- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Young Innovators Faire
by Todd George 06 Jan '16

06 Jan '16

Date: Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:50:29 -0500 From: Evan Koblentz <evan(a)snarc.net> Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Young Innovators Faire >Big thanks to you, Chris F., and Todd G. for representing us there! >Generally speaking how did it go? Here's my report from the show (slightly modified from a previous version of the report I sent to Evan, Doug and Chris)! I had a nice long talk with Gabe (co-founder of The Young Innovators Fair), he told me how much he appreciated us being there. He thought our booth was a gigantic hit, and said he thought we were one of the busier stand-alone/standard-sized booths at the event. As of ~2 pm (??? it's all a blur) on Sunday when I talked with him, they were far in excess of 20,000 (!!!) tickets sold for the weekend NOT INCLUDING something like a few thousand (rumored) free/donation/charity tickets that they gave out. Apparently those "free" tickets went unaccounted-for. Saturday was definitely the busier day, but Sunday proved to be a strong contender. I also need to brush up on my rollerskating skills, as Gabe had the brilliant idea to wear roller skates at the event. Definitely helps him get around the place in an expedient fashion. Some of my favorite moments, a dad stopped at the booth while walking by with his family, comes over to me and says "If you had asked me this morning if anything here would make me stop dead in my tracks, I'd have said 'No Way'. This is amazing and has definitely stopped me in my tracks". We also received tons of positive feedback from the booth guests. There was a girl at our booth for nearly the entire day on Saturday, she was 16 and "wants to be an engineer". She was so knowledgeable about all things computer and was really digging our booth. She was extremely smart and was chatting with us off and on all day. I also had a great long talk with a gentleman who indicated his son had two apps in the Apple App Store, had been programming since he was 8, was probably 13 or so by my guess now. He had never programmed in BASIC, so I gave him some brief instruction. He took to it like a duck to water. His first program in BASIC? "Hello World". I only told him to "Put whatever you want the computer to display inside the quotes." A few people commented how much they appreciated that our booth was "something different". I also directed a few people to actually join VCFed based on discussions I had. One guy had a bunch of Apple equipment set up on display in his basement, said he curates and restores it. He expressed interest in improving his restoration skills (participation in workshops) and really seemed interested in our group in general. He had mentioned he has no idea a group like ours existed. I also lost count of how many parents told us "how old we were making them feel", told me the story about how "Drexel made us buy that Macintosh" (at least 20 people told me some variant of this story), and indicated to their kids when we showed them the 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" floppy disk props we had at the table how "they used to store all of their high school/college work on those" while the kids just looked as us with a blank stare. There was definitely an interesting combination of "parent-types" being attracted to our booth, with their children in tow explaining to them how these were the old computers they used to use. The other side of that was kids being attracted to the games we had up and running and then being suckered into listening to their parents wax nostalgic once they realized what hardware was running the games. The only failure we had at the VCF booth was our KayPro II. The floppy disks were warm when we pulled them out, but letting the machine cool down didn't "fix" the problem. Who knows, it was a long two days and this computer probably isn't used to that kind of workload. The one at the booth wasn't mine, but I still feel bad that it gave up the ghost. Funny side story, my wife is tired of hearing me curse and complain about working inside of my KayPro II. To prove it, I sent a text to her and said "Hey, the KayPro at our booth died". Her reply was "Why, did you yell at it too much?". To put this into perspective even more, my wife doesn't know many of the names of the computers I work on. So that tells you how excellently engineered the innards of the KayPro are that she knows what it's called and has heard me bitch about it that much. The venue wasn't so lucky... Apparently their failures were numerous, including the credit card processing at the concession stands failing, the ATM machines logically emptying shortly thereafter, and to top it off the vending machines emptying by around 11 am on Saturday. Apparently their credit card processing never came back online throughout the rest of the weekend. Between that and the ATM machines being empty, who knows how much potential revenue they lost due to our "cashless society". We didn't have an Apple II with us, turns out that was a bit of an error as we got lots of flack from people... "Where's Oregon Trail?", "Where's Loadrunner?". Surprisingly, the TRS-80 Model 4 was the star of the show in my opinion. I would have expected the Macintosh SE/30 to garner more attention but it did not (ran a close second though). So many people commenting "Oh I had one of these in college" (about the Macintosh) or "this was the computer I learned to program on" (about the TRS-80). I was also pleasantly amused by the sheer number of people walking up to the table and yelling "Oh my gosh a Trash 80!". I was also asked many, many times how in the world we had a working TRS-80 of any variety. Seems they have a reputation of some sort for being troublesome or something. All-in-all, a great time! I was so tired Saturday and Sunday night, tired stretched into Monday. But I'd do it again tomorrow, that's how much fun we had. :) Special thanks to Doug and Chris with whom this wouldn't have been possible. And of course Evan for putting it all together for us. See ya! -Todd

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DEC cabinet in Pittsb, PET in Timonium MD
by william degnan 06 Jan '16

