Wanted: service to restore my Tandy 3100 Model 10 in the Chicago / Milwaukee area

[vintagegamecrazy]

I suck at M$-DOS set up so I'm looking for someone to restore and set this computer up for me. I've had it for some time and it's been sitting on a shelf in doing nothing. I would want someone to go through it and change the CMOS battery and install a compact flash hard drive. I'm not looking for a full repair job but just an overall inspection and after that somebody who is good enough with MS-DOS to install the drivers for the sound card and CD-ROM and get everything set up correctly so it could be used. 

 

I would also be interested and possibly replacing the CD-ROM drive with a 5 and 1/4 inch disc drive since I have so many games that it would be compatible with.

 

I can pay for the service or trade stuff from my small video game booth depending on what is agreed on. I want to make it worth your time if you decide to set this computer up for me. 

 

PM me if you can help me out. On the Illinois Wisconsin border so traveling to you in the Chicago or Milwaukee area would not be a problem.

[djglish]

Looks like it's in good shape cosmetically.  Curious if you've fire it up and/or know what the specs are?  From what I've seen its a 486SX vintage computer.  

Back in the day I probably could have helped you but it's been way too long since I've messed with DOS.  i'm in the Milwaukee area and I'll check with a couple of friends to see if they have any suggestions for people to help.

 

You can also check out the Vintage Computer Fair Midwest next month.  It will be in Schamburg Ill.  Check out the website at vcfmw.org.  

You should be able to find someone there to help.  

 

If you get there stop in and say hi.  I'll be listed as AtariGuy on the table map (just sent in my money for my tables).  I'm selling off a bunch of my old Atari stuff and some PC games from around the vintage of your computer.

[djglish]

You can also join the Wisconsin Computer Club website.  They are mainly based in the Stevens Point area but there are members around the state.  Post in the PC area and you might find someone near by.

 

Here is the site https://wisconsincomputerclub.com/index.php

[vintagegamecrazy]

I'd like to attend the festival but it's all up in the air now. Let me know if you can get in touch with anyone you may know. Stevens Point is pretty far but maybe if no one closer can help me out.

[djglish]

Check out the Wisconsin Computer Club site.  There may be someone nearby.  

It may take a few days for them to get you authorized.

You can post the question in their PC sub-area

[djglish]

I put your first post up on the PC area at the WCC website and told them they can contact me and I can send you any feedback. 

If you get up there you could get the info from them without me acting as an intermediary.  

 

Also, if you have any of the startup disks there is a new post from someone here looking for a copy of them.  It was just posted a few hours ago.

[vintagegamecrazy]

Thanks for that. Unfortunately I just have the PC only, it came without the disks.

[djglish]

I found a 6 year old site that talks about getting a Tandy up and running.  I asked if anyone would have disks for the 3100 model 10.  Don't know if anyone will still be monitoring the topic.

 

Here is a link to the topic

https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/tandy-486sx-model-10-hdd-size-limitation.68381/

 

I've also sent out a message to people from my group (very small and mostly old Atari guys) to see if anyone still has DOS skills.

 

Also, here is a PDF with instructions on type of RAM and some of the jumper settings.

Tandy 3100.pdf

[Havok69]

Shame you're not in the upstate New York area, I used to sell those back when I worked at the Shack and would definitely be able to get it going again. Hopefully you can make it to the fair; you're pretty much guaranteed to find someone who could help there. Good luck!

[vintagegamecrazy]

I appreciate the thought Havok, if only I was in New York and not Illinois. LOL. Funny you mentioned working at RadioShack, I worked there in the early 2000s for about three and a half years.

[Havok69]

On 8/17/2024 at 12:33 PM, vintagegamecrazy said:

I appreciate the thought Havok, if only I was in New York and not Illinois. LOL. Funny you mentioned working at RadioShack, I worked there in the early 2000s for about three and a half years.

Well then we were co-workers, at least for a little while! I left around the early 2000's. Got out of sales and started working in IT. I do miss Radio Shack. I knew they were headed in the wrong direction when they started to turn their back on the their core customer base and went full in on cell phones and that foolish store within a store junk they tried next with RCA, etc.  You kept seeing all the cool electronics parts and stuff getting moved further to the back of the store and then into drawers. Oh well...