- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

FYI: VCF Docents for 6/16 & 6/17
by Jeffrey Brace 12 Jun '18

12 Jun '18

Evan will be docent at the VCF museum Saturday, June 16. I will be at the InfoAge front desk taking VCF's turn. I will be docent at the VCF museum Sunday, June 17. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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New Gazelle enclosure
by Richard Cini 12 Jun '18

12 Jun '18

Absolutely pristine condition for my Gazelle. [Image] Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>

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Repair Workshop June 9 & 10, 2018 Wrap-up
by Jeffrey Brace 11 Jun '18

11 Jun '18

Less than average turnout, but lots of stuff accomplished. Various members worked on their own and VCF equipment. I felt that everyone was tired of going to the same eating place (Princess Maria, Blue Swan, Main Street Grill), so I found us a new place not too far away: Brick House Tavern + Tap in Neptune City. Everyone felt that the food was good, reasonable price and lots of selection of beers. It's a sports bar so I enjoyed watching the Yankees game while eating dinner. We were put in the outside deck area and the weather was great. They take reservations, so next workshop I will reserve some spaces for us. Evan also worked on museum improvements which he can detail here. Does anyone want to chime in on details on what they worked on? -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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PAL Commodore 1702 monitor
by Jeffrey Brace 11 Jun '18

11 Jun '18

So I was unable to find anyone with a PAL C64 or even a PAL VIC-II, so I ordered one from Egypt on eBay because that was the only one that I found available. I plan on using this at HOPE for VCF's exhibit. It cost a pretty penny to buy ($130) and to ship ($70), but at least I have my PAL C64 that I have always wanted. I know many have told me that I can hook up my PAL C64 to any modern LCD monitor, but I was hoping to locate a PAL C64 monitor to be as vintage as possible. Does anyone have one? -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Next VCF Repair Workshop June 30 & July 1, 2018
by Jeffrey Brace 11 Jun '18

11 Jun '18

Sign up here < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1n8M9h5ZVbcA4VixgDy3GHyN2HTWzSsS3fAg… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Applesauce - The protected disk imaging solution
by Henry S. Courbis 09 Jun '18

09 Jun '18

It's official - Applesauce is now being offered for sale. https://www.facebook.com/groups/5251478676/permalink/10157597145223677/ For those looking to learn about Applesauce. https://wiki.reactivemicro.com/Applesauce In short - it's a preservation solution which allows raw flux images to be captured from floppy disks - protected and unprotected alike. It runs off platform via USB. It captures all floppy magnetic flux data which is a perfect preservation solution unlike cracking or other modification solutions. The original disk's contents are preserved 100% and unmodified. The protection schemes are left in place and working. >From raw images users can make .WOZ formatted files which are smaller, timing and bit correct images that can be run in emulators. Unlike other image formats one of the biggest advantage of .WOZ is the ability to produce "random bits" (correct emulation of the MC3470) which many of the Apple II protections depended on. Henry S. Courbis Office Toll Free: (800) REACTIVE (732-2848) Office/Mobile Direct: (856) 779-1900 www.ReActiveMicro.com <http://www.ReactiveMicro.com> - Sales, Support, and News, Our Headquarters on the Internet ReActiveMicro.com/wiki - Support, Software, Manuals, and History. Create your own page today! Facebook.com/reactivemicrousa - Our Social Media Outlet and Support

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Orientation of vented cover for airflow
by Richard Cini 08 Jun '18

08 Jun '18

All — I have a question regarding S100 cabinet airflow. Here’s the setup. I just bought a TEi enclosure (12-slot, impeccably clean) on eBay. The power supply is to the right of the card cage, the fan blows inward and it was delivered with the cover installed such that the air vents are on the right (power supply) side. To me, this seems counterintuitive. I would think that the vents should be on the left with the fan blowing out so as to draw air through the card cage, over the power supply and then out the back. On my IMSAI (both sides of the cover are vented) and the fan blows out, but the vents next to the power supply are sealed with tape. Any thoughts on this? Thanks! Rich Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>

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Final note for repair workshop June 9&10, 2018
by Jeffrey Brace 08 Jun '18

