gut one of these to make a sleeper for a few reasons, the inherent value of the machine as it is being one but putting that to the side. 
1) these are very compact machines that will require you to basically fabricate your own entire rear I/o plate to do anything with modern hardware

2) they’re not that visually interesting externally 

3) a “sleeper” in something this old isn’t a sleeper, it’s like seeing a clean example of a boring mid 80’s car in the wild, someone knows what they’re doing with that car these days, they know it attracts attention, it’s not sleeping, same applies to 80’s beige boxes like this 

 

I would try and get it working well as is, these use the same power cords as modern pcs. Just plug it in, see if it turns on.

 

Oh damn.  But I need something for the monitor so I guess I just go find two power cord cables get fresh wall outlets and plug and play?  That simple?  Any clue what kind of cables specifically?  Or is it really just generic I can get off the shelves at that horrid place called "Walmart." Like do they have a specific name or something like that?  I don't know my cables man.

[8tg]

5 minutes ago, APCNewbie209 said:

Oh damn.  But I need something for the monitor so I guess I just go find two power cord cables get fresh wall outlets and plug and play?  That simple?  Any clue what kind of cables specifically?  Or is it really just generic I can get off the shelves at that horrid place called "Walmart." Like do they have a specific name or something like that?  I don't know my cables man.

PC power cables, also known as C13

 

[APCNewbie209]

Just now, 8tg said:

PC power cables, also known as C13

 

Oh so I just get two of these?  One for the PC itself and one for the CRT?  Then one VGA cable and it'll be up and running?  If so, that sounds good to me.

[8tg]

Just now, APCNewbie209 said:

Oh so I just get two of these?  One for the PC itself and one for the CRT?  Then one VGA cable and it'll be up and running?  If so, that sounds good to me.

Should be all it will need to see what’s up with it as is. These ps/2 machines are from right when pcs started to fit some of the standards we use today, they’re not too foreign to handle.

[APCNewbie209]

1 minute ago, 8tg said:

Should be all it will need to see what’s up with it as is. These ps/2 machines are from right when pcs started to fit some of the standards we use today, they’re not too foreign to handle.

Will these work?  I have all the floppy disks I'll need to run the machine.  Supposedly the is is within it cuz of how light it is.  All it needs is floppy disks and the data on them does the work.  It's that old of a PC.

 

Will these be all I need?  I recognize the prongs on them they seem to match the PC!  

[manikyath]

i'm pretty sure that these things have some value because of their historical significance.

 

if it holds no value to you (being your grandpa's computer and all..) it's something that collectors may be willing to pay some money for.

[8tg]

12 minutes ago, APCNewbie209 said:

Will these work?  I have all the floppy disks I'll need to run the machine.  Supposedly the is is within it cuz of how light it is.  All it needs is floppy disks and the data on them does the work.  It's that old of a PC.

 

Will these be all I need?  I recognize the prongs on them they seem to match the PC!  

Those types of power cables and a vga cable will be all you need, unless the monitor already has a vga cable built in.

You may need to remove a pin from some modern vga cables if you use a new one.

And no, those machines don’t have hard drives, unless there’s one optionally installed, most don’t. You’ll need the pcdos disks to get anywhere. And that’s realistically where a roadblock may be encountered as floppy disks are volatile media, floppy disk drives don’t last forever, and formatting 1.44mb DD disks to 720k SD disks can be annoyingly slow.

[Rocketdog2112]

Maybe hook up with this group for advice or to possibly sell... 

 

 

 

[APCNewbie209]

7 hours ago, 8tg said:

Those types of power cables and a vga cable will be all you need, unless the monitor already has a vga cable built in.

You may need to remove a pin from some modern vga cables if you use a new one.

And no, those machines don’t have hard drives, unless there’s one optionally installed, most don’t. You’ll need the pcdos disks to get anywhere. And that’s realistically where a roadblock may be encountered as floppy disks are volatile media, floppy disk drives don’t last forever, and formatting 1.44mb DD disks to 720k SD disks can be annoyingly slow.

