- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Another great repair workshop
by dillera＠gmail.com 06 Oct '19

06 Oct '19

Here are my photos from Sat: https://imgur.com/gallery/T4UfR5j <https://imgur.com/gallery/T4UfR5j> It was a beautiful day to wander around InfoAge and very full repair day. See you in November. -andy

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OT: converting audio tapes to computer files
by Evan Koblentz 06 Oct '19

06 Oct '19

My girlfriend has a couple of dozen audio tapes that she wants converted to sound files. She's willing to pay someone to do it. No editing or optimization needed, only bare files. She nor I are interested in DIY advice. Just looking for someone to do it for her. Not urgent, but it can't take six months either. Reply to me off-list at evan(a)snarc.net.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] much ado about chording keyboards
by Eric Rangell 04 Oct '19

04 Oct '19

Hi Jonathan, Let me know if this diagram has what you are looking for: https://github.com/erangell/VCFEast2019/blob/master/KeyboardDecoder.png When a key is pressed, it will connect a Pad to a Rail, so the Q key connects pin 12 to pin 21. The decoder can then send current through each pin and see if any of the other pins are receiving the voltage. Control and Shift can be read independently of other keys using pins 2, 3, and 23. My encoder board is from The Keyboard Company, model # KB20-0016-00. The encoder chip is labelled: 331-0931-B KR3600-070 SMC 8151 with another marking of 8-82. Eric

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] *OT*, but I don't know how else to contact Ian
by Lou 02 Oct '19

02 Oct '19

Something that I should mention to the community and on here is that I actually live right next to Sewell (Pretty much all of Gloucester is in my reach if it's reasonable, some of Camden/Burlington as well). I can attempt to aquire this TV if need be for Ian, funny thing is he was at my work just this past Monday. The hard part is finding a place to keep it at since I'm pretty sure the fiancee won't be happy about me bringing it home! -Lou

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*OT*, but I don't know how else to contact Ian
by jsalzman＠gmail.com 02 Oct '19

02 Oct '19

Ian Primus... I don't know if you're interested in this, but it seems to be right up your alley, and you're the first person I thought of when I saw this item. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Heathkit-Television-with-Manual-Remote-Vintage-fro… I'd hate to see this get trashed, but I'm not in a position to acquire it myself... even for the $1 asking price. Thanks, Jeff Salzman

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Re: *OT*, but I don't know how else to contact Ian
by Jeffrey Golas 02 Oct '19

02 Oct '19

My uncle had that EXACT TV. Needed constant repair and constantly losing its programmed channels. Cool to see but meh, there are better things to save. Bags

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Sperry/Univac Uniscope 100 Service Manual?
by Jeff G 01 Oct '19

01 Oct '19

Would anyone happen to have a service manual, schematic, or ANY technical info on a Univac Uniscope 100 terminal? I acquired one a few days ago and its dead. I did find that the Computer History Museum has the manual and they are seeing if they can dig it up, but if I can get a full copy or if someone has one locally that would be better. If someone did have one I'd be glad to scan it if possible and make it available. I also found some online posts where the original designer of this posted up original drawings and talked about the thoughts behind the design of it. Some pics of it on my web site as I cleaned it up here: https://www.junknet.net/2019/09/30/sperry-uniscope-100-terminal-acquired/ I also acquired some Sperry/Univac "Mapper" memorabilia at the same time, that I'll be posting up on my web site too. (Known today as BIS from Unisys) Thanks, Bags (aka Jeff G)

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Another great repair workshop
by Herb Johnson 30 Sep '19

30 Sep '19

http://www.retrotechnology.com/restore/vcfrepair_sep19.html I was going to post about my PDP-8/A repairs at the recent workshop; the linked WEb page has details. When I read Evan's post about his LEGO Logo Robo go-go work, I added some photos and links about that, to my Web page. I looked with effort on the Web for "da schematic" for the motor controller, the thing that was "jumpered" in posted discussion. I was surprised to NOT find it. There's info on the Apple II interface card already, as discussed. Odd someone with skills, hasn't drawn this already. There's the usual reasons, mostly like these things are already available for tens of dollars used. Ah - this Web page is informative: http://lukazi.blogspot.com/2014/07/lego-legos-first-programmable-product.ht… Regards, Herb "copper trace" Johnson -- 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 retrotechnology DOT info

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] A little electronics hack
by Evan Koblentz 30 Sep '19