08 Jun '18

I will be getting there late around 1pm Saturday and 1pm Sunday. I have to work at Taekwondo Saturday and Uber Driving Sunday. Call Evan before 1pm if you need something. Also, please don’t touch my machine in the museum workshop area! I’m in the middle of taking apart my machine and I don’t need anyone to “help” by cleaning up and mixing up my screws and parts. I have it laid out so that I can put it back together properly. On Mon, Jun 4, 2018 at 9:29 PM Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org> wrote: > There is still time to sign up for the workshop: <*https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnOB940R7Ng/edit?usp=sharing > <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnO…>* > > > > As a reminder the workshop is $10 *per* person, *per* day. I'm sorry, I > don't make the rules for the rent of the space. This is an InfoAge rule and > not our decision. This has been in effect since June 2017. > > Sign up now to reserve your spot! > > DATE: June 9 & 10, 2018 > > LOCATION: > > InfoAge Building 9032A - (2201 Marconi Road, Wall Township, NJ) > > TIME: > Start about 10 A.M. on Saturday and ends whenever we go to sleep. > End about 5 P.M. on Sunday. (Starts around 10 A.M. Sunday morning) > > SIGNUP: <*https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnOB940R7Ng/edit?usp=sharing > <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnO…>* > > > > COST: > - $10 per person, PER day. This is required by InfoAge for us to pay for > renting the space. > > - $25 for those wanting to stay overnight. > > Please pay me when you get there so that I don't forget. Thanks! :-D > > OVERNIGHT: Bring your own pillow, blankets, soap etc. We provide a bed > frame and an uncovered mattress. There are showers and a kitchen for your > use. > > - You can pay via PayPal. Ask me for the info at the workshop. > > EQUIPMENT: > > - VCF will provide a table and you can use any available electrical outlet. > - Bring your own tools, power strips, power cords, and supplies etc. > > - Please bring an extra one or two power cords as these are often > forgotten by people. > > DRINKS: > You should bring your own. I would recommend bringing a cooler of some > type. > > FOOD: > You provide your own. We usually order pizza, subs or go out to a dinner > and everyone pays their own way. Usually, we make a decision when everyone > gets hungry. > > GATE: > > During the hours from 1 pm to 5 pm close the front gate behind you. We > want museum visitors to go to the front lobby and not wander through the > middle of the campus. Outside of those times, you can feel free to leave > the gate open. > > PARKING: > Park across from 9032 or 9010A on any blacktop area. InfoAge doesn't like > us parking on the lawn anymore. > > QUESTIONS? > > Please ask me (Jeff Brace) or Evan. My cell is 732 759 1783 and Evan’s > is 646 546 9999 in case you need to contact us. > > See everyone there! And have fun! > > > -- > ========================================= > Jeff Brace > Vice President > Vintage Computer Federation > > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Call now for VCF Repair workshop! Operators are standing by!
by Lou 08 Jun '18

08 Jun '18

I was really considering going this Saturday since I would actually be available however since there was a delay in getting a system that I was planning on bringing to the workshop the only systems I have currently that need repair I do not think would be of much interest aside from my old terminal. I am still debating my options on the matter, worst case scenario the next workshop I will have some real interesting beauties that might need some repair. -Lou

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Found: 2 New-In-Box TI-99/4a Machines
by J. Alexander Jacocks 06 Jun '18

06 Jun '18

All, I just picked up, at the Manassas, VA, hamfest, a pair of new-in-box Texas Instruments 99/4a machines. Both boxes are a bit scuffed and dusty, but one still has the factory tape on it. I opened the other box, since it wasn't taped, and looked at the contents, which are definitely factory new. The computer was in a sealed bag, which I opened to check it out. The PSU and RF modulator are in their cardboard wrapper, which the adhesive has failed on. So, I decided to keep one machine. I checked the PSU, and the voltages were within 1VAC on both the inputs, so given that they are internally regulated, that should be close enough. Via RF adapter, I get a grey screen, at power up. Via a homemade composite video cable, I get a stable tone, and a black screen. So, two questions: 1) Does anyone want a new-in-box, untested, TI 99/4a beige model? 2) Does anyone know anything about fixing TI 99s? I'd like to go through the one machine and figure out what's wrong. - Alex

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Call now for VCF Repair workshop! Operators are standing by!
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Jun '18

