Radius Rocket

Got a Rocket? Join Rocketeer, our email list for Radius Rocket users.

Overview

The Radius Rocket was more than just another Macintosh accelerator* - it was essentially a separate Mac on a NuBus card. With RocketShare, it was possible to put multiple Rockets in a Macintosh, each running its own copy of the OS and its own set of tasks, or sharing a distributed workload.

* In fact, the Stage II Rocket won't even work as an accelerator. It requires RocketShare.

Interesting tidbit: you can run a Radius Rocket in a Power Mac 7100 or 8100 (requires Rocketshare 1.3 or later).

Software for the Radius Rocket is no longer available at radiusvintage.com.

Variants

Radius Rocket 25i, 25 MHz 68LC040, part number unknown
Radius Rocket 25, 25 MHz 68040, part number 0244
Radius Rocket 33, 33 MHz 68040, part number 0330
Radius Stage II Rocket, 40 MHz 68040, part number 0467

Details

requires Mac with full sized NuBus slot and System 7.0.1 to 7.1 (System 7.5 compatible only with Rocketshare)
CPU: 25 MHz 68LC040; 25, 33, or 40 MHz 68040
bus: 10 MHz (standard NuBus speed)
RAM: 8-128 MB using 100ns or faster (80ns preferred) 30 pin SIMMs in two banks of four; supports 1 MB, 4 MB, and 16 MB SIMMs; 16 MB SIMMs must support fast page mode; Radius recommends against using composite SIMMs; Stage II supports 60, 70, 80, and 100ns memory
if you have a video card which is not Quadra compatible, you may need to upgrade video drivers, ROMs on the video card, or replace the card
last version of Rocketware is 1.5; last version of Rocketshare is 1.3.1
Sound Manager 2.0 strongly recommended by users

Online Resources

Radius Rocket: Far more than a Mac accelerator, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2005.12.13. The unique Radius Rocket has amazing capabilities but challenges the user to take full advantage of them. Here are three modern options.
Rocket Technical Overview, Joaquin Menchaca, DarkNerd
The unofficial authoritative Radius Rocket FAQ, the pickle and b.b.
Rocketeer, an email list for Radius Rocket users.
Rocket Science 101, b.b., My Turn, 2000.10.30. Hands on tests with one or two Rockets in various Macs and Power Macs.
Rocket Review by David Emmons
Radius Rocket in Mac II, HyperArchive, 1992.02.11. Some very helpful info on the Rocket (does not cover Stage II)

Accessories

SCSI 2 daughter card, part number 0368
SCSI 2 daughter card for Stage II Rocket, part number 0434
PhotoBooster, Photoshop DSP daughter card, part number 0396
Rocketshare software

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