- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Ebay International Shipping Improvement
by william degnan 18 Sep '17

18 Sep '17

If you're like me, you use Ebay to sell vintage computers to make space or for extra cash (so you can buy other vintage computers...). It's a nice efficient way to sell. Given the dollar exchange rate has declined 30% this year prices are cheaper to an international buyer. You maximize profit if you sell internationally and given you are hit with 10% fee you want to maximize the sales price. Problem *was* there are too many variables and taxes to track, custom forms, insurance, etc. International shipping has always been a problem because it's so hard to predict the actual cost, and I have been burned a few times with shipping costs. Slowly Ebay has been working to make this better. Recently Ebay has made available a new shipping option called "Global Shipping Program" that allows a person to ship their internationally-sold items to a hub in the US (Kentucky), and after that I guess the buyer deals with the shipping the rest of the way. A lot of people bust on Ebay, but this is really a nice feature and it really reduces the hassle for the seller. In short, now everything I sell is treated like domestic shipping, no customs no guessing. 25-50% of my sales are international. I don't want to get into a big thing about whether Ebay is good/bad but in this case - Ebay: Well done. Bill

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C128 computer
by william degnan 18 Sep '17

18 Sep '17

I always liked the c128, being it was my first Commodore. I have a pretty good GEOS 128 setup and I use it to connect to IRC chat. Because it c128 is also essentially a c64, I feel that the modern dongle for tcp/ip finally put the c128 over the top compared to a c64 as far as desirability goes. In fact, I rately use a c64. Anyone else have the same perspective? And, I am testing c128's at the moment, they hold up well. I have 4 or 5 working systems to put up on Ebay soon, leaving me with plenty others. I bet many c128's will still work in 30 years. Very solid (state) computers. Bill Degnan twitter: billdeg vintagecomputer.net

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semi OT: microcenter sale includes $5 Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless
by Jeffrey Jonas 18 Sep '17

18 Sep '17

microcenter has a sale until 10/1. This seems to be part of it: $5 Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless (usually $10, limit 1 per person per day) SKU: 240424

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] [OT] DC-Area Workshop - September 16th and 17th - Middletown, MD
by alex bodnar 16 Sep '17

16 Sep '17

Alex J, hopefully you will be sending out directions ;-)) Alex B. At 07:07 PM 9/14/2017 -0400, you wrote: >Alex, > >Nope, nobody is coming Saturday. We're definitely on for Sunday, as Jason >is coming, too. > >Thanks! >- Alex > >On Thu, Sep 14, 2017 at 1:45 PM, alex bodnar via vcf-midatlantic < >vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > >> Alex J, >> >> is there anyone else who said they would come over on saturday?? >> if not, i will make it sunday and let you and the family have all day at >> Andrews AFB. >> >> Alex B. >> >> >> At 11:42 AM 9/12/2017 -0400, you wrote: >> >All, >> > >> >So, after discussing it with my wife, we'll still host the workshop, for >> >anyone who wants to come, this weekend. >> > >> >Given the small attendance (or none, at this point?), we will play it by >> >ear, on the schedule. Jonathan Sturges and I will be there, and anyone >> >else who wants to come is welcome. I think that we are going to go to the >> >Air Show at Andrews AFB, some time on Saturday afternoon, and anyone who >> >wants is welcome to join us. >> > >> >So, if you're coming, let me know, and I'll make sure that there is space >> >for you. >> > >> >Thanks! >> >- Alex >> > >> >On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 6:45 PM, J. Alexander Jacocks <jjacocks(a)gmail.com> >> >wrote: >> > >> >> I'm starting to think that September isn't a good time, as I only have >> 1+ >> >> confirmed. >> >> >> >> So, unless I hear differently in the next day, I'll reschedule this for >> >> another time. >> >> >> >> Thanks! >> >> - Alex >> >> >> >> On Sun, Sep 3, 2017 at 14:56 Jason Perkins via vcf-midatlantic < >> >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: >> >> >> >>> We'll be at Poolsville Drive Electric Day on the 16th, but I should be >> >>> able >> >>> to make it on the 17th. >> >>> >> >>> On Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 5:04 PM J. Alexander Jacocks via >> vcf-midatlantic < >> >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: >> >>> >> >>> > All, >> >>> > >> >>> > Since VCF can't do a workshop, due to facilities usage conflicts, >> this >> >>> > fall, I'd like to offer to host a smaller workshop, at my house, in >> >>> > Middletown, MD. >> >>> > >> >>> > I have a 3-car detached garage of about 960ft^2 that we can use for >> the >> >>> > purpose. There is air conditioning, and a refrigerator, for >> drinks. I >> >>> > have plenty of power, and some table space. >> >>> > >> >>> > Please bring yourselves, your projects, folding chairs, folding >> tables >> >>> (if >> >>> > you have them), and anything else that you might want. We will >> provide >> >>> > some drinks (but feel free to bring your favorite), and are willing >> to >> >>> > order lunch, based on the requests of the attendees. >> >>> > >> >>> > We have very limited space in the house, but talk to me, if you want >> to >> >>> > stay the night. There are hotels not so very far away. >> >>> > >> >>> > Date: September 16th and 17th, 2017 >> >>> > Time: Starting 10:00am Saturday, ending Sunday around 5:00pm >> >>> > Place: Alex's house, Middletown, MD >> >>> > >> >>> > Please RSVP, so that I know who is coming, and when. I'll provide >> >>> > directions directly to the attendees. >> >>> > >> >>> > I asked Evan, before posting this, to make sure that this wasn't >> going >> >>> to >> >>> > conflict with VCF needs, as this is definitely NOT an official VCF >> >>> event. >> >>> > >> >>> > Hope to see you here! >> >>> > - Alex >> >>> > >> >>> -- >> >>> Jason Perkins 313 355 0085 <(313)%20355-0085> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> >> >> >> > >> Alex M. Bodnar >> amateur Radio: K3CIM >> Emergency Services: ARES/RACES >> > Alex M. Bodnar amateur Radio: K3CIM Emergency Services: ARES/RACES

