SynthModules

Mr. Stites,

Thank you for your wonderful account of your adventure to acquire these rare
and wonderful sounding chips.  Unfortunately, I don't have a crate of them
nor do the ones I have require the elusive TI Handi-Lableator (TM).  Mine
are just the plain old original TI SN76477N (wide format) chips with pins on
.1" centers.  I'm just glad that once I run out (which by the way will be
VERY soon as I only have about ten left) that there will still be a source
for these wonderful chips.  You are a life saver my friend... and I'm sure
we all appreciate you risking your life to acquire these chips.  Anyone with
a Blacet Dark Star Chaos (Rev. 0 or Rev. A) or a Thomas Henry Super
Controller will surely appreciate having the opportunity to acquire a spare
chip *just in case* if you know what I mean.  Also, there are generations of
new synth enthusiasts eager to build the simple and fun single-chip
synthesizers based on this fun chip.  Unfortunately for you, the majority of
the arcade games, pinball machines, and the very rare early computers that
actually did use the SN76477 used the NF or narrow version, so your chips
won't work as replacements.  But that's okay as I'm sure someone would
gladly trade you five, ten, or maybe even a hundred of the narrow chips for
ONE of your wide format chips!  Then, you could have fun throwing them at
people for free... just to see the look on their faces!  (Entertainment
value... costs about $100 to go see a movie these days anyway.)

However, I'm sure Mr. Stites will eventually figure out that his
*authentic?* SN76477 chips from Dr. TI cost him much more than $100 each due
to the fact that I heard from an unreliable source (the poor guy crushes
BBD, SSM, and CEM chips into dust and uses them to flavor his coffee!) that
Dr. DI also got all of Mr. Stites credit card numbers in the process.

These chips have been as much fun to read about as they are to use!

*** Anyway... back to reality... ***

You can still get TI SN76477N (wide format) chips from me for $24.99 each or
$99.99 for five of them in the original anti-static tube.

http://www.synthmodules.com/SN76477N.htm

I expect to be taking this page down sometime today as I only had a few sets
of five and they have gone VERY quickly.  Again, these are the NF or wide
format chips with pins on .1" centers and not the almost useless NF version
with .07" centers like you typically find on eBay.

Have fun!
- Brice

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Stites" <scottnoanh@peoplepc.com>
To: "Synth DIY" <synth-diy@dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 12:20 PM
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Sources for TI 2N76477


Hi List!

In case you all haven't noticed (or have noticed and rejoiced), I haven't
made a post to this forum for quite a while.   I've been traveling again!

This time it was indeed to the continent of Africa.  Don't reply to this
guy - I think he's out of stock now - I bought him out!!!  And it was
ridiculously cheap, too.  Thanks to Dr. TI, everyone on this list will have
their own SN76477N.

What an an adventure!!  My first impression of Dr. TI was that he was a
pretty rough character, mainly because of the sidearms, henchmen, and death
threats, but - once you get to know the guy, he's A-OK in my book.

His assistant, Gwthume, picked me up at the Hotel Ktum, and, for
understandable reasons, blindfolded me and held a seven inch dagger to my
throat for the ride through Lagos to the mysterious Dr. T's lair.  Once
there, they did remove the blindfold, so I wasn't walking into the deal
blind.  This guy had what must have been a hundred tubes of SN76477N's - and
not those skinny one's, either!!  He offered a price of $0.25 apiece for
them!!

On inspection - they looked like 'blank' chips, but Dr. T explained that was
so they could slip them past the rigorous Nigerian import/export police.  He
pulled out a bottle of SN76477N Handi-Lableator (TM), dabbed a bit on a
cotton swab, removed an SN76477N from a tube at random, and swabbed it with
this stuff.  Within thirty seconds, the original SN76477N label appeared!!!
I was sold - but, there was a catch.  The SN76477N Handi-Lableator (TM) was
discontinued at the same time the SN76477 was, and apparently is much, much
rarer.  He wanted $20000 for the last bottle of the stuff.  That was a
no-brainer for me - I plunked down the cash.  $20000 is chicken-feed
compared to this wealth of SN76477N's.

So, I'm back in the States with the crate of SN76477N's and the bottle of
SN76477N Handi-Lableator (TM).  Apparently Texas Instruments made quite a
few SN76477N-a-like's, because the numbers on these chips are all over the
place!

