Soviet home built computer arrives at the Bugbook Computer Museum

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Ukraine flag

I received an offer June 25th from  Oleg (Amateur Radio Operator UR8LV in Kharkiv,Ukraine) to send me a home built Soviet Computer from the 80's. I have several Soviet microcomputers in our collection but was intrigued by Oleg's offer and severel emails later the computer was on the way.
The computer arrived just 8 days later here in Floyd, Virginia. Oleg did an amazing job of shipping and getting the package here in such short time.

I have posted some of the emails at the end of this blog and you may find them interesting to read.

Click on photo's to enlarge

Soviet Microcomputer Package

Here are some photograph's  of the Soviet microcomputer.

The package was in good condition upon arriving in Floyd, VA.

 I don't know much about this computer but hope some of the readers will help identify the computer. It is most likely a Sinclair clone.
Video of this computer "CLICK"

Soviet Microcomputer

Nice packaging for this computer - made in late 80's.

Soviet Microcomputer

The one board Soviet microcomputer.

Soviet 8080 clone microprocessor

CPU is Soviet 8080 clone microprocessor.







Click on photo's to enlarge

Soviet EPROM

Soviet EPROM or POROM ( Program once ROM).

RAM Memory chips.

RAM Memory chips.

Soviet military parts in computer

Soviet military parts in computer.

Soviet Microcomputer Keyboard

Soviet Microcomputer Keyboard.


I had some interesting times visiting and teaching in the Soviet Union. See blog "CLICK"




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Raspberry pi 2 computer 

Here is the computer we are sending to Oleg.

Raspberry Pi 2 , Touch display,Wifi USB, power supply.

My wife sent the Raspberry out today 7-21-15. I hope it gets to Oleg as fast as the computer he sent to me. 



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Email June 2015 - David's is Red and Oleg's is Blue.
Hello, David.

My name is Oleg (UR8LV, ex EM1LV).  I"m from Ukraine, Kharkiv.

Do you have interest to home made computers of 1988-1989 as component of history? :)

One of my client want to sale interesting model called "Leningrad-2" for chipest money. 

Comps not working for corrosion of board, but looks well around. 

Not so good inside home made case, but all interesting moment are ready to enjoing: Soviet military chips with gold, capacitors with tantalum, military wires with PTFT. And home made board. 

I remember that time as well: a lot of radioenthusiast had made personal Sinklair...

Well, tell me know about your interest, please.

Hi Oleg - Thank you - what price and how would we get the computer here to the states?  Dave KK4WW

If disassembled into parts and sold for gold and tantalum, then give about 25 usd.

And, shipping in USA by airmail (via Ukrainian post) should be 17 usd.

Totally: 42 usd.

It seems, not so high price. :)

But, i'm not looking for money. This is not my business :)

Ready make a radioamateurs change to Raspberry Pi 2 with TFT screen (of course, not so modern for high price- something like 4").

How about that?

Hi Oleg - the price is fine - My concern is will the computer really show up at my address?? the Ukraine post does not seem to reliable?? 73 dave

Good morning/good evening, David :)

Give me your address, i am ready to send parcell today or tomorrow with track-code. 

Our post is working well for reliable price, i work as manager of Kharkiv regional amateur radio society and sent QSL"s all around world without lossless.

73 Oleg

Hi Oleg - Thank you - I will get some funds to you when the computer arrives - I will be looking for the "Sinclair in Russia " story and hope you will allow me to post it on my blog 

Welcome, Dave.

I'm not very good at English. I hope that you understand the basic idea.

Sinclair history in the Soviet Union is very well described here on this page.

http://old.computerra.ru/vision/606586/ 

In short, the first clone of Sinclair made in Lviv (Ukraine) in 1984 in one of the secret research institutes.

There are the names of these men: Edward A. Marchenko, Yuri D. Dobush, Evgeny Natopta, Oleg Starostenko.