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Circa late 90s PC peripheral boxes
by John Heritage 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

Hey folks - As part of cleaning up, i found some circa-late 90s PC Peripheral boxes all in pretty good shape. If anyone is interested in any of these let me know otherwise i'll recycle them next Thursday: - Onstream 50GB Tape Drive - Western Digital "3.5 enhanced IDE" Ultra ATA/66 HDD - 20.4 GB! - Digital Research 50X SUPERFAST cdrom - Linksys Instant Etherfast 10/100 3 port print server - Linksys Etherfast 10/100 LAN Card - Linksys Etherfast 10/100 8-port workgroup switch - Linksys Etherfast 10/100 Dual Speed 8-port workgroup switch - ABIT Mainboard Box (no model listed on box, no manuals inside), PCI bus logo on front. - Creative Live X-Gamer box If you want pics just email me. No cost for the box(es) of course we just have to figure out how to get them to you cheaply.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] COBOL: vintage vs. legacy code
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

"Joseph S. Barrera III via vcf-midatlantic" writes: >On Mon, May 22, 2017 at 7:53 PM, Jeffrey Jonas via vcf-midatlantic < >vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > >> Java and all its variants and environments, > > >I've been writing Java for almost 20 years and fully expect to be >writing in it for another 10. I've been writing assembly for 40+ years and fully expect to be writing it for another 10+. ;)

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Testing 4164/41256 RAM Chips
by Herb Johnson 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

Responding to various suggestions for old DIP-chip RAM testing. cheap EPROM programmers that test things like TTL or RAM, are not likely to be better than go / nogo. THey won't test at anything like access speed. Commercial grade RAM testers are likely better, but few have those. Vintage computer designs for DRAM were not always very good, and many of them aged poorly. (Changes to the other components make the DRAMs work marginally.) What chips may work in one brand/model, may not work in another. And frankly, prices for old 16K and 64K and 256K chips (IBM PC class) are fairly cheap - buying them is simpler than extracting and testing. Now, if someone needs an exact brand/model/datecode of DRAM chip, then more effort is warranted. Otherwise, there's not much incentive to work hard to test these chips. One puts them in the application hardware and runs such tests as they can. Some of these old circuits not only need component repairs, they need in-field circuit changes. This is hard work that few do. Also: specific brand model owners probably have known-fixes and specific suggestions about DRAM selection. But for some vintage systems, one can choose static RAM and have better luck than with DRAM. Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Testing 4164/41256 RAM Chips
by John Heritage 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

