Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!uunet!labrea!rutgers!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!husc6!spdcc!gnosys!gst From: gst@gnosys.UUCP (Gary S. Trujillo) Newsgroups: unix-pc.general Subject: Re: Keyboard Cables? Summary: call Bonnie Wheeler Keywords: Where? Tape Backups? Message-ID: <112@gnosys.UUCP> Date: 1 Feb 89 00:27:26 GMT References: <7454@ihlpf.ATT.COM> <1542@lznv.ATT.COM> Reply-To: gst@gnosys.UUCP (Gary S. Trujillo) Distribution: unix-pc Organization: gst's 3B1 - Somerville, Massachusetts Lines: 78 In article <1542@lznv.ATT.COM> jlw@lznv.ATT.COM (J.L.WOOD) writes: > In article <7454@ihlpf.ATT.COM>, gmark@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Stewart) writes: > > Does anyone have any sources for UNIX-PC keyboard cables?... > > The original posting - somewhat updated: > > From postnews Wed Dec 10 14:41:01 1986 > Subject: UNIX PC Keyboard Extension Cable > Newsgroups: unix-pc.general >... > Dupont Connector Systems > Catalog 86-A p 372 > ^^^^ - Very old catalog > > Latch-N-Lok (tm) Modular Interconnections > > Convergent Assembly 81610 in white but > to extend 10 feet $20 ea, $14.35 100 > > 1-800-233-1173 ext 7552 Bonnie > ^^^^^^ - two+ year-old contact I had a chat this afternoon with Bonnie Wheeler, still at the same extension after these two years (dunno what happened to Cindy). Here's the scoop, as well as I can summarize it: 1. The part number she has is "81610-001". 2. The length of this cable is 10 3/4 inches in its "relaxed" (non-extended) state, with an expansion ratio of 4 1/2 to 1, which means it will extend to a few feet. 3. The cost is $35. 4. The delivery time is approximately 2 weeks. Now, having said all that, let's take a look at the facts. Seems to me that the stock cable is about the quoted length, and, yeah, it'll stretch to a few feet alright, but I don't want to do so, 'cause I've seen a cable that seems to have been over-extended sometime in its life history, and it just doesn't bounce back to its original coiled shape, despite what Bonnie had to say about these cables having a good "memory" (meaning, I suppose, their tendency to return to their original length and shape -- say, that reminds me, does anyone recall a movie with Red Skelton 20 or more years ago - called "The Fuller Brush Man," I think, a murder mystery/comedy sort of thing where an important part of the plot had to do with their being unable to find the murder weapon? Ah, but I digress!). Well, to make a long/short story short :-), Bonnie says that she can't find mention of a longer cable. Given the stretch ratio quoted above, It would appear the cable would have been just over two feet "relaxed." Anyway, she says they can make cables to any length, but they have a minimum order of $250.00. After some more conversation, she finally said, in effect, that they could waive the minimum order requirement. For my purposes, a cable that's only about another 6-8 inches longer would do the trick. She says they could sell such things for about $40, but that the delivery time would probably go up to something like 6-8 weeks. I suggested that they might just batch up a bunch of orders so it's not too much trouble for them to make 'em up, but she said that would just snarl the system even more. Y'know, despite what I said earlier, I find that I can actually stretch the standard cable far enough to put the keyboard on my lap, even though I have the computer sitting so the front edge is back well over a foot from the front edge of the desk it's on - this without seeming to risk distorting the cable unduly. Hey - what are you folks complaining about?? Maybe we could get Lenny, Gil, and John to design us an infrared interface for the keyboard, like they used to have on the PeeCee Junior?? Yeah, and maybe an extendable periscope option for laptop use! ;-) Well, I alerted Bonnie that she might be getting a large number of calls on the subject of cables, and promised to FAX her a copy of the original message, as well as this one. Hope this info helps. -- Gary S. Trujillo {linus,bbn,m2c}!spdcc!gnosys!gst Somerville, Massachusetts {icus,ima,stech,wjh12}!gnosys!gst