06 Jan '16

DEC cabinet in Pittsb, https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.sys.dec/95_YjW-rz0M PET in Timonium MD https://baltimore.craigslist.org/sys/5383670535.html (I'd request a photo other than what they have but otherwise looks like a good deal) -- -Bill-

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Older teste equipment available for sale
by Kelly Leavitt 06 Jan '16

06 Jan '16

Folks: I ran into a strange hoard of equipment that some of you may be interested in. There were lots of old scopes and other test equipment. The guy is looking for someone to come and make an offer for a bunch of items. They're in Morris Plains, NJ. Here is a link to pictures. https://www.flickr.com/gp/138339552@N08/9e9usq It includes old picture tubes, stacks of old large value capacitors, old ham equipment, oscilloscopes, and video equipment. Let me know if you're interested and I'll get you in touch with Glenn. Kelly

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Correction: Semi-OT: printer for new museum signs
by Herb Johnson 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

I concur with most of the discussion following my previous comments. Laser printers are king for low maintenance and cost-per-page; but ink is convenient in the circumstances noted. As Evan has stated, they need a tiny-office solution for quick signage and general but light printing use. Scanning is part of that solution. However, a freebie B&W letter-size laser printer will print for FREE, and would be a good thing to locate elsewhere. I'll only add, that my Epson ink carts (black and color) are a few years old but have not dried out. My print use is obviously occasional, but printing something each month is a really, REALLY good idea for any inkjet. The Epson has many print diagnostic modes and reports cartridge capacity and condition. These modern printers, laser and ink, are awfully smart. Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Correction: Semi-OT: printer for new museum signs
by Herb Johnson 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

Evan wrote: > I just learned that even very cheap inkjets, sub-$200, can print 11x17. > That might be our best compromise if a larger printer is unaffordable. There are a number of 11X17 inkjet printers. In fact I own an Epson WF-7520 from two years ago which not only prints 11X17, it SCANS 11X17. Produces PDF directly to a USB "stick". Scans both sides through the automatic feeder. WiFi network-capable. And on sale, these printers are near $200. New. For the handful of signage in discussion, these are reasonably priced, and pay for themselves in say a year. Plus one would provide local copy and scanning capability (hint hint hint). You'll have to replace ink carts at intervals of course, but "printing to flash" avoids a lot of printing. And there's laser printers too, some of which also scan, at modest prices (but large toner costs). Buying a larger printer is entirely a VCFed business decision, as it would either cost more than a few hundred dollars, or would be a result of some donation. But most signage would be 11X17 or smaller, and a dedicated printer/scanner for that class of work, at a few hundred dollars, would be a reasonable purchase if only to reduce use of a more expensive printer and its no-doubt more-expensive supplies. Translation: burn up a cuppa $200 printers instead of over-using a $1000 printer. and get a scanner while you're at it. By the way: a long time ago, didn't InfoAge have a professional class large printer on the premises, for large signage? Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Amiga 1000 case
by Anthony Becker 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

Okay, I did send this out on the other list (at least I think I did, sometimes emails from my phone would go to limbo land) But I met someone at VCFE-X who has the GB1000 replacement motherboard for the Amiga 1000. I have an empty 1000 case. I probably took down their info but have no idea where it is, and if I took it down since things were so busy there I probably just wrote the email address and not what i wrote the address for. Think this was the person who was talking to me also about getting Amiga Unix on my 3000UX So hoping they are on this list. Contact me and we can arrange getting it to you.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] January Workshop - Whats the plan
by Todd George 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

Yes! 1541's sound like a great plan. Some topics I'd like to suggest: - Proper care and feeding - Alignment - Speed Adjustment - Cleaning Additionally I will bring my "Bucket O' Parts", EPROM burner and related equipment, tools including desoldering gun (that reminds me, I need maintenance parts for that). I'll bring some cleaning supplies as well (99% isopropyl, and try to find some lint-free Q-Tips). I'll also bring a bunch of other Commodore stuff including diagnostic harnesses and whatnot. Does anyone have an alignment disk or two? Are they generally required or do people usually just use an oscilloscope with a factory produced original disk? Once we align can we then produce known-good alignment disks for others? Thanks guys. Can't wait!!! -Todd

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] January Workshop Who's Coming?
by Todd George 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

1 Jeff Brace 2. Evan 3. Dean 4. Drew 64. Todd G. 64738. Steve Toth 65535. Joseph Oprysko

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF East - Kernighan video online
by Christian Liendo 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

This is great, I just posted this to techtalk here at the times. I really want you guys to post the Daniel Kottke video.