Then, the scheme improved in Leningrad (Russia), Rostov (Russia), Moscow (Russia), Kharkov (Ukraine).

It was a real boooom. I think that in the USSR, Sinclair have made several millions since 84 till 90

The main problem has been in detail. They can not be bought, and they just stole those who worked in military factories. There was a lot of plants.

In one city-my Kharkiv- it was located 15 electronics factories.

In early 2015, I thought of Sinclair. Just was nostalgia. And I tried to buy a sample. When a person is brought to me, I'm just stunned: chip gold, palladium and capacitors tantalum wire with Teflon. This is the whole history of the Soviet military radio in one product! A case has been made lovingly homemade. This, too, reflects the desire of our people to science.

I do not need this machine, and I was ready to disassemble parts and to return the money, but the thought of your museum and thought it was a fine specimen for you.

And it's a beautiful monument to the Soviet idiocy, when, instead of the right people pans, pots, microwave ovens, washing machines, computers, all the forces rushed to war production. In the late 80's just started the hunger ...

That's the story.

Hi Oleg - Thank you for the story -it is most interesting.   What do you mean by this part at the end??

By the way, parcell now on custom in Kiev ----  who or what is parcell ??

I need to find out how to translated the web page from Russian to English.

I visited Lviv many times from 1990 to 2005.  Have many friends there - Helen Goncharsky just spent 4 weeks with us from Lviv. Helen and her husband, Victor hosted all our meetings in Lviv for the past 25 years.

73 dave

Good morning, Dave.

In 90-s in the Soviet Union was a real hunger, but the industry continued to produce military products.

Were coupons for food and essentials things. You may see form of coupons on sugar, vodka, salt, meat e.t.c. in 1986-1993 

Soviet coupons for food   

The people looked a new and designed the first computers even in such terrible conditions.

I know Victor and Helen very well: US5WE and UR5WA. :) 

It seems, they know English much better me and may help translate article. 

Another way is Google translator on-line. 

Parcel is parcel post with track code RC610549694UA. 

You have to get package a week or two.

Oleg

Hi  Oleg - The computer arrived in fine condition.  That was really fast.  How do I send you the funds ? I have your address from the package if I send the funds there.  I will be doing a blog about this good experience with you and the computer soon.

It was very generous of you to go to this effort to send the computer to me and I really thank you for sending it to me.

73 Dave

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David Larsen

L-R Roger Cain KI6FYF
Carol Milazzo  KPMD4

Obtaining the Soviet microcomputer has been a very pleasant surprise.  I have been writing this blog for several years and this work has many interesting offers. I have sure made a lot of new retro computer friends and many museum curators. I have also had many out of town visitors and a number from other countries that have made the trip just to visit me and the museum. Just this past week Carol Milazzo KP4MD and Roger Cain KI6FYF from California made a special trip to the museum.

Radio Contact N4USA Dave made with KP4MD - Carol was in Puerto Rico operating 17 meters SSB , 3 foot magnetic loop antenna and 12 watts of power. KP4MD 55 and N4USA 57 signal reports.

           .^{"by David Larsen"  KK4WW Computer Collector Historian} 

Vintage Soviet Computer from Ulyanvosk Russia 1991

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Soviet Flag

My wife and I were fortunate to travel in the old Soviet Union before it broke up in mid 1991.These visits were for two purposes - To teach about computer automation to deliver donated computers to people in Russia and Ukraine. We were able to obtain both Ukraine and
Russian amateur radio license's and operated Ham Radio with contacts made from Lviv, Ukraine, and Moscow & Ulyanovsk, Russia.  We were representing "Virginia Tech" (VT) for teaching and "The Foundation For Amateur International Radio Service" (FAIRS) for the radio activities.We had to get approval from the US Department of State for all our computer teaching and donating computers. That was an interesting exercise with lots of forms -- it did work out just fine and we made 20 or so more visits after the breakup of the Soviet Union.


