Tandy 3 in uncertain condition

[Tandy_Man]

Hello!

Apologies for what might turn out to be a record for breaches of site posting procedures. I am an outsider and a luddite looking for guidance. I am in possession of a Tandy 3 of uncertain status. It changed hands multiple times among people within my larger social circle. It was at one point purported to work, but after a few different people's attempts at tinkering, it never turned on and now lies in pieces. It seems no one else wants it and I understand it's too rare and potentially important a piece to just toss in a dumpster. I also have a LOT of compatible floppy discs. So rather than just throw it all on eBay, I thought I would come here and ask the knowledgable crowd what they felt would be the best course of action. I'm not specifically looking to sell it right now, just solicit some expert advice regarding what to do next. If I've bungled this so badly I need to edit, delete, or repost somewhere more appropriate, I will gladly follow whatever rules you have. Thank you in advance for your patience and consideration.

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[Trash-Eighty]

Welcome and congratulations for owning a Tandy 3!

A 'Tandy 3' is a quite rare model variant but internally it's like a Model III.

It would be interesting to know your technical background especially if you are familiar with old computers and electronics somehow. So with that we can establish an suitable approach for you.


-Rainer

[Tandy_Man]

Thank you so much for the welcome and reply! In truth I have absolutely no technical background and am not in any way familiar with old computers and electronics. This computer came into my possession as it was being used as a part of a theatrical production, and some hobbyist friends of mine adopted it as a project to get it working again and were unsuccessful. I've subsequently done some very surface level research from places like this forum and Youtube and learned of its rareness. So I know that I am absolutely not the right person for this remarkable machine.

[vwestlife]

Our friend Ian did a video about the Tandy 3. Unfortunately his was not working either.

[clh333]

Apologies for what might turn out to be a record for breaches of site posting procedures.

As the current record-holder, I am loath to cede my title.

I also have a LOT of compatible floppy discs.

Find a like-minded soul with a TRS nearby and make copies as soon as is practical.

I'm not specifically looking to sell it right now, just solicit some expert advice regarding what to do next.

You just can't make an "educated guess" from this distance, but we can cite some areas where problems recur: The power supply (inside the case) can develop problems, and without that the machine won't turn on. The "floppy disk" drives tend to "freeze up" over time and require cleaning and lubing. Memory chips can go bad and the display may become filled with random characters. And the controls for brightness and contrast (under the left side of the console keyboard) tend to freeze up. If they're set wrong you won't see anything on the display even if you do have power. Depending on who has been "repairing" it in the past there may be other things to undo. So there's a lot to look at. If you're willing to try you will find people here to give you advice and direction, but ultimately the care and feeding of this toy / rarity is up to you. Your tolerance for frustration, your tenacity, may ultimately be rewarded but it's going to cost you.

-CH-

[Tandy_Man]

Thank you for the reply, that's all fair. I'm not even a hobbyist and have no personal interest in restoring it or ever seeing it on again. But I recognize that it might bring some interest/joy to the right person. I was very close to just driving it to an e-waste site before I started doing research. How can I best connect with people who might treat this thing the way it deserves? A specific type of local place I could drive it to, maybe somewhere on here or another likeminded site, just throw it up on eBay and let fate decide? I don't want it to go to waste, and I also don't want it in my house any more.

[Trash-Eighty]

This old computer can't be shipped in a cardboard box without further damaging it. There are many examples for things gone wrong during shipping.
http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/shipping/
So I would only sell it for local pick up.

There is a sale section here in this forum: http://www.vcfed.org/forum/forumdisp...-Sale-or-Trade

You can try also craiglist or contact a local retro computer club. Is there one in Los Angeles?
I would take it but I'm too far away ...

[TheDrip]

I am down in San Diego. While I am by no means a Tandy aficionado, I would drive up to LA to pick up this machine and bring it home to continue the repair efforts, rather than see it go to e-waste!

There is probably a Tandy enthusiast closer who would pine over the machine, but I will take it and care for it if needed!

[pski]

The Tandy 3 is essentially a rebadged Model III with a really, really nice white paint job. It's quite desirable by Tandy collectors and I think it will fetch a nice price on eBay. If packed very well, these smaller TRS-80's can be shipped so I would not hesitate to put it on eBay to get your best price, but allocate a strong shipping price and use it all for shipping/packing. Think double-boxed with tons of bubble wrap. Tons.

[bladamson]

It's in such good shape. It would be a crying shame for it to get destroyed in shipping. Take it to a fedex store and get it professionally packed, and pass the cost on to your buyer. They'll pack it with expanding foam and double-box it with padding between. It's worth it for items like that.