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Bulk 5 1/4 inch floppy disk purchase
by Tony Bogan 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

Anyone interested in a bulk NEW floppy disk purchase? If in my area (ny/nj) will be cheapest. I say this area because shipping will drive cost up but I'd gladly ship anywhere in the US once they arrive if wanted. Locals make out better of course. Price will work out to be between $.30 & $.40 each my cost for NEW floppies depending on quantity purchased and shipping cost to me. Your cost will be exactly the same as mine plus shipping to you. Obviously if in my neck of the woods we can meet half way. List quantities you want in this Conversation or email me directly. We get enough of an order I'll front the $$ for the purchase and collect once I can show the disks are in my possession if that makes people more comfortable. Tony Sent from my iPhone

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VCF East - Kernighan video online
by Evan Koblentz 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

Ta-da! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUWt_StXKsY

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Does anyone have a Jaguar controller?
by Ian Primus 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

I've spent about two hours trying to track down my Jaguar controller. Somehow it escaped from the rest of the system. If you have one, bring it to Festivus - I'll have the console and some games, just... no controller. Doh. -Ian

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January Workshop - Whats the plan?
by Douglas Crawford 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

We prepping projects for VCF? Working on all the broken 1541's? Or what?

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FS: Vintage Meters!
by Systems Glitch 05 Jan '16

05 Jan '16

All, Another lot of test equipment to process! Figured I'd offer a few meters here before they go to eBay. This stuff came from the San Bernardino Valley College. I have the following three meters for sale: Simpson 461: - Digital 3.5 digit meter - Pair of probes (red/black) included (these are reverse banana plug probes) - Volts/Ohms/Milliamps - Includes AC adapter - Found a proper set of Tenergy A size NiCd rechargeables - Tested, working, not calibrated but agrees with a calibrated Fluke 8842A - Very clean except a spot where it looks like someone scraped a sticker with a knife HP 5005A Signature Multimeter: - Digital 3.5 digit meter - Probes and timing pod included - Volts/Ohms/Frequency/Period - Sort of a super high end logic probe as well - Tested, working, not calibrated but agrees with a calibrated Fluke 8842A - Faded red stencil on top, timing pod has one loose corner latch Triplett Model 60: - Analog meter, Simpson 260 workalike - Doesn't register volts, didn't test further - No probes The HP 5005A in particular is really suited to debugging old computers. It's approximately from the right era for this group's interest, and combines the two tools I use the most: a multimeter and logic probe. It also allows gating its measurements (measurement valid when another signal is at another state) like some of the high end logic probes out there. I'd keep the Simpson 461 for myself (it's a really cute little meter!) but I don't need another DMM. Can ship or deliver to the next VCF event I attend. Contact off-list with offers. Pictures on request. Thanks, Jonathan

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Cool data recovery project
by Evan Koblentz 04 Jan '16

04 Jan '16

I saw this article today about a company calle Drivesavers that was hired to salvage data from Gene Roddenberry's old CP/M computer. On a whim, I called Drivesavers and left a message with the receptionist. VP of Engineering called me back within an hour. :) We have a nice conversation about computer history and data recovery. There could be good opportunities for VCF and DS to work together down the road.

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More TI 99 4/a 's on Ebay
by william degnan 04 Jan '16

04 Jan '16

I put two beige TI 99 4/a's for sale on Ebay. One is the early 1981 ROM, one is the later 1983 ROM V 2.2 with BASIC update. They're both complete systems with extras. Priced to sell. $59.99 each, plus shipping at cost. [url] http://www.ebay.com/itm/Texas-Instruments-TI-99-4a-Tested-Working-Rare-ish-… [url] http://www.ebay.com/itm/Texas-Instruments-TI-99-4a-Tested-Working-1983-v2-2… see post on vintage-computer.com/vcforum/ for additional comments. -- Bill

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Correction: Semi-OT: printer for new museum signs
by J. Alexander Jacocks 04 Jan '16

04 Jan '16

On Mon, Jan 4, 2016 at 11:30 AM, frida fried via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: frida fried <frd_fried(a)yahoo.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> > Cc: > Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2016 16:30:38 +0000 (UTC) > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Correction: Semi-OT: printer for new museum > signs > Evan, I've bought a couple of Epson Workforce multifunction devices which > have a scanner glass 11x17, and can print larger than 11x17 as well. They > are inkjet, and the WF7610 and one WF7620 have worked well; there is a > WF7110 printer only 13x19 inkjet as well, but I have no experience with > that one. (at $149 it is reasonably priced, but ink isn't cheap) > > http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/ProductCategory.do?oid=-17867&sortid… > > I > > From: Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> > Cc: Evan Koblentz <evan(a)snarc.net> > Sent: Monday, January 4, 2016 9:04 AM > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Correction: Semi-OT: printer for new > museum signs > > >> We spent $2K > > That's where I stopped reading. :) > > But I just learned that even very cheap inkjets, sub-$200, can print > 11x17. That might be our best compromise if a larger printer is > unaffordable. > > If you can't find anyone else, I can do 13x19 on my printer. - Alex

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Semi-OT: printer for new museum signs
by tom.hornberger＠verizon.net 04 Jan '16

04 Jan '16

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Semi-OT: printer for new museum signs
by Evan Koblentz 04 Jan '16

04 Jan '16

I'm looking into getting us a printer that can handle 11x22 paper. Anybody have recommendations for specific models?