06 Jun '18

There is still time to sign up for the workshop: <*https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnOB940R7Ng/edit?usp=sharing <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnO…>* > As a reminder the workshop is $10 *per* person, *per* day. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules for the rent of the space. This is an InfoAge rule and not our decision. This has been in effect since June 2017. Sign up now to reserve your spot! DATE: June 9 & 10, 2018 LOCATION: InfoAge Building 9032A - (2201 Marconi Road, Wall Township, NJ) TIME: Start about 10 A.M. on Saturday and ends whenever we go to sleep. End about 5 P.M. on Sunday. (Starts around 10 A.M. Sunday morning) SIGNUP: <*https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnOB940R7Ng/edit?usp=sharing <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnO…>* > COST: - $10 per person, PER day. This is required by InfoAge for us to pay for renting the space. - $25 for those wanting to stay overnight. Please pay me when you get there so that I don't forget. Thanks! :-D OVERNIGHT: Bring your own pillow, blankets, soap etc. We provide a bed frame and an uncovered mattress. There are showers and a kitchen for your use. - You can pay via PayPal. Ask me for the info at the workshop. EQUIPMENT: - VCF will provide a table and you can use any available electrical outlet. - Bring your own tools, power strips, power cords, and supplies etc. - Please bring an extra one or two power cords as these are often forgotten by people. DRINKS: You should bring your own. I would recommend bringing a cooler of some type. FOOD: You provide your own. We usually order pizza, subs or go out to a dinner and everyone pays their own way. Usually, we make a decision when everyone gets hungry. GATE: During the hours from 1 pm to 5 pm close the front gate behind you. We want museum visitors to go to the front lobby and not wander through the middle of the campus. Outside of those times, you can feel free to leave the gate open. PARKING: Park across from 9032 or 9010A on any blacktop area. InfoAge doesn't like us parking on the lawn anymore. QUESTIONS? Please ask me (Jeff Brace) or Evan. My cell is 732 759 1783 and Evan’s is 646 546 9999 in case you need to contact us. See everyone there! And have fun! -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Makin' Ethernet...
by Evan Koblentz 05 Jun '18

05 Jun '18

We need a bunch of network cables to wire up the museum PoE security cameras. I have not yet measured. My estimate is about 200 feet total for four cables. Two questions: 1. Does anyone have a very long reel of cat 5 to donate? I prefer black. 2. Does anyone have the RJ-45 ends and the tool/experience to terminate the cables? (I used to know how, but it's been 17 years since I last did it.) ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, executive director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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Soldering tutorial/workshop recommendation
by Thomas Fuchs 05 Jun '18

05 Jun '18

Hi everyone, While I’ve been collecting (and using!) old computers for a while, and can do some repairs, I never learned to solder. Obviously that would be a useful skill… :) What are your recommendations? I’m thinking this is something that you can probably learn best directly with another person but if there’s a good online tutorial or course, I’d be happy to hear about that as well. I do have the equipment, but I don’t really know where to start, and I don’t want to mess with old hardware until I have somewhat of a grip on it. What’s a good beginner project? Maybe an arduino or something like that? My main interests area is late 70s to early 90s, and I’d love to be able to identify and properly fix broken connections, weak solder points and (eventually) to recap boards; I’m located in Bucks county, PA. Thanks for any suggestions! Best, Thomas F.

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Museum report, etc.
by Evan Koblentz 04 Jun '18

04 Jun '18

Tony was at the museum Saturday. Jeff B. was there Sunday. Overall a slow weekend with moderate visitorship, but it gave everyone a chance to work on projects and take it easy as we continue recovering from VCF East and the several months of hard work before that. I'm looking forward to the workshop this weekend.

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Ideas on replacing a backlighting on a laptop
by Neil Cherry 04 Jun '18

04 Jun '18

Okay I have a T1000SE which now boots on it's original NiCad battery (it's roughly 32 years old). I found out I needed to throw a switch on the battery so the red dot is visible (on the side facing the PC and in the middle of the lever assembly). The fact that it charged the battery and now boots astonished me. The one issue I have is I can barely read the screen. The contrast works and it goes from light to dark screen but the letters are really difficult to read. The second dial does nothing and I'm pretty sure that's the brightness. Has anyone attempted this before? Any hints? Thanks -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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Idea for an Exhibit - Novell
by Bill Degnan 04 Jun '18

04 Jun '18

To my knowledge no one has done an exhibit about Novell / Netware networking at least directly. I envision a simple file sharing network installed on some MS DOS 5-era machines, a simple email system, security features, etc to illustrate the product. As with VMS, Novell declined in usage when TCP/IP became dominant. Not a lot of people know that Novell helped commercialize SUSE Linux. There is a good story here, someone with experience with Novell should take it up. Bill

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Former NASA Amiga 2500
by CJ Reha 04 Jun '18

04 Jun '18

A friend of mine sent me this eBay link...an Amiga 2500 formerly used by NASA as a telemetry lab workhorse. Interesting! The $5,000 pricetag seems ridiculous to me, but who knows...maybe someone out there will find it reasonable. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amiga-2500-NASA-Telemetry-Lab/183241576598?hash=it…

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Ted Dabney, Atari co-founder, dies at 81
by Jonathan Sturges 04 Jun '18

04 Jun '18

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/06/01/616191252/ted-dabney-co-… -Jonathan

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Thanks & VCF
by Jeff G 03 Jun '18

03 Jun '18

First off - had a blast at VCF as usual. Glad I ended up staying on Saturday although I had some conflicting events it all came together in the end. The consignment room was NUTS this year! Next year hopefully I'll be able to volunteer or exhibit again. Also, thanks to the person that had the Altair w/video camera setup; he let me take a picture of his TI Silent 700 power supply, and going by that pic I was actually able to find one on Ebay and verify it was the correct one, so huge THANKS for checking off another item of my vintage computing todo list! Jeff G / Bags

