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GoBlueHiker 
Obsessive Island Hopper...
Group: Members
Posts: 14069
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 5:36 pm |
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Heya folks,
I'm gearing up for a science expedition to Greenland (it's been my full-time job the past month, arranging every detail from National Guard Hercules flights and SAR insurance down to what bolts will fit with our charge controllers to use with the solar panels, etc). Anyhoo, part of my job is to run GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) in the field. I have an old MALA/RAMAC GPR system, and it plugs into a laptop via an old LPT connection (printer port, before everything went USB).
They make USB/LPT adapters these days, but they (the guys at the NSIDC I'm borrowing the radar from) say they've tried every adapter known to man with this system, and it seems it won't communicate with anything except a native LPT port, not through an adapter. I have an old Dell with an LPT on a media docking station, and I couldn't get it to communicate with that. Dunno what it is with the protocol the system uses, but it needs an LPT on the computer tied directly to the motherboard.
Since I only have one (1) laptop that'll work right now, and a laptop is a potential failure point, I'm looking for a second laptop. Doesn't have to be new and fancy-schmancy... in fact an old WinXP box would be great. It just needs to have an LPT port in the back. And I don't have a large budget for this, so the cheaper the better.
Can anyone help? You would, in fact, be helping science. I could fill you in on everything we'll be doing up there if you're curious. It's a backup so hopefully it wouldn't be used, but I'd hate to be stuck out there without one if the 1st laptop fails on day 2 of 28 on the ice sheet.
Let me know, and thanks!
- Mike
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Wealth needs more. Happiness needs less. Simplify.
www.RainForestTreks.com
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| Post Number: 2
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TDale
Group: Members
Posts: 13140
Joined: Jun. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 5:57 pm |
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I'm sure you've checked Craigslist? I was looking for a replacement for my Thinkpad and saw tons of older laptops for less than $100. Your biggest problem is going to be getting a good battery for whatever you find.
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"Sure as I know anything, I know this - they will try again...They'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more runnin'. I aim to misbehave."
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AnyaDogs
Group: Members
Posts: 144
Joined: Mar. 2011
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 5:58 pm |
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I'll check when I get home, but we've got an old one that still has XP and if we didn't pitch it I think we've got one that is running 95. I'll check out the XP one and see what the ports on the back are. It's yours if it will work for you. We'll have to wipe the drive but if you're willing to do the reinstalls, it's yours.
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Bring a compass...It's awkward eating your friends.
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Tigger
Woods Pouncer
Group: Members
Posts: 10502
Joined: Apr. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 5:58 pm |
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I'll dig through my garage and see what I can find. I won't promise anything but I might have one...strangely.
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If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
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eyebp
Moderator
Group: Members
Posts: 9625
Joined: Dec. 2007
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 6:13 pm |
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Let me see what I have at work tomorrow. It seems like there was a Toughbook floating around. I'm thinking it got.....got, cause I haven't tripped over it in awhile.
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Of all the ridiculous things to micromanage. Even for a lunatic megalomaniac.
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| Post Number: 7
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Chuck D
Group: Members
Posts: 7359
Joined: Feb. 2002
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 6:15 pm |
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No laptop, but I have a couple of slide rules you can use
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Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
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| Post Number: 8
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AnyaDogs
Group: Members
Posts: 144
Joined: Mar. 2011
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 9:08 pm |
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Our old one doesn't have the port you're looking for but hubby says he has a couple of old ones in the basement that have the ports you're looking for. What time frame are you looking at? He'll need some time to first locate one and then work on it. The battery will be the issue however.
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Bring a compass...It's awkward eating your friends.
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| Post Number: 11
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AnyaDogs
Group: Members
Posts: 144
Joined: Mar. 2011
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 9:09 pm |
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Duh, just read your follow up post on the battery, so nevermind 
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Bring a compass...It's awkward eating your friends.
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| Post Number: 12
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GoBlueHiker
Obsessive Island Hopper...
Group: Members
Posts: 14069
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 9:39 pm |
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I have a Craiglist lead for one locally that'd probably work, for $30. If that falls through I'll let y'all know, but in the meantime that's probably close to being as cheap as shipping one halfway 'cross the country.
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Wealth needs more. Happiness needs less. Simplify.
www.RainForestTreks.com
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| Post Number: 13
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AnyaDogs
Group: Members
Posts: 144
Joined: Mar. 2011
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 9:55 pm |
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Good deal, although I'd love the opportunity to ditch some of the computer junk sitting around the house!! Let me know if it falls thru
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Bring a compass...It's awkward eating your friends.
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| Post Number: 14
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| Post Number: 15
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AnyaDogs
Group: Members
Posts: 144
Joined: Mar. 2011
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Posted on: Feb. 25 2013, 10:38 pm |
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Don't I wish hubby would go for that. Only for a worthy cause will he let his computer stuff go. We're talking about the man who moved around a bucket full of rusty nuts and bolts for years. Its the only time I've nagged my husband and it only took ten years for him to finally get rid of the bucket o bolts.
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Bring a compass...It's awkward eating your friends.
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| Post Number: 16
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cgaphiker
Hen Wallow Falls
Group: Members
Posts: 11005
Joined: Apr. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2013, 12:24 am |
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I've got an old Dell Latitude D600 that looks to have the port you need. It's yours if you need it.
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| Post Number: 17
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Deborah
Deborah - 18 months
Group: Members
Posts: 15712
Joined: Feb. 2002
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2013, 7:43 am |
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Mike, I have one, but the battery is dead. It's a Dell Latitude D505... got it in 2005. It has XP on it and was working fine until the battery croaked.
I would want to delete all of my old data before you take it.
So, another local option it others fall through.
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“What we need is production by the masses, not mass-production” Gandhi
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” David Russell
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GoBlueHiker
Obsessive Island Hopper...
Group: Members
Posts: 14069
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2013, 7:43 pm |
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I just picked one up today for $20 cash. An old Gateway running XP Pro. The laptop seems to work well, although I haven't installed and tested the software and radar system with it yet. Hopefully it all syncs up and works.
If not, I might bump the thread to try and find another. Thanks y'all!
- Mike
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Wealth needs more. Happiness needs less. Simplify.
www.RainForestTreks.com
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Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