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Is it wrong to get excited??
by Joseph Oprysko 04 Jan '16

04 Jan '16

I just setup a Mac LocalTalk network, and I'm so thrilled and excited about it. Yes, it's only a Mac SE and an SE/30, each with 4mb of ram (the SE/30 originally had 8 and the SE had 1, but I played the great equalizer!). Last year at VCFeX I picked up a couple of LocalTalk adapters, even though at that time, I had no use for them. In '09 at a flea market I had picked up the 25' sealed LocalTalk cable, but finally, it all came together. Would anyone happen to have an ImageWriter ribbon re-inker? I've bought 2 different ones from online and both turned out to be "vintage" aka dry as a bone. I have 2 ribbons and could cheaply pick up some ink. I know Office Depot sells them, they are the last place I can try, but I'd like to have the option of reinking rather than wasting all of that plastic and ribbon -- 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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vintagecomputer.net updates
by william degnan 02 Jan '16

02 Jan '16

In parallel with the new vcf fed site I updated vintagecomputer.net too, let me know what you think - should be fully responsive. Looks especially good in a phone, which was driving me crazy as this is how I often search for things. This site is my own template design with bootstrap as the underlying CSS. http://www.vintagecomputer.net and if you need any web design...see degnanco.net -- Bill

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Buying Apple IIe Games
by James Garland 02 Jan '16

02 Jan '16

Hello everyone, After much struggle my Apple IIe is up and running! Unfortunately I'm in a software drought. I just have the system utilities and DOS 3.3 at the moment. I'm looking for some games for the system. I'm based in NYC, and am willing to drive within 45mins-1hr. Does anyone have any games they're looking to sell? You can contact me at my email or here, I don't care which. Thanks, James Garland

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Workshops for 2016
by Jeffrey Brace 02 Jan '16

02 Jan '16

Now that events have settled down with InfoAge and I have time to sit down and think and plan I want to schedule workshops for the coming new year. So unless there are any objections, I want to do the following: January 23/24 February 20/21 March 19/20 May 14/15 June 11/12 July 16/17 August 20/21 Jeff Brace

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VCF East 5.0 videos
by Evan Koblentz 01 Jan '16

01 Jan '16

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_e5fSxflvrxnBFCeLI_uLqQHJBmghA2g

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Happy New Years!!!
by Joseph Oprysko 01 Jan '16

01 Jan '16

Happy New Years!! I just introduced a 14 year old to the fun of having their family killed by illness in Oregon Trail on the Mac. (my daughters boyfriend). LOL. -- 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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Have a Happy New Year Fellas
by Christian Liendo 31 Dec '15

31 Dec '15

I'm crazy busy for Dec 31 so I doubt I will be able to say this afterward. I hope you all have a great New Years. I hope to go to more events like VCFMW & VCFSE I hope that VCFE is bigger and better than previous I hope that the new space looks awesome. And I hope to see all of you guys again.. Take care bros and I will see ya next year.

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Workday report
by Evan Koblentz 31 Dec '15

31 Dec '15

Dean, his son Drew, Jeff B., and I had an workday at the museum warehouse today. We were there from about 10:15am until 6:00pm. We got a huge amount of warehouse organizing done! We built and filled six or seven shelving carts. These included units devoted to printers, Epson, Heathkit, and a bunch of other stuff. Now, what we used to call "the messy side" of the warehouse is mostly clean and orderly. We still need another few workdays before the warehouse is fully clutter-free, and then we'll bring up all the stuff neglected in the basement storage room of the main InfoAge "hotel" building. We also stopped at the bank for Brace and I to handle some business stuff, and Tony stopped by to pick up the last of the tables that he loaned to us at Festivus. So it was an extremely productive day. We even took out a big amount of trash. Thanks to those who helped.

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floppy diskette reliability, by brand
by Herb Johnson 31 Dec '15

31 Dec '15

The recent "museum report" discussed in passing, whether to buy brand-new diskettes to avoid deteriorating old floppy diskettes. And a previous thread "Getting Data off old Atari Floppies" in Dec 2015, discussed how some old brands seem better (BASF) and some are outright rotten from age (Wabash). There were suggestions in the thread, about cleaning or baking diskettes. Let's make a list of some brands, see if we can get a consensus. If someone can post links to Web pages which have such lists or brand experiences, please add such links to your post. I'll be glad to host a final list on my Web site at: http://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/drive.html Good brands: BASF, 3M, IBM, Verbatum, Dysan Bad brands: Wabash Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] floppy diskette reliability, by brand
by Mike Loewen 31 Dec '15

31 Dec '15

On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 16:03, Joesph Oprysko wrote: >> On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 2:41 PM, Herb Johnson wrote: >> >> Let's make a list of some brands, see if we can get a consensus. If >> someone can post links to Web pages which have such lists or brand >> experiences, please add such links to your post. I'll be glad to host a >> final list on my Web site at: >> >> http://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/drive.html >> >> Good brands: BASF, 3M, IBM, Verbatum, Dysan >> >> Bad brands: Wabash > Well, I have a sealed box of Bonus disks... let's see where they come > out. :) I've had very good luck with the Bonus brand 5-1/4" diskettes. Bad: TRS-80 8" (brown label) Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Museum report
by Herb Johnson 30 Dec '15