Hey folks, I've come across an old PC XT motherboard that's sat in a dirty warehouse for a long time. It has 18 x 41256 and 18 x 4164 (640KB total + parity) RAM chips. Knowing that i've needed some of these in the past to repair my old Atari computers, I'd like to test these individual RAM chips somehow, but preferably without abusing the old sockets on my Atari's.. Does anyone know of a relatively simple circuit I can build to test these chips directly? The 4164s come on the Atari 600XL, 800XL, 1200XL and 130XE, and the 41256 come on the 4-chip versions of the 130XE. The micron 4164's that came on a lot of old Atari's are just flat out dying (I had 3 x 800XLs out of 7 that had bad ram), so these are handy for that or other communities. Thanks! John

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] [OT] DC-Area Workshop - September 16th and 17th - Middletown, MD
by alex bodnar 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

Alex J, is there anyone else who said they would come over on saturday?? if not, i will make it sunday and let you and the family have all day at Andrews AFB. Alex B. At 11:42 AM 9/12/2017 -0400, you wrote: >All, > >So, after discussing it with my wife, we'll still host the workshop, for >anyone who wants to come, this weekend. > >Given the small attendance (or none, at this point?), we will play it by >ear, on the schedule. Jonathan Sturges and I will be there, and anyone >else who wants to come is welcome. I think that we are going to go to the >Air Show at Andrews AFB, some time on Saturday afternoon, and anyone who >wants is welcome to join us. > >So, if you're coming, let me know, and I'll make sure that there is space >for you. > >Thanks! >- Alex > >On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 6:45 PM, J. Alexander Jacocks <jjacocks(a)gmail.com> >wrote: > >> I'm starting to think that September isn't a good time, as I only have 1+ >> confirmed. >> >> So, unless I hear differently in the next day, I'll reschedule this for >> another time. >> >> Thanks! >> - Alex >> >> On Sun, Sep 3, 2017 at 14:56 Jason Perkins via vcf-midatlantic < >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: >> >>> We'll be at Poolsville Drive Electric Day on the 16th, but I should be >>> able >>> to make it on the 17th. >>> >>> On Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 5:04 PM J. Alexander Jacocks via vcf-midatlantic < >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: >>> >>> > All, >>> > >>> > Since VCF can't do a workshop, due to facilities usage conflicts, this >>> > fall, I'd like to offer to host a smaller workshop, at my house, in >>> > Middletown, MD. >>> > >>> > I have a 3-car detached garage of about 960ft^2 that we can use for the >>> > purpose. There is air conditioning, and a refrigerator, for drinks. I >>> > have plenty of power, and some table space. >>> > >>> > Please bring yourselves, your projects, folding chairs, folding tables >>> (if >>> > you have them), and anything else that you might want. We will provide >>> > some drinks (but feel free to bring your favorite), and are willing to >>> > order lunch, based on the requests of the attendees. >>> > >>> > We have very limited space in the house, but talk to me, if you want to >>> > stay the night. There are hotels not so very far away. >>> > >>> > Date: September 16th and 17th, 2017 >>> > Time: Starting 10:00am Saturday, ending Sunday around 5:00pm >>> > Place: Alex's house, Middletown, MD >>> > >>> > Please RSVP, so that I know who is coming, and when. I'll provide >>> > directions directly to the attendees. >>> > >>> > I asked Evan, before posting this, to make sure that this wasn't going >>> to >>> > conflict with VCF needs, as this is definitely NOT an official VCF >>> event. >>> > >>> > Hope to see you here! >>> > - Alex >>> > >>> -- >>> Jason Perkins 313 355 0085 <(313)%20355-0085> Sent from my iPhone >>> >> > Alex M. Bodnar amateur Radio: K3CIM Emergency Services: ARES/RACES

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Davy Jone's Locker Wall Street Journal Article
by John Heritage 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

I'm one of those 'was busted by the feds' for running a Pirate BBS people.. (DeadBeat BBS).. Anyway, I've been cleaning out some old boxes of stuff, and came across a Wall Street Journal article I had a copy of discussing Davy Jone's Locker legal case.. Attached is pic copy..

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Oracle finally kills off Sun
by Jeffrey Jonas 15 Sep '17

15 Sep '17

I consulted to clients who were all-Sun, even in y2k. One was ISO 9001 certified for their software process so I guess running Solaris on Sun hardware was part of that. They liked using 2 Sun 1000 servers with the serial ports criss-crossed so one machine could access the other's serial console and reboot it, dropping to firmware mode if required. None of this switched outlets of remote reset-switches. I'm frustrated with the way Sun never fulfilled their potential. The SunRay "thin client" terminals could have beaten the pants off of today's room of Windows machines had the servers been properly maintained with the latest software. Too many web pages simply didn't work on the Sun terminals. And security was much better with the built in SmartCard reader. -- Jeff Jonas

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Museum report / Atari Party
by Evan Koblentz 14 Sep '17

14 Sep '17

Mixed bag today. Infoage hosted an NJIT alumni event around lunchtime, so we had many visitors from 1-3ish. Then it was dead. I closed early around 4 and went to Bill Lange's "Atari Party" at his home in central NJ. Couple of dozen people there enjoying videogames and food/drink. Glad to see many friends: Bill and his wife Lucy, Pete F., Amiga Bill W., and others who'd been to VCF East or who knew of us.