Anyway, if ya'll are interested, let me know.  I figure $100 a chip will get
you into SN76477 heaven!  Don't thank me, thank Dr. TI.

Cheers,
Scott


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Thomas Hudson
  To: Synth DIY
  Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 8:33 PM
  Subject: Re: [sdiy] Sources for TI 2N76477



  FIRST, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR STRICTEST CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION. THIS
IS BY VIRTUE OF ITS NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND 'TOP SECRET'. I
AM SURE AND HAVE CONFIDENCE OF YOUR ABILITY AND RELIABILITY TO PROSECUTE A
TRANSACTION OF THIS GREAT MAGNITUDE INVOLVING A PENDING TRANSACTION
REQUIRING MAXIIMUM CONFIDENCE.

  WE ARE TOP OFFICIAL OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT REVIEW PANEL WHO
ARE INTERESTED IN IMPORATION OF TI 2N76477 INTO OUR COUNTRY WITH FUNDS WHICH
ARE PRESENTLY TRAPPED IN NIGERIA. IN ORDER TO COMMENCE THIS BUSINESS WE
SOLICIT YOUR ASSISTANCE TO ENABLE US TRANSFER INTO YOUR ACCOUNT THE SAID
TRAPPED FUNDS.

  THE SOURCE OF THIS FUND IS AS FOLLOWS; DURING THE LAST MILITARY REGIME
HERE IN NIGERIA, THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SET UP COMPANIES AND AWARDED
THEMSELVES CONTRACTS FOR PINBALL MACHINES WHICH WERE GROSSLY OVER-INVOICED
IN VARIOUS MINISTRIES. THE PRESENT CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT SET UP A CONTRACT
REVIEW PANEL AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A LOT OF INFLATED CONTRACT FUNDS WHICH
ARE PRESENTLY FLOATING IN THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA READY FOR PAYMENT.

  HOWEVER, BY VIRTUE OF OUR POSITION AS CIVIL SERVANTS AND MEMBERS OF THIS
PANEL, WE CANNOT ACQUIRE THESE TI 2N76477 IN OUR NAMES. I HAVE THEREFORE,
BEEN DELEGATED AS A MATTER OF TRUST BY MY COLLEAGUES OF THE PANEL TO LOOK
FOR AN OVERSEAS PARTNER INTO WHOSE ACCOUNT WE WOULD TRANSFER THE SUM OF
US$21,320,000.00(TWENTY ONE MILLION, THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND U.S
DOLLARS). HENCE WE ARE WRITING YOU THIS LETTER. WE HAVE AGREED TO SHARE THE
MONEY THUS; 1. 20% FOR THE ACCOUNT OWNER 2. 70% FOR US (THE OFFICIALS) 3.
10% TO BE USED IN SETTLING TAXATION AND ALL LOCAL AND FOREIGN EXPENSES. IT
IS FROM THE 70% THAT WE WISH TO COMMENCE THE IMPORTATION BUSINESS.

  PLEASE,NOTE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% SAFE AND WE HOPE TO COMMENCE THE
TRANSFER LATEST SEVEN (7) BANKING DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE RECEIPT OF THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATIOM BY TEL/FAX; 234-1-2N76477, YOUR COMPANY'S SIGNED, AND
STAMPED LETTERHEAD PAPER THE ABOVE INFORMATION WILL ENABLE US WRITE LETTERS
OF CLAIM AND JOB DESCRIPTION RESPECTIVELY. THIS WAY WE WILL USE YOUR
COMPANY'S NAME TO APPLY FOR PAYMENT AND RE-AWARD THE CONTRACT IN YOUR
COMPANY'S NAME.

  WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THIS BUSINESS WITH YOU AND SOLICIT YOUR
CONFIDENTIALITY IN THIS TRANSATION. PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF THIS
LETTER USING THE ABOVE TEL/FAX NUMBERS. I WILL SEND YOU DETAILED INFORMATION
OF THIS PENDING PROJECT WHEN I HAVE HEARD FROM YOU.

  YOURS FAITHFULLY,

  DR TI CHIP DE PINBALL.

  NOTE; PLEASE QUOTE THIS REFERENCE NUMBER (TI 2N76477) IN ALL YOUR
RESPONSES.