30 Dec '15

My responses to comments in this thread are below. 1) Evan requests to stay "on topic" and not discuss an analogy to the care of vintage instruments like violins. Evan: have you noted the topic is no longer a "museum report" but issues of Commodore floppy drive and conditions of floppy diskettes? I'd as soon suggest a change of "subject" line. Another reason a change in subject line: there are and will be many "Museum report" messages, I'd as soon suggest they be dated. The maillist Web software will otherwise connect these all as the same "thread". These are issues of use, which are up to Evan of course. 2) Bill Degnan fights a losing battle to insist on "bottom posting". I respect his opinion but circumstances may encourage top-posting. I'd as soon complain about excessive quoting of prior messages. Again, Evan is the moderator over such things. 3) It's mentioned in passing that diskette media is deteriorating. My experience is that (other than mold) that condition depends on brand, and many old disks are still usable. I may start a new thread on this subject (see comment 1 above). 4) The issue of "too old to operate" is certainly a problem. I don't think there's any simple or general strategies. As a practical matter, the question comes down to brands and models of vintage devices which are known to suffer from specific "faults" of age and use. So policies are likely to be specific and not general. I hope the general consideration is to operate original equipment, but there's already prior policy to make use of modern devices to supplement items on continuous display-in-use; where convenience and reliability are more important than "originality". and as Bill Degnan noted, one can always display the original at the same time. Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Ouuuuch!
by Herb Johnson 30 Dec '15

30 Dec '15

I never post links to that auction site, but I came across something so awful to see, I had to share it... Vintage Apple Green Phosphor Monitor Model A2M2010 Parts eBay item number: 272010854926 a current auction And when you think it's already cringe-worthy, more details show it's worse. Unbelievable. It's really bad. And...why auction it? Mysteries of the Web. As a point of instruction: long exposure to high-voltage ozone and heat, will degrade plastics. It dissipates the elastomers. Translation: peanut-brittle. The rest is energy = mass X velocity squared. So, how far did this monitor fall, to bust it up so? any guesses? Was it even packed? The mystery deepens....as I said, it boggles the mind. Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Museum report
by Douglas Crawford 30 Dec '15

30 Dec '15

Good day at the museum today. Four groups of mostly adults came through with good interest in the displays. One guest pointed at the RCA VIP and said he worked on the R&D fabrication for the RCA 1802 and the related memory parts :) I ran the C64, the TRS-80 Model I, Atari, and the PC with some hello world programs to liven up the place, and had the Lisa booted. Showed well and glad those machines are working.

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Let's add value to the club, and have fun doing it!!!
by Joseph Oprysko 30 Dec '15

30 Dec '15

Here is a list of things that I feel the Vintage Computer Federation can do to add value to their name, and to add value for their members. Add Value to their name: Offer grading services to their members for their vintage equipment. As well as grading our own equipment in the library and coming up with standards for grading for vintage systems. Have members in various areas do membership drives at various events (Hamfests/Electronic Shows/Other computer club meetings/Etc.) While as far as I know, we don’t charge a membership fee, maybe we should look into other ways to fund club activities, or to be able to purchase parts we need to repair machines, so they can be kept as close to original as possible. Since we’re doing educational activities, if anyone has experience in applying for grants, that’s one route we could explore. Find additional organizations to solicit donations from either in the form of funds or equipment or services. I would recommend contacting companies that have been in business for many years, from Verizon, ATT, Lockheed, Sperry, IBM, as well as school districts, etc. Have a “portable” museum. Lets be honest, besides a few people who live close to central NJ or the shore, most of our members travel at least an hour. But this isn’t about us, it’s about our NAME and getting it out there. If we took a small trailer/mobile home, either attached to decent generators, or to connect to a couple power lines at the site when we would get where we’re going. No, we likely wouldn’t be hauling big-iron around in it, but if we brought around a trailer of the PC’s of the 80’s to various schools, scout meetings, etc. We would be educating the young, spreading our name, and having a hell of a time doing it. Add Value for their members: Offer FREE (not Ad supported) webpages to members to show off their vintage collections Offer online social network (or member’s only/private group on Facebook) Offer online/web based emulation of many vintage systems with demos and programs to help introduce millennials to vintage computing. Replace/update the mail-list to one with a web-based interface. I feel like we took a HUGE step backwards Have an members only auction/sales site I’m sure other there are plenty of other things that people would come up with, and likely these are things that would come up in more of a board/key-business type meeting. But I felt it’s important to bring up now that we’re a legal NPO as opposed to just a “club” of hobbyists.