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OT: Hurricane Harvey Relief
by Joseph Oprysko 14 Sep '17

14 Sep '17

To my friends in the VCF; My brother Jim who lives in Lumberton, TX and had everything he owned washed away and destroyed. His house was submerged under the flood waters for 4 days. He just got back to his property today. His home will need to be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. He is literally rebuilding his life from scratch. He's a long time computer user and lost everything, including the loss of a number of vintage systems as well. I'm reaching out to my friends and compatriots, in hopes we can help him some. My sister and I setup a gofundme account to at least be able to help him with some of the necessities. While his vintage systems are probably the furthest from his mind right now, I'm hoping that we can come together and help someone in need. The most immediate needs are support so he's able to get food and medicine for himself, his wife, and his fur babies. (His pets). His house was covered by 119" for almost 4 days. (Yes, almost ten feet of water.) There is little, if anything salvageable. If you're able to help, please do. https://www.gofundme.com/household-recovery-fund Thank you, Joseph Oprysko -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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[OT] DC-Area Workshop - September 16th and 17th - Middletown, MD
by J. Alexander Jacocks 14 Sep '17

14 Sep '17

All, Since VCF can't do a workshop, due to facilities usage conflicts, this fall, I'd like to offer to host a smaller workshop, at my house, in Middletown, MD. I have a 3-car detached garage of about 960ft^2 that we can use for the purpose. There is air conditioning, and a refrigerator, for drinks. I have plenty of power, and some table space. Please bring yourselves, your projects, folding chairs, folding tables (if you have them), and anything else that you might want. We will provide some drinks (but feel free to bring your favorite), and are willing to order lunch, based on the requests of the attendees. We have very limited space in the house, but talk to me, if you want to stay the night. There are hotels not so very far away. Date: September 16th and 17th, 2017 Time: Starting 10:00am Saturday, ending Sunday around 5:00pm Place: Alex's house, Middletown, MD Please RSVP, so that I know who is coming, and when. I'll provide directions directly to the attendees. I asked Evan, before posting this, to make sure that this wasn't going to conflict with VCF needs, as this is definitely NOT an official VCF event. Hope to see you here! - Alex

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Maker Faire -- helpers?
by Evan Koblentz 14 Sep '17

14 Sep '17

Jeff B., Dean/Drew (part of the time), Mouse, and I are staffing the VCF table at World Maker Faire on September 23-24 in the NY Hall of Science (Queens). We won Make Magazine Editor's Choice awards there in 2014 and 2016. :) This year we're making a BASIC learning lab. We are setting up four computers (Apple //c, for convenience) and we'll guide kids through a script every 30 minutes in a formal presentation. We even bought a small amplifier and wireless microphone (thanks Jeff B. for doing the research). It'll be pretty cool. We could use more helpers. People who are extroverts, good teachers, good with kids, will represent us professionally, and are reliable. In exchange you get a free full-weekend Maker Faire ticket. Email me off-list if you're interested. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, 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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Oracle finally kills off Sun
by Adam Michlin 12 Sep '17

12 Sep '17

Dear List, Long since barely even a shadow of what it once was, but it seems Oracle has finally officially killed off Sun. Particularly saddening is the decision to not open source Solaris. RIP Sun Microsystems.... https://meshedinsights.com/2017/09/03/oracle-finally-killed-sun/ -Adam

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OT: Source for IBM mainframe part
by Ethan 11 Sep '17

11 Sep '17

Howdy, Have a friend looking for an IBM mainframe part: It's for an IBM DS6800 1750-511. It is a controller card with an IBM part number of 22R6154 Any pointers on a where to look for such an item used? Any leads appreciated! - Ethan

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Zynq Projects
by Support 11 Sep '17