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PAL C64 at workshop?
by Jeffrey Brace 02 Jun '18

02 Jun '18

Is there anyone coming to the workshop that has a C64 that is already configured in PAL format? -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Found: Boxed Fairchild Channel F
by jaj＠totallyamused.com 01 Jun '18

01 Jun '18

>Do you think its a reasonable price? Wouldn't mind having one someday. My >parents had one. > >Matt Not a bad price, leans to the high end of the market. I can't see the link through work security, but if it is clean and the box is in nice shape, it is worth it -- they are pretty rare to find in the wild. I always prefer the version with the hardwired joysticks, the earlier releases. Channel F drag racing is one of my all time favorite games because you actually shift and the have to let off the gas to not blow the engine. I haven't played mine in a few years, I may have to dig it out tonight. For reference I got mine about 20 years ago in the box with a 1/2 dozen games for $35. One note, if someone picks it up for you, have them check the music section of the store (if it is a thrift store), the cartridges are often mistaken for 8 track tapes, you might be able to get some games to go along with it.

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Found: Boxed Fairchild Channel F
by J. Alexander Jacocks 01 Jun '18

01 Jun '18

All, I just saw, in a store in Hagerstown, a boxed Fairchild Channel F. They’re asking $125. If anyone is interested, let me know. Picture is here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s3mh109pb4vigb3/54956337427__ED72638A-9BF5-4CB8-8… - Alex

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BBC Micro
by Evan Koblentz 01 Jun '18

01 Jun '18

>> Glad to hear you have a BBC Micro now. They’re fine machines, and as you rightly point out, require 240V power plus some sort of monitor. Ignore the PAL outputs and go straight for the RGB which is on a DIN connector. I vaguely recollect making up a special cable when I got mine going and hooking it up to a Sony studio monitor. Watch out for the X2 cap in the power supply which is a known point of failure. It’s easy enough to replace if that hasn’t already been done, but annoying to have it fail... 240 ... What were they thinking!? What do we do for a disk drive? On Fri, Jun 1, 2018, 7:24 AM David Comley via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > Glad to hear you have a BBC Micro now. They’re fine machines, and as you > rightly point out, require 240V power plus some sort of monitor. Ignore the > PAL outputs and go straight for the RGB which is on a DIN connector. I > vaguely recollect making up a special cable when I got mine going and > hooking it up to a Sony studio monitor. > > Watch out for the X2 cap in the power supply which is a known point of > failure. It’s easy enough to replace if that hasn’t already been done, but > annoying to have it fail... > > Dave > > > > On Jun 1, 2018, at 1:36 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > > > > Well that was interesting! > > > > Several of us were there: me, Doug, Chris F., Dean, Chris L., Brian C., > Bill Lange (not Bill L. the auction seller), and Jason Scott. All of us but > Bill made it into a photo (https://tinyurl.com/ydbuy6pd) kindly taken by > Chris L.'s girlfriend. > > > > The auctioned started at 3pm. I was the last to leave at midnight -- but > the auction was still going strong! They had another hour or two remaining. > > > > Some people got amazing bargains (valuable nuggets discovered after > buying boxes of inexpensive items) and other people paid full retail or > higher for various things. We spotted a few people who were professional > sellers, but most of the people (maybe 100?) were individual collectors, > and most of those were gamers, not computer collectors like us. However we > did see a few people who said they attended VCF East, and I couldn't help > myself from recruiting a few new folks. > > > > VCFed itself had a good night: > > > > - Dean purchased a box of stuff which happened to contain a CGA/EGA/VGA > adapter -- exactly what I posted about us needing a few days ago -- so I > commandeered that item for us. :) > > > > - VCFed has several S-100 computers, but there was one item I'd never > seen: an industrial (rackmount) chassis with a keyboard built into the > front edge of the case. It is from a company called MBR. No boards inside, > but it looked unique. At my request, Dean entered an absentee bid for it > (it would be one of the last items auctioned due to placement in the room). > He'll donate it to us if he wins. We will find out tomorrow. > > > > - VCFed has an Amstrad 640 and various Sinclair computers, but we didn't > own a BBC Micro. There was a first-gen (1981) unit available in the > auction. At my request, Bill (and his wife Lucy) successfully bid on it and > donated it to us. It also has some nice software. We'll have to get a power > adapter for it to use an American outlet. > > > > It was fun hanging out with several group members all afternoon/evening. > There were a few times where some of the group members bid against each > other ... a little healthy competition! > > > > Overall a very successful time for Bill Log. and all buyers. > >