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Here's an absolutely newbie/idiotic question.
by Joseph Oprysko 29 Dec '15

29 Dec '15

How do you actually tell Mac OS (Like 6.0.8) to format a disk (one that’s already been formatted Mac OS that is? Anonymous (HEH, I know that’s not gonna work, but worth a shot)

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VCF East 9.1 videos
by Evan Koblentz 29 Dec '15

29 Dec '15

Here's another batch! https://t.co/Q1WXafon7D

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OS X Leopard DVD Needed
by Joseph Oprysko 29 Dec '15

29 Dec '15

I picked up an iMac G4 15” for a song… Err, well for $25, so close enough, I had one years ago that I traded away, but ended up forgetting to give the new owner the discs that go with it, poor new owner… boo hoo… lucky for me, as this G4 I got had a broken linux install that the owner didn’t know the root password to, so, luckily, I had my fully OS X recovery set, and made it a happy mac again.. well, to a point, it’s running Mac OS X 10.1.2…. I’d like to at least get it up to 10.5.8, the last one capable of running the Classic OS apps, as well as being modern enough to run most current type programs. Joe.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Wanted: NEC PC-8001A Mini-Disk Module PC-8031A
by Todd George 29 Dec '15

29 Dec '15

> > Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 17:44:33 -0500 > From: william degnan <billdegnan(a)gmail.com> > > I checked as I thought, maybe??...Turns out I have a 8201A and a > 6001A...but no 8001A. I have a NEC cassette model 6082. > Sorry for my delay in reply. I get the digest version of the list, but do most of my reading on a mobile. Replying to the list via digest mode on a mobile device is not at all convenient. Seriously considering re-subscribing under a different e-mail address just to make life easier that way. Back to the NEC... Thanks for looking, I finally decided to snag the one I had been seeing on eBay. Picked it up a week or so ago, Not sure if I have buyers' remorse or not. I'm guessing not, as I don't think I'm likely to see another one of these pop up anytime soon. :) > I am looking for the NEC PC6011A Expansion Unit, which I presume is the > 6000-level version of what you're looking for. I have passively been > looking for the expansion for years. > I have to say, this comment was part of what convinced me to jump on the eBay one. I don't have any of the PC6xxxA series stuff. I did bump into one of the computers themselves recently, but it was quite a bit of a drive and I opted out of picking it up as I was still in "Acquire PC8xxxA stuff" mode. > Do you have software? > Sadly, no. I have found a few things scattered around the internet. Most of the decent sites I've found are in Japanese. Google translate does a respectable job of allowing me to understand what's being communicated. That said, I've not really located a software repository yet. I'm sure I can find more if I dedicate more time to digging. Been obsessing about the hardware first. :) I did find BASIC and the firmware here: https://archive.org/download/NEC_PC_8001_TOSEC_2012_04_23 I will also say, I'm enamored by the keyboard on this thing. It has to be one of the nicest of any keyboard I've typed on. Just sheer perfection in key switch technology. And I've used some crazy mechanical keyboards in my time. I am missing the ribbon cable that goes from the PC to the expansion chassis. I do have the one that goes between the expansion unit and the floppy. I'm planning on investigating this further. I found some references to it being a "straight through" cable, but I have my doubts based on the construction of the cable that I have. A few pictures I found online do seem to use a straight through ribbon cable though. > Here is my NEC stuff just because NEC stuff is seldom mentioned anywhere: > http://vintagecomputer.net/nec/ > (the Spinwriter I donated to FKA MARCH) > That's awesome, thanks for sharing the pictures. :) Thanks again, -Todd

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Joystick Repair Epyx 500XJ
by Todd George 29 Dec '15