30 Sep '19

Big squiggly area in the center of the second (bottom) image. On Mon, Sep 30, 2019, 1:48 PM Mark Whittington <markwhi(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DGOlTkGXj_Q/U8-T2uBG5iI/AAAAAAAAATY/7ra6gVkSKg8/… > > > https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6RLSsFHgMgY/U8-TzfBRxOI/AAAAAAAAATQ/NeiKlqHPevs/… > > Out of curiosity (and assuming I've found the right board images), do you > happen to know where the circuit that Neville identified as faulty is on > these images? Also, I've found a couple of these units for sale in the US > for ~$85 and in the UK for ~$50 that might be useful for backup or reverse > engineering purposes. > > Cheers, > > -Mark > > On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 12:57 PM Evan Koblentz <evan(a)vcfed.org> wrote: > >> >> Looks like someone on this list has already done the legwork on this >> as of 2016... https://www.glitchwrks.com/2016/09/12/lego-logo-interface >> <https://www.glitchwrks.com/2016/09/12/lego-logo-interface> >> >> No - that's the card for connecting the computer to the interface box. >> That schematic already existed and we didn't have the card, so Jonathan >> (Glitch) built one for us. That is what you see documented. In the current >> thread I am referring to the interface box itself. There is more info on my >> personal website at http://www.mindsbeforethestorm.com/8bit_hardware.php. >> >> >> >> On Mon, Sep 30, 2019, 11:16 AM Mark Whittington <markwhi(a)gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Looks like someone on this list has already done the legwork on this as >>> of 2016... >>> >>> https://www.glitchwrks.com/2016/09/12/lego-logo-interface >>> >>> On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 9:13 AM Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>> >>>> >> If you're interested in investigating further if you point us to >>>> schematics we can give suggestions. >>>> >>>> I am giving the box to Neville in early November (don't want to risk it >>>> not >>>> working before the Brickfair NJ event the first weekend of that month). >>>> He >>>> agreed to my request to make a schematic of it. >>>> >>>> The next step will be to have someone else take his schematic, build >>>> one, >>>> and send it back to me for testing. That'll prove that the box can in >>>> fact >>>> be built from just the plans. After that I'll post it on my website. >>>> >>>> A possible third stage would be to make modern improvements, if any >>>> ideas >>>> stand out. >>>> >>>> I'm only interested in the function, not in replicating the physical >>>> case. >>>> But what I would avoid is replacing the vintage computer with a >>>> microcontroller. I'm all for a better interface but strictly against >>>> some >>>> non-vintage computer experience. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mon, Sep 30, 2019, 8:43 AM David Gesswein via vcf-midatlantic < >>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>> >>>> > > >> It's called a 'crowbar' circuit. Prevents things from burning >>>> up. >>>> > > >>>> > >>>> > What I normally called a crowbar circuit is the overvoltage protection >>>> > where it intentionally shorts the output of the power supply. This >>>> sounds >>>> > more like over current protection. >>>> > >>>> > > What are common reasons why those stop working? Neville and I >>>> didn't see >>>> > > any obvious signs of damage to it. >>>> > > >>>> > Either component value shift or failed component. You indicated that >>>> it is >>>> > driving the motors better than it ever has. It may also be your motors >>>> > are a heavier load than it was intended to drive. >>>> > >>>> > If you're interested in investigating further if you point us to >>>> schematics >>>> > we can give suggestions. >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > > On Sun, Sep 29, 2019, 1:56 PM Mike Loewen < >>>> mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us> >>>> > > wrote: >>>> > > >>>> > > > On Sun, 29 Sep 2019, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >>>> > > > >>>> > > > > Neville noticed something that I wouldn't have. The circuitry >>>> > contains a >>>> > > > > safety mechanism to shut off all power if the current jumps too >>>> high, >>>> > > > such >>>> > > > > as a kid inserting a paper clip. There's probably a technical >>>> name >>>> > for >>>> > > > that >>>> > > > > but I do not know it. Anyway, for unknown reasons this circuit >>>> was >>>> > > > kicking >>>> > > > > in! He jumped it with an equal-length wire. :) >>>> > > > >>>> > > > It's called a 'crowbar' circuit. Prevents things from >>>> burning up. >>>> > > > >>>> > > > >>>> > > > Mike Loewen >>>> mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us >>>> > > > Old Technology >>>> > http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/ >>>> > > > >>>> > >>>> >>>

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A little electronics hack
by Evan Koblentz 30 Sep '19

30 Sep '19

Yesterday at the workshop I took out the Laser 128 and circa-1987 Lego electronic parts. They'd been packed away since Maker Faire last year. My new robot barely worked, despite being almost identical to the old robot and running the same software. I found a loose wire connector which Ian fixed. Still had a lot of problems. Neville (a retired EE who first joined the old MARCH group in the mid-2000s and recently came back) started testing things with a meter and scope. He figured out that some of the interface box outputs were only producing half their usual power. We opened the box (a couple of years ago I swapped its plastic rivets for screws). Nothing seemed wrong. It was clean and all of the capacitors looked good for 30+ years old. Neville noticed something that I wouldn't have. The circuitry contains a safety mechanism to shut off all power if the current jumps too high, such as a kid inserting a paper clip. There's probably a technical name for that but I do not know it. Anyway, for unknown reasons this circuit was kicking in! He jumped it with an equal-length wire. :) We tried the robot again. What a difference! Even before it stopped working last year, the motors always seemed kind of weak. I just assumed that was normal because I never knew it any other way. Now I see what normal is supposed to be. The motors run MUCH stronger! It's an amazing improvement. Neville also resoldered a loose LED connector and one suspect cold joint. So I'm a happy camper. The electronics for this set are running better than ever, which means I can focus on the Lego side and the software. I'm giving a big presentation about all of this Lego stuff on Friday, Nov. 1 at Brickfair NJ and then exhibiting it there Saturday and Sunday. Now I do not have to worry so much about the demo aspect failing.