Oh don't worry I have stacks on stacks on floppy disks.  If at least one of them works I'm happy.  Sounds good.  I'll get those items then!  Thanks!

[APCNewbie209]

3 hours ago, Rocketdog2112 said:

Maybe hook up with this group for advice or to possibly sell... 

 

 

 

Ordered some parts for the PC.  Some power cables and VGA cable.  Apparently that's all I need.  I have the floppy disks ready to go.  

[8tg]

38 minutes ago, APCNewbie209 said:

Ordered some parts for the PC.  Some power cables and VGA cable.  Apparently that's all I need.  I have the floppy disks ready to go.  

As mentioned for old vga you may need to remove a pin, little pliers will do

I had an 8086 (red switch) ps/2 model 30 years and years ago and getting it to connect to a modern monitor required removing a pin

not sure if that’s still the case for 286 models, they may have the revised vga port on them

you’ll be able to tell pretty quick because it won’t physically fit with that pin

the few images I can find of the 286 ones, it has all the pins of modern vga which the 8086 one doesnt

but the monitor end might still have 14 pins

[APCNewbie209]

10 hours ago, 8tg said:

As mentioned for old vga you may need to remove a pin, little pliers will do

I had an 8086 (red switch) ps/2 model 30 years and years ago and getting it to connect to a modern monitor required removing a pin

not sure if that’s still the case for 286 models, they may have the revised vga port on them

you’ll be able to tell pretty quick because it won’t physically fit with that pin

the few images I can find of the 286 ones, it has all the pins of modern vga which the 8086 one doesnt

but the monitor end might still have 14 pins

Oh I have an original crt.  Won't that work natively?

[8tg]

8 minutes ago, APCNewbie209 said:

Oh I have an original crt.  Won't that work natively?

The monitor won’t matter, it’s just a matter of the cable. If you don’t have the original cable you’ll need a new vga cable, and older vga on some of those early machines that even have vga were 14 pin instead of 15 pin

[APCNewbie209]

3 minutes ago, 8tg said:

The monitor won’t matter, it’s just a matter of the cable. If you don’t have the original cable you’ll need a new vga cable, and older vga on some of those early machines that even have vga were 14 pin instead of 15 pin

Well I will just see how it goes.  It comes in tomorrow.  Or today rather it's 12:30 midnight here.  But it's gonna be confusing figuring out how DOS works.  Anything I should know about it before I catch fire?

 

I've got a ton of 3.5" floppy disks ready and rearing to go.

[8tg]

5 minutes ago, APCNewbie209 said:

Well I will just see how it goes.  It comes in tomorrow.  Or today rather it's 12:30 midnight here.  But it's gonna be confusing figuring out how DOS works.  Anything I should know about it before I catch fire?

 

I've got a ton of 3.5" floppy disks ready and rearing to go.

Most of pcdos you can just google, there’s plenty out there on it.

i would just make sure it’s clean inside and out before doing much with it, and check some key components for potential failure, leaking rtc battery or capacitors are potential problems with any system this old. Look for any signs of corrosion.

Blow out the dust, clean the floppy disk screw rail and re-grease it with some kind of silicone grease or in a pinch, a small amount of mineral oil or equivalent non organic oil.

 

some stuff will do fine with age, some stuff won’t just spring to life though if it’s been sitting

[APCNewbie209]

3 minutes ago, 8tg said:

Most of pcdos you can just google, there’s plenty out there on it.

i would just make sure it’s clean inside and out before doing much with it, and check some key components for potential failure, leaking rtc battery or capacitors are potential problems with any system this old. Look for any signs of corrosion.

Blow out the dust, clean the floppy disk screw rail and re-grease it with some kind of silicone grease or in a pinch, a small amount of mineral oil or equivalent non organic oil.

 

some stuff will do fine with age, some stuff won’t just spring to life though if it’s been sitting

From the outside it looks fine.  I can't open it up though.  It's sealed shut.  But from what grandma says it was hardly used.  Despite the onslaught of floppy disks.  Most of them were pirates games by my uncle and random applications for tax forums.  I'll try to re-grease it but nothing seems to be leaking from it.  No watery sounds or weird smells.