11 Sep '17

I am in need of a programmer to help with some Xilinx Zynq based projects. Think Z-turn Lite connected to ISA bus. One ARM will run Linux and one without OS to allow real time processing. The idea being to allow services in Linux or devices on the Z-turn to be connected and passed to the ISA bus using code on the ARM. Pays a few hundred dollars per step in the proof of concept projects. Not a huge amount if you do this professionally, but I'd much rather give the funds to someone here than someone on freelancer.com. If interested reply off list. Thanks! 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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semi-OT: caps with a fuzz layer on them
by william degnan 10 Sep '17

10 Sep '17

Generally I assume when you see leaking or bursting it could very well have gone bad or it's on the way out... Take a look at the attached photo. Note how the rest of board's components are clean, but a number of the 103K50 caps (10x10^3 pF) have a white fuzz. I never saw this kind of leaking before. Hope it's not too toxic. I am going to test one to confirm and then remove them all and replace them all. BTW - this is an logic control board for a foot synthesizer that I am repairing. Bill

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Re: [OT] DC-Area Workshop - September 16th Digest, Vol 23, Issue 7
by SVCatITC＠aol.com 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

Sorry Alex; I have conflicts that weekend. I wished I could attend, however, VCF chores are still tied to the EAI TR-20 restoration in the museum. I would have brought the beginnings of my exhibit for ' East 2018 in May, however that also is a bit slow to get off the ground. Too many components to rifle out of the warehouse on such short notice. Many other 'life' stuffs more important to do. Sorry again. Bill Inderrieden Message: 1 Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2017 12:04:07 -0400 From: "J. Alexander Jacocks" <jjacocks(a)gmail.com> To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] [OT] DC-Area Workshop - September 16th and 17th - Middletown, MD Message-ID: <CAF-r0Y1yDhDcX-R2bSo4Jt_YvUXPSejWVfuR5dN5W_ECJzzjLw(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Anyone else interested? I still have 1+ confirmed. I haven't heard from most of the usual DC area folks. If you can't come, can you tell me why, so that I can tailor this better, in the future? Is it: 1. too far (Middletown, MD) 2. bad date choice 3. not interested in a non-Infoage workshop 4. other, please specify Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! - Alex

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4116 DRAM
by Mike Loewen 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

If any VCF Midwest attendees have some spare 4116 dynamic RAM, I could use a couple. Anything 200ns or faster should work. Please reply off-list. Thanks! Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Save 20% on Raspberry Pi3 at Arrow.com
by Support 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

>From Arrow.com: This week only, save 20% on Raspberry Pi 3 at Arrow.com. Plus, all orders over $20 qualify for free OVERNIGHT shipping. While supplies last. Use code PI20 at checkout to save. [END] Unlike eBay these tend to be known good units with some actual vendor backing if there's an issue. The free shipping isn't a bad deal either IMHO. 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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[OT] DC-Area Workshop - September 16th and 17th - Middletown, MD
by Herb Johnson 06 Sep '17

06 Sep '17

I was also considering attending but I had conflicting events. Herb, near Trenton/Princeton NJ -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Commodore B500 for Sale of Ebay
by william degnan 04 Sep '17

04 Sep '17

I am setting this: https://youtu.be/zysYRpM7u_o Here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/272834135066? I probably don't need to tell anyone this here but the B500 is very a rare machine, the rarest of the B Series computers. I don't know if they actually sold the B500's in stores (US version, not to be confused with the European B-500) before naming them "B128-80". If you buy this also need drives and cables, let me know, I did not include in the auction but I have them too. Pickup welcome. Landenberg, PA Bill

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AT&T PC6300 in Philly on eBay
by Jason Perkins 04 Sep '17

04 Sep '17

I was pondering about picking this guy up, but I really don't have the space. Auction ends today, and the starting price is low! A AT&T PC6300, in semi broken / unknown condition. System & Keyboard: http://www.ebay.com/itm/322691301355 Monitor: http://www.ebay.com/itm/322691332423 Thanks, -J

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AT&T PC6300 in Philly on eBay
by Herb Johnson 04 Sep '17

04 Sep '17

Item location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.... -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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zoomfloppy on WIn 10 computer
by william degnan 04 Sep '17

04 Sep '17

I have a system with Win XT that I had been using a my ZoomFloppy computer, but when the new version came out and it was Win 10 compatible I attempted to install on my PC with Win 10. It worked, but I found that now the X-Cable component of the software suit thinks my CBM 8050 with Jiffy DOS 2.7 is a 8250. It still works but it mis-identified the drive. Also, I have to use D0 only, I can't get it to recognize D1 (the left drive). For me that's ok, but I was wondering if anyone else had similar experiences with their use of the Win 10 Bill

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OT: EBS, nevermind
by william degnan 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Never mind, I found this page, which I did not see earlier. https://cloudacademy.com/blog/amazon-ebs-shink-volume/ Bill

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OT: Amazon EC2 Question - Safely reduce EBS Size?
by william degnan 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Please contact me off list with replies. I have a server hosted on Amazon that has 750Gb allocated to it, and I don't need that much space and I'd like to cut it back to cut costs. Whenever I read about EBS they give examples about to increase the size, but I could not find anything about reducing the size. For example here is a page that shows the expand process https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-ebs-update-new-elastic-volumes-chan… So my question - anyone here ever successfully *reduced* an elastic volume on a production server? Is it a "smart" process that knows to adjust the hard drive volume? How does it work? Does it ask you which partition to shave down, should you unallocate the space first then do the volume reduction, etc? Please contact me off list with replies. Bill

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Looking for Help to make a MP/M Disk Image
by Herb Johnson 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Bill's MP/M system with S-100 cards, has cards built by MSC (Measurement Systems and Controls). I'd also like docs for S-100 cards with that brand. Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Looking for Help to make a MP/M Disk Image
by william degnan 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Hi, After a lot of effort I repaired a Systems Group 2800 S-100 computer by tracing the electrical faults related to old caps and a 7805 regulator. Now it boots to the hard drive. The system boots up and asks PASSWORD PLEASE- I have tried various passwords but none work. I found a binary of the MP/M OS that came with the SG 2800 here: http://www.cpm.z80.de/binary.html (search page for "Systems Group System 2800") Is there anyone here who can make me a bootable 8" disk by using this binary? In the meantime I am going to see if I can make a generic MP/M disk boot that will work this system, but it would be nice to get the disk the computer came with running. I don't have the skills to use the appropriate assembler, it has been years since Dan Rogantis's class on building a CP/M (MP/M) disk from a binary of the disk files. I suppose I could just copy them to a CP/M disk but I doubt it will boot. If I keep at it I can probably get it to work but I will accept help if this is an easy project for someone else. Suggestions? Thanks Bill

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Fully working Apple Lisa 2 for sale in North Jersey
by Adam Michlin 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Hi Everyone, I am helping a friend sell his working Lisa 2. He would prefer not to ship (for obvious reasons) and would like to avoid Ebay (for obvious reasons, as well). He is asking $2,700 and I may be in a position to facilitate the deal and, for example, perhaps bring it to the museum. Unfortunately, donation is not an option (and was the first thing I asked). Pictures are available at: http://ceos.io/lisa/ Please contact me directly off list if interested. -Adam

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W.J Eckert Punched Cards Method is Scientific Computation Thomas J Watson / IBM
by Stephen 01 Sep '17

01 Sep '17

Speaking of little bits of computer history up for sale, just seen this:- W.J Eckert Punched Cards Method is Scientific Computation Thomas J Watson / IBM Copied from the listing:- A very rare early computing book and FAR rarer than the 1984 reprint. PUBLISHED IN 1940 BY Thomas J Watson / IBM, includes solving astronomical problems with punched card readers and sorters AND SOME PHOTOS Solution of differential equations for astronomy Around 1933 Eckert proposed interconnecting punched card tabulating machines from IBM located in Columbia's Rutherford Laboratory to perform more than simple statistical calculations. Eckert arranged with IBM president Thomas J. Watson for a donation of newly developed IBM 601 calculating punch, which could multiply instead of just adding and subtracting.[4] In 1937 the facility was named the Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau. IBM support included customer service and hardware circuit modifications needed to tabulate numbers, create mathematical tables, add, subtract, multiply, reproduce, verify, create tables of differences, create tables of logarithms and perform Lagrangian interpolation, all to solve differential equations for astronomical applications. In January 1940, Eckert published Punched Card Methods in Scientific Computation, which solved the problem of predicting the orbits of the planets, using the IBM electric tabulating machines, based on the punched card. This slim book is only 136 pages, including the index. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401379672686 Stephen Walters Professional Celebrity Photographer / G7VFY www.facebook.com/mister35mm Tel 07956-544202

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OT: WarGames: The Dead Code
by Joseph Oprysko 01 Sep '17

01 Sep '17

It's 2017, and I just found out about the sequel to the Original WarGames movie. Apparently it came out in 2008. I found it a bit humorous, that up in Canada running part of the power grid was Joshua (WOPR), it looked a bit different than the first movie. Plus everything was cellphones and WiFi... but no IMSAI 8080 or acoustic couplers, but they did do a pringles can WiFi directional antenna booster. The other kind of interesting thing, was that Philadelphia was the initial target. -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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Anyone want to bid on J.P Eckert's letters
by Christian Liendo 01 Sep '17

01 Sep '17

They talk about the ENIAC Patent, starting bid $750 https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/55302575_jp-eckert-receives-patent-on-…

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Apple //c equipment in Erie PA
by Eric Rangell 31 Aug '17

31 Aug '17

Hello all, My name is Eric Rangell and I live in Downingtown, PA. My parents live in Lakewood NJ so I am looking forward to visiting the museum in Wall in November. My first computer was an Apple //e when I was 13 years old in 1983. I learned programming in Basic, Pascal, and assembly language in my teens, which led to a degree in Information Systems and a job on Wall St, where I worked with COBOL, helped get the company through Y2K, then branched into Client/Server: Powerbuilder/Sybase, Java, C, C# .NET/SQL Server, HTML/JS. After that job I did consulting for a university where I built a class for remedial music theory in Java, Php, Mysql, and Unix. My current position is a solution architect in the pharma industry where I try to keep up with Azure and VSTS while coordinating testing and FDA validation of systems. So retrocomputing is a hobby that helps ground me in something familiar. I am revisiting a MIDI system I developed for myself on the Apple //e and learning about efforts by archive.org to preserve floppy disk images. I have recently become interested in the ideas of Ted Nelson - Xanadu and Zigzag. When I was recently forced to dive into Javascript it was Doug Crockford's video series that helped me explore it. I am impressed with how people got things done under the constraints of old hardware, and can appreciate the unique talents that this community has. Thanks, Eric

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Very much OT: Bitcoin?
by Joseph Oprysko 30 Aug '17

30 Aug '17

Does anyone have any experience with Bitcoin? I setup a bitcoin wallet, but I don't have any bitcoin to deposit in it. I've tried using some of those "Satoshi Faucets" but they give SO little, I haven't "earned" enough to even put a fraction of a bitcoin in my account. If someone wouldn't mind sending me a little bit of bitcoin so I can see what the big deal is. My wallet ID is: 1NtEGyywbKdYmsb1rAafrUs32nGkCm8vyh Thanks in advance for anyone who can send me a little bit. Joe -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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Anyone Looking for a Ferret?
by william degnan 30 Aug '17

30 Aug '17

Jeff J or someone may be interested in this testing system. Not sure it's a good value, no idea, but the name is Ferret. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-FERRET-FERRET-A-Multi-Function-Computer-Tes… Bil

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Apple //c equipment in Erie PA
by Eric Rangell 30 Aug '17

30 Aug '17

Hello all, I'm forwarding this info about a system in Erie PA that is on Craigslist for anyone interested who can get there: https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageApple/comments/6wfuw4/guy_says_hes_going_to… https://t.co/stTtT9ewmS I live in Downingtown, so it is an 8 hour drive for me. I don't need the equipment, but hope the software and floppies can be saved and imaged for archive.org. Eric

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Saturday museum report
by Evan Koblentz 29 Aug '17

29 Aug '17

Not much happened yesterday. We had an ordinary amount of visitors including a 12-year-old who seemed genuinely interested + wanted the full tour. I'm getting to be good at entering octal code on the HP-1000. Roddy (art guy next door to us) is going to make some new signs for us around the campus. Jeff B. brought over the 30-ft. white Ethernet cord that I ordered. We swapped out the gray cord that we borrowed from IXR and returned it to them. White one fits better (other was 25 ft., too short) and blends in better against our white walls.

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Sunday Museum Report
by Douglas Crawford 29 Aug '17

29 Aug '17

Nice day at the museum. Took 4 families through the museum. One was a father and his 2nd year E.E. son. They got the full extended tour version complete with the 8 and 16 bitter IC history :) There were two families that breezed through without a tour. The Museum looked great. -DC

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Who exhibited ICS 8080 @ VCF East?
by Alexander Pierson 29 Aug '17

29 Aug '17

I believe that was Bob Roswell, the guy over by the door closest to the consignment area. He had the mechanical logic trainers and toys along with the ICS branded trainer. Rather than Bob himself, I mainly saw the younger pair of folks running the exhibit, but I cannot recall their names. Can anyone confirm? -Alexander 'Z' Pierson On Monday, August 28, 2017 8:13 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: Someone asked me who demo'd an 8080-based trainer from Integrated Computer Systems at VCF East last spring. Does anyone know? ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, 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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Who exhibited ICS 8080 @ VCF East?
by Evan Koblentz 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