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much ado about chording keyboards
by Jeffrey Jonas 30 Sep '19

30 Sep '19

Here are my chording keyboard references: Start with Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorded_keyboard Douglas Engelbart's chording keyboard looked like piano keys: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_of_All_Demos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJDv-zdhzMY "The Mother of All Demos is a name given retrospectively to Douglas Engelbart's December 9, 1968, demonstration of experimental computer technologies that are now commonplace. The live demonstration featured the introduction of the computer mouse, video conferencing, teleconferencing, hypertext, word processing, hypermedia, object addressing and dynamic file linking, bootstrapping, and a collaborative real-time editor." Here's a product with a chording keyboard: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwriter The Microwriter is a hand-held portable word-processor with a chording keyboard. First demonstrated in 1978, it was invented by UK-based, US-born film director Cy Endfield ... Take a chording keyboard and wrap it around a stick or put it on a small hand-held remote and you have a keyer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyer or a "Twiddler", intended for wearable computers: https://twiddler.tekgear.com/ The Twiddler has been "reinvented" as a cordless motion sensor wearable https://www.tapwithus.com/ as discussed here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17557593 Everything old is new again! -- jeff jonas

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Another great repair workshop
by Matt Patoray 30 Sep '19

30 Sep '19

Nice work Tony, Sadly the issue with so many of the Next mono megapixel displays is that the tubes are just low emissions. Since the monitors were powered on and running as long as the machines were powered on. This was not as much of an issue with the Philips and Hitachi color monitors as they were not powered form the CPU and had a power switch and could be turned off. You can boost the screen voltage to try and compensate for that, but it is just a temporary fix. Once tubes get to a point of real low emissions even the screen voltage boost will not help, and then you just end up with a cloudy out of focus mess. Sometimes you can try a rejuvenation of the tube with a CRT tester like the Sencore CR-70 or the Sencore CR-7000 (if you have deep pockets). it is not recommended to use B&K CRT testers for their restore function as it is rather harsh and sometimes can blow the cathode apart rendering the tube useless. As of right now, there is no company that is rebuilding CRT's (but the effort to start rebuilding down in Columbus Ohio at the Early Television Museum is moving forward). So that may be an option in the next few years. On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 8:05 AM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > The two museum NeXT printers and two Megapixel displays are now tagged > with their working state. One monitor just required a little manual > adjustment and focus and is now a viable replacement for the one on display > if it’s ever needed or can be used for one of the three NeXTstations VCF > has if we ever display them. Both printers need work, but replacement toner > cartridges are available (They use HP laserjet II or equivalent cartridges) > and intake rollers can be had as well. I’ve never done it but know it’s > been done before. > > One monitor is working but needs some attention from the Monitor Whisperer > (hi Ian!) to get the image bright enough again to be useable. I spoke with > Ian and Connor at the workshop and we talked about maybe doing a NeXTfest > at a future workshop to get everything working (or at least starting the > process) plus bringing any of our own NeXT machines to work on as well. > > > Tony > -- Matt Patoray Owner, MSP Productions KD8AMG

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Another great repair workshop
by Jeffrey Brace 30 Sep '19

30 Sep '19

Many got things fixed, a few are still working on some. Bill and Duane did some more work on the Univac. They will report on this in a few days as they are extending their repairs another two days. Ian fixed the museum's Amiga monitor and Apple 2 monitor. We had a nice BBQ Saturday night. How about others share what they worked on? The next repair workshop is November 9 & 10 and it will be in the CDL (formerly IXR) building. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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RIP Adam Rosen
by Evan Koblentz 29 Sep '19

29 Sep '19

Adam Rosen, known for his Vintage Mac Museum website, died at just 53. He exhibited at VCF East a couple of times. Really nice guy. I was sad to read this article today. https://www.cultofmac.com/655174/adam-rosen-vintage-mac-museum

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Next Repair Workshop 11/9 & 11/10
by Jeffrey Brace 29 Sep '19

29 Sep '19

By popular demand the next VCF repair workshop will be ... Nov 9 & 10 This time it will not be in the usual spot: 9032A (not available due to holiday model train show setup. It will be in 9059 which is CDL (Computer Deconstruction Lab: The hackerspace by the entrance). Here is the signup sheet: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Le5_EtutRBgnOc9_4gLxJb7CGGEpIuTQWjZ… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Breakfast tomorrow
by Jeffrey Brace 28 Sep '19