29 Dec '15

> > Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2015 23:00:34 -0500 > From: Jeffrey Brace <ark72axow(a)gmail.com> > > Does anyone have experience repairing joysticks? I have an Epyx 500XJ that > doesn't respond well to the left direction. I'm just wondering if this is > something that is repairable. All of the Epyx 500XJ's I've had trouble with (so far) have been plastic casing-related (cracks, stressed supports, etc.). The internal design of this joystick is less than robust considering the weak plastic tabs they use to hold the switch assembly in place. It's also inconvenient to repair as everything is curved, etc. Makes manually manufacturing replacement parts (via Dremel, etc.) more of an artform than I usually prefer. The switches are mounted on a plastic plate that is sort of suspended inside the joystick. That said, have you disassembled it to see if there is something wrong with the plastic switch plate? I'm wondering if the switch is just physically moving out of the way or something? > Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 00:35:51 -0500 > From: Ian Primus <ian.primus.ccmp(a)gmail.com> > > Yes, it is repairable, I've fixed a few - you can replace the > individual switches, and you can also clean them. Disassembling the > 500XJ is a bit tricky, because of that red/black sticker that holds it > together. When I've repaired these, I just slice through the sticker > at the seam with a knife, it's not too noticeable once reassembled. > Also, the switches that these use are a relatively "standard" size and type of microswitch. With a few quick measurements of the physical dimensions of the switch, finding a suitable replacement should be pretty easy. If memory serves, I don't think they are quite as large as the ones used in arcade buttons and sticks but you will find similar switches used in pinball machines. > Take the stick apart, and find the faulty switch. Try to get as much > isopropyl alcohol inside the switch as possible (sometimes I even > submerge it in a little cup), and click it repeatedly, and firmly, for > at least a minute. Let it dry thoroughly, and check it with a > multimeter - most of the time, this will fix it. If this doesn't work, I've also had luck rebuilding microswitches. Some are easily serviced and the plastic halves of the switch casing will pull apart held only by friction, some have little plastic tabs that a diagonal cutter makes quick work of. Then you can use a soldering iron to "re-weld" the plastic tabs when you've completed the rebuild. Some are glued, and much harder to repair. I had a particularly stubborn microswitch on a coin counter, it was a truly bizarre size, and it was glued shut. I carefully broke it open with a combination of ginger Dremel use and some elbow grease, once I repaired the contacts, I simply used the original mounting screws to hold it all together. It'll be fine until someone else takes it apart. :) Once you have the switch itself apart, you will see the two contacts that make the whole thing work. Generally, they are set up as a "self-cleaning" style of contact where the switch action causes a wiping motion that scrapes the contacts together generating a small amount of friction that causes dirt and debris to be knocked away. This works well until corrosion sets in. There are a variety of ways to clean the contacts, the most success I've had has been with business cards and light pressure, pinch the card stock between the contacts and rub. Step up to more harsh methods from there. If the contacts are gold in color, stay away from abrasives. You can also use contact cleaners and the like. Sometimes it's just not worth it, and the switch should be replaced. They aren't overly expensive generally speaking. Good luck! -Todd

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Let's add value to the club to the club, and have fun doing it!!!
by Joseph Oprysko 28 Dec '15

28 Dec '15

Evan, Thank you. I was really just trying to start a conversation about ways to improve the the club, bring in more sponsors, both individual and corporate, get our name more widely known, and eventually, have us having a snazzy looking museum like the CHS has on the West Coast.. ;) Have you SEEN that place!! It’s like the kind of place where you’d expect to be able to buy a 3.5” floppy disk converted to a wall clock where the proceeds go to the museum. Maybe we could/should do “cute” little things like that with old/bad pieces of scrap as a fund raiser.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Legacy 1.2 Disk Reformats Dos 4.01 to XP
by Evan Koblentz 28 Dec '15

28 Dec '15

>> For whatever reason, my DOS 4.01 will not reformat 1.2 mb diskettes - 5-1/4" floppies. Hello, Looks like you're new to our group. Please introduce yourself. Thanks!

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Legacy 1.2 Disk Reformats Dos 4.01 to XP
by M 28 Dec '15

28 Dec '15

For whatever reason, my DOS 4.01 will not reformat 1.2 mb diskettes - 5-1/4" floppies. If I pull that drive from my 286 and put a USB adapter on it along with a 4 prong power cable from another system's power source, will XP be able to get the job done? Or won't that recognize 1.2 drives? Also, I don't think this can be done, but can I bulk erase the 1.2 disks with a magnet, then reformat? It seems to have failed on a 360k 5-1/4 disk. Thanks..... PS will 286 clone PC's be worth anything one day? Last time I checked a working B&W television from the late 1940s to 50s, Admiral or Halicrafter for example, were going around $700. Driven by scarcity.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] newbie
by Fred Terry 28 Dec '15

28 Dec '15

Hello All, I have subscribed to VCF/Mid-Atlantic. I own an IMSAI 80/30 with a Persci 277 drive and a Diablo wide traction printer. These were purchased new in 1978 for the purpose of writing survey and civil engineering software. I successfully used this system for a number of years but retired it for one of the newer DOS based computers. After years of storage, I recently dusted the moth balls from my vintage IMSAI only to discover it will no longer boot. I am severely challenged when it comes to trouble shooting problems I am at a loss as to how to revive my computer. I have all the manuals that came with my purchase making a stack almost a foot high but they might just as well be written in a foreign language. I hope to find someone in the VCF/Mid-Atlantic living close to me that could shed some light on what my problem might be. All the computer repair people think a S-100 bus is something you ride to work in the morning and raised an eyebrow at the mention of an 8" floppy disc. I didn't realize so much time has passed. I live just north of Baltimore in Timonium Maryland only a few miles from I-83. Please get in touch if you would want to lend a hand reviving my IMSAI. I look forward to learning about the VCF/Mid-Atlantic and perhaps meeting some of the members. This is all new to me so i'll try not to embarrass myself by making stupid comments or something similar. For many years I restored early Corvettes but have emptied my shop and now only make a few reproduction parts. Please be in touch, Fred Terry

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VCF East 6.0 talks are online
by Evan Koblentz 28 Dec '15

28 Dec '15

The first batch of old videos are online, thanks to the grunt work of Kevin Savetz (and original recording by Dave Sica). Playlist is at https://t.co/yYRr7rP7R4 ... enjoy! There will be much more soon. :)

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Floppy Days #50 - TI-99 History with Jim Fetzner and Mark Wills
by Randall Kindig 27 Dec '15

