- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Greenbar print
by Jameel Akari 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

I will try a clean & lube on mine first - the internal assembly looks highly optimized for initial assembly, not so much the reverse, and I take back the comment on cap quality. This was top-notch. -- Jameel Akari > On Feb 27, 2021, at 4:48 PM, Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > <mime-attachment>

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Greenbar print
by Brian L. Stuart 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

Alas I'm in the opposite situation. I'm in driving distance (1.5 hrs) from the museum, but the only dot matrix printers I have are 80 col, with ribbons of doubtful value. So I don't think I have the right stuff. However, if there's narrow paper available and it will serve the need, I'll be happy to pull them out and test them. BLS On Saturday, February 27, 2021, 4:18:45 PM EST, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: I’ve got a dozen working printers including wide carriage ones but so far no paper here in central va... Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 27, 2021, at 4:12 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > On Sat, Feb 27, 2021 at 3:44 PM Dean Notarnicola via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> My proprinter xl’s head is seized and it’s making unhappy sounds. I’ve got >> it apart and cleaning it out. Hoping for the best, but still can’t find any >> green bar locally. > > > Dean. If you get it working, then I can drive up to you with the paper. > > >> >>> On Sat, Feb 27, 2021 at 3:26 PM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic < >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>> >>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> Andy and I talked through it based on my memory of what's available >>> at >>>>> the >>>>>> warehouse. That said, if we could just declare this "132 Character >>> Line >>>>> Printer Day" and see who "got the stuff”. >>>> >>>> At this point I’d say I’ve half got the stuff, but do I have The Right >>>> Stuff? I’ll wait and see. >>>> >>>> — >>>> >>> >>> Yup. Are we just posers or what? >>> >> > -- > Jeff Brace > ========================================= > Vice President & Board Member > Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner > Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity > http://www.vcfed.org/ > jeffrey(a)vcfed.org > cell: 732-759-1783

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microvax3100.vintagecomputer.net is UP
by Bill Degnan 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

Speaking of exercising my rusty skills I have just now fired up my MicroVax3100. It's open for emails to mv3100(a)buzz1.com if anyone wants to tag it as a test. Thanks Bill

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TRS-80 Trash Talk Live #12 is Tonight
by Peter Cetinski 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

Join us for another TRS-80 Trash Talk Live today at 8pm EST! Reply to get a Zoom invite or you can watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXkGugvdCkpkMDylVQb9gfg <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXkGugvdCkpkMDylVQb9gfg> See you tonight! Pete and the TT Crew

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape
by Duane Craps 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

Link to article on UNIVAC retirees group on the development of the metal recording tape: UNIVAC Magnetic Tape Plating Facility (vipclubmn.org) <http://vipclubmn.org/Articles/EMCC-4.pdf> On 2/27/2021 9:08 AM, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic wrote: -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Fwd: Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape
by Duane Craps 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2021 09:50:30 -0500 From: Duane Craps <duaneb.craps(a)cox.net> To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org Brian, Are the tapes metal or plastic? Are The reels metal or plastic? Do the reels have IBM hubs or notches around the inside of the hubs. Are they program tapes, and if so from what system? If they have data were they written on 7 or 9 track drives? Bill Dromgoole and I have been working on the Univac 1540 Magnetic Tape Unit at VCF. Could be an adventure sometime down the road. You might be able to post the pictures on the VCF Face Book page. Or post at my MeWe group: https://mewe.com/join/univacandnavycomputers Duane On 2/27/2021 9:08 AM, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> I know the pictures won?t go through on this list but I have no choice >> I can?t really post to pictures anywhere else but if anybody is >> interested in the magnetic tape Univac I found five. >> I was wondering if the museum needed them I?m going to see if I can >> acquire them anyway >> Sent from: >> My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. >> Begin forwarded message: >>> From: Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com <mailto:sentrytv@yahoo.com> > >>> Date: February 26, 2021 at 10:26:04 AM EST >>> To: Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org <mailto:jeffrey@vcfed.org> >, > Andrew Diller > >>> <dillera(a)gmail.com <mailto:dillera@gmail.com> > >>> Subject: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac >>> ?I?m going to attach to pictures I hope they go through I?m >>> wondering if >> these are usable if you guys need them? >>> Sent from: >>> My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > W. Bryan Caudle > > Virginia Computer Museum > <http://www.vacomputermuseum.org/> http://www.vacomputermuseum.org > > > -- Duane Craps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape
by Sentrytv 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