28 Sep '19

OB diner at 9AM -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Vote Nov Repair Workshop preference
by Jeffrey Brace 27 Sep '19

27 Sep '19

5 votes for Nov 9/10 0 votes for Nov 2/3 Anyone for Nov 16/17? Last call -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Q-Bus data acquisition boards?
by Neil Cherry 27 Sep '19

27 Sep '19

I donate a Vax ee00 or 3400 to the VCF Museum and that had a DAC or ADC board in it. It was a hlf height board. Not sure what the Museum did with it, or the Vax. I never could identify the board. It had a huge 64 pin chip on it and I think a BNC connector. I didn't respond directly to the thread as I don't know how it can be transfered from the Museum to anything else. The laws are pretty strict on that kind of stuff. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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Q-Bus data acquisition boards?
by Richard Cini 27 Sep '19

27 Sep '19

I’m getting back to playing with my 11/23 and I was wondering is anyone could recommend a good board or boards for simple AD and straight digital data acquisition? Maybe even a combo board? The backplane is a Q18/CD (too chicken to convert it to Q22). Thanks! Rich Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>

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InFo RePaIr WoRkShOp Sep 2019 - 9/28 & 9/29
by Jeffrey Brace 26 Sep '19

26 Sep '19

As a reminder the workshop is $10 *per* person, *per* day. Sorry this is InfoAge's rule and not our decision. So that means for two days it is $20. Sign up quickly to guarantee a table. DATE: September 28 & 29 LOCATION: InfoAge Building 9032A (usual workshop room) - (2201 Marconi Road, Wall Township, NJ) TIME: Start about 10 A.M. on Saturday and ends whenever we go to sleep. End about 5 P.M. on Sunday. (Starts around 10 A.M. Sunday morning) SIGNUP: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pLLZqlotJBRhPYNQtIMZ70FoW6Yw2ycCj5I… > COST: - $10 per person, PER day. This is required by InfoAge for us to pay for renting the space. - $25 for those wanting to stay overnight (Money goes to InfoAge). Please pay ME (Jeff Brace) when you get there so that I don't forget. Credit cards accepted. I will be using VCF's PayPal Here tablet with bluetooth credit card machine. 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. - Please bring an extra one or two power cords as these are often forgotten by people. DRINKS: You should bring your own. I would recommend bringing a cooler of some type. FOOD: Bring your own, but we will usually order pizza or go out to eat for dinner. If the weather is nice, then we might cook burgers out back. GATE: During the hours from 1 pm to 5 pm close the front gate behind you. We want museum visitors to go to the front lobby and not wander through the middle of the campus. Outside of those times, you can feel free to leave the gate open. PARKING: Park in the main parking lot, unless you are unloading in front of 9059. InfoAge doesn't like us parking on the lawn anymore. QUESTIONS? Contact Jeff: 732-759-1783 jeffrey(a)vcfed.org Have fun everyone! -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Old Original Mac Computers, keyboards in Labertsville NJ
by Christian Liendo 26 Sep '19

26 Sep '19

https://cnj.craigslist.org/sys/d/lambertville-old-original-mac-computers/69… This is not mine, but I figured someone is interested

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This is the coolest thing. Fixing broken/missing plastic with baking soda and super glue.
by corey cohen 25 Sep '19

25 Sep '19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1meoZaHYZo

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Repair workshop 9/28 & 9/29
by Jeffrey Brace 24 Sep '19

24 Sep '19

We have twelve signed up so far. We have room for more. Here is the link: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pLLZqlotJBRhPYNQtIMZ70FoW6Yw2ycCj5I… > Evan won't be there Sunday because he is doing a family thing, but I will. For Saturday lunch we will get pizza from a different place, my local favorite: Attilio's of Tinton Falls. I don't know why we didn't get pizza from here before. It is only 7 minutes away. For Saturday dinner, we will cook burgers again. For Sunday breakfast, we will be going to the OB diner and meeting at 9AM. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] This is the coolest thing. Fixing broken/missing plastic with baking soda and super glue.
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 24 Sep '19

24 Sep '19

Chris Fala via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> writes: >I have used this professionally. Very durable. > >https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Rawn-35105-Plas-T-Pair-Plastic-Repair-Kit-… Is this brittle when cured? That's the problem the the CA/NaHCO3. Typically, I mold parts from epoxy and microballoons. This is, however, not flexible either but extremely strong.

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OT: I need a (modern) Mac keyboard
by Evan Koblentz 24 Sep '19

24 Sep '19

As the subject line says ... anybody have a spare they can bring to the workshop on Saturday?