27 Dec '15

http://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-50-ti-99-history <http://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-50-ti-99-history> The TI-99/4A - History, with Jim Fetzner and Mark Wills This is the second in a multi-part series on the TI-99/4A computer. For this history segment, I was lucky enough to find a couple of people who have an incredible history with the TI-99, Jim Fetzner and Mark Wills. Jim has an extensive, multilingual library of all things TI and possesses some very interesting hardware items related to the TI-99. Mark is the author of TurboForth for the TI-99/4A and has been involved in the TI-99/4A scene pretty much since 1983. He’s also English, living in the UK, so he has a rather British take on the home computer wars. I will cover TI-99 history with the help of these two gentlemen. I think you will find this very interesting! Randy Kindig host Floppy Days Podcast, floppydays.com <http://floppydays.com/>

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Fred, welcome to the group!
by Joseph Oprysko 27 Dec '15

27 Dec '15

Unfortunately, I can't tell you what bus to take to work. ;). lol. I never really got the chance to work with S-100 based systems. I live outside of Philly. I'm mostly into 80's PC's and have a plethora of useless knowledge to most people. But people in this hobby well, I tend to have a bit more in common with. ;) it's nice to have people to talk to who know what you're talking about. It's a fun and comfortable place to chat and let your geek out. -- 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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Videos! People get ready....
by Evan Koblentz 27 Dec '15

27 Dec '15

The time has come to post a boatload of old VCF East lectures on the Intertubes. (Translated: someone stepped forward to do the grunt work -- our good friend Kevin Savetz of AtariPodcast.com fame.) There will be several batches of uploads during the next few weeks.

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forum vs email, was "Let's add value . . ."
by William Dudley 26 Dec '15

26 Dec '15

I have to visit a forum to see what's new. That means I have to schedule the effort. Email is a "push notification" system, and as Dave McGuire said, "the interrupt-driven nature of a mailing list tends to be a lot more efficient". If this mailing list uses mailman software, then there is a searchable web archive of all posts, such that somebody can treat it like a forum if the are so inclined. Just click on "sort by thread". Bill Dudley This email is probably free of malware because I run Linux.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Mac OS Originals for Mac 128k (Tony Bogan)
by Joseph Oprysko 26 Dec '15

26 Dec '15

Tony, Actually, I don’t. So you know, I don’t have any plans to put together the 128k complete system then turn around and eBay it or anything. That’s certainly not my style. I’m more of the hoarder style.. LOL But, I’m working on inventorying what I have, figuring out what I WANT to collect, then sell the other stuff to support my hobby. There’s no other way. Like honestly… why do I really need TWO Coleco Adam systems??? (Although I’m sure some on this list would venture why I would even WANT one.. LOL) The main question I’ll be faced with will be wether to be generous to other hobbyists, as I was with the S-100 card at Festivus, and let the equipment go for a song. And know it’s going into the hands of people who will genuinely appreciate the hardware. Or go the eBay route, and post it on here, and good luck to the bidders… It’s been years since I’ve done an eBay auction cause I got screwed over by someone who I sold something to, who sent be back a box of rocks. Ebay/Paypal sided with the buyer, and I lost like $300 in equipment and gained a box of rocks. Joe > On Dec 25, 2015, at 6:00 AM, vcf-midatlantic-request(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org wrote: > > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2015 18:31:36 -0500 > From: Tony Bogan <thebogans(a)mac.com <mailto:thebogans@mac.com>> > To: vcf-midatlantic > <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org <mailto:vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org>> > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Mac OS Originals for Mac 128k > Message-ID: <830BA675-B818-4056-BF8C-5F21D2BD4DA0(a)mac.com <mailto:830BA675-B818-4056-BF8C-5F21D2BD4DA0@mac.com>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > I'll touch base with you after Christmas. I have a number of original disks. Do you have the manual and cassette tape too? > Tony > > Sent from my iPhone

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3D CAD help needed for our new museum
by Evan Koblentz 25 Dec '15

25 Dec '15

I'm looking for someone who is talented (and not slow) at 3D CAD drawing. Basically, we have a 2D bird's eye sketch of how the new museum space will look. We need someone to make 3D renderings. Not just going to send anyone the 2D sketch. This will require that we have a phone call so I can explain stuff in detail, and will also require that you turn it around fairly quick. An important aspect is that we do NOT need/want the drawing to be very detailed. It just needs to get our basic point across when we show some renderings to the InfoAge board and/or other VIPs. Email me privately if you can help.

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Mac OS Originals for Mac 128k
by Joseph Oprysko 24 Dec '15

24 Dec '15

I am looking for some original Mac OS floppy disks. I have a very nice mac 120 8K with original keyboard and mouse and an external 400 K floppy drive and the carry bag. It is functional and not very discolored. I'd like to complete my collection by having a set of original disks to go with it. If anyone knows where I can get a set of original Mac OS floppy disks I'd appreciate some feedback. Thank you very much, 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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