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Introduction
by CJ Reha 01 Jun '18

01 Jun '18

Hello! Evan suggested I introduce myself since I am new to the VCF community, and it seems like a good idea, so here goes. I'm CJ. I was introduced to the world of VCF through some friends who frequent here as well, mainly Lou, Ian, and Z. I did go to VCF East last weekend, so if you saw a kid in an Atari jacket running around with a bunch of systems it was probably me. I'm pretty young, since I just turned 16 on the 24th, but I like to think I still have a decent-sized system collection. My current projects are resurrecting a half-rust-eaten Mac Plus I bought from Ian as well as all of the other stuff I ended up with, and a few "newer" items like an Epson PC clone. Anyway, I am very glad to be here and happy to be surrounded by like-minded hobbyists. I had a ton of fun at East and hope to attend many more future events. Regards, ~CJ

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Bill Loguidice's Collection Auction Date 5/31 Edison NJ
by Bill Degnan 01 Jun '18

01 Jun '18

Bill Loguidice's Collection Auction Date 5/31 Edison NJ https://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionview.cgi?lid=3023450

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Osborne for good home
by Evan Koblentz 31 May '18

31 May '18

I received an email from plebourgeois(a)me.com who said he's in Mandeville, Lousiana and has an Osborne available with accessories/manauls to a good home for the cost of shipping. He said he'll throw it away if he does not find a home for it soon. That's all I know, do not reply to me or this list, send the guy an email directly.

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Dial-Up at Home With a Line Simulator
by systems_glitch 31 May '18

31 May '18

In case some people here aren't on the forums as well, here's: forum writeup: http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?63956 imgur picture album: https://imgur.com/a/EI0e7JH I've had this Teltone TLS2 line simulator for a little while, I knew it worked with regular phones but had never tried getting a modem connection going through it. Yesterday I had some free time to get such a setup going. It works fine! I used a Microcom AX/2400 bps external modem on a SPARCstation 2 as the "ISP" end, and an internal ISA modem in an XT-compatible as the client end. Aside from a slightly weird dialtone pitch and ring cadence, and dialing 2-digit station numbers, it's just like a regular phone line. Thanks, Jonathan

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Exorset Bus docus?
by Neil Cherry 31 May '18

31 May '18

I have a couple of interesting boards that appear to follow the Exorset bus. I've been able to follow the internet docs (I'net search) only as far as finding the Motorola Exorcisor (sp?) docs. While that' helpful the Exorcisor is for the MC6800 and the Exorset the MC6809. There are some differences and I've not been able to find out what they are. Has anyone found any Exorset documents? Bitsaver seems a bit broken in that it has nothing on the Exorcisor, the Exorset or the Exormac. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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IBM compatible joystick needed
by Evan Koblentz 29 May '18

29 May '18

VCFed needs a joystick that is compatible with the Compaq Portable III (parallel connector, but I don't know how many pins). This is for the Lego demo station so I can do some kid-friendly classes starting this summer (and also for my HOPE lecture). Can somebody bring a known-good one to the next workshop? We may have some in the warehouse but I'd like to have a known-good unit for testing. If one of ours works, we'll use that; if not, then perhaps yours could be a donation. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, executive director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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CGA --> VGA adapter
by Evan Koblentz 28 May '18

28 May '18

Next thing we'll need for classes/demos: a CGA-to-VGA adapter for sharing the computer output onto big screens.. I'd like to test one before purchasing. Does anybody have one to loan us in time for the next workshop?

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Offtopic - UART transistor counts?
by John Heritage 28 May '18

28 May '18

Just curious - does anyone know roughly how many transistors old serial port UART chips had? i.e. the 8250 or 16550AFN type chips?

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8085 SBC kit - Y1 is the 4mhz Xtal?
by Ethan O'Toole 28 May '18

28 May '18

Just verifying, everything is soldered except the xtal. I'm guessing y1 is the 4mhz? - E

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Sign up now for VCF Repair Workshop: June 9 & 10, 2018
by Jeffrey Brace 27 May '18