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Tandy Assembly
by Mike Loewen 24 Sep '19

24 Sep '19

http://www.tandyassembly.com/ Who else is going to TA2019 in Springfield, OH next weekend? I'll be there with my 6000HD, running my original BBS code from 1986, plus a greatly improved back-ported version from Linux in 1996. Ian Mavric from Australia is bringing lots of goodies for vintage TRS-80s. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] A November repair workshop?
by Jeffrey Brace 23 Sep '19

23 Sep '19

OK. How many vote for Nov 2 & 3? Nov 9 & 10? On Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 4:39 PM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > >> I'm looking to schedule one more workshop for the calendar year 2019. > >> I was thinking November 2 & 3. > >> What do you guys think? > >> Is there any conflict with any other events? > > Duh, November 3rd is my birthday. That’ll be a huge conflict for thousands > of people...... or one...... actually I’d rather be at the workshop on my > birthday!! Been at drydock with one of the boats every year on my birthday > for the last 25+ years!! > > The 9th and 10th would work better for me. Better chance of me not still > being in drydock through that weekend. > > Tony > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Still need more museum docents
by Evan Koblentz 23 Sep '19

23 Sep '19

It's quantum: we are desperate for more museum docents (because Jeff B. and company deserve breaks too), however we're simultaneously selective about who we'll let be a docent (because it's largely a public relations job). The last time we asked, there were mixed results: - A bunch of people said, "I'd love to, but..." - One person sincerely volunteered, but we said "No, thank you" because we couldn't in good conscience let him travel that far (a couple of states away) just for four hours of volunteering. - One or two others also volunteered, but didn't keep their commitment. So if you're interested in being a tour guide and are smart, outgoing, reliable, professional, and know a lot about computer history, then email Jeff B. (jeffrey(a)vcfed.org) to explain your interest. He will talk about it with me, Corey, and Dean for approval.

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Important: I'm taking a break
by Evan Koblentz 23 Sep '19

23 Sep '19

Everyone, I decided to take a break from most VCF stuff, starting now and lasting until Festivus. I am very busy with my new job and way behind on commitments to myself and others in non-VCF aspects of life. I haven't really had a break from MARCH-turned-VCFed since it all began in 2004, not counting a couple of weeks in 2010 for a family emergency. So here's what will happen during the next couple of months: - I will still lead our Bells Labs demo next month and will give my lecture + demo at Brickfair NJ in November. I've been looking forward to both of these events! - Dean will lead the VCF table at Jersey Shore Makerfest next month. - Jeff B. will continue his museum docenting and will arrange to fill the gaps. Corey will take most of the Wednesdays. - I'll be at the workshop this Saturday to finish my rebuilt Lego robot (the old one broke at the end of Maker Faire last fall). - I'm not going dark. I will chime in here sometime, may even stop by the museum once or twice, and will be available to whomever needs my help. But our board of directors will continue their work in my absence, still consulting with me on any major decisions. - I told Jeff B. and Corey and Dean not to let me find the museum/warehouse in shambles when I get back in December. :) Their job is to keep it humming, not to change anything big. - For non-major questions / problems / comments / event planning / etc., contact any of them (Corey / Jeff B. / Dean) ... but as I said, anyone can reach me if needed, I'm sure you will all agree that this is a much-deserved break after 15 years of leading the group. My passion and ambition for what we do remains high, but my availability is much lower and my energy has ups/downs. Right now the latter is kind of in down cycle. Looking forward to seeing some of you next Saturday, and at the Bell Labs event, and then of course at Festivus. I'll answer any questions here or in private, but please don't press me for any specific details about what prompted this, etc. ... I just need some time away from it. Thanks, -Evan K.

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A November repair workshop?
by Jeffrey Brace 22 Sep '19

22 Sep '19

I'm looking to schedule one more workshop for the calendar year 2019. I was thinking November 2 & 3. What do you guys think? Is there any conflict with any other events? -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Repair workshop 9/28 & 9/29
by Jeffrey Brace 22 Sep '19

22 Sep '19

On Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 3:22 PM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Trying to get there on Sunday. No way I can go Saturday but ill know in a > day or two if I can be there Sunday. > No problem. I will save a spot for you. > Tony > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Sep 22, 2019, at 3:00 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > We have twelve signed up so far. We have room for more. > > Here is the link: < > > > https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pLLZqlotJBRhPYNQtIMZ70FoW6Yw2ycCj5I… > >> > > > > Evan won't be there Sunday because he is doing a family thing, but I > will. > > > > For Saturday lunch we will get pizza from a different place, my local > > favorite: Attilio's of Tinton Falls. I don't know why we didn't get pizza > > from here before. It is only 7 minutes away. > > > > For Saturday dinner, we will cook burgers again. > > > > For Sunday breakfast, we will be going to the OB diner and meeting at > 9AM. > > > > -- > > ========================================= > > Jeff Brace > > Vice President > > Vintage Computer Federation > > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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new acquisition: Intel SBC 80/10+SBC-108
by Herb Johnson 21 Sep '19

