How to move data from 286's MFM drive to Pentium2 1

[mvAnalyst]

have a Dell 286 (1987) box that works fine except VDT is fried. Drive holds PICK (R83) OS. Trying to put all data (not OS) from 40 MB MFM hard drive to floppy for eventual transfer to Pick-like system on P2 machine. Rather difficult w/o a VDT on 286.

I've considered the following as possible options:
1. Is it possible to install MFM HD in my P2 400MHz in order to utilize its screen and speed (even as the only drive just to transfer to floppy)? (It would be ideal to get the existing Pick OS on a fast machine.) Am also considering a new mobo and probably athlon chip; so are there any mobos that can handle MFM as well as IDE drives?.
2. Can I use the more modern (15 pin) screen [Relisys RE767B] from the P2 on the 286 (with some adapter)?
3. Is there a way to connect the two machines directly? The P2 would be running UniVision (a Pick-like Multivalue DBMS) under either RH Linux 7.2 or NT4.
4. Or, finally, how can I get a hold of a viable 9-pin vdt? I don't really want to trash the 286, so one that would last. (I've gone thru two so far. The second, used, lasted a very short usage time.)

[[wordy or what!!]]
Any and all help greatly appreciated.

 

[edfair]

You could put a VGA card in. That would be the 15 pin. Might have to trace down a jumper to make the swap.

You could put the MFM controller in. Would be a possible problem with bus speed but unlikely. But I don't know what the pick will do with a different processor. Or if you booted from the floppy the pick OS would never know.

Might be able to hook them together. But the data interchange is going to be a bear.

Look on e-bay. Or tell us where you are. Somebody may be able to help. There are still mono and color monitors around. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[glister]

Slap a VGA card in the 286 so you can see what's going on. Go on-line and FTP your files to an FTP server at your ISP (contact your ISP for info on his FTP server). Then FTP the files back to your Pentium computer. You can download a copy of WS_FTP LE from the internet, for free.

Download available here:

http://www.ftpplanet.com/download.htm

Go for it!

A+,N+,S+,L+,I+,CFOT,CCNT,ACSP,ISA CCST3

 

[mvAnalyst]

Thank you edfair and glister.

Of the options I listed, the vga card now seems the best. (There are 2 slots available.)

Is there a particular type/brand of vga card that's most appropriate, or will any one work?
Will it be something I could later transfer to the P2, or must it be a '286' level of technology?
Will a used one do? (They don't deteriorate or 'go bad', do they?)
---------------------------
Unfortunately, glister, although I have a 14400 external modem for the 286, I was never been able to get it to work in Pick; and its power cord transformer went early anyway. They wanted $60 for it (the whole thing was only $100); so I opted out.

Of course, that brings up the question of whether I could ever use the 286 (perhaps as a firewall -- or is it too slow) to access the net.

Is an INTERNAL MODEM a possibility for a 286?
Is the 286 upgradable; is it worth it?
I would probably make one machine Windows, the other Linux; but do you know if it's possible to run Pick R83 (an OS) on a very much faster machine?

Should I be asking these questions in a different thread?

Gotta say: it's exciting being able to talk to knowledgeable people. Thanks again.

 

[edfair]

Used is fine. They don't generally wear out. But you are looking for an ISA bus VGA card. Just about any one will work, you'll be using it in the default 640x480 mode so don't even worry about drivers.
It would be usable in P2 if ISA slots available but you wouldn't want to do it. ISA is 16 bit transfer, you'll want 64 bit transfer for the speed.
286 is too slow for most modern stuff you might want to do.
I'd have no problem using it as network storage, but that would be as DOS and using Lantastic. And no, I don't want it.
Internal modem is no problem but you'll need an ISA card modem. And probably will need to hold the speed to 19,2 like the external. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[CitrixEngineer]

Or how about sticking a cheap NIC in each machine (you should be able to find an ISA NIC for peanuts - or the IT dept at your company might have one among the old junk), adding a TCP/IP stack and transferring all the data over at 10MB/sec? CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk