- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Verizon contacts, Lucent 5ESS-2000 VCDX?
by Neil Cherry 08 Nov '24

08 Nov '24

On 11/4/24 17:37, N. Albert via vcf-midatlantic wrote: Nice pictures. I'm guessing that our lab had older batteries. They were huge beasts, one 2v per cell and fit the 4x4 description. I think the bottle of acid was in the case. Oh and for whomever is looking to get this thing. Don't go leaving it in the CDL for someone to pick up! ;-) Yike that's a huge beast. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry kd2zrq(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies KD2ZRQ

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SAVE THE DATE FOR FESTIVUS! Saturday, December 14, from 10AM to 1AM
by Jeffrey Brace 08 Nov '24

08 Nov '24

*DATE AND TIME: * Saturday, December 14 from 10AM until 1AM. *LOCATION:* At InfoAge: 2201 Marconi Rd, Wall Township, NJ 07719 *BUILDING:* *9010-D*, A.K.A. *The Visitors Center*, A.K.A. *The Sandy Dorms*, A.K.A. *The bunkrooms* *THERE IS NO OVERNIGHT STAY AVAILABLE! * Sorry, Wall Township no longer allows anyone to stay overnight in The Visitor's Center please use our discount hotel option or any other hotels in the area. *Atlantic Inn & Suites:* $80 per night and you must call the number directly: (732) 974-8400 AND mention Vintage Computer Federation More info to follow shortly! I'm finalizing all the other information and setup Google Sheets.

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Festivus, Saturday Dec. 14 @InfoAge
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Nov '24

06 Nov '24

I have successfully reserved Festivus on Saturday, Dec. 14 at InfoAge in the Sandy area (9010-D). There are no overnight stays available. So I would expect that we have to be out of there by a certain time. We can still resume in the morning. I was able to get a special rate at Atlantic Inn & Suites for Festivus for $80 per night. You have to mention Vintage Computer Federation and call directly to get the discount. We will have a mini-swap meet, food like last year, a game room. I will be sending out more information about tickets and signups for Festivus soon! For those of you new to our group read on: WHAT IS FESTIVUS? Festivus started out as a party years ago and took place 6 months after VCF East. At some point, it was officially called "Festivus" as recommended by Bernie S. It refers to the Seinfeld episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX55AzGku5Y. It is a make believe holiday around the same time as many other December holidays, but for us it is not religious, but simply Pure Vintage Computer Fun. WHAT DO YOU DO AT FESTIVUS? We barbecue hamburgers, hot dogs, perogies, etc. It is a Potluck, everyone brings a food and/or beverage item. It is vintage video game fun. We have a game room setup for Ian and others to set up their video games for everyone to play. It is a fellowship to catch up with members that we haven't seen for a while. Take care! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Next Repair Workshop(s)
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Nov '24

06 Nov '24

*@InfoAge* Nov. 16-17: https://vcfed.org/repair-workshops-at-infoage/ If you are looking for an inexpensive place to stay overnight, then try The Atlantic Inn & Suites: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YK1N6WorCYnZUZ7F9 *@System Source* Nov. 23-23: https://ca.syssrc.com/wp/?page_id=85&civiwp=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fevent%2Finf… Take care! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Verizon contacts, Lucent 5ESS-2000 VCDX?
by Ethan O'Toole 04 Nov '24

04 Nov '24

Not to change the subject, but I've heard that Verizon is retiring all of their 5ESS hardware. Anyone have any contacts at Verizon regarding surplus equipment / scrap? I think it would be cool to try to build a running 5ESS VCDX system with a minimum amount of POTS circuits (64?) and trunks and all that. Compact -48v DC power supplies, Sun 1u for the emulator thing... A home sized build that can be connected to shadytel or one of the online hobbyist phone networks. Also, I don't really know that much about them. I've been reading some of the manuals that Nokia (who bought Alcatel who bought Lucent who was AT&T or whatever) has online. The facebook Class 5 group -- someone said the switch mdoule itself will take nearly a full rack, so that is interesting. Wikipedia said 3 racks. The place I worked that I think had one, it was 11 or 12racks but I never saw inside them -- no one seemed to know anything about it. Any leads appreciated. - Ethan

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Commodore 64 floppy disk exerciser
by Jeffrey Jonas 04 Nov '24

04 Nov '24

Someone brought a Commodore 64 diagnostic cartridge to a VCF workshop, long long ago, that did thorough floppy diagnostics: formatted a disk, checked RPM, seek times, etc. What was the cartridge and would you please bring it to an upcoming event? I need to qualify some drives I have. Thanks. -- jeff jonas

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clean old antistatic foam off IC pins?
by Matt Reynolds 01 Nov '24

01 Nov '24

Hi, Do any of you have any information on what is considered the best/most appropriate way to clean off petrified antistatic foam off of IC pins? I have come across some vintage ICs I want to save and try to sell to finance other parts of my hobby. These particular ones are gold plated, but that said, some of them have been corroded through regardless, while some are just ugly looking. I've been using IPA, drafting eraser, and Xacto knife to clean the majority of the crud off, but very few of the pins are looking particularly shiny. I don't want to get too aggressive and break more pins off, but they don't look all that great at the moment. Matt R

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] clean old antistatic foam off IC pins?
by Matt Reynolds 01 Nov '24

01 Nov '24

ooh, good idea. I'll give that a shot. Thanks, Matt On Fri, Nov 1, 2024 at 3:49 PM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > I’ve used a fiberglass pencil to clean the pins on ICs. Have not dealt > with gold plated ones myself so I cannot speak to them. > > Tony Bogan > > > > On Nov 1, 2024, at 3:45 PM, Matt Reynolds via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > Hi, > > > > Do any of you have any information on what is considered the best/most > > appropriate way to clean off petrified antistatic foam off of IC pins? I > > have come across some vintage ICs I want to save and try to sell to > finance > > other parts of my hobby. These particular ones are gold plated, but that > > said, some of them have been corroded through regardless, while some are > > just ugly looking. > > > > I've been using IPA, drafting eraser, and Xacto knife to clean the > majority > > of the crud off, but very few of the pins are looking particularly shiny. > > I don't want to get too aggressive and break more pins off, but they > don't > > look all that great at the moment. > > > > Matt R >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] we ARE a club, a group of really good friends
by Jeffrey Jonas 31 Oct '24

31 Oct '24

Ian Litchfield: > We have not really acted as a club in a long time I am active with MARCH/VCF/Infoage because of all the good people I consider friends. The camaraderie of every workshop should be proof enough, particularly Ian Primus giving each and every CRT the TLC they richly deserve, Jeff Salzman's tower-of-power toolkit and traveling Radio Shack (ever since Jeff Galinat moved away), and others I cannot remember fast enough. I traded gifts at the Swap Meet, and folks were extremely generous with helping me with spare PCs to help my neighbors. We're an effective and focused bunch of folks, and mighty friendly to boot! -- Jeffrey Jonas

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Bill Degnan 30 Oct '24

30 Oct '24

Originally we said "Mid-Atlantic", our loose focus was NY, NJ, PA, DE, NJ, MD, Washington DC, VA. But we excluded no one, and invited everyone to all events. Statistically, you're going to get people who live closer. We had events in State College PA, Trenton, Wilmington and wherever it was Bryan lived in South Jersey before we moved into the Wall NJ location. We would advertise on our yahoo mailing list and the volume of messages there was huge. I remember we had over 10,000 messages before we moved the mailing list to the current format. Lots of history there if anyone has this. Bill

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Thomas G 30 Oct '24

30 Oct '24

If we're talking legal ownership... a significant portion of the collection has been 'tainted' by artifacts owned by Infoage (namely the Grabbe collection, or a *portion of* the Grabbe collection) which have mingled with the MARCH/VCFed collection for years. Many details regarding this have only resurfaced recently (as in the past year, though several long-time members have always known some portion of the details) and it's been something of a massive headache to untangle, especially given the lack of a unified inventory for the past 19 years of acquisitions - I've found a few spreadsheets with no more than a few dozen items each, at most, which is nowhere near the thousands of individual artifacts which are now (or were in the past) within the warehouse/collection. It has taken me many, many hours of research, digging, and questioning to identify as much of the Grabbe collection as I have thus far - which could be anywhere between 15% and 75% of the total. There are other Infoage artifacts and collections mixed in - for instance, an entire "ready-to-run" Amdahl mainframe was donated to Infoage by AT&T in 1997. Aside from the 4705 communications processor, which was scrapped over a decade ago, much of the system is still present - but I have no way of knowing just *how* *much* of it is still here because I have no list of items, no photographs of the system as donated, and wide gaps in the admittedly threadbare timeline I have been able to put together for the machine's life since it was donated. Until recently, a number of long-time members believed the entire system to have been scrapped! Until all of these details can be worked out, it is potentially dangerous to assume that everything belongs to VCFed. We are a chapter of VCF, meaning that anything that we own is by extension owned by VCF anyways - but without a formal accessioning policy, the line between 'inventory' and 'collection' doesn't exist, and ownership can remain up in the air. Many recent acquisitions were collected using money from Mid-Atlantic's budget that was itself obtained directly through Mid-Atlantic's own fundraising - an argument can be made that, for such artifacts, VCFed may own them *through* us, but not directly, for whatever difference that even makes. These things need to be defined in writing, not in verbal agreements. Trying to hammer out a formal collections policy - which I have taken on as my personal responsibility - has been severely complicated by the fact that there is no simple answer to the question "what is the collection?" as I've described above, but I'm slowly getting there. And, frankly, the blaring priority as of late has been to address the physical maintenance of the warehouse itself, which we are unquestionably responsible for... alongside Infoage... and Wall township... and, apparently, the Army. Many strange revelations as of late. Feel free to contact me off-list (thomas.gilinsky(a)vcfed.org) if you'd like to directly clarify anything to me regarding how the details of the collection have been argued - I can always use the info! On Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 1:06 PM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Functionally doesn’t change the fact that VCF MA (did we suddenly decide > now it’s MARCH without any further discussion? I want MACE seriously > considered :-) does not own or have any rights to the collection. This was > made abundantly clear to those of us that created the 501c in the first > place almost 10 years ago. > > Additionally, what was originally intended doesn’t change the fact you > just stated. Namely that most of the money comes from National and has > since the start. > > Just trying to keep the discussion real and on point as a lack of > information has been a problem since the start as vid ever by this very > discussion. > > There have been numerous discussions over the years about the collection, > who owns it, what is to be done with it, how it should be managed etc etc. > as well as questions raised by those who have donated or who reached out to > us for a rescue. > > Knowing the potential legal issues that could arise if ever there was an > issue, these are important things to not o ly keep in the discussion but > accurately disseminate to the membership. > > The computers and artifacts are not the property of VCF MA, MARCH or even > MAACE :-) :-) > > Functionality not withstanding. > > I’ve deleted the rest of my response. > > Tony Bogan > > > > > On Oct 29, 2024, at 12:54 PM, RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > <mime-attachment> >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Jeff Salzman 30 Oct '24

30 Oct '24

December 14 and 15 at InfoAge On Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 11:44 PM bob jeffway.com via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Well, some good points! > Reminds me, when is Festivus?? I want to come this year! > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Ian Litchfield 30 Oct '24

30 Oct '24

Regardless of what we call ourselves. The elephant in the room here is still apparent, and this is my opinion (I am sure many have seen it as well.) We have not really acted as a club in a long time. Besides Festivus, when is the last time we did anything club like? People show up to the Swap and leave immediately after many ignoring our post event workshops. The same 5 or so people show up to workshops monthly, barring the one right before VCF East which always has a higher turnout. Very few newcomers appear to stick around, and if they do they just lurk. How many are registered in the list again? Hell it took me about a year to figure out how to even “join” the club because no information was out about how to get involved. I was told to talk to someone and wait for a phone call, which took over 6 months to come in. >From what I have gathered, we have always regarded it as “If you are on the list, you are in” but that is a terrible way, especially for an organization that has grown to our size, as people have put it to keep a member log. We want to grow the local community here, do some outreach, fund fixing the warehouse to protect our artifacts, and eventually expand our museum and assist the other local groups on campus at InfoAge. All of which requires having an active and informed local membership. We are not renaming the organization here, not even the list. Specifically it is proposed to rename and restructure the local chapter that handles the local events, local fund raising, local museum, local warehouse, local artifacts, local workshops, etc.. Did I mention Local? -Ian L. On Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 09:04 Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > We are, or were created as one in 2015, an extension/chapter/whathaveyou > of VCF National. > > We don’t necessarily need to remain that, but that is what we are at the > moment. > > Tony Bogan > > > > On Oct 29, 2024, at 8:39 AM, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > <mime-attachment> >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by John Heritage 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Central Region Old Timer Computer Hobbyists? On Tue, Oct 29, 2024, 1:40 PM RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > On 10/29/2024 12:14 PM, Andrew Diller wrote: > > I read this and also thought "he's asking for an announcement only list" > -- which does not exist. But could be created (but I'm guessing it would be > occasionally forgotten about). > > Sorry, that was not my intent. I actually like the discussion, at least > some of the time, since I work in other related groups and seeing how > you all process things helps other groups. And, yes, the announce list > would suffer from being yet another thing to deal with. > > No, just wanted to make sure it was OK to be on here and if it's OK, > noting that those like me necessarily can only watch and add bit of > value from afar, please don't hate that we didn't sign up to volunteer > at all the cool things you do. > > Jim > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Chris Fala 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Tony makes a good point, communication seems to be the actual issue. And I agree with his MACE suggestion, Mid Atlantic Commodore Enthusiasts! On Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 12:30 PM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > As mentioned in my first response, I’m fine with whatever the group wants, > I don’t have any feelings either way. > My goal was to point out the pertinent facts revolving around the > discussion. > > Forgetting all the conversations I’ve had with people over the years, just > the responses in this thread show me that the perceived “confusion” > revolves far more around how information is disseminated to the public and > how things are organized as opposed to what the group is called. > > Changing the name won’t fix that, but at the same time changing the name > is not a problem or something I like or dislike. It is what it is. > > My vote is for MAACE (or MACE) > > Mid-Atlantic Apple Computer Enthusiasts > ;-)

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Jeff Salzman 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Seems the definition of "local" needs to be addressed. (And I'm betting as I type this, someone else is, or has already defined the term.) Local, in the context of this long-running faction of an organization is loosely defined as an area as big as it needs to be for many to reasonably and regularly attend the organization's events. Special events like VCF-East have certainly been an exception to that, but VCF-E is a Vintage Computer Federation event, run by volunteers and members of the local organization in Wall Township, NJ. It was already discussed by many, and nearly officially by Tony B., that Mid-Atlantic covers a VERY large swath on the Eastern seaboard and nearby inland states. Unless anybody has an issue with the use of "local" to define that, then let's stick with using the term local as having such a broad reference. While we won't kick anybody from Nebraska away who comes to one of our Workshops or Festivus, or a future hackathon, that Nebraskan would probably not make regular trips to Wall Township, NJ on a near monthly basis. As such, we probably wouldn't consider Nebraska "local", but they are more than welcome to join the group and/or mailing list if they wish. So Bill, you ARE local in the broadest sensible sense of the term. You're certainly far more local to this area than to the sister group in California's Bay Area. I live further from Wall Township, NJ than you, but I would call MARCH (sticking with that name for now) my local retro computer club. We have members in Virginia who think the same way. As for the same 7 people. That's just because those people choose on their own to attend these events on a regular basis, or even a volunteer, or docent. It is not a defining requirement for membership and never has been. Any group or organization will have its "regular" members, but as far as attendance at our regular Workshop events, the invitation is always there. The simple rules are: - Sign up on the Google Sheet that's sent via announcement to this message list - Pay the daily Workshop fee of $15 - Understand that attendees will not (always) fix your stuff for you, but many help as much as they can. This is an opportunity to learn how to restore your own stuff. - Be kind and courteous - ENJOY YOURSELF! - Clean up before you leave As "MARCH" defines more suitable ways to get the word out to the retro hobbyist about these regular events, there is hope that more people would learn about our volunteer opportunities, and not feel that they are not welcome to participate in anything "MARCH" does. Jeff Salzman On Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 1:38 PM RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > On 10/29/2024 12:08 PM, David Gesswein via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > > My point was more of "should folks like myself be on the list at all, > since we are not local"? I asked because one of the most recent list > emails was about "the same 7 people come to events, few help out..." and > I think there was an implication that the list members should be take a > more active role in the org. I'd love to assist, and I do for other > VCF-like orgs closer to home, but I can't help be a docent or set up for > the swap meet, and neither can the others on the list who are far > flung. That was my intent. > > Jim > > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Andrew Diller 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Nice glue you got there. The United Federation of Plants meets every 3d Wednesday at the Morris Horticultural Society back deck, on Pine Ridge. -andy https://imgur.com/a/on5tjuH > On Oct 29, 2024, at 1:45 PM, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > logo of the United Federation of Plants,

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Tony Bogan 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

I’d like to bring this conversation back to what Christian mentioned earlier about the logo…… I’m having trouble finding for comparison the logo of the United Federation of Plants, but im interested in learning more about them!!! (Sorry, at drydock and this is my only break time today and I’m getting loopy from the paint fumes) Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue. Tony Bogan > On Oct 29, 2024, at 1:40 PM, RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > <mime-attachment>

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Dean Notarnicola 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

All are welcome on the list, regardless of level of participation. We are better together. On Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 1:39 PM RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > On 10/29/2024 12:14 PM, Andrew Diller wrote: > > I read this and also thought "he's asking for an announcement only list" > -- which does not exist. But could be created (but I'm guessing it would be > occasionally forgotten about). > > Sorry, that was not my intent. I actually like the discussion, at least > some of the time, since I work in other related groups and seeing how > you all process things helps other groups. And, yes, the announce list > would suffer from being yet another thing to deal with. > > No, just wanted to make sure it was OK to be on here and if it's OK, > noting that those like me necessarily can only watch and add bit of > value from afar, please don't hate that we didn't sign up to volunteer > at all the cool things you do. > > Jim > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by David Gesswein 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Nobody is going to say you shouldn't be on the list. If people are getting overwelmed by emails of no intrest speak up. If so it may make sense to have an announce only list. Will then require sending announcements to both lists since not everybody will sign up for the announce list so one list makes it simpler. On Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 11:54:10AM -0500, RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:54:10 -0500 > From: RETRO Innovations <go4retro(a)go4retro.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy > Changes > User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird > > With all of this discussion, I'm concerned that I should not be on the > list.. I joined many moons ago as this list seems to have good > information on the VCF-E event and other related VCF events. > > But, I am not local, and I doubt I will ever be able to attend events > outside of the VCF-E show. > > If I'm here erroneously, let me know. If not, I'd ask you keep in mind > I am probably not the only non Mid-Atlantic person on-list. I'm not > saying the discussions should deviate from Mid-Atlantic, or even > NJ-focused, discussions, just wanted to remind folks that there's > probably a small segment of subscribers who look in from afar. > > Jim

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Andrew Diller 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Ha I was thinking the same thing. Someone already decided it's MARCH. Did I miss the announcement? > On Oct 29, 2024, at 1:04 PM, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > Functionally doesn’t change the fact that VCF MA (did we suddenly decide now it’s MARCH without any further discussion? I want MACE seriously considered :-) -andy

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Neil Cherry 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

On 10/29/24 12:30, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > My vote is for MAACE (or MACE) > > Mid-Atlantic Apple Computer Enthusiasts > 😉 Yeah, go eat a burger. ;-) (Folks that's not meant as an insult). And I like the name MARCH (still have the Polo). I liked being a MARCHian. ;-) No, I don't have anything more constructive. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry kd2zrq(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies KD2ZRQ

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Tony Bogan 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Functionally doesn’t change the fact that VCF MA (did we suddenly decide now it’s MARCH without any further discussion? I want MACE seriously considered :-) does not own or have any rights to the collection. This was made abundantly clear to those of us that created the 501c in the first place almost 10 years ago. Additionally, what was originally intended doesn’t change the fact you just stated. Namely that most of the money comes from National and has since the start. Just trying to keep the discussion real and on point as a lack of information has been a problem since the start as vid ever by this very discussion. There have been numerous discussions over the years about the collection, who owns it, what is to be done with it, how it should be managed etc etc. as well as questions raised by those who have donated or who reached out to us for a rescue. Knowing the potential legal issues that could arise if ever there was an issue, these are important things to not o ly keep in the discussion but accurately disseminate to the membership. The computers and artifacts are not the property of VCF MA, MARCH or even MAACE :-) :-) Functionality not withstanding. I’ve deleted the rest of my response. Tony Bogan > On Oct 29, 2024, at 12:54 PM, RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > <mime-attachment>

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Andrew Diller 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Mmmmm.... • MACRO • Mid-Atlantic Computing Retro Organization • MATRIX • Mid-Atlantic Technology Restoration & Information eXhibition • VACUUM • Vintage Artifacts & Computing Universal Museum -andy > On Oct 29, 2024, at 12:30 PM, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > My vote is for MAACE (or MACE) > > Mid-Atlantic Apple Computer Enthusiasts > ;-) >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Andrew Diller 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

This is an interesting facet of the discussion that even I didn't think about- so first, thanks Tony for bringing it up. Second lets talk about this... Since VCFederation owns all the physical devices/artifacts/dollars in the warehouse and museum and bank accounts, and I'm sure it's VCFederation's 503 name/corp entity on all the agreements with InfoAge- to me that does two things: 1. Frees up the 'club' to name itself however it wants. There seem to be zero assets for VCF-MA or MARCH or whatever it renames itself. So go to town and make a new name. If that is what the membership is asking for, deliver it! 2. Does nothing to remove the confusion between VCFederation, the Festivals, the people that maintain stuff and have keys to access the artifacts, bank and museum. And that is ok. I've never felt like this was a bad thing- it causes conversation to be had, and people to talk about things and explain. That is a great thing to happen IMHO. So what if people have to explain these nuances? The fact that someone is asking is showing an interest and that motivation is worth more than some re-branding that resolves the confusion (at what level? People will still be confused no matter what you do). And this reflects on the comments from Ian and Ben re: joining and 'activities.' I've always felt the real club is what you make it. You make it by showing up and doing things- talking, helping, donating. Helping with forum, docent, cleaning etc etc etc. There are no hidden meetings (save the SteerCo- and not hidden just not open to general pop) or things going on- anyone can start something if they are willing to put in the time to do it. Not many orgs are like this. Cherish it. I gave a lot for a few years and have backed off due to other things to do, I will come back with more time at some point. I hope by then it hasn't turned into an empty club with paperwork and procedures on how everything must be done. To me the learning and exploring was 80% of the fun of the Federation at InfoAge. I hope this helped express an alternative view on things and encouraged people think about things before making a bunch of changes and the impact those changes may have. -andy PS: Case in point: i've enjoyed 2 VCFMW shows - they are incredible and fun and I don't know a friggin thing about the 'club' that runs them! > On Oct 29, 2024, at 8:39 AM, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > From: Tony Bogan <thebogans(a)mac.com> > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes > Date: October 29, 2024 at 8:39:20 AM EDT > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > > > One thing that has yet to be brought up, at least that I spotted and I apologize if I missed it, is that part of the reason our group is called VCF is we manage and curate the Federations collection. None of the comparisons in Thomas G’s post are true comparisons because of that one (and in my mind significant) fact. > > The warehouse and museum contents do NOT belong to VCF-MA (or MARCH or whatever else you wish to call it) they belong > To VCF. > > That doesn’t mean our group couldn’t have a different name and continue curating VCFs collection of course, but it does set us apart from every and any other group that exists in this country. And for that reason, several others and one other major reason the name change was made to what it currently is. The other major reason? two VCF National Board members being part of VCF MA and in charge of its creation as a 501c and its daily and financial operations. > > Again, these points don’t preclude changing the name, but I believe this is important information for everyone to know and it does make our group unique and in the same > Ocean but not in the same boat (sorry, couldn’t help myself) as everyone else. > > Tony Bogan > >> On Oct 29, 2024, at 8:19 AM, Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >> >> You could bring a device that produces a mild electric shock, and when >> people ask you can shock them until they change the subject. I have a >> portable shock stick that I use in every day life when needed, really >> reduces the stress. >> >>> On Mon, Oct 28, 2024 at 9:44 AM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>> >>> On Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 18:11 Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>> >>>> I’m here. I thought VCF was chosen to compete with TCF. >>> >>> >>> It was definitely not to compete with TCF. I was part of the founding. TCF >>> is the Trenton Computer Festival and a once a year event started in 1976? >>> in NJ. Vintage Computer *Festival* was started in 1997 in California. >>> Vintage Computer *Federation* was started in 2016. I can’t recall the exact >>> reason, but likely to match the acronym VCF which was the *Festival *as >>> well as be global sounding and nature with Festivals around the world. >>> >>> The biggest problem as I see it is that people have trouble distinguishing >>> between the *Festival* and the *Federation*. I have to explain to many >>> people the difference between them. Vintage Computer Festival West and >>> Vintage Computer Festival East are run by the Vintage Computer Federation. >>> The other Festivals are independent. I have been to VCF West, VCF East, VCF >>> MidWest, VCF SouthWest, VCF Pacific Northwest, World of Commodore, Trenton >>> Computer Festival, HOPE, World Maker Faire and have had to explain the >>> differences at each event. There are even people that confuse Trenton >>> Computer Festival and Vintage Computer Festival. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>> >>>> Sent from: >>>> My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. >>>> >>>>> On Oct 27, 2024, at 5:33 PM, Jeff Salzman via vcf-midatlantic < >>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> The name MARCH was suggested because of its prior familiarity, and >>> that >>>>> there is already a BARCH for the Bay Area Retro Computing Hobbyists, >>>> which >>>>> is technically VCF Bay Area. >>>>> >>>>> BARCH and MARCH >>>>> >>>>> Another reason to stick with the naming convention is that it rolls off >>>> the >>>>> tongue better than saying a bunch of consonants, yet still maintaining >>> a >>>>> meaning as an acronym. >>>>> >>>>> Jeff Salzman >>>>> >>>>>> On Sun, Oct 27, 2024, 3:57 PM W2HX via vcf-midatlantic < >>>>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> How about just VCFED-NJ people will generally know where New Jersey is >>>>>> located. If, someday, another chapter is opened in, say North >>> Carolina, >>>>>> they can just call themselves VCFED-NC >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> 73 Eugene W2HX >>>>>> My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@w2hx/videos >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>>> From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On >>>> Behalf >>>>>> Of Joshua Abraham via vcf-midatlantic >>>>>> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2024 6:16 PM >>>>>> To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> >>>>>> Cc: Joshua Abraham <jarvideo(a)gmail.com> >>>>>> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy >>>>>> Changes >>>>>> >>>>>> Just my two cents, but I feel like Mid-Atlantic should be retired for >>> a >>>>>> more defined region name such as North East or New England to better >>>> define >>>>>> the center of the chapter's operations. >>>>>> >>>>>> The term "Mid- Atlantic" I have seen in other circles to be very >>> broadly >>>>>> defined at times from as far south as the Carolinas and as far north >>> as >>>> New >>>>>> York State. >>>>>> >>>>>> That being said I think there would be a benefit in selecting a name >>>> that >>>>>> better aligns with many of the other regional groups official or >>>> otherwise >>>>>> for the sake of consistency to the layman. >>>>>> >>>>>> I know that technically Vcf does live within the mid Atlantic >>> boundary, >>>>>> but being on the outer edge, it may be best to focus on a more central >>>> name. >>>>>> >>>>>> Who knows, another group could pop up between new Jersey and Georgia >>> one >>>>>> day. May as well plan for the future. >>>>>> >>>>>> Respectfully, Joshua. >>>>>> >>>>>> On Fri, Oct 25, 2024, 5:09 PM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < >>>>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Thomas and to all >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Are the items that you mentioned here (and others pending) going to >>> be >>>>>>> brought up at the Festivus meeting that we usually have in December >>>>>>> and VCF members allowed to vote on it?( or sooner) I am sure that you >>>>>>> and the others will keep us Informed. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Mike Rosen >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Sent from: >>>>>>> My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Oct 25, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Thomas G via vcf-midatlantic < >>>>>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> We in the steering committee have been considering making a number >>>>>>>> of changes to our operation, role, and focus for the past few weeks. >>>>>>>> We feel that our operation and communication has not been as >>>>>>>> effective as it >>>>>>> could >>>>>>>> be, given our stated goals, and are also considering certain changes >>>>>>>> to >>>>>>> the >>>>>>>> broader aspects of VCF Mid-Atlantic, such as membership, elections, >>>>>>>> and defining our role in relation to VCF National, largely in >>>>>>>> response to feedback from VCF Mid-Atlantic members. One of the >>>>>>>> changes we are considering, while largely inconsequential, is to >>>>>> revive the name 'MARCH' >>>>>>>> (short for 'Mid Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists') to replace the >>>>>>> clunky >>>>>>>> 'VCF Mid-Atlantic'. We are still in the deliberating process, but >>>>>>>> one change worth reporting has already occurred - Jeff Salzman has >>>>>>>> delegated the role of Steering Committee Chairman to Thomas >>>>>>>> Gilinsky. The >>>>>>> composition >>>>>>>> of the steering committee has not changed aside from this. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Further information will be made available as we finalize our >>>>>> decisions. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>> >>>> >>> > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] vcf-midatlantic Digest, Vol 77, Issue 24
by Michael Thompson 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

David, We are having similar issues with the newly acquired Straight 8 at the RICM. It is part of the first 50 built so there are some differences from later systems. FlipChips were physically damaged and some missing, the fragile plastic pivots on about 20 front panel switches were broken, and it hasn't been powered on for 50 years. We fixed the switch pivots, the power supply, replaced the missing FlipChips and started debugging. We actually got it to the point where it would run programs, but it has now deteriorated to the point where we can't load a RIM paper tape. I am happy that no one is hounding us to get it back in production. We are getting lots of help from PDP-8 experts like you, so we will eventually get it demonstrable. Like you, we have found many failed diodes that don't seem to affect operation. Robust design? On Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 8:03 AM <vcf-midatlantic-request(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2024 21:58:17 -0400 > From: David Gesswein <djg(a)pdp8online.com> > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF straight 8 work at workshop > > Worked on the VCF straight 8 that was acting up again. It would load the > first instruction to execute when you hit the start key but didn't load > the > next instruction after updating the program counter. Kept reexecuting the > first instruction. > > TLDR: Found some signals that weren't quite right but fixing them didn't > help. Found actual bad diode that was causing the failure but then > diagnostics found another fault. Whike working on that memory stopped > working > when machine on for a while. Ran out of time to determine why so still not > usable. -- Michael Thompson

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Tony Bogan 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

We are, or were created as one in 2015, an extension/chapter/whathaveyou of VCF National. We don’t necessarily need to remain that, but that is what we are at the moment. Tony Bogan > On Oct 29, 2024, at 8:39 AM, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > <mime-attachment>

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Mac 84 Video about the Swap Meet
by Christian Liendo 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Terrifyingly Good Deals at the VCF Swap Meet! https://youtu.be/R9755DLjrfE?si=dTyRmdPewElB3XhH

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Jeffrey Brace 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

On Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 18:11 Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > I’m here. I thought VCF was chosen to compete with TCF. It was definitely not to compete with TCF. I was part of the founding. TCF is the Trenton Computer Festival and a once a year event started in 1976? in NJ. Vintage Computer *Festival* was started in 1997 in California. Vintage Computer *Federation* was started in 2016. I can’t recall the exact reason, but likely to match the acronym VCF which was the *Festival *as well as be global sounding and nature with Festivals around the world. The biggest problem as I see it is that people have trouble distinguishing between the *Festival* and the *Federation*. I have to explain to many people the difference between them. Vintage Computer Festival West and Vintage Computer Festival East are run by the Vintage Computer Federation. The other Festivals are independent. I have been to VCF West, VCF East, VCF MidWest, VCF SouthWest, VCF Pacific Northwest, World of Commodore, Trenton Computer Festival, HOPE, World Maker Faire and have had to explain the differences at each event. There are even people that confuse Trenton Computer Festival and Vintage Computer Festival. > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Oct 27, 2024, at 5:33 PM, Jeff Salzman via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > The name MARCH was suggested because of its prior familiarity, and that > > there is already a BARCH for the Bay Area Retro Computing Hobbyists, > which > > is technically VCF Bay Area. > > > > BARCH and MARCH > > > > Another reason to stick with the naming convention is that it rolls off > the > > tongue better than saying a bunch of consonants, yet still maintaining a > > meaning as an acronym. > > > > Jeff Salzman > > > >> On Sun, Oct 27, 2024, 3:57 PM W2HX via vcf-midatlantic < > >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> > >> How about just VCFED-NJ people will generally know where New Jersey is > >> located. If, someday, another chapter is opened in, say North Carolina, > >> they can just call themselves VCFED-NC > >> > >> > >> 73 Eugene W2HX > >> My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@w2hx/videos > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On > Behalf > >> Of Joshua Abraham via vcf-midatlantic > >> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2024 6:16 PM > >> To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > >> Cc: Joshua Abraham <jarvideo(a)gmail.com> > >> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy > >> Changes > >> > >> Just my two cents, but I feel like Mid-Atlantic should be retired for a > >> more defined region name such as North East or New England to better > define > >> the center of the chapter's operations. > >> > >> The term "Mid- Atlantic" I have seen in other circles to be very broadly > >> defined at times from as far south as the Carolinas and as far north as > New > >> York State. > >> > >> That being said I think there would be a benefit in selecting a name > that > >> better aligns with many of the other regional groups official or > otherwise > >> for the sake of consistency to the layman. > >> > >> I know that technically Vcf does live within the mid Atlantic boundary, > >> but being on the outer edge, it may be best to focus on a more central > name. > >> > >> Who knows, another group could pop up between new Jersey and Georgia one > >> day. May as well plan for the future. > >> > >> Respectfully, Joshua. > >> > >> On Fri, Oct 25, 2024, 5:09 PM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < > >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> > >>> Thomas and to all > >>> > >>> Are the items that you mentioned here (and others pending) going to be > >>> brought up at the Festivus meeting that we usually have in December > >>> and VCF members allowed to vote on it?( or sooner) I am sure that you > >>> and the others will keep us Informed. > >>> > >>> Mike Rosen > >>> > >>> Sent from: > >>> My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > >>> > >>>> On Oct 25, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Thomas G via vcf-midatlantic < > >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >>>> > >>>> We in the steering committee have been considering making a number > >>>> of changes to our operation, role, and focus for the past few weeks. > >>>> We feel that our operation and communication has not been as > >>>> effective as it > >>> could > >>>> be, given our stated goals, and are also considering certain changes > >>>> to > >>> the > >>>> broader aspects of VCF Mid-Atlantic, such as membership, elections, > >>>> and defining our role in relation to VCF National, largely in > >>>> response to feedback from VCF Mid-Atlantic members. One of the > >>>> changes we are considering, while largely inconsequential, is to > >> revive the name 'MARCH' > >>>> (short for 'Mid Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists') to replace the > >>> clunky > >>>> 'VCF Mid-Atlantic'. We are still in the deliberating process, but > >>>> one change worth reporting has already occurred - Jeff Salzman has > >>>> delegated the role of Steering Committee Chairman to Thomas > >>>> Gilinsky. The > >>> composition > >>>> of the steering committee has not changed aside from this. > >>>> > >>>> Further information will be made available as we finalize our > >> decisions. > >>> > >>> > >> > >

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MARCHing to the VCF of a different drummer ...
by Jeffrey Jonas 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Having suffered the ambiguity of explaining VCF festival vs. federation vs VCF-mid-atlantic (formerly known as MARCH) I agree with the need for clarity. How about VCF-Jeff, VCF-Dave ... depending on the name majority :-) Be careful what you wish for, lest VCF-NJ become VCF region 1 like IEEE's "solution" to geography https://www.ieee.org/communities/regional-world-map.html

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VCF straight 8 work at workshop
by David Gesswein 29 Oct '24

29 Oct '24

Worked on the VCF straight 8 that was acting up again. It would load the first instruction to execute when you hit the start key but didn't load the next instruction after updating the program counter. Kept reexecuting the first instruction. TLDR: Found some signals that weren't quite right but fixing them didn't help. Found actual bad diode that was causing the failure but then diagnostics found another fault. Whike working on that memory stopped working when machine on for a while. Ran out of time to determine why so still not usable. Started browsing signals. PDP-8 signals are referred to as 0V and -3V. They actually are one diode drop below -3V. The F(1) signals which indicates the machine is in the fetch state was only going to about -1.8V. Normally this is caused by a leaky diode on logic being driven by the signal. Went through the schematics trying to find everywhere the signal went. Pulled 12 boards and tested diodes. Found and replaced one with high forward voltage but none measured low forward voltage indicating they are leaky. Reverse test would be better but components on the boards make some diodes read as leaky and hard to be sure you have gotten good connection through the surface oxides. Good diode and poor connection read the same on the meter. F(1) drives the light on the front panel through a drive transistor. Found that if I put a piece of tape on the edge connector to open that connection the signal level returned to proper. The manual doesn't have schematic for the front panel so need to figure that out. Much time spent and it didn't fix the problem. Will need to make measurements on my machine so I can compare with VCF and determine real cause of signal level issue. Suspect its not really the front panel but removing that load allowed signal to go to proper level. Looking at more signals found PA30 J output F set which sets the fetch flip flop also wasn't going as low as it should. I put a replacement S111 in and that fixed it. No change to symptoms. Later after I fixed the real problem I was going to swap the card back and see if it caused problems. I couldn't find a S111 card around. Wondered if my notes were a hallucination. Did find a R111 around but thought I had pulled a S111. The difference between the cards is the pull down resistors to -15V are changed from 7.5K on R111 to 3K on S111. This improves the fall time on the signal and gives more low drive (4mA vs 1.6 mA). The increased drive may be hiding a leaky diode. Don't have specifications for D-664 diode to know expected leakage. Typical small signals diodes are less than a microamp. I checked old pictures of the machine and PA30 had a R111. The early manual had R111 shown in the schematic but the card layout chart showed S111. The later manual had S111 in both locations. Next found spec cycle signal was at -1.4V. Checked cards signal goes to and found PA32 had a diode where the forward voltage measured .1V. Replaced diode and signal now had proper level and it started fetching instructions properly. Ran maindec-801-1-pm and it halted at 1062. This test was checking the proper return address got stored on an interrupt. Found the previous tests return address was at address 0. Single cycle stepping showed that it wrote the return address to location 4 instead of 0. The memory address register bit 9 didn't clear when it was supposed to. Pulled the R211 card and checked the diodes and found one with 1V forward drop and replaced it. Didn't fix it. At this point memory stopped working. All reads returned 0. Found if I turned the machine off for a while memory would operates for a while. Test still failed. Swapping in a spare R211 fixed the problem. The memory signals seemed to be operating normally when reads weren't working. The sense amplifier E pin didn't show a pulse. All memory locations and all bits don't work. All power supply voltages seemed reasonable and didn't change significantly between working and not working. Wasn't able to determine what the problem was before time to pack up.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Jeff Salzman 28 Oct '24

28 Oct '24

The VCF swag is "VCF", and hasn't officially stood for VCF-MA swag. It will still be usable and sellable as sanctioned VCF events. The same swag was sold at VCF-W and VCF-MW. The only thing that may come to fruition under the MARCH name is that we order swag for MARCH as local chapter swag. On Mon, Oct 28, 2024, 7:43 PM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Yeah > What about all that VCF swag? > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Oct 28, 2024, at 7:38 PM, David Riley via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > On Oct 28, 2024, at 13:20, Jonathan Chapman via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> > >> > >>> > >>> the most enticing factor is consistency > >> > >> And that a lot of us still have MARCH shirts we can wear :P > > > > Indeed, I just did a shirt purge and found my old MARCH polo! Pleased to > say it’s held up well. > > > > > > - Dave > > > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by CJ Reha 28 Oct '24

28 Oct '24

> What about all that VCF swag? The Vintage Computer Federation still exists and the events aren't being renamed, it's not really gonna go "obsolete" or anything. Take care, CJ On Mon, Oct 28, 2024 at 7:43 PM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Yeah > What about all that VCF swag? > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Oct 28, 2024, at 7:38 PM, David Riley via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > On Oct 28, 2024, at 13:20, Jonathan Chapman via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> > >> > >>> > >>> the most enticing factor is consistency > >> > >> And that a lot of us still have MARCH shirts we can wear :P > > > > Indeed, I just did a shirt purge and found my old MARCH polo! Pleased to > say it’s held up well. > > > > > > - Dave > > > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Thomas G 28 Oct '24

28 Oct '24

As has been mentioned several times in this thread already, there is an unnecessary amount of confusion caused by common use of the acronym "VCF" across the federation, the festival, and the club. To clarify - the name "Vintage Computer Federation" is not going away. All that's changing is the name of our particular club, which has continuously existed since 2004, and became a member of the nascent VCFed when that was formed in 2015. The Federation currently consists of two clubs - our own VCF Mid-Atlantic (formerly MARCH, and hosts of VCF east) and Bay Area Retro Computer hobbyists (hosts of VCF west). There are also a number of clubs outside the purview of the federation - the Atlanta Historical Computer Society (hosts of VCF Southeast), Chicago Classic Computing (hosts of VCF Midwest), the Seattle Retro-Computing Society (former hosts of VCF PNW), the Retro Computing Society of Rhode Island, etc. Out of all of these clubs, ours is the only one which has incorporated the name "VCF". We are not unique in that we host a festival, or in that we are a member of the federation, or in that we are a retro-computing hobbyist club. There is no good reason to keep "VCF" in our name, and keeping it serves only to guarantee further confusion as to where the club ends and the festival/federation begins. As for the specific use of the name "MARCH" to replace VCF-MA, the most enticing factor is consistency. Most of our core, regular members still informally use the term 'MARCH' to refer to the club, as well as many of the other members of Infoage - our home in meatspace. Not to mention, the name 'Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists' already aptly describes where we are located (Our core members hail from the Virginias, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York - there is no regional term encompassing those states other than 'Mid-Atlantic') and what we are - Retro-Computing Hobbyists. There is no shame in having a hobby. The switch from "VCF-MA" back to "MARCH" would be quick, easy, and relatively painless compared to trying to come up with a new name that is just as apt and doesn't sacrifice the ability to be pronounced - and believe me, we have tried several times. Most of the results were quite vulgar. On Mon, Oct 28, 2024 at 11:24 AM Dan FitzGerald via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > I'll take this point and counter it (although I personally don't like > the name MARCH): when I'm trying to talk about VCF Mid-Atlantic to > people, I often (accidentally) conflate VCF Mid-Atlantic (the group) > with VCF East (the event) and VCF (the umbrella organization). Heck -- > even in my head VCF is VCF is VCF, except that they really are three > different things. > > (I will second you, though, on "VCF Mid-Atlantic" being a sensible name > for the group as it regularly serves people from Virginia to > Connecticut) > > Regards, > Dan FitzGerald > They/Them or She/Her > Classical Computing Laboratory at IBM Poughkeepsie > http://www.vm.ibm.com/devpages/dfitzger > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Reply-To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Cc: Tony Bogan <thebogans(a)mac.com> > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy > Changes > Date: 10/27/2024 05:57:51 PM > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Dan FitzGerald 28 Oct '24

28 Oct '24

I'll take this point and counter it (although I personally don't like the name MARCH): when I'm trying to talk about VCF Mid-Atlantic to people, I often (accidentally) conflate VCF Mid-Atlantic (the group) with VCF East (the event) and VCF (the umbrella organization). Heck -- even in my head VCF is VCF is VCF, except that they really are three different things. (I will second you, though, on "VCF Mid-Atlantic" being a sensible name for the group as it regularly serves people from Virginia to Connecticut) Regards, Dan FitzGerald They/Them or She/Her Classical Computing Laboratory at IBM Poughkeepsie http://www.vm.ibm.com/devpages/dfitzger -----Original Message----- From: Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> Reply-To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> Cc: Tony Bogan <thebogans(a)mac.com> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes Date: 10/27/2024 05:57:51 PM

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Ian Litchfield 28 Oct '24

28 Oct '24

Just breaking in here, The MARCH name is being considered for the LOCAL CHAPTER of VCFed. Specifically the club within the area service the members that we notice predominantly arrive from NY State through Virginia. VCFed is the parent organization that runs the festivals. It is becoming increasingly apparent, that the distinction between VCF as Vintage Computer Federation, VCF Mid-Atlantic and Vintage Computer Festival is very blurred. A issue that was brought up even ~5 years back when the group was planning to reorganize under VCF-MA. This has left the group that once functioned as a club neglected and the membership left confused from feedback we have received. Even at the workshops and on the local Infoage campus many even still refer to us as MARCH. We are working to get the community reinvigorated and to spur up local interest around NJ for members to participate and hopefully obtain more docents for the museum. Please be patient with us as we make these considerations and work through any feedback. Thank you. Ian L. On Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 17:58 Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > For what it’s worth, mid Atlantic represents from New York to North > Carolina (north of Cape Hatteras specifically ). That is how it is defined > by the federal government with its regional fisheries management councils > and other governmental bodies. Being a boat guy, and having served on the > mid Atlantic fisheries management Council for three years, I happen to know > this! :-) > > The first reason that I could think of that removing VCF from the group > would be detrimental is it’s a consistent nomenclature for the various > festivals around the country. VCF East, VCF, Midwest, etc. etc. there are a > number of reasons that Vintage Computer Federation was chosen in the first > place, and I don’t see anything that has made those reasons any less valid > than they were before. > > However, I also joined when it was still MARCH, and simply took the name > change when it happened as part of the growth of the organization. > > The physical museum and warehouse may be in New Jersey, but there is a > large number of regular attendees to workshops and other events that come > from New York through Virginia on a regular basis, which is also part of > the reason mid-Atlantic was chosen. Major events draw people from much > further, or is it farther? I never get that one right! Of course, but we > have certainly become far more than a New Jersey organization in my opinion > than we were in the MARCH days. (Yes, plenty of people in MARCH from > outside Jersey, but it has expanded significantly since then) > > That said, I’m good with just about anything the group decides! > > I apologize if some of this response is a little unclear, I am relying on > Siri for my dictation as I am currently running the boat through the Point > Pleasant Canal! > > Tony Bogan > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Oct 27, 2024, at 5:45 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > On Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 17:33 Jeff Salzman via vcf-midatlantic < > > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > >> The name MARCH was suggested because of its prior familiarity, and that > >> there is already a BARCH for the Bay Area Retro Computing Hobbyists, > which > >> is technically VCF Bay Area. > > > > > > A minor point. It is actually BACH. Erik didn’t like the acronym BARCH. > > “Retro” is in parentheses to distinguish it as not part of the acronym. > But > > the full name is indeed > > Bay Area Retro Computing Hobbyists. > > > > > > > >> > >> BARCH and MARCH > >> > >> Another reason to stick with the naming convention is that it rolls off > the > >> tongue better than saying a bunch of consonants, yet still maintaining a > >> meaning as an acronym. > >> > >> Jeff Salzman > >> > >>> On Sun, Oct 27, 2024, 3:57 PM W2HX via vcf-midatlantic < > >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >>> > >>> How about just VCFED-NJ people will generally know where New Jersey is > >>> located. If, someday, another chapter is opened in, say North Carolina, > >>> they can just call themselves VCFED-NC > >>> > >>> > >>> 73 Eugene W2HX > >>> My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@w2hx/videos > >>> > >>> > >>> -----Original Message----- > >>> From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On > >> Behalf > >>> Of Joshua Abraham via vcf-midatlantic > >>> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2024 6:16 PM > >>> To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > >>> Cc: Joshua Abraham <jarvideo(a)gmail.com> > >>> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy > >>> Changes > >>> > >>> Just my two cents, but I feel like Mid-Atlantic should be retired for a > >>> more defined region name such as North East or New England to better > >> define > >>> the center of the chapter's operations. > >>> > >>> The term "Mid- Atlantic" I have seen in other circles to be very > broadly > >>> defined at times from as far south as the Carolinas and as far north as > >> New > >>> York State. > >>> > >>> That being said I think there would be a benefit in selecting a name > that > >>> better aligns with many of the other regional groups official or > >> otherwise > >>> for the sake of consistency to the layman. > >>> > >>> I know that technically Vcf does live within the mid Atlantic boundary, > >>> but being on the outer edge, it may be best to focus on a more central > >> name. > >>> > >>> Who knows, another group could pop up between new Jersey and Georgia > one > >>> day. May as well plan for the future. > >>> > >>> Respectfully, Joshua. > >>> > >>> On Fri, Oct 25, 2024, 5:09 PM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < > >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >>> > >>>> Thomas and to all > >>>> > >>>> Are the items that you mentioned here (and others pending) going to be > >>>> brought up at the Festivus meeting that we usually have in December > >>>> and VCF members allowed to vote on it?( or sooner) I am sure that you > >>>> and the others will keep us Informed. > >>>> > >>>> Mike Rosen > >>>> > >>>> Sent from: > >>>> My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > >>>> > >>>>> On Oct 25, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Thomas G via vcf-midatlantic < > >>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> We in the steering committee have been considering making a number > >>>>> of changes to our operation, role, and focus for the past few weeks. > >>>>> We feel that our operation and communication has not been as > >>>>> effective as it > >>>> could > >>>>> be, given our stated goals, and are also considering certain changes > >>>>> to > >>>> the > >>>>> broader aspects of VCF Mid-Atlantic, such as membership, elections, > >>>>> and defining our role in relation to VCF National, largely in > >>>>> response to feedback from VCF Mid-Atlantic members. One of the > >>>>> changes we are considering, while largely inconsequential, is to > >>> revive the name 'MARCH' > >>>>> (short for 'Mid Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists') to replace the > >>>> clunky > >>>>> 'VCF Mid-Atlantic'. We are still in the deliberating process, but > >>>>> one change worth reporting has already occurred - Jeff Salzman has > >>>>> delegated the role of Steering Committee Chairman to Thomas > >>>>> Gilinsky. The > >>>> composition > >>>>> of the steering committee has not changed aside from this. > >>>>> > >>>>> Further information will be made available as we finalize our > >>> decisions. > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >> >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Joshua Abraham 27 Oct '24

27 Oct '24

Just my two cents, but I feel like Mid-Atlantic should be retired for a more defined region name such as North East or New England to better define the center of the chapter's operations. The term "Mid- Atlantic" I have seen in other circles to be very broadly defined at times from as far south as the Carolinas and as far north as New York State. That being said I think there would be a benefit in selecting a name that better aligns with many of the other regional groups official or otherwise for the sake of consistency to the layman. I know that technically Vcf does live within the mid Atlantic boundary, but being on the outer edge, it may be best to focus on a more central name. Who knows, another group could pop up between new Jersey and Georgia one day. May as well plan for the future. Respectfully, Joshua. On Fri, Oct 25, 2024, 5:09 PM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Thomas and to all > > Are the items that you mentioned here (and others pending) going to be > brought up at the Festivus meeting that we usually have in December and VCF > members allowed to vote on it?( or sooner) > I am sure that you and the others will keep us > Informed. > > Mike Rosen > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Oct 25, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Thomas G via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > We in the steering committee have been considering making a number of > > changes to our operation, role, and focus for the past few weeks. We feel > > that our operation and communication has not been as effective as it > could > > be, given our stated goals, and are also considering certain changes to > the > > broader aspects of VCF Mid-Atlantic, such as membership, elections, and > > defining our role in relation to VCF National, largely in response to > > feedback from VCF Mid-Atlantic members. One of the changes we are > > considering, while largely inconsequential, is to revive the name 'MARCH' > > (short for 'Mid Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists') to replace the > clunky > > 'VCF Mid-Atlantic'. We are still in the deliberating process, but one > > change worth reporting has already occurred - Jeff Salzman has delegated > > the role of Steering Committee Chairman to Thomas Gilinsky. The > composition > > of the steering committee has not changed aside from this. > > > > Further information will be made available as we finalize our decisions. > >

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Announcement: Administrative and Policy Changes
by Thomas G 27 Oct '24

27 Oct '24

We in the steering committee have been considering making a number of changes to our operation, role, and focus for the past few weeks. We feel that our operation and communication has not been as effective as it could be, given our stated goals, and are also considering certain changes to the broader aspects of VCF Mid-Atlantic, such as membership, elections, and defining our role in relation to VCF National, largely in response to feedback from VCF Mid-Atlantic members. One of the changes we are considering, while largely inconsequential, is to revive the name 'MARCH' (short for 'Mid Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists') to replace the clunky 'VCF Mid-Atlantic'. We are still in the deliberating process, but one change worth reporting has already occurred - Jeff Salzman has delegated the role of Steering Committee Chairman to Thomas Gilinsky. The composition of the steering committee has not changed aside from this. Further information will be made available as we finalize our decisions.

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Wanted: SCSI HBA
by Mike Loewen 27 Oct '24

27 Oct '24

I'm looking for an older SCSI controller: PCI-E or PCI-X 50-pin SCSI-2 external connector Linux compatible Anyone have one? Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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OT - Potential Equipment Pickup
by Martin A. Flynn 26 Oct '24

26 Oct '24

OT - Anyone live / work in Egg Harbor Township (NJ) ? Need an assist picking up a rack mount power supply for use at Camp Evans Martin Flynn

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Please take Pictures
by Christian Liendo 26 Oct '24

26 Oct '24

Due to a family emergency I can't come. I wanted to take pictures to advertise future events. Please take and share pictures.

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No more overnight sleeping at InfoAge
by Jeffrey Brace 25 Oct '24

25 Oct '24

Wall Township has decreed that the Sandy bunk area may no longer be used for overnight stays. They say that it is an insurance liability. InfoAge has been trying to convince them that it isn’t a problem. InfoAge will lose money over this. This is very disappointing and I know frustrating to those who have used the inexpensive volunteer stay over. There’s nothing VCF can do at the moment. VCF and InfoAge will continue to try to convince them, but for the time being no one can sleep overnight in that area. So unfortunately volunteers will have to find a hotel or other arrangements for overnight stays. Jeff Brace Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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C64C & Drive in Box in South Jersey $100
by Christian Liendo 25 Oct '24

25 Oct '24

This is not me, but I figured someone would want to know https://southjersey.craigslist.org/sys/d/shamong-commodore-set-up/779586420…

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VCF's latest rescue: PDP 11/34 from Wilmington, NC
by Jeffrey Brace 24 Oct '24

24 Oct '24

Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue. Picture here: https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/> Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/ Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/ Links about what happened to the factory: https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-… Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center: https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagr… Take care! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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LSSM anniversary
by Dave McGuire 24 Oct '24

24 Oct '24

Hi folks, today is the ninth anniversary of the first public opening of the Large Scale Systems Museum in Pittsburgh! Thank you to all who have helped us make this happen over the years. Here's to many more! Thanks, -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] No more overnight sleeping at InfoAge
by Jeff S 24 Oct '24

24 Oct '24

The bunkhouse is still there and not expected to go away. It's just that the overnight stays VCF (and other on-site organization's) volunteers had the privilege of using has been suspended. On Thu, Oct 24, 2024, 9:37 AM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Just curious > Does this mean that there is no area to sleep over at all at info age? > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Oct 24, 2024, at 12:36 AM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > Wall Township has decreed that the Sandy bunk area may no longer be used > > for overnight stays. They say that it is an insurance liability. InfoAge > > has been trying to convince them that it isn’t a problem. InfoAge will > lose > > money over this. > > > > This is very disappointing and I know frustrating to those who have used > > the inexpensive volunteer stay over. There’s nothing VCF can do at the > > moment. > > > > VCF and InfoAge will continue to try to convince them, but for the time > > being no one can sleep overnight in that area. > > > > So unfortunately volunteers will have to find a hotel or other > arrangements > > for overnight stays. > > > > Jeff Brace > > Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner > > VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager > > Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity > > https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> > > jeffrey(a)vcfed.org > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] No more overnight sleeping at InfoAge
by Ian Litchfield 24 Oct '24

24 Oct '24

This is more than just a festival issue. Many volunteers stay over every month at the monthly workshops, for the swap meets, and this also affects Festivus as well. Some volunteers even stay here to docent or for warehouse cleanups. We depend on the bunks for volunteers. Especially considering many of them come from multiple states away. Wall township needs to be informed that we rely on these bunks for members to stay over and assist our organization with many of our weekly operations. This isn’t some ‘cheap hotel,’ this is a critical staff asset for our volunteers at all the local events. -Ian L. On Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 01:04 RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > On 10/23/2024 11:36 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > > So unfortunately volunteers will have to find a hotel or other > arrangements > > for overnight stays. > > That is truly unfortunate. I did not take advantage of the option > during VCF-E trips but I know it enabled some folks around the area to > attend/volunteer who would otherwise not be able to do so. > > Sorry the group is having to deal with this. > > Jim > >

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Donation Pickup from Mercerville
by Jeffrey Brace 24 Oct '24

24 Oct '24

Is there someone coming through the Mercerville area that can pick up a donation of a Franklin Ace 1200 with monitor? Contact me off list. Take care! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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IBM Disk Enclosure
by Jeff S 19 Oct '24

19 Oct '24

I found this on a Facebook post near my location. I don't know much about the purpose and value of these things, but I thought I'd pass the word along. Near Harrisburg, PA. https://www.facebook.com/share/9asHQMqyFsHwuCv1/

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] LSSM anniversary
by gsteemso 18 Oct '24

18 Oct '24

Nine years already! Seems like only a year or two since I read here about you opening it. Congratulations! I don't know if I'll ever make it out there, it's a pretty long haul from the Pacific Northwest, but it's definitely on my bucket list. Keep up the good work! Gordon S. Agitator-by-Default for the Seattle Retro-Computing Society

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