21 Sep '19

> It seems to be "industrial strength" - I'm sure these were priced above the affordability threshold for most hobbyists... Glenn, suffice it for me to say, as a digital engineer from the 1970's, that while Multibus systems when new, were not cheap; in the era, early digital computing technology (microprocessor or minicomputer), wasn't cheap either. And in due course, Multibus and other industrial-bus microcomputers, became "hobbyist"; and are hobbyist today, notwithstanding some legacy industrial uses still going on. But just because some 1970's computers were industrial, doesn't mean they didn't have a "hobby" impact or had early hobby activity. Just as college students "hacked" on expensive computers at their colleges, so did engineers and techs do the same at the time - either at work or when these systems became surplus. And today, there's a number of people "hobbying" on Multibus computers; and other such systems too. Certainly so, on the minicomputers preceding the microprocessor-based "boxes". I think to someone born after say 1995, all these "rows of boards in ugly boxes" look the same - S-100, Multibus, VMEbus, STDbus, SS-50, OSI, DEC, etc. So it disappoints me, when I see any of them referenced as "non-hobby" for one reason or another, past or present. It's my era to defend. Regards, Herb Johnson -- 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 retrotechnology DOT info

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Slightly off topic - USAF to retire LCC systems using 8" floppy drives.
by Martin Flynn 20 Sep '19

20 Sep '19

https://www.nonproliferation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/180409-nc3-is-t… "The LCC Block Upgrade is an overall modification effort that replaces multiple LCC components to include a modern data storage replacement for floppy disks. We expect a contract to be awarded this year with production in 2018 and deployment in 2019"

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] new acquisition: Intel SBC 80/10+SBC-108
by Michael Thompson 20 Sep '19

20 Sep '19

> > Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2019 18:45:16 -0400 > From: "Glenn Roberts" <glenn.f.roberts(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] new acquisition: Intel SBC 80/10+SBC-108 > > I've acquired an Intel SBC 80/10 and the associated SBC-108 I/O RAM > expansion board plus a card cage. These appear to date to '76 and, as I > understand it, were the beginning of what eventually became branded as the > Intel Multibus (later an IEEE standard). These have ceramic Intel chips. > Look to be in pretty clean shape. I've found manuals/docs on the internet > for the SBC 80/10 but not the expansion board. > * Glenn > The manual for the SBC-108 is here: http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/intel/iSBC/980277B_SBC_104_Memory_IO… Decades ago I ported CP/M 3.0 to that processor board. I had a framebuffer for the console and 128k of RAM. I used the parallel port to control the upper memory address lines for the memory paging. -- Michael Thompson

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Sep Repair Workshop 2019 - 9/28 & 9/29
by Jeffrey Brace 20 Sep '19

20 Sep '19

Signup here for the September 28 & 29 VCF Repair workshop: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pLLZqlotJBRhPYNQtIMZ70FoW6Yw2ycCj5I… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] ESIX System V
by Kenneth Seefried 20 Sep '19

20 Sep '19

TL;DR: Definitely worth preserving. If no one else, the guy at https://virtuallyfun.com/ is into various versions of i386 Unix. Long Version: I worked for a hardware OEM and some related firms in the golden days of SVR4 on i386. I ran daily pretty much all of them, installed them daily/weekly, beat my head on the desk frequently. We had source trees for virtually all of these which we spent a *lot* of time pouring through. Code was written and debugged. My $DAYJOB was driver/integration/testing/admin work on this stuff. > "*ESIX* - Esix System V Release 4.0 unifies all major versions and > derivatives of UNIX such as AT&T System V Release 3.2, Berkeley Software > Distribution (BSD) 4.2 and 4.3, SCO UNIX 3.2, and Microsoft XENIX. In > addition, key features of Sun Microsystems SunOS? have been incorporated. " > > That's pretty much a generic description of System V release 4 for i386. It was obviously replacing SVR3, Xenix & SCO. Hard to not pull in 4BSD. The reference platforms for SVR4 were i386 and SPARC, so yeah, key features of SunOS were in there. > Everex did more than distribute it; they started with AT&T SysV, wrote > most of the drivers, and integrated the BSD extensions. > > They might have written the the drivers for some Everex specific hardware, but unless you have some evidence, the Everex source code I saw was pretty much stock SVR4/i386. Certainly nothing I'd call "most" of the drivers. Or even "a few". I think there was was some Everex motherboard specific tweaks (didn't they have their own spin on a memory or cache controller? Something like that...I forget.) and a disk controller or two. But it's been nearly 30 years, so I could be wrong. And exactly what BSD extensions did they integrate that weren't part of stock SVR4? I don't recall that "#ifdef ESIX" was a thing. Wow. If all of that is true, then this would seem to be a very desirable > unix system. Maybe even the holy grail of unixes. However the devil is in > the details. Maybe it had some flaws? I hadn't heard of it, but with those > collection of features, you would think it would be extremely well known > (maybe it is, maybe I'm cloistered) > > Historical Context: Given a couple of competent Unix savvy hackers, it was pretty easy to bring up the reference SVR4 on any random, suitably generic i386 (486, 586) motherboard and common I/O boards; there were drivers already for the common chipsets and a lot of (E)ISA devices. And there were a number of consultancies who would do the port for you for a modest fee. So lots of vendors paid a few bucks so they could say "see....we got Unix too!". Good times. ESIX was an "you-get-an-A-for-effort" SVR4/i386. They had some really good, dedicated folks who worked very hard. They tried to take it up a notch above a generic SVR4 distro. Everex wanted to be considered more "workstation" than "bog standard generic PC box". But they never had very many folks working on Unix, and never with many resources. There were a tiny handful of technical support people (like, 3-4 maybe), which was rough (even for Unix savvy customers). For me, it wasn't the holy grail. YHGMV. Compare it to Dell SVR4, which clearly had much more investment and actually had things they did that no one else did: a reasonably well resourced support organization (mostly of the time), tuned drivers, a nifty and actually useful auto-configuration system, an X11 "office suite" of apps (admittedly, not that great), a curated selection of Open Source tools (like gcc, perl, emacs, tex) on the distro tape at a time when downloading and compiling such things wasn't always trivial (and, like Solaris 2, you otherwise had to pay for a C compiler). That was my daily driver for years...really nice for the time. Still turned out to not be a viable product in the long run, but that's a different story. KJ

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new acquisition: Intel SBC 80/10+SBC-108
by Glenn Roberts 19 Sep '19

19 Sep '19

I've acquired an Intel SBC 80/10 and the associated SBC-108 I/O RAM expansion board plus a card cage. These appear to date to '76 and, as I understand it, were the beginning of what eventually became branded as the Intel Multibus (later an IEEE standard). These have ceramic Intel chips. Look to be in pretty clean shape. I've found manuals/docs on the internet for the SBC 80/10 but not the expansion board. Intel marketing Brochure: http://www.dvq.com/docs/brochures/intel_sbc_80_10.pdf Pictures: SBC: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wce5PACtp6JkkP5BA SBC-108: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UeRDbjihvvZnm7ZH7 cage: https://photos.app.goo.gl/o5rBtYn7kSxmuCjS8 Wondering if anyone has any particular insight, memories, experience, advice to share. Is this a particularly rare find? I'd like to power it up - I believe it has a simple monitor in ROM. Tx. * Glenn

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I'm New
by Ryan Burke 18 Sep '19

18 Sep '19

Hello all, My name is Ryan and I am glad to be a part of VCF. I've been collecting for over a year now and it quickly became my favorite hobby. I was turned onto this by some people I know in a discord server, and I'm glad to find some hands on help to some of my problems I've been having. I am looking forward to attending this workshop because there is nothing interesting going on in Maryland related to vintage computing. I've collected some interesting stuff over the past year including some IBM 5150s, an Xt and an AT, multiple C64s, and an Apple II. My interests are pretty much anything earlier than 1990 but I can't pass up a good deal. As I said earlier I'm pretty new to all this, but I'm getting the hand of soldering and I've fixed some small stuff and replaced chips in a C64. I'm quite eager to learn! Thanks for reading Ryan

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] I'm New
by Ryan Burke 17 Sep '19

17 Sep '19

Matt, This Apple ][+ functions great actually, I just needed to clean it. The monitor works perfectly as well.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] I'm New
by Ryan Burke 17 Sep '19

17 Sep '19

Thanks Matt I have an Apple ][+, in great shape. I've got all the paperwork and original sales reciepts for it, and some software. It has the Apple /// Monitor and stand. I've fixed 2 C64 so far, almost done with another 2. The IBMs I have take up a lot of space, I need to find more room

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Craigslist Commodore Monitor Box.. No Monitor
by Christian Liendo 16 Sep '19

16 Sep '19

For someone looking for an original box This is not mine, contact the person directly https://cnj.craigslist.org/sop/d/piscataway-commodore-cm-141-monitor-box/69…

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SGI Challenge
by Stephen A Edwards 15 Sep '19

15 Sep '19

Just found an SGI Challenge in the garbage. It's a deskside monster, too big for my collection, but it's a shame to let it just disappear. Let me know if you're interested in picking it up. FOB New York, Manhattan, Columbia University

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Welcome!
by Dean Notarnicola 15 Sep '19

