From Newsgroup: alt.sys.pdp11

Dear PDP-11 Team,

I bought a front panel from a PDP-11/23 on eBay to go with a frankenstein machine I'm making up. It's in pretty poor condition, and I want to restore it, so will need to be painted.

My question is, does anyone know the "official" color specififcations for these parts? It's a whitish beige color, as you'll all be no doubt familiar. I'm looking for a color specified as:
- RALxxxx
- Pantone xxx
- Rxx Gxx Bxx
- Commercial brand and color name or number.

Anyone know?

Paul
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From Newsgroup: alt.sys.pdp11

On 6/8/2021 5:25 PM, pdr0663 wrote:

Dear PDP-11 Team,

I bought a front panel from a PDP-11/23 on eBay to go with a frankenstein machine I'm making up. It's in pretty poor condition, and I want to restore it, so will need to be painted.

My question is, does anyone know the "official" color specififcations for these parts? It's a whitish beige color, as you'll all be no doubt familiar. I'm looking for a color specified as:
- RALxxxx
- Pantone xxx
- Rxx Gxx Bxx
- Commercial brand and color name or number.

Anyone know?

There's an extensive discussion of DEC colors here: https://www.vcfed.org/forum/forum/genres/dec/77767-reproduction-pdp-8e-toggle-switches

but I think you are basically looking for "Munsell N 9.5", which is a
shade of gray that is 9.5 out of 10 "white" (and 0.5 "black").

Here's the relevant standard: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/standards/EL-00092-00-0_F_Finish_and_Color_Standard_Dec82.pdf

CHD's take on it:
http://www.chdickman.com/pdp8/DECcolors/

and mine: http://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/so-much-stuff.com/pdp8/repair/dec-std.html

I found any number of calculators online which attempt to convert the
RGB values to paint colors you can buy. It's difficult because it's
affected by illumination, etc. Not to mention the color you had before
may have yellowed or whatever, so the shiny new color looks "off".

Fortunately, you're going for a neutral mostly white, so it is likely to
look fine in most light.

Vince
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From Newsgroup: alt.sys.pdp11

Vincent Slyngstad wrote:

There's an extensive discussion of DEC colors here: https://www.vcfed.org/forum/forum/genres/dec/77767-reproduction-pdp-8e-toggle-switches

but I think you are basically looking for "Munsell N 9.5", which is a
shade of gray that is 9.5 out of 10 "white" (and 0.5 "black").

Here's the relevant standard: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/standards/EL-00092-00-0_F_Finish_and_Color_Standard_Dec82.pdf

CHD's take on it:
http://www.chdickman.com/pdp8/DECcolors/

and mine: http://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/so-much-stuff.com/pdp8/repair/dec-std.html

What color is a VT100? I read all of the above, but I didn't see
anyting other than "Digital Brown" which doesn't seem to be the usual
color.

I'm 3D printing Michael Gardi's 2:3 VT100 model.
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From Newsgroup: alt.sys.pdp11

On 6/9/2021 10:45 AM, Lars Brinkhoff wrote:

What color is a VT100? I read all of the above, but I didn't see
anyting other than "Digital Brown" which doesn't seem to be the usual
color.

I'm 3D printing Michael Gardi's 2:3 VT100 model.

I may be clueless, but I thought the VT100 was essentially the same
white, with black trim.

Surviving examples are often significantly yellowed, though.

Vince

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From Newsgroup: alt.sys.pdp11

On Thursday, 10 June 2021 at 6:58:53 am UTC+10, Vincent Slyngstad wrote:

On 6/9/2021 10:45 AM, Lars Brinkhoff wrote:

What color is a VT100? I read all of the above, but I didn't see
anyting other than "Digital Brown" which doesn't seem to be the usual color.

I'm 3D printing Michael Gardi's 2:3 VT100 model.

I may be clueless, but I thought the VT100 was essentially the same
white, with black trim.

Surviving examples are often significantly yellowed, though.

Vince

I have a VT100, and I think the dark color is actually brown, quite dark.

Paul
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From Newsgroup: alt.sys.pdp11

pdr0663 wrote:

Vincent Slyngstad wrote:

What color is a VT100? I read all of the above, but I didn't see
anyting other than "Digital Brown" which doesn't seem to be the
usual color.

I may be clueless, but I thought the VT100 was essentially the same
white, with black trim. Surviving examples are often significantly
yellowed, though.

You may well be right!

I have a VT100, and I think the dark color is actually brown, quite
dark.

Interesting, so maybe that is "Digital Brown".
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