I’m going to give them to VCF to have them evaluated first. Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > On Feb 27, 2021, at 9:08 AM, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape
by W. Bryan Caudle 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

I would be interested in one. Thanks! > I know the pictures won?t go through on this list but I have no choice > I can?t really post to pictures anywhere else but if anybody is > interested in the magnetic tape Univac I found five. > I was wondering if the museum needed them I?m going to see if I can > acquire them anyway > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com <mailto:sentrytv@yahoo.com> > > > Date: February 26, 2021 at 10:26:04 AM EST > > To: Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org <mailto:jeffrey@vcfed.org> >, Andrew Diller > > <dillera(a)gmail.com <mailto:dillera@gmail.com> > > > Subject: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac > > > > ?I?m going to attach to pictures I hope they go through I?m > > wondering if > these are usable if you guys need them? > > > > > > Sent from: > > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > W. Bryan Caudle Virginia Computer Museum <http://www.vacomputermuseum.org/> http://www.vacomputermuseum.org

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Need green bar printout ASAP!
by Jeffrey Brace 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

Hello everyone, I have a need for someone to printout 10 pages of Apollo code onto green bar paper, and 5 sets of these. It is for a small independent filmmaker. VCF won't make money off it, but hoping for a credit in the film. They need it in LA by Wednesday, so time is critical. If you have a lead, then please send it to me privately. Thanks! Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac
by David Gesswein 26 Feb '21

26 Feb '21

If there are any left after real museums get what they want I would be interested. Are these the early metal tape uniservo or later conventional? On Fri, Feb 26, 2021 at 10:59:38AM -0500, Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2021 10:59:38 -0500 > From: Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Subject: Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac > X-Mailer: iPhone Mail (18C66) > > I know the pictures won’t go through on this list but I have no choice I can’t really post to pictures anywhere else but if anybody is interested in the magnetic tape Univac I found five. > I was wondering if the museum needed them I’m going to see if I can acquire them anyway > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com> > > Date: February 26, 2021 at 10:26:04 AM EST > > To: Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org>, Andrew Diller <dillera(a)gmail.com> > > Subject: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac > > > > I’m going to attach to pictures I hope they go through I’m wondering if these are usable if you guys need them? > > > > > > Sent from: > > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac
by Bill Degnan 26 Feb '21

26 Feb '21

I would be interested in one for Kennett Classic, we have a lot of Univac 1 stuff (uniservo drive) manuals, parts, etc. Bill On Fri, Feb 26, 2021 at 11:00 AM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > I know the pictures won’t go through on this list but I have no choice I > can’t really post to pictures anywhere else but if anybody is interested in > the magnetic tape Univac I found five. > I was wondering if the museum needed them I’m going to see if I can > acquire them anyway > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com> > > Date: February 26, 2021 at 10:26:04 AM EST > > To: Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org>, Andrew Diller <dillera(a)gmail.com> > > Subject: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac > > > > I’m going to attach to pictures I hope they go through I’m wondering if > these are usable if you guys need them? > > > > > > Sent from: > > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. >

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Fwd: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac
by Sentrytv 26 Feb '21

26 Feb '21

I know the pictures won’t go through on this list but I have no choice I can’t really post to pictures anywhere else but if anybody is interested in the magnetic tape Univac I found five. I was wondering if the museum needed them I’m going to see if I can acquire them anyway Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. Begin forwarded message: > From: Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com> > Date: February 26, 2021 at 10:26:04 AM EST > To: Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org>, Andrew Diller <dillera(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Estate sale find magnetic tape Univac > > I’m going to attach to pictures I hope they go through I’m wondering if these are usable if you guys need them? > > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Keep the lights on at InfoAge (GoFundMe fundraiser)
by Andrew Diller 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

That is super generous- and we passed the $1000 mark this morning... Currently at $1276 for those keeping track! Let's show InfoAge how much VCF appreciates their support all these years hosting our museum, repair workshops and our artifacts. -andy > On Feb 24, 2021, at 7:44 PM, madodel via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > From: madodel <madodel(a)mac.com> > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Keep the lights on at InfoAge (GoFundMe fundraiser) > Date: February 24, 2021 at 7:44:02 PM EST > To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org, Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org> > > > On 2/24/21 19:21, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> Vintage Computer Federation has initiated a fundraiser for InfoAge >> operating expenses. As with many museums across the country InfoAge was hit > > Jeff, > > I'll match up to the first $1000 raised. > > > Mark > >

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DEC PC05 Paper Tape reader/punch on ebay
by Duane Craps 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

DEC PC05 Paper Tape reader/punch on ebay Starting bid $875.00 Nice for DEC collectors: DEC PDP-8 PC05 computer high speed paper tape punch and reader | eBay <https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEC-PDP-8-PC05-computer-high-speed-paper-tape-punc…> Don't know if there is there still blank fan-fold paper tape available -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Keep the lights on at InfoAge (GoFundMe fundraiser)
by Tony Bogan 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

Mark, that’s extremely generous of you, thank you very much. Tony Bogan

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SIGNUP for March Repair Workshop 3/6 & 3/7, 2021
by Jeffrey Brace 24 Feb '21

24 Feb '21

Our next repair workshop will be March 6 & 7, 2021 Signup here: March Repair Workshop Signup Sheet <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XE6z0-LwO77hg7BIhphhP6eSjbo5AhJ5Jdc…>

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sad news
by Jeffrey Jonas 24 Feb '21

24 Feb '21

1) good news: his collection was off the floor but the house was water damaged https://youtu.be/hc4_PnKoea4 Texas in Crisis - My house is ruined! The 8-Bit Guy 2) by the time you read this, Fry's may be gone for good https://www.shacknews.com/article/122935/frys-electronics-rumored-to-perman… Fry's Electronics rumored to permanently close nationwide tonight The American software and consumer electronics store is rumored to be closing its doors for good. ___________________________________

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1970's TV show that taught FORTRAN ?
by Andy Meyer 24 Feb '21

24 Feb '21

Looking to settle an argument... I remember there was once a TV show that taught FORTRAN programming. This would have been the mid-1970's and I think it was broadcast over WNET channel 13 (NYC metro area PBS) in the afternoon. I can't have been the only one to have seen it, but I'm unable to find anything about it on the net. Reply to the list. TIA, Andy

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RASCSI scsi emulator device
by Andrew Diller 24 Feb '21

24 Feb '21

Reading over these RASCSI devices, I decided to pick up one to see how it works with some other classic UNIX systems, where I'm currently using a SCSISD (SGI, DEC and AUX). The performance seems to be a nice boost when used with Pi4. https://github.com/akuker/RASCSI/wiki/Benchmarks It will be nice to have an intelligent alternative to the SCSISD. This device reminds me of DavidG's wonderful MFM emulator. I'm hoping that with access to a real PI doing things like imaging of drives will be much easier than it currently is. -andy

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TRS-80 in Easton, PA
by Mike Loewen 23 Feb '21

23 Feb '21

There's a TRS-80 system on Craiglist for $100. From the description, it sounds like a Model I, but there are no pictures. https://allentown.craigslist.org/sop/d/easton-trs-80-rs/7280636195.html No connection with the seller. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Jim Keller: The Future of Computing, AI, Life, and Consciousness | Lex Fridman Podcast
by Christian Liendo 22 Feb '21

22 Feb '21

In case you may not know who Jim Keller is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Keller_(engineer) The Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4hL5Om4IJ4 This is a long video, most of this may be boring, here are the parts of the video that may be interesting to us as people who are interested in computing history. 11:40 - RISC vs CISC 15:39 - What makes a great processor? 17:09 - Intel vs ARM 18:58 - Steve Jobs and Apple Complete Video 0:00 - Introduction 1:33 - Good design is both science and engineering 7:33 - Javascript 11:40 - RISC vs CISC 15:39 - What makes a great processor? 17:09 - Intel vs ARM 18:58 - Steve Jobs and Apple 21:36 - Elon Musk and Steve Jobs 27:21 - Father 31:03 - Perfection 37:18 - Modular design 42:52 - Moore's law 49:50 - Hardware for deep learning 56:44 - Making neural networks fast at scale 1:04:22 - Andrej Karpathy and Chris Lattner 1:08:36 - How GPUs work 1:12:43 - Tesla Autopilot, NVIDIA, and Mobileye 1:17:23 - Andrej Karpathy and Software 2.0 1:23:43 - Tesla Dojo 1:26:20 - Neural networks will understand physics better than humans 1:28:33 - Re-engineering the human brain 1:33:26 - Infinite fun and the Culture Series by Iain Banks 1:35:20 - Neuralink 1:40:43 - Dreams 1:44:37 - Ideas 1:54:49 - Aliens 1:59:46 - Jordan Peterson 2:04:44 - Viruses 2:07:52 - WallStreetBets and Robinhood 2:15:55 - Advice for young people 2:17:45 - Human condition 2:20:14 - Fear is a cage 2:25:04 - Love 2:31:27 - Regrets

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New Commodore PET games
by Jeffrey Brace 19 Feb '21

19 Feb '21

Found someone at the Toronto PET Users Group (TPUG) who is making his own Commodore PET games: https://www.masswerk.at/pet/prgs/ Some cool games. He is working on a Lode Runner Clone at the moment. It's not uploaded yet. By the way can someone point me to some 8K PET games that I can load into the museum's Original Chiclet PET computer? Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Personal IRIS PSU repair
by Joseph Marlin 18 Feb '21

18 Feb '21

Hey, all. Just thought I'd reach out and bother everyone to see if there's anyone else out there who's dealt with a dead Personal IRIS PSU. Apparently they pretty much all go eventually, but I haven't been able to find anything about what the common failure modes are. Hoping there's someone with some thoughts or experience, because I'm massively a novice when it comes to power supply diagnosis.

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Re: SX GBIC fiber cable speed
by MikeWillegal 17 Feb '21

17 Feb '21

Neil, Unless you need the speed or connectivity, I would prefer messing with copper. Just too many strange incompatibilities with optical SFPs and various vendors equipment when you go optical. Things that should work, don’t, and visa versa. Wasn’t that terrible in our lab at work, because we had loads of different SFPs, cables and switches to change out to try to get things working, but at home, that sort of experimenting will most likely cost you money. At work, it mostly cost us time, and it was just part of the cost of doing business. After a while, it became a pretty routine thing for us to swap SFPs or switch ports when optical links didn’t come up when connecting new gear. When Service Providers do deployments of new equipment, they trial every component in the system before rollout for a reason. Just my two cents… Mike Willegal

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2021 Event T-Shirts
by Adam Michlin 17 Feb '21

17 Feb '21

Hi Everyone, With the news that VCF East has been postponed to the Fall, we are able to move forward with one of many projects to give members more input into the day to day running of VCF. To that end, we're going to try a new approach to designing the T Shirts. For those who may not know, we design one t-shirt for all events in the year (VCF East, VCF West, and, historically, VCF Pacific Northwest). This year we are going to ask several graphic designers to submit designs on the theme of the anniversary of the IBM PC 5150 and the general theme of text adventure games. To that end, we are opening the floor for both input and suggestions. The running idea is to have a stylized IBM PC 5150 with a classic Colossal Cave Adventure (CCA) quote on it. Personally, I'm hoping for "You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike." The idea is that CCA was played on the 5150 but also predates it on mainframes and minicomputers. We're also leaning towards the green and amber on black options from last year. We won't necessarily do this every year, but it seems to make sense when talking about the 5150 and, of course, who can resist a good old fashioned green versus amber argument? Once we have a quorum of submissions by graphic designers, we will return to the membership to help decide which shirt goes to press. We realize this takes some of the fun of the surprise out of it, but we also realize that designing a t-shirt that more people like and have input on is a win all around. We also have near term hopes to make shirts available for print on demand after the events and may even bring back some of the classic shirts (thank you, Dan Roganti! May you RIP), also as print on demand. General and specific suggestions, publicly or privately, are most welcome and we would love some more ideas of different classic text adventure quotes. To answer the most obvious question, Zork was high on our list but there are already a lot of t-shirts with the famous Zork quotes. We would also love any submissions of the actual drawn design from any of you, the more the merrier! Best wishes, -Adam --- Adam Michlin Director of Marketing Vintage Computer Federation http://vcfed.org https://www.instagram.com/vcfederation https://twitter.com/vcfederation https://www.facebook.com/vcfederation https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKdBVD2wVUkuJQZhxGvVr0Q

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SX GBIC fiber cable speed
by Neil Cherry 17 Feb '21

17 Feb '21

I've posted this in the CDL list also. I don't know of a polite way to post once to both and I'm not sure it's a good idea to try. :-) It has been a while since I played with fiber (2010) and I'm trying to figure out if I should go fiber or copper in my home. Here's what I know from my current switch: - SX GBIC - LC - duplex - MMF I want to buy about 25M of fiber. I think the price is competitive with copper. I'm also hoping that the fiber will age better than the copper. I'm seeing a few old copper drops fail to lower settings. One went to 10/half (wow, that's bad). The GBIC & switch I have handle 1G. So I can easily pop in a few 1000baseT, put them into a LAG and get 4G (4 ports). So I'm covered for a while. - Can the same piece of fiber handle 1G or 10G? (in case I upgrade in the future). - Does anyone know the bend radius of this fiber? - What color should I expect for SX fiber. ? - What's a "mode-conditioning patch cord" ? I'm seeing a $35 price for 25 Meter OM3 LC LC Fiber Patch Cable (Corning 50/125um core/cladding) and it says 1G but with a "mode-conditioning patch cord" (an attenuator?). Any pointers? -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] SX GBIC fiber cable speed
by Neil Cherry 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

On 2/16/21 11:08 AM, MikeWillegal via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Just too many strange incompatibilities with optical SFPs and various vendors equipment when you go optical. When I was in the labs in 2011 we used a lot of fiber. The long haul single mode stuff was fun. In order to use it we had to have attenuators so as to not burn out the lasers. Yes, the SFPs was also fun/ We did have a few no-name (weren't really no-name but I can't recall the vendor). With some equipment we'd turn off the check. Other vendors there was no turning off the check (lock in). The good news is that SFPs are now pretty in expensive for the distances I need. So can actually afford to by the vendor specific SFP. On the subject of vintage networking, I started at the end of coax (10Base2 & 10Base5). I still have nightmare about cable splinters. ;-) I also worked with 1BaseT and that crazy FDDI which had a large LC like connector (why did that LC like connector always end up going to a hub with an ST connector? ;-) ). Didn't like fiber then, did love the 10BaseT hubs. A lot easier on my hands! But my eyes can no longer easily build those cables. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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ENIAC Birthday and thanks to Tony Bogan and the UNIVAC Crew
by Adam Michlin 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

Hi Everyone, Tony Bogan worked with our UNIVAC people to create an amazing video honoring the 75 anniversary of ENIAC that has been playing very well on all our social media but has been particularly successful on Twitter with 22,000+ impressions and 3,500+ views only 24 hours after posting. If you haven't seen it, you can view it here: https://twitter.com/vcfederation/status/1361329841275084802 Please retweet! -Adam --- Adam Michlin Director of Marketing Vintage Computer Federation http://vcfed.org https://www.instagram.com/vcfederation https://twitter.com/vcfederation https://www.facebook.com/vcfederation https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKdBVD2wVUkuJQZhxGvVr0Q

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Paper tape fun
by Crawford Griffith 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

Folks, David Gesswein wrote: Things that visibly do stuff are fun. The DEC fanfold is nice the way it mostly restacks. I love watching fanfold run, whether punching or reading. In college, we used to have small ‘SysOps wars’ amongst us nerds on the PDP-11 system. (We were good sportspeople, it had to be recoverable). I took one guy’s entire RSTS/E account, PIP’ed it to the fanfold tape punch, flipped the tape and read it in backwards. Every single file was now byte-reversed, e.g. a BASIC program would start with: “DNE 0009”. He could never figure out how I did it until I told him. I even told him I used ROM. -Crawford

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Paper tape
by Mike Loewen 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

Recently, I've been deep into paper tape territory. I exhumed my HP 2748B high speed paper tape reader, and got it running after a clutch plate adjustment. It's connected to my HP 2108A minicomputer, along with a 2645A terminal. I can punch tapes from a Linux system to a GNT-4601 paper tape reader/punch, connected via serial port. Then load the tape into the 2748B and read it into the 2108A. They're not kidding when they say "high speed". http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/HP/2748B/ So, I'm able to load diagnostic tapes from a very large paper tape library on Bitsavers. Some of the diags only require front panel operation, while others need a terminal. There's also paper tape BASIC, which I'll get to after a connector arrives to make a different terminal cable. http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/HP/2108A/HP2108A_2748B_2645.jpg The 2748B reader doesn't have a takeup reel, so naturally the tape goes all over the floor. Rewinding it is a PITA. I saw a picture of a handheld HP tape rewinder, and built my own to chuck into my cordless drill. Rewinds even faster than it spits out! http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/HP/Rewinder.jpg Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Apple IIe Related Kickstarter
by Herb Johnson 15 Feb '21

15 Feb '21

> a new, transparent keyboard for the Apple IIe. soda !-> keyboard - Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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Apple IIe Related Kickstarter
by Chris Fala 15 Feb '21

15 Feb '21

In case you missed it, a new, transparent keyboard for the Apple IIe. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maceffects/mechanical-keyboard-for-the…

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HP 85 For Sale (not mine)
by Alexander Jacocks 14 Feb '21

14 Feb '21

All, There is an HP 85 for sale, near me, if anyone is interested: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/313453723100742/ - Alex

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Anyone Have a B/C Class HP 9000 Workstation for Loan/Trade/Sale?
by Alexander Jacocks 13 Feb '21

13 Feb '21

All, I need some kind of an HP PA workstation for a project that I have coming, next month. Does anyone have one that they'd be willing to part with, either temporarily, or permanently? I'm in Maryland, in the USA. Alternatively, does anyone know what PCI video cards might be supported in HP A-class servers? That might be an option. Thanks! - Alex

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Infoage closed tomorrow Sunday February 14
by Jeffrey Brace 13 Feb '21

13 Feb '21

Due to the impending ice storm, All Infoage museums will be closed tomorrow Sunday February 14. Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Amiga (Classic) BBS Terminal Program
by Blatboy 12 Feb '21

12 Feb '21

I used JR-Comm back in the day. I really liked it. It supported 80 column + full color ANSI. I do remember using it for file transfers. Donno about ATASCII off the top of my head. I used it to dial into the VAX at the university from my apartment to do my CS assignments, and skip the trip to the computer lab. I was so bleeding edge in 1990. I almost regret it though. I hear I missed out on a pretty good hang in the lab. I can make and send an ADF if you'd like. :) Walter ++++++++++++++++++++++ https://jwalterhawkes.com like to know where/when I'm playing? Click here <https://jwalterhawkes.com/contact> to sign up for my list, and let the babble begin.

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ENIAC 75th Anniversary Celebration
by Brian L. Stuart 11 Feb '21

11 Feb '21

This evening begins a series of events celebrating the 75th anniversary of the unveiling of the ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania. On the 11th and 18th, the Philadelphia Venture Cafe will be hosting virtual round tables with a number of us who have some connection to the ENIAC and Philadelphia technology. Included among the people present will be: - Bill Mauchly and Chris Eckert, sons of the ENIAC creators - Bill Mensch, part of the 6502 engineering team - Kathy Kleiman, producer of the ENIAC programmers documentary (And yes, I'll be there for anyone who wants to get nerdy and talk about the technical aspects of the machine and its programming.) Monday, the 15th is the day of the anniversary, and there will be a full day of webcasting. Starting at 10:30 EST, UPenn will be holding a mini-symposium in recognition of the ENIAC. Then at 3:30 EST, Unisys will be webcasting an ENIAC celebration video that includes a number of panel discussions, as well as clips from early newsreels, and happy birthday wishes from the various locations housing ENIAC artifacts. More details and links to all the events can be found here: http://www.eniacday.org/events/ BLS

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Amiga (Classic) BBS Terminal Program Questions
by John Heritage 11 Feb '21

11 Feb '21

Dear VCF, I was a long time BBSer on the Atari 8bit, Atari ST, and then later PC until the mid 1990s; I had occasionally dialed Amiga BBSes from the PC but never actually used an Amiga to dial out to a BBS. I was curious: - What are some recommended Amiga terminal programs (A-Term, Termite, etc?) for use on Amiga OCS that people have used back in the day? - Can Amiga OCS handle 80 columns and 16 color ANSI? (It was always disappointing the Atari ST could not..) Any serious serial port speed restrictions in this mode? - What terminal program would do 80 column + full color ANSI, and also be good for file transfers (Ymodem-G, ZModem) for example? - Bonus: Did anyone write any terminal programs for the Amiga that display ATASCII graphics from an Atari 8bit BBS? :) I will actually be using an Amiga 1200 for messing around but would like to see what the 'authentic' experience was like back in the day. Thanks! John

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Stickers Please Re: 2021 Event T-Shirts
by Michael Brutman 09 Feb '21