Someone asked me who demo'd an 8080-based trainer from Integrated Computer Systems at VCF East last spring. Does anyone know? ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, 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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Pet 2001 in NJ
by Christian Liendo 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

https://newjersey.craigslist.org/sys/d/vintage-commodore-pet-2001/628062186…

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OT: Ruby programming books available
by William Dudley 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

I have the following titles available for free: The Ruby Way, 2nd Edition, by Hal Fulton Agile Web Development with Rails by Thomas and Hansson Learning Ruby by Fitzgerald Ruby Cookbook by Carlson and Richardson I'll ship if you pay for shipping. Bill Dudley Jackson, NJ This email is free of malware because I run Linux.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Monitor needed for museum
by Earl Baugh 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

Actually a UPS for a Pi isn't that expensive. I have a couple of these (get the right one for PI/PiZero/Pi 3 -- there are at least 2 different models) (https://www.tindie.com/products/xorbit/lifepo4weredpi/) They work great keeping the PI's running. I've not had any corruption on the SD cards (and two Zero's run 24/7) since I got these. Earl

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Monitor needed for museum
by Evan Koblentz 26 Aug '17

26 Aug '17

Hey look! http://www.robotshop.com/en/raspberry-pi-vga-adapter.html Ethan Dicks (VCF East frequent PDP-8 exhibitor) turned me on to this. He teaches Pi classes at his local hackerspace. He said that in his experience the Pi usually "just works" to detect the video type, but that it's more reliable when you edit the config file. For 7 bucks I am definitely buying us one. I already have a low-profile widescreen VGA LCD at home that's the perfect size for our application. (VCF's existing supply of VGA LCDs are all square-shaped.) All's well that ends well.

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anyone want a mac plus $50
by william degnan 25 Aug '17

25 Aug '17

https://delaware.craigslist.org/sys/d/1986-macintosh-plus-computer/62416887… This is down the road from me, near Newark, Delaware over the PA line (rte 896 before rte 1). Bill

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FS: Industrial 486 ISA Computer with 8 GB DOM, Ethernet, MS-DOS 6.22, Utils
by systems_glitch 24 Aug '17

24 Aug '17

Description + pictures on the VC Forums: http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?59315-FS-Industrial-486-ISA-Compu… This little box started life as an 8-port terminal and application server. It came to me with only the CPU board, and a crashed hard disk that looked like it had a plain DOS install on it anyway. I cleaned it up as described in the forum thread, but I'm thinking I'll sell it as my PICMG box is effectively the same thing but more flexible. Thanks, Jonathan

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Fake 7400-series memory
by Herb Johnson 24 Aug '17

24 Aug '17

> That was a rather interesting read. It's like a combination > of archeology and technology. - Joe Oprysko Right. That's what early vintage computing looks like - kinda. ;) Editorial follows, for those interested. Otherwise: thanks for this glimpse into a corner of chip-collecting. - H Doing some Web "archeology" found the originator of the decapitated chip. It's part of a recent project by Robert Baruch which he calls "Project 54/74" and hosted on YouTube and a wiki at project5474.org, and his Twitter account. He extracts chip die from original 7400 (and the industrial/military version 5400) logic chips, for annotation and imaging; then reverse engineers the schematic. He seems to be doing other vintage-computing stuff as well, with new S-100 boards and 3D printing, very 21st century. Tracing out chip-die sounds like rocket-science; but it's a matter of knowledge and tedium, recognizing visual patterns and following the likely logic. That's what the "fake" poster Ken Shirriff performed in his deconstruction Web post. TTL gate-level logic is usually described in 7400 documents, but not in detail. EE's in the 70's era (like me) were trained in semiconductors at almost the die level; the detailed knowledge is/was available in other textbooks for IC design specialists. And, it's something done in the microprocessor collecting world; tracing out early CPU dies. There may well be other such projects, for other chips including TTL. And it was professionally done in the era as literal reverse-engineering; competitors looking for ways to produce copies, learn design techniques, and so on. "Archeology and technology" overlap considerably; archeologists try to reverse engineer how structures or tools, homes, weapons were made. To me this is another example of what I call preservation by restoration and repair and Web publishing. I work at the S-100 board and chip level, not at the die level. As do others in this email list. Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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