27 May '18

Now that we are almost recovered from VCF East. We have two weeks until the next repair workshop. As a reminder the workshop is $10 *per* person, *per* day. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules for the rent of the space. This is an InfoAge rule and not our decision. This has been in effect since June 2017. Sign up now to reserve your spot! DATE: June 9 & 10, 2018 LOCATION: InfoAge Building 9032A - (2201 Marconi Road, Wall Township, NJ) TIME: Start about 10 A.M. on Saturday and ends whenever we go to sleep. End about 5 P.M. on Sunday. (Starts around 10 A.M. Sunday morning) SIGNUP: <*https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnOB940R7Ng/edit?usp=sharing <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnO…>* > COST: - $10 per person, PER day. This is required by InfoAge for us to pay for renting the space. - $25 for those wanting to stay overnight. Please pay me when you get there so that I don't forget. Thanks! :-D OVERNIGHT: Bring your own pillow, blankets, soap etc. We provide a bed frame and an uncovered mattress. There are showers and a kitchen for your use. - You can pay via PayPal. Ask me for the info at the workshop. EQUIPMENT: - VCF will provide a table and you can use any available electrical outlet. - Bring your own tools, power strips, power cords, and supplies etc. - Please bring an extra one or two power cords as these are often forgotten by people. DRINKS: You should bring your own. I would recommend bringing a cooler of some type. FOOD: You provide your own. We usually order pizza, subs or go out to a dinner and everyone pays their own way. Usually, we make a decision when everyone gets hungry. GATE: During the hours from 1 pm to 5 pm close the front gate behind you. We want museum visitors to go to the front lobby and not wander through the middle of the campus. Outside of those times, you can feel free to leave the gate open. PARKING: Park across from 9032 or 9010A on any blacktop area. InfoAge doesn't like us parking on the lawn anymore. QUESTIONS? Please ask me (Jeff Brace) or Evan. My cell is 732 759 1783 <732-759-1783> and Evan’s is 646 546 9999 <646-546-9999> in case you need to contact us. See everyone there! And have fun! -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Museum Report Sunday
by Tony Bogan 27 May '18

27 May '18

The complete opposite of yesterday, the weather stunk with wind and rain all day. The museum was dead until around 2:30/3 when visitors started coming in. It was then a steady flow until about 4:30/4:45. I ended up having 20ish visitors come through, in mostly groups of three today. Most were very interested and all were one or two adults with either one or two children with them. Bill I. stopped by in the afternoon (good thing he did!) and ended up giving a couple tours as several of the trios that came into the museum were only a few minutes behind each other. One couple related to their grandson how they used punch cards in college, one gentleman remembered the Univac from his Navy days. It also worked out well that the first visitors showed up AFTER Roddy from next door and I finished our pizza lunch :-) This will likely be my last time as docent until the late fall/early winter season sees my business slow down. Looking forward to quieter times at work in a 4 or 5 months and some enjoyable time at the museum! Enjoy the summer everyone, I'll see you in November!! Tony Sent from my iPhone

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Do we have a Wiki?
by Neil Cherry 27 May '18

27 May '18

Not sure this is a good idea or not but do we have a Wiki? The folks in this goup have a huge amount of experience that covers a long period of time. It might be nice to take the bits and pieces and pull them togther into a wiki of computing 'his story'. History doesn't always equal all the facts. Hence 'his story'. And this is not excluding the ladies, but rather focusing a little less on facts, some story telling. Because what I know could fill books, what I don't know could fill the rest of the universe. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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Idea for an Exhibit - Novell
by Herb Johnson 27 May '18

27 May '18

> Another network protocol I wanted to exhibit someday was > IBM's Token Ring. - Bill Degnan A few S-100 companies supported ARCnet. Boards were available from Compupro and a few others companies. I've collected a few ARCnet devices and S-100 cards. But this stuff is outside my digital EE experience. And if I got one of these cards running, what would it talk to? Other than my showing interest, my point is that there may be interest from INexperienced persons who own vintage computers which MIGHT operate on these networks, for purposes of an exhibit or a repair workshop. Those persons (me) would need some handholding and known-good network traffic. So a consideration for a VCF-East exhibit, would be to string cabling behind several exhibit-tables; rather than one table with these puppies sitting next to each other. I think a "grand exhibit" is a lot of work and coordination; whereas just connecting adjacent exhibits requires less planning. Similar thoughts for any VCF or other-site workshop. Another consideration, as I mentioned is "whom do I talk to?" That MIGHT suggest, construction of some modern device (Arduino or RaspPi based) to act as a peer. NOthing fancy, just enough to validate a *real* networking device. While some of us have several node-computers to toy with, many individuals may only have one computer or one kind or one network interface. Of course Arduinos and RAspPis are common. So I think, if a handful of people say they are prepared to support a particularly obscure networking protocol, and are willing to show up a few times to help others become "nodes", and they can point to some resources like I suggested - some kind of workshops or exhibits could be done. A year out from VCF is *reasonable* to gather such interest, as it may take time to gather or buy resources and make them work, and then make them work *together*. I've just provided a strategy - who has the interest and hardware? For instance Bill Degnan has found several people are interested and have supported by trade, Novell Netware. Even I have a few Lantastic network cards for IBM-PC (saved because of the Z180 chip on them). Are they ARCnet? I dunno....? But I think Bill Degnan may have a deal, if those who responded wanna work together. Herb "no net" Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Museum report
by Evan Koblentz 27 May '18

