--- title: Husky Computers Limited HUSKY HUNTER categories: - Computers types: - Portable origins: - United Kingdom years: - '1984' cpus: - NSC 800 4 params: name: HUSKY HUNTER image: /media/museum/photos/ucsl_husky-hunter.jpg company: /companies/husky-computers-limited company_name: Husky Computers Limited specs: - label: NAME value: HUSKY HUNTER - label: MANUFACTURER value: Husky Computers Limited - label: TYPE value: Portable - label: ORIGIN value: United Kingdom - label: YEAR value: '1984' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Extended Basic interpreter - label: KEYBOARD value: |- QWERTY rubber keyboard, arrow keys, tiny space bar...\ 58 keys arranged in four rows of 15 - label: CPU value: NSC 800 4 (Z80 compatible) - label: SPEED value: 4 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: NSC810 PIA (peripheral interface adapter) - label: RAM value: 80 kb (expandable to 144K, 208K, 352K, or 496K) - label: ROM value: 48 kb - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 x 8 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 240 x 64 dot full graphic liquid crystal display - label: COLORS value: monochrom LCD screen - label: SOUND value: 1 voice, 4 octaves range, programmable frequency & duration - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 21 x 15 x 3 cm / 1,15 kg - label: I/O PORTS value: RS 232 (25 pin) - LEMO Port (used for Bar Code) - Tape - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: Optional Micro Tape - label: OS value: DEMOS (CP/M 2.2 compatible) - label: POWER SUPPLY value: 4 x AA batteries - label: PERIPHERALS value: |- Special car case with printer built-in and 12v power supply\ Suit-case with 12v power supply\ Waterproof suitcase\ Printer (80 columns)\ Micro-tapes numeric recorder (2 x 32k, 1200 bauds)\ 3.5'' disk drive - label: PRICE value: 17 552 fr (France, 1984) tabs: - photos - links forum_thread: 295 photos: - title: LATER VERSION subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_2.jpg - title: DISPLAY CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_display_s1.jpg - title: BACK subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_back_1.jpg - title: CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: Serial DB25 connector and light-pen mini-din plug image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_connectors_1.jpg - title: 80K VERSION subtitle: '' text: |- Seems to be a military version with 80 KB RAM and khaki case. Thanks to **Jean-Michel Jauffrit** image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_80k_s1.jpg - title: 352K VERSION subtitle: '' text: |- 352 KB version with white keys and user template allowing the user to write its own function labels. Thanks to **Jean-Michel Jauffrit** image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_352k_s1.jpg - title: 352K LABEL subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Jean-Michel Jauffrit** image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_352klabel_s1.jpg - title: HUNTER 2 subtitle: '' text: |- The Hunter 2 Optimal had same features as other Hunter models apart from a larger LCD display. Thanks to **Jean-Michel Jauffrit** image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_2_s1.jpg - title: HUNTER 16 subtitle: '' text: |- The Hunter 16 was launched in 1990.\ Although it looks like other Hunter models, its internal hardware was radically different. A 16-bit NEC V25 (8088 compatible) CPU took place of the Z80 CPU, and CP/M was replaced by MS-DOS 3.3 + GWbasic.\ Internal RAM was of 1 to 4 MB. Thanks to **Jean-Michel Jauffrit** image: /media/museum/photos/husky_hunter_16_s1.jpg links: - title: Auburn Researchers 'Harvest' Data with Husky Hunter url: http://www.forestry.auburn.edu/bottenfield/publications/husky.html text: An example of use of the Husky-Hunter - title: Husky Nordic website url: http://www.huskynordic.com/ text: This official site as a timeline of the company - title: Husky official website url: http://www.itronix.com/ text: Husky (now Itronix) is still producing notebooks for extreme use ! oc_id: 285 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230607113101/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=285 date: '2023-06-07' --- The Husky Hunter is a very special computer as it was designed to work in all environments (Aluminum alloy case). It is a rugged field computer. It has military characteristics : it is waterproof (against accidental immersion) and shock-proof, and its autonomy can exceeds 45 hours (the endurance time of 45 hours is only achieved with Alkaline batteries, with NiCd they only last about 16 hour). The british army was using some Husky-Hunters in 1983. It was also quite used by doctors and scientists in Africa or poor countries, where you need resistant and autonomous computers. The Husky-Hunter has several programs in ROM: a small NULL modem transfer program and a terminal emulator. It has a also communication-oriented Basic to handle the RS232 and the bar-code reader. In fact most applications developped for the Husky-Hunter consisted of data entries and then transfer of this data to bigger computers. Hence the RS232 serial port on a standard 25 pin "D" connector. Communications could be done up to a 4800 asynchronous baud rate. There were a wide range of protocols supported, including the IBM 2780 fully synchronous implementation (handshaking: RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR, RI, CD all selectable from BASIC). The built-in Basic is also very powerful with graphic statements (CIRCLE, LINE, etc.). It is possible to redefine the characters and even the function keys.\ Another very interesting fact is that there is a real time clock, so that the time of the day is software accessible. Programs and data can be stored indefinitely in the battery supported memory of the Husky-Hunter. There's even a file manager running under the DEMOS operating system (CP/M compatible). The Husky-Hunter can also be used to receive data from measurement systems and/or bar-code reader. The hunter completed his IBM friendly ability with built in EBCDIC translation. The keyboard was completely 'soft' and customizable with poke's from BASIC. The Husky's manual embraces proudly 'full compatibility with CP/M programs for z80 and 8080 procesors. The Hunter was not the first model. The first [Husky](/museum/dvw-micro-electronics-husky/), released in 1981, was a bit less powerful, had a LCD screen of only 32 x 4 characters and a flat membrane keyboard like the Sinclair ZX-81. --- **Contributors:** Jaume Vega **Steve O'Hara-Smith** reports:\ I once got the opportunity to drop one from the balcony at Earls Court (empty stand below) - it was completely unaffected by the experience and was still running the program it had been running when I dropped it. Try it with a modern laptop or PDA :)