January 2016 - vcf-midatlantic

WTB: Altair Dress Panel, Any Version
by Systems Glitch 15 Jan '16

15 Jan '16

All, I'm looking for a dress panel for an Altair 8800B. Ideally, I'd like to put an 8800B dress panel on it. Turns out that the 8800 dress panel fits fine, though, so that would be acceptable too. Original, reproduction, a little beat up, doesn't matter. If it's an 8800 style dress panel, I'd like the metal strip that goes along the bottom, but it's not critical. I'm also looking for the metal strip for the 8800 -- I've got one that didn't come with the strip. Thanks, Jonathan

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Nixie tubes
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 15 Jan '16

15 Jan '16

Joseph Oprysko via vcf-midatlantic writes: >Would anyone happen to have a supply of Nixie tubes? I'd like to build >either a clock or maybe an 8 digit calculator if I have enough tubes. >Although not sure if I would use a microcontroller like arduino or if >I'd build the logic from the ground up. I have a nice 1974 Panasonic >830 4 function calculator (add/subtract/multiply/divide) and that's it, >not a nixie based calc though. > >If you have some tubes, message me off list and we will chat. Are 74(1)41s still made or available?

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Nixie tubes
by Joseph Oprysko 15 Jan '16

15 Jan '16

Would anyone happen to have a supply of Nixie tubes? I'd like to build either a clock or maybe an 8 digit calculator if I have enough tubes. Although not sure if I would use a microcontroller like arduino or if I'd build the logic from the ground up. I have a nice 1974 Panasonic 830 4 function calculator (add/subtract/multiply/divide) and that's it, not a nixie based calc though. If you have some tubes, message me off list and we will chat. Joe -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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I'm so ready to troubleshoot my vintage computers
by Joseph Oprysko 15 Jan '16

15 Jan '16

With my vintage Heathkit IM1212 Nixie Tube Multi-Meter. -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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FS: S100 Tarbell Tape Controller Unassembled Kit
by Systems Glitch 15 Jan '16

15 Jan '16

All, I've got a complete, unassembled Tarbell Tape Controller for the S100 bus. I don't think I'm ever going to get around to cloning the board. Kit includes the bare PCB, components, calibration tape, and original copy of the manual. It came to me in a large zip-loc bag, no idea if that's the original packing or not. No idea what the unassembled kit is worth, but the assembled boards seem to go for $150+ Contact me off-list with offers. Priority will be given to anyone who's going to make a real effort to clone it. I've already made a high-resolution scan of the board. Thanks, Jonathan

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Test, ignore...
by Evan Koblentz 15 Jan '16

15 Jan '16

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wide printer to donate if it works/fixed at workshop
by Jeffrey Jonas 14 Jan '16

14 Jan '16

Does anybody have Epson T007 or T009 inkjet cartridges? I will donate an Epson Stylus Photo 1280 model P158A to the museum if we get it running. I think it needs new cartridges, or tricked out to accept them with low/no ink. Centronix and USB interfaces. Prints to 13 inches wide. -- jeff jonas

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Apple M0130 400k Mac Floppy Drive
by Joseph Oprysko 14 Jan '16

14 Jan '16

I have one of the above I'm considering putting on fleabay, but before I do, I figured I would offer my federation friends a shot at it at a much more reasonable price than the $100 $250ish that they're often seen for online. I recently cleaned and re-lubricated the drive, so it should be trouble free for quite some time barring bad floppy disks. Yes, I know sometimes people put them online for $10, I cant compete with them. I'm asking $75 for it from here. Otherwise on eBay it's going up at $125. It's a nice working 400k floppy drive. I could always take it out of the case and replace the 800k drive in my 128k with the 1mb memory upgrade daughterboard and remove that board to make my 128 stock. (Which is a project I'm working on). Then once I get the original floppies and manuals for the 128k Mac, it'll be a sweet deal. Well, looking forward to seeing the new museum. -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Ways the Federation COULD make money
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 14 Jan '16

14 Jan '16

How about making the (Donate) button on the V.C.F.org page function?

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Ways the Federation COULD make money
by Joseph Oprysko 14 Jan '16

14 Jan '16

I've been thinking about this quite a bit, if anyone has seen the website for the Computer History Museum in California, that place both makes me drool and kind of disgusted at the same time. It's beautiful! Utterly beautiful, the museum reminds me of places like the Franklin Institute, or other science museums. Very high tech displays displaying the history of the vintage tech. The fact that they have one of the Google Robotic Cars I was like WOAH! That's absolutely awesome! We all know that an organization like that must have gotten quite a bit in corporate funding to help setup their displays. And I honestly feel that corporate funding from companies like AT&T, Verizon, IBM, Lockheed, and others would likely be the most viable way to a high volume capable museum to appear on the east coast for the Federation. We could also have other types of fund raisers, from soliciting local businesses, apply for various grants from the government, online auctions of surplus (which personally I despise the idea of doing, I'd rather keep the surplus as property of the federation, if we want something to do with something we have 10 or more of, maybe have classes on working on them, that way we have units for spares/parts/etc), crowdfunding is also a possibility for certain projects. I'm sure there are other ways I haven't mentioned or even considered, these are a few that came off the top of my head. We have to remember, VCF is a Non-Profit CORPORATION, note the 3rd word, yes, it's an organization, but it's a corporation, a business, Which means, any "profit" goes towards furthering the primary goals of the organization, as opposed to lining the pockets of the individuals in a traditional corporation. So, there's nothing wrong with the