27 May '18

Adam and I went to the museum today. Visitorship was low due to the nice weather and holiday weekend. I'm pretty sure everyone was outdoors today! Gini Mauchly (daughter of John) and her husband visited. They brought us a working/boxed Mac SE which used to belong to her older brother Bill. Adam spent most of the day doing warehouse things. I joined him for that work after museum hours. Bill I. stopped by. He brought a replacement meter for the EAI TR-20 and helped with some lingering VCF East clean-up. Tony will be docent tomorrow. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, executive director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Hello!
by Thomas Fuchs 26 May '18

26 May '18

(I had digest mode on, so I couldn’t answer to the replies directly.) I collect most 80s 8bit/16bit stuff (mostly things I remember from growing up in the 80s, or more likely things I wanted but couldn’t get!). I’m a recent immigrant from Austria (moved to the US in 2012) so it’s super interesting to see all the machines here that never made it to Europe and then see machines that I think of as a dime a dozen and they’re “exotic” here. :) I hope to expand my collection, right now working on an attic renovation to get some more space. I like to have all computers in running order, so I can mess around. There’s a professional interest for me as well, as I’m running a (business) software business and there’s a lot to learn about user interfaces and approaches from early machines, when people still seriously researched human-computer interaction. In recent years it seems that this field has fallen through the cracks. My favorite at VCF East was the demonstration of the Apple Lisa user interface, which is so particular but also so far ahead of its time (wake from sleep, document centric etc.). Thanks again for demonstrating and answering our questions! Oh, I’ve heard of VCF simply via googling for conventions in my area (I live in Bucks County, PA). Best, Thomas F.

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Hello!
by Thomas Fuchs 26 May '18

26 May '18

Hi there! I’m Thomas and I’m new here. Was visiting VCF East and had a blast! :) I’m working in web programming mostly and I miss the “old-school nerd” vibe there! Everybody is so friendly! Thanks for a great show! Best, Thomas

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VCFE 13 pictures
by Mike Loewen 25 May '18

25 May '18

Here are my pictures from the weekend: http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/VCF-East2018/ Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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VCFE 13 pictures
by Herb Johnson 25 May '18

25 May '18

Those posting recently to this thread: focus. Focus. http://www.retrotechnology.com/vcfe18/vcfe_may18.html I have more photos than those edited onto this Web page. If someone wants a better photo or is looking for a specific photo of their exhibit, ask me and maybe I have one. I'll ask some individuals who have displayed their photos online, for permission for reuse of some, and I'll link accordingly. Translation: I'm showing interest and courtesy and inviting a link back to my page. There's tremendous information represented in these exhibits and talks. My thanks for displaying your efforts. I'd be glad to include a Web link on my page, to those exhibitors and speakers who send me a relevant link. Herb "here's how it works" Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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When shopping on Amazon...
by Evan Koblentz 25 May '18

25 May '18

Friendly reminder: please set your Amazon bookmarks to /http://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4133714 <https://smile.amazon.com/gp/f.html?C=3FIV09C29RIRQ&K=ONBFISUFZZPK&M=urn:rtn…> /... if you use that link instead of the main Amazon.com then VCF gets a tiny little portion of the purchase. For example, we made $25 in the January 1 - March 31 quarter. Hey that's something! It would cover lunch for one of our museum work days.

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VCF Repair Workshops Signup Lists for June, August, 2018
by Jeffrey Brace 25 May '18

25 May '18

June 9 / June10: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FFHVS4PkImaj7jHk8_7BTcf-nTEAuOQacnO… > June 30 / July 1: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1n8M9h5ZVbcA4VixgDy3GHyN2HTWzSsS3fAg… > August 11 / 12: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1n8M9h5ZVbcA4VixgDy3GHyN2HTWzSsS3fAg… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Future VCF Workshops - Summer 2018
by Jeffrey Brace 25 May '18

25 May '18

Yes, Bill We have the following dates set: June 9/18 June 30/July 1 August 25/26 On Thu, May 24, 2018 at 10:34 PM, Bill Inderrieden via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: svcatitc(a)aol.com > To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org > Cc: > Bcc: > Date: Thu, 24 May 2018 22:34:45 -0400 > Subject: Future VCF Workshops - Summer 2018 > > > Jeff B., Evan K.,, Dean N. > > > Do we have any definitive dates or are these dates still in flux? > > > I want to start scheduling my workshops around my work travel. > > > > > Many Thanks; > > > Bill Inderrieden > > > > > > > > > ------------- Original Message --------------- > > > Dean Notarnicola Wrote: > Tue May 1 09:06:31 EDT 2018 > > > > > June 30, July 1 > Aug 25&26 > Look ok > > > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Future VCF Workshops - Summer 2018
by Evan Koblentz 25 May '18