09 Feb '21

The stickers were returned to NJ along with the unsold 2020 shirts when I left the national board. I am particularly proud of them; two out of three were my design. The t-shirt was my design too. I had a great year as a graphic designer. ;) On Mon, Feb 8, 2021, 6:15 AM Sentry TV via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Jeff > At the next workshop, I would not mind laying out some money for a shirt > and stickers if available. > Mike Rosen > > On Monday, February 8, 2021, 08:49:51 AM EST, Jeffrey Brace via > vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > On Mon, Feb 8, 2021 at 8:07 AM Christian Liendo via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > Whatever happened to the stickers idea? > > > > We had some stickers done for VCF PNW back in March 2020. I will have to > see if we got those back over here in NJ. This is something that I will > think about and work on as I make plans for VCF East 2020 and or the Swap > Meet in April. > > > > > > I know there was some discussion but I don't know what happened? > > > > Covid-19 happened. We had put out a survey of 10 sticker designs and I > believe we took the top 3 and made them. We were going to sell at VCF PNW, > which was cancelled and then VCF West and East went virtual so there was no > opportunity to sell in-person and it wasn't practical to sell online at the > time. I have to check in the boxes of stuff that was shipped back to NJ > from Seattle to see if the stickers were included in the shipment. We had > the swap meet in November, but the stickers and the 2020 t-shirts were in > Seattle at the time. The swap meet was quickly arranged and it was our > first one so there was little time to plan. We will have the VCF 2019 and > remaining VCF 2020 t-shirts for the next Swap Meet April 24 (with rain date > of April 25). Keep in mind there is limited sizes for the t-shirts, they > are just leftovers that didn't sell before. We don't plan on printing new > ones for the swap meet at this time. Also we have plenty of VCF polos in > every size available. > > We also don't want to get too many of any particular swag before we have an > idea of how well they will sell in-person. We have been brainstorming for a > while about what kind of swag will sell or not sell. We will often try it > out with a small quantity to see what will sell before scaling up or buying > more for the next year. I know with East from 2019 there was a lot of > interest in swag of all kinds and we sold out of many items that sat around > not selling for a while from previous shows. It's always difficult to gauge > what will interest people. We had coffee cups made for VCF West and PNW and > very few sold and sat around for 2 or 3 years and then at East 2019 every > single one sold out. > > > > > > On Sat, Feb 6, 2021 at 10:56 AM Adam Michlin via vcf-midatlantic > > <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > Hi Everyone, > > > > > > With the news that VCF East has been postponed to the Fall, we are > > > able to move forward with one of many projects to give members more > > > input into the day to day running of VCF. > > > > > > To that end, we're going to try a new approach to designing the T > > > Shirts. For those who may not know, we design one t-shirt for all > > > events in the year (VCF East, VCF West, and, historically, VCF Pacific > > > Northwest). > > > > > > >

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Univac Demo
by Duane Craps 08 Feb '21

08 Feb '21

Woo Hoo Bill Dromgoole's UNIVAC Demo Has 1000 views in the first week UNIVAC 2021 Update - Full Boot and Diagnostic - YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_d1QbeiOu0> - DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Altair 680/Dan Roganti
by Dave McGuire 08 Feb '21

08 Feb '21

I'm trying to find out what happened to Dan's Altair 680. Does anyone here have it, or know anything about it? Please contact me off-list if so. Thanks, -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Tomorrow is Bring Your Atari to Work Day
by Andrew Diller 07 Feb '21

07 Feb '21

And take a photo and submit it at RetoBattleStations on Reddit! February 7: Bring Your Atari to Work Day <https://twitter.com/benjedwards/status/1225782929282027520> (observed Monday February 8) https://old.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/laiwqb/calendar_of_up… <https://old.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/laiwqb/calendar_of_up…> With WFH still going on for some of us this should be a piece of cake. Submit away. -andy

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Super Sketch drawing tablet for Commodore 64
by David K 07 Feb '21

07 Feb '21

I recently bought a Super Sketch drawing tablet for the C64 from eBay. I was surprised by how sophisticated it was and how much fun I had trying it out. I have a video about it on YouTube that features: -unboxing of the tablet and all the extras that were included -a demonstration of drawing and the many other functions (2:57) -a look inside at how it works (21:20) My question is about the last part; about how it works. When I opened up the drawing tablet there were two, what I believe to be, linear potentiometers. Since the tablet plugs into the joystick port I was surprised that the C64 could "read" the potentiometers. There was not an IC (?) in the tablet itself but when I opened up the plug there was indeed an IC that I assume converted the variable voltage of the potentiometers into something the C64 could read. If anyone has feedback on whether I got this right and whether this was a unique feature I would appreciate it. The link to the video is: https://youtu.be/pLvQVJhRx2o. If that gets scrubbed you can likely search "Super Sketch vintage drawing tablet for Commodore 64 - also made for TI-99 / 4A and Atari 800 XL" to find it. Interestingly I had initially bought another Super Sketch on eBay that said it was for the C64 but when I received it the plug was not correct (which is why I bought the second one). Interestingly the non-C64 tablet has different circuitry in it and does not have the IC in the plug or anywhere else. So any help with this is appreciated. David K

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Repair Workshop on March 6, 7, 2021
by Jeffrey Brace 07 Feb '21

07 Feb '21

Our next repair workshop will be March 6 & 7, 2021 Signup here: March Repair Workshop Signup Sheet <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XE6z0-LwO77hg7BIhphhP6eSjbo5AhJ5Jdc…> Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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VCF East 2021 rescheduled
by Jeffrey Brace 07 Feb '21