15 Sep '19

Thank you, Steven! Hope to see you at a workshop soon! On Sat, Sep 14, 2019 at 2:15 PM Steven Mac84 <mac84tv(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Hello Dean and everyone on the VCF list! > > Please allow me introduce myself, my name is Steve. I reconnected with > Dean and the lovely folks running the VCF east booth at the New Jersey > Trenton Computer Festival back in March of this year. I'm sorry it took me > so terribly long to send this email. I'm also sad I missed the past VCF > event this summer, but I hope to make it to the next VCF east! > > As I mentioned to Dean I'm mostly into older Apple machines, along with > some 8-bit Atari and Commodore stuff mixed in. I have a collection of over > 100 vintage Apple machines, ranging from the Apple II series, the infamous > Apple III, and various 6800-powered Macintoshes all the way up to the > PowerPC line, including G3s, G4s, G5s, and even some early Intel models. > Although I specialize in Apple stuff, I'm not a "fan boy" and enjoy many > other systems. > > I have a small YouTube channel where my focus is on the restoration, > history, and exploration of Apple Computer, Inc. - along with other > technological fun that interests me (which is pretty much anything!) You > can check out my channel here if you are interested: > http://youtube.com/Mac84 > > I've been going to TCF since the early 2000s and enjoy attending when I > can. I'm currently working with the TCF board to catalog, organize and > archive photos from past events, as there deserves to be a cool archive of > events past. Hopefully we'll have a collection of old photos to share soon. > But feel free to contact me if you have any pictures or videos you'd like > to contribute to the archive. > > Happy computing! :-) > -Steve (of Mac84) > > On Sat, Mar 23, 2019 at 3:11 PM Dean Notarnicola <dnotarnicola(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Please introduce yourself to the list >> >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org >> >> >>

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[OT] Anyone From the DC Area Want a Ride to VCF MW?
by J. Alexander Jacocks 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

All, My daughter and wife are sick, and so are not going with me to VCF MW, this weekend. Does anyone from the DC area need a ride? I’m also up for picking someone up along the way from Maryland to Chicago. - Alex

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Sat. 14
by Dean Notarnicola 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

I will be there as Docent on the 14th, however I'm not sure how much help I can be, as I'm not intimately familiar with either system and I'm not extremely skilled in component level repair. Your best bet will most likely be to come to the next workshop on September 28 & 29. Regards, Dean On Mon, Sep 9, 2019 at 3:07 PM Fred Terry via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > I hope someone will be at the Museum Sat. 14 I could speak with > about help getting my Imsai 80/30 and Persci running again. I guess > I’ll be there after 11:00. > Fred Terry

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Sat. 14
by Fred Terry 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

I hope someone will be at the Museum Sat. 14 I could speak with about help getting my Imsai 80/30 and Persci running again. I guess I’ll be there after 11:00. Fred Terry

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OFF TOPIC - Frequency time base
by Evan Koblentz 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

>> Does anybody know if the museum has a time base generator, somewhere around 5, 10 or 20 MHz? (+-20hz) I need to calibrate a frequency counter We don't own anything like that. It is possible that NJARC (antique radio/TV group) or CDL (makerspace) has it. On Mon, Sep 9, 2019, 2:32 PM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> On 9/8/19 8:55 PM, Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > >> Does anybody know if the museum has a time base generator, somewhere > >> around 5, 10 or 20 MHz? (+-20hz) > >> I need to calibrate a frequency counter. > > > > On Sep 8, 2019, at 11:06 PM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > If you make it to the Pittsburgh area, I can do NIST-traceable > > frequency calibration in my lab, to a whole lot tighter than 20Hz. (move > > that decimal point about six digits to the right, man!) > > > > Gratis for all of my friends here, of course. > > > > -Dave > > > > -- > > Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > > New Kensington, PA > > > > Thank you for the offer, > But I doubt I will be in that area anytime. > > I was hoping that somebody had a portable unit and might bring it to the > workshop. > and or maybe the museum had one somewhere, possibly in storage, I would > not be able to tell how accurate it is, but I'd give it a shot. > > Mike R. > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OFF TOPIC - Frequency time base
by Dave McGuire 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

On 9/8/19 8:55 PM, Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Does anybody know if the museum has a time base generator, somewhere > around 5, 10 or 20 MHz? (+-20hz) > I need to calibrate a frequency counter. If you make it to the Pittsburgh area, I can do NIST-traceable frequency calibration in my lab, to a whole lot tighter than 20Hz. (move that decimal point about six digits to the right, man!) Gratis for all of my friends here, of course. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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ISO: Philips CDI 350/360 power supply
by Herb Johnson 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

> In search of a power supply for a Philips portable CDI 350 or 360. Look on eBay today. There's an auction for a complete unit. (A CD-ROM based gaming? device.) It has photos of the power supply. It's not cheap but it will inform you about the power supply. It appears there's voltage/current information on the bottom of the player/controller. It appears the power connector is uncommon. If so and you have to build a power supply, that's a challenge. Regards, Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Looking for drive bezels for Power mac 8100/8500/9500
by Matt Patoray 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

Hi all, I have started a restoration project to get my Power Mac 8500/180 DP up and running again. Part of that process will be a physical restoration which is already underway. To finish it out I need two drive bezels that never had for the machine. I am needing th CD-ROM and DAT drive bezels, does anyone have either that they are willing to sell me, all plastic tabs and nubs intact a plus but not 100% necessary (we all know how fragile early to mid 90's Apple plastic is). Thanks -- Matt Patoray Owner, MSP Productions KD8AMG

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