25 May '18

http://vcfed.org/wp/groups/vcf-mid-atlantic/vcf-mid-atlantic-calendar/ On Thu, May 24, 2018, 10:35 PM Bill Inderrieden via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > > > Jeff B., Evan K.,, Dean N. > > > Do we have any definitive dates or are these dates still in flux? > > > I want to start scheduling my workshops around my work travel. > > > > > Many Thanks; > > > Bill Inderrieden > > > > > > > > > ------------- Original Message --------------- > > > Dean Notarnicola Wrote: > Tue May 1 09:06:31 EDT 2018 > > > > > June 30, July 1 > Aug 25&26 > Look ok > >

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Future VCF Workshops - Summer 2018
by svcatitc＠aol.com 25 May '18

25 May '18

Jeff B., Evan K.,, Dean N. Do we have any definitive dates or are these dates still in flux? I want to start scheduling my workshops around my work travel. Many Thanks; Bill Inderrieden ------------- Original Message --------------- Dean Notarnicola Wrote: Tue May 1 09:06:31 EDT 2018 June 30, July 1 Aug 25&26 Look ok

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forwarding a posting: TDL Apple monitor now online
by Jeffrey Jonas 24 May '18

24 May '18

from comp.os.cpm Subject: Re: Technical Design Labs / Xitan Software and Hardware From: Udo Munk <udo.munk(a)freenet.de> I've typed in the TDL Apple monitor predating Zapple from the manual in Intel syntax, so that it assembles with Intel MACRO 80 or the DRI 8080 assemblers. Manual and sources are here: http://www.autometer.de/unix4fun/z80pack/ftp/altair/ The monitor assumes the monitor ROM at F000-F7FF followed by RAM @ F800. z80pack 1.37-dev @ github includes the memory configuration for that as compile-time option in sim.h. Very good system monitor for 8080 systems, have fun with it, Udo

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Vol 31, Issue 20 A BIIIIG Thank You to Participants and Event Staff of "East XIII"
by Neil Cherry 24 May '18

24 May '18

This is the first VCF I could attend for more than my presentation (a few years ago). I was volunteering with IXR and I did get to wonder for a few minutes on Saturday (totally missed Friday - Rats). I barely made it past Hall 1 to visit Hall 2. Got to talk to a lot of interesting folks. Spent a lot of time with Jeremie and Thierry (European computers). I also talked to Ralph Dodd (Modified Atari 800xl - Ralph, you were correct it was the POKEY). In Hall 2 I had to make it quick as I had left Dan to the Learning to solder alone and I was supposed to be helping. So it was 1802, Slide Rules, APX (Atari Program eXchange), the Atari ST. I never made it to the Consignment area or the Apollo exhibit (dang). Glitch, how many kits did you have left at the end of Saturday? Saw Herb and Bob in the vendor area spent some time there before things got started. And I wonder if there was any 6809 stuff in the consignment area. Did anyone see an Tandy CoCos at VCF or any other 6809 exhibits? Bob had his SWTPC stuff in the vendor area. Bob I'll send you a separate order for the SWTPC stuff. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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DSI Paper tape reader service manual/schematic needed
by Jeff Galinat 23 May '18

23 May '18

Hi everyone, I purchased a DSI NC2400 paper tape reader/punch and while the punch section works perfectly the reader has a problem. Basically, the reader just won't start. It won't respond to a DC1 in remote mode and won't start to read & copy a tape in local mode. When you press the read button, the read LED lights for less than a second & goes out and the read head never moves tape. I will revisit troubleshooting it next week but I figured I would see if anyone had a service manual or schematic for it. I would gladly pay for any scanning/copying costs Thanks, Jeff

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] DSI Paper tape reader service manual/schematic needed
by Duane Craps 23 May '18

23 May '18

There are some manuals onBitsavers that cover setup. Does not seem to have service information. http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dsi/ I just noticed that my reply came through without my comment Trying again Duane On 5/23/2018 12:13 PM, Jeff Galinat via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Hi everyone, > I purchased a DSI NC2400 paper tape reader/punch and while the punch > section works perfectly the reader has a problem. Basically, the reader > just won't start. It won't respond to a DC1 in remote mode and won't start > to read & copy a tape in local mode. When you press the read button, the > read LED lights for less than a second & goes out and the read head never > moves tape. I will revisit troubleshooting it next week but I figured I > would see if anyone had a service manual or schematic for it. I would > gladly pay for any scanning/copying costs > Thanks, > Jeff > -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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