07 Feb '21

Hello everyone, I hope that everyone is safe, healthy and still able to enjoy our vintage computer hobby these days. As you can see Covid-19 persists across the country and vaccines are not yet at the levels that we want them to be. Large crowds will not be possible in April and likely not be for at least a few months. So I am rescheduling VCF East to our backup date of October 8, 9 & 10, 2021. I'm hoping that 8 months from now we will be in a place where we can have an in-person event. I will make a final decision by August 1 whether we will stay in-person or go virtual. I will be starting to make plans for this event with the hope that we will have an in-person event. Take care everyone, be safe, and be well! Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Snow and Repair Workshop this weekend
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Feb '21

06 Feb '21

So the forecast is for snow to start around 4AM Sunday morning and get heavier around 2PM. For those traveling far, I advise either leaving Saturday night or after breakfast Sunday morning. We are expected to get 6 to 8 inches in our area during Sunday. Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Heathkit H8
by Herb Johnson 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

It's good to see H8 activity. I have one but it's sitting quiet these days: https://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/h8.html It is also "native" pretty much. I'd not mind a floppy controller upgrade, but not too modern a board. I also have some early SEBHC H8 boards unbuilt, from quite awhile ago. Thanks for the reminder! regards, Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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Flip-Chips on ebay
by Duane Craps 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

For all you DEC people -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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February Repair Workshop Feb 6 & 7, 2021
by Jeffrey Brace 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

Starting January 2021 we will be charging $15 per person per day. $10 goes to InfoAge and $5 will go to CDL. Signup for February Repair Workshop here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FytFtk9_rE0Nw_Pk_M9bFVMh324hNwJMwcK… Remember the spaces are first come first serve to the CDL space. Limited space available. Overflow space in 9032-A building. The workshop is $15 *per* person, *per* day. $10 goes to InfoAge and $5 goes to CDL. Sign up to guarantee a table!!! *DATES*: February 6 & 7, 2021 *LOCATIONS:* InfoAge: 2201 Marconi Road, Wall Township, NJ 1) Building 9059 (CDL Hackerspace - Formerly IXR) AND 2) Building 9032-A (Old workshop area in main building) TIME: Saturday START time == 10 A.M. END time == 11PM. Sunday START time == 10 A.M. and END == 5 P.M. *SIGNUP HERE!*: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FytFtk9_rE0Nw_Pk_M9bFVMh324hNwJMwcK… : Workshop area is limited to 10 people per room and facemasks are required. Hand sanitizer is available. *COST:*- $15 per person, PER day. This money goes to InfoAge and CDL. - $25 per night for those wanting to stay overnight (Money goes to InfoAge). Please pay ME (Jeff Brace) upon arrival. Cash or PayPal is acceptable as payment. Ask ahead of time if you need to use a credit card. *OVERNIGHT*: Bring your own pillow, blankets, soap etc. We provide a bed frame and an uncovered mattress. There are showers and a kitchen for your use. - You can pay via PayPal to paypal(a)vcfed.org. or to me via cash or credit card in person. *EQUIPMENT:* - VCF will provide a table and you can use any available electrical outlet. - Bring your own tools, power strips, power cords, and supplies etc. - If you need particular tools that you don't know or particular parts, please post to the list for those going. They may have what you need. Let them know ahead of time. - Let everyone know what project you are working on ahead of time to inspire collaboration. *DRINKS*: You should bring your own. We have a refrigerator in CDL to keep them cold. VCF will buy some water and soft drinks for member use. *FOOD*: *Saturday afternoon*: Pizza from Attilios (Tinton Falls) *Saturday Night Dinner at 7:30?*: Main Street Bar and Grill Address: 735 Route 35, Ocean Township, NJ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h3U1lf0M_nsgu2M7dccb2CoDnAAfDfLDc4Z… *Sunday Morning*: Bagel order from Delicious Bagels < https://www.deliciousbagelspointpleasant.com/) Fill out Order here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/106iJBC9_YlD6Z561qzWpvV5DlbdOBLezD0U… *Sunday Afternoon*: Wawa order GATE: Please close the gate behind you at all times. We want to discourage random strangers from wandering the campus as well as during museum hours. PARKING: Park in the main parking lot, unless you are unloading. Don't park on the lawn. QUESTIONS? Contact Jeff: 732-759-1783 jeffrey(a)vcfed.org Have fun everyone! -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Welcome New Member Murat!
by Jeffrey Brace 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

Hello Murat! How did you find our list? What are your interests? -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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