[8tg]

3 minutes ago, APCNewbie209 said:

From the outside it looks fine.  I can't open it up though.  It's sealed shut.  But from what grandma says it was hardly used.  Despite the onslaught of floppy disks.  Most of them were pirates games by my uncle and random applications for tax forums.  I'll try to re-grease it but nothing seems to be leaking from it.  No watery sounds or weird smells.

If it’s not locked then just remove the 4 screws from the sides and the entire lid comes off.

If it is locked, either learn how to use a barrel key pick or basically twist the lock until it breaks with a screwdriver. Then replace it with a new bolt on barrel lock, they’re at any hardware store for a few bucks.

Youre going to want to check the inside of something that’s almost 40 years old for potential damage to not cause an actual fire.

[APCNewbie209]

7 minutes ago, 8tg said:

If it’s not locked then just remove the 4 screws from the sides and the entire lid comes off.

If it is locked, either learn how to use a barrel key pick or basically twist the lock until it breaks with a screwdriver. Then replace it with a new bolt on barrel lock, they’re at any hardware store for a few bucks.

Youre going to want to check the inside of something that’s almost 40 years old for potential damage to not cause an actual fire.

Damn.  I'll have to go full unga bunga on this thing?  Didn't really want to risk that.  But I guess I will in the name of safety.  Really want to make sure it keeps it prestine look but you know the old saying.  "I ungus, therefore I bungus." 

 

In laymen's terms.  Screwdriver and hammer?  Pry that thing open like an oyster?

[8tg]

2 minutes ago, APCNewbie209 said:

Damn.  I'll have to go full unga bunga on this thing?  Didn't really want to risk that.  But I guess I will in the name of safety.  Really want to make sure it keeps it prestine look but you know the old saying.  "I ungus, therefore I bungus." 

 

In laymen's terms.  Screwdriver and hammer?  Pry that thing open like an oyster?

Just twist the lock, it’ll usually snap a pin and open

you can replace the lock pretty easily, they’re just bolt on cabinet locks, you can get them in pretty much any configuration needed 

it’s not ideal to have to snap one, but it’s either that or pick it, and that’s a lot more of a challenge than just twisting until it breaks 

[APCNewbie209]

7 minutes ago, 8tg said:

Just twist the lock, it’ll usually snap a pin and open

you can replace the lock pretty easily, they’re just bolt on cabinet locks, you can get them in pretty much any configuration needed 

it’s not ideal to have to snap one, but it’s either that or pick it, and that’s a lot more of a challenge than just twisting until it breaks 

Yeah I don't see this with a pair of keys bro.  I might be actually kinda boned.  I could try picking the lock.  Or my favorite method.  Brute force.  Either way.  I'll figure out in a months time.  Can't do all this stuff until I get the parts I need anyway.

[APCNewbie209]

22 hours ago, manikyath said:

i'm pretty sure that these things have some value because of their historical significance.

 

if it holds no value to you (being your grandpa's computer and all..) it's something that collectors may be willing to pay some money for.

Sorry for the late reply.  But that has huge value to me and abuela.  It was their first PC and he got it so she could do her taxes while he was away in the military.  

 

I've heard these go for a couple thousand dollars.  Depending on sellers.  But I actually plan on restoring it (hopefully in time for my grandma to see it she's like 85 or something man.)

 

My mother and uncle would also love to use this thing again because it was their first PCs too.  It has a ton of value in this family.  Now I get to use it and hopefully repair it.  Maybe even upgrade it since it wouldn't be that hard.  

 

But this desktop apparently instroduced VGA and PS/2 ports to the mainstream.  Introduced the Model M keyboard if I'm not mistaken, and had options for storage expansion in some models.  Could be wrong about some info, but since this is the first model of the lineup, it could be worth a lot or good to donate to a meusame at some point if my family would agree to that if I can't get it working.