Click on photo's to enlarge

Soviet Microcomputer 

The president of Ulyanovsk Polytechnic Institute (UPI) "Vladimir Efimov" gave me this computer during our first visit when we signed an exchange agreement with his Institute and Virginia Tech.  This exchange agreement resulted in a number of faculty visits between VT and UPI. Valdimir made one of these trips with some of his faculty members and not only visited VT but they all came out to our house for dinner one evening.

Soviet Microcomputer 

Here is the bottom view with the IC's showing. I did not know much about this computer however when I posted the video Ed S send a message that this is a clone. Here is his information

Ed S- It's a Delta-S (Дельта-С) a Spectrum clone - the multi-function keys are characteristic of the Spectrum keyboard. In this case there's an additional mapping, of Cyrillic characters. Therefore not precisely a clone, but an adaptation. Some photos:
http://zx-pk.ru/showthread.php?t=17008
Wiki page:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Дельта-С     Thank you Ed for the information.

Soviet Microcomputer 

The processor is a Z80 from Sharp.

A video of this computer with a look inside "CLICK"

Soviet Microcomputer 

The input / output is mostly some Din looking connectors on the back of computer.

Soviet Microcomputer 

The Keyboard  is a combination of English &  Russian  in Cyrillic.


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More activities during this visit. 
This visit lasted 3 weeks and our group carried about 50 personal computers to donate to the Soviet people.

I wrote a letter to Soviet President Gorbachev in November 1990 ( this was about 6 months before this visit). I did not know if this would help however it opened many doors for us with response from various parts of the Soviet Politburo.
Click on Letter to enlarge for reading

Soviet Letter

Deputy Chairman of USSR State Committee for Public Education.
This letter is giving us the go ahead for our University exchanges.


All the letters from officials in the Soviet Union referenced our letter to President Gorbachev.  It was reported that my letter made a good buzz  in the Kremlin.

Continuing Education Unit for Soviet Union

We may have been the first to issue CEU's by an American University to Soviet participants. The office of International Development at Virginia Tech was a real supporter of this work.

This work helped me receive this nice award before retiring from VT .

Krinkle Central Radio Club , Moscow

Our Group was one of the last from the West to Visit the Krinkle Central Radio Club (QSL Box 88) Moscow.  QSL Box 88 disappeared at the break up of the Soviet Union.

You see in this photo Yuri Zubarev, President of Radio Sport Federation ( Krinkle Central Radio Club) seated. He gave us many gifts including a beautiful Samovar ( used to heat water for Tea). I have this on display in my office - very nice.
R-L W6YMR, Me KK4WW, Yuri, N0ISL.

Letter from Radio Sport Federation

The letter from Yuri Zubarev - you will see this is the letter giving us assistance to get the donated computers into the Soviet Union.

With Soviet President Gorbachev putting out the word to help our group we were treated very well in all efforts during this visit.








If you made it this far you have a lot of patience and here is a summery of the trip. 

David KK4WW and Gaynell KK4WWW Larsen make their second visit to the former Soviet Union. This time additional travelers join them  they include John Douglas N0ISL, Bob Friebershauser W6YMR and his wife Virginia.  The group visited Lviv  Ukraine and Ulyanovsk Russia. Computer workshops were taught in both locations and many amateur radio contacts were also made from Ukraine and Russia. This trip also included a visit to the well known "Box 88" Krinkle Central Radio Club in Moscow.  Box 88 and the club vanished after the break up of the USSR just 3 months after our visit.

W6YMR and N0ISL are now silent keys ( passed to the other side)


Here is a podcast recording with comments by David and Gaynell Larsen about visit that was so exciting and interesting for us. We still talk about this visit 25 years later,

David Larsen

 Just a message - Don't sell yourself short - Think of what you really want and ignore all the people that say "It can't be done".

This Soviet mission is one of many great experiences my wife have had the privilege of sharing.   

                  .^{"by David Larsen"  KK4WW Computer Collector Historian} 

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Google map and view of Ulyanovsk, Russia