Elite AS with flat display

This forum is for general discussions and questions, including Collectors Corner and anything to do with Computer chess.

Moderators: Harvey Williamson, Steve B, Watchman

Forum rules
This textbox is used to restore diagrams posted with the fen tag before the upgrade.
Post Reply
kgvetter
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 5:22 pm

Elite AS with flat display

Post by kgvetter »

Hello,

I visited a friend today who has a model of an Elite AS I have only seen on pictures e.g. on Obermairs book Schach Computer Report `84 (picture on the front page). The display is not raised as with all the AS's I have seen before but level with the surface. Furhermore there is a module with it which allows to choose from A through F, I have seen a switchable module made by Reckwitz which allowed to choose from A to E referring to the Encyclopidia modules. By some testing I found out that F is the tournament library.

I might have a chance to buy the machine from him so it would be great if anyone could share knowledge about this, especially concerning the originality of both items.

Greetings, Gerhard
User avatar
Steve B
Site Admin
Posts: 10140
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:02 am
Location: New York City USofA
Contact:

Re: Elite AS with flat display

Post by Steve B »

kgvetter wrote:Hello,

I visited a friend today who has a model of an Elite AS I have only seen on pictures e.g. on Obermairs book Schach Computer Report `84 (picture on the front page). The display is not raised as with all the AS's I have seen before but level with the surface. Furhermore there is a module with it which allows to choose from A through F, I have seen a switchable module made by Reckwitz which allowed to choose from A to E referring to the Encyclopidia modules. By some testing I found out that F is the tournament library.

I might have a chance to buy the machine from him so it would be great if anyone could share knowledge about this, especially concerning the originality of both items.

Greetings, Gerhard
Hi Gerhard

I can answer to the module
Fidelity released 11 opening book modules(if you include the ECO set as 5 different modules)
this device is not one of them
it was not made by Fidelity but instead made by a private individual
so it is not original in the sense that Fidelity never released this for sale
you can see an example of this module (or one like it)on Kurt Kisperts site:

http://translate.google.com/translate?& ... llenpr.htm

Home Made Regards
Steve
User avatar
Fluppio
Member
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 10:53 pm

Post by Fluppio »

Hi Gerhard,

I do have an Elite Glasgow from RCS (Peter Reckwitz, Ex-Fidelity Deutschland) with these GM books and the same switch from A-F. A to E are the GM modules and F is a very small book, I think it plays only e4.

Look at the photos in my blog: http://chess-computer.blogspot.de/p/fidelity.html

I know Mr. Steve UK, the mastermodder, has done this work as well.

Custom buildt regards
Peter
kgvetter
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 5:22 pm

Post by kgvetter »

Hi Peter,

thanks for your input, as the switchable opening module seems to have been made by Reckwitz I thought that maybe that AS with the leveled display was also made by Fidelity Germany but now I found another picture on Hein's site.
There is a scan of a 1983 ad by US-Fidelity showing exactly the AS I saw.

http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veld ... est%29.pdf

I am not Sherlock Holmes but looking at the different grain of wood in the ad, the picture on Obermairs book and the one I looked at I come to the conclusion that a minimum of three AS's of this type were produced.

rare section? regards,

Gerhard
User avatar
spacious_mind
Senior Member
Posts: 4000
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:20 pm
Location: Alabama
Contact:

Post by spacious_mind »

Hi Gerhard,

If yours looks as per the photo. The it looks rare to me.

Best regards
Nick
User avatar
Steve B
Site Admin
Posts: 10140
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:02 am
Location: New York City USofA
Contact:

Post by Steve B »

When i think of a rare computer i am thinking of a computer that was actually released for sale but for various reasons we see very few in existence today

i am thinking perhaps this "flat screen" EAS was a prototype for the first EAS's and never actually released
that flat screen must be uncomfortable for viewing purposes and Fidelity probably decided to stand the screen up and tilt it when going into final production
just conjecture of course

i wonder if Gerhard's friend who owns this thing can say how he acquired it?

Provenance Regards
Steve
kgvetter
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 5:22 pm

Post by kgvetter »

Hi,

here is a snapshot I made with my smartphone. Will be making some better pictures soon including the backside and inside too. I will try to find more out about the provenience also.

Sherlock regards,

Gerhard

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kgvetter/
User avatar
Steve B
Site Admin
Posts: 10140
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:02 am
Location: New York City USofA
Contact:

Post by Steve B »

kgvetter wrote:Hi,

here is a snapshot I made with my smartphone. Will be making some better pictures soon including the backside and inside too. I will try to find more out about the provenience also.

Sherlock regards,

Gerhard

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kgvetter/
is the display a normal 4 Character display or a split screen dual display
like this:
Image

Regards From 221B Baker Street
Steve
Brutus
Member
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:00 pm

Post by Brutus »

Hi Gerhard!
The EAS shown on your pic has an AVG 2100 board inside, since the display shows 4 segments (equals 2 displays). EAS has only one display possible, also the book cartridges can't be used on the v series boards.
(so this is no v2-v11)
The dots in between the LED segments are made using tiny LED's.
So using the display housing is not possible because all the segments would not fit into side by side. See the comment and pic from Steve, if the smaller LED segments need to fit into the ordinary housing, they must be placed like seen on the pic he has posted. (Btw. i do own such an EAS) In your pic a simple red flat plastic shield was used instead of the classical housing.

I therefore suspect no special EAS release but a private repair or modification since the TIL 373 displays and display housings are not available any more.

The fidelity tournament book only plays 1.e4 with white and with black only 1....c5 on 1.e4 and 1....d5 against 1.d4.

No mystery regards, Wolfgang
kgvetter
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 5:22 pm

Post by kgvetter »

Hi Wolfgang (and Steve naturally),

thanks for your input. It looks indeed like we have one of those ominous split-screen-displays here with the logical consequences Wolfgang has described. I will soon have more pictures and infos but I am not expecting big surprises anymore...

Sherlock Zugrav regards,

Gerhard
User avatar
Steve B
Site Admin
Posts: 10140
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:02 am
Location: New York City USofA
Contact:

Post by Steve B »

kgvetter wrote:Hi Wolfgang (and Steve naturally),

thanks for your input. It looks indeed like we have one of those ominous split-screen-displays here with the logical consequences Wolfgang has described. I will soon have more pictures and infos but I am not expecting big surprises anymore...

Sherlock Zugrav regards,

Gerhard
Well then ..it is now clear that you have a modified computer together with a home made opening book module

Case Closed Regards
Steve
kgvetter
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 5:22 pm

Post by kgvetter »

Despite the case beeing closed I have added some pictures of the odd item and am sharing the information on it I have gathered so far.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kgvetter/

Arno Kreuzberg, who just has finished repair on the item informs me that the motherboard and the display are original in the sense that nothing has been modified after the machine was built. So my conclusion is that the AS was a modification to start with (probably made by Reckwitz). A case of "modificatio ab initio". Weirdly enough some chips including the processor have been sanded or etched on the surface so the specs are not readable anymore. Arno established though that the processor is running at 6 mhz.

Too bad we can't ask Reckwitz anymore since he died so early.

Granite regards,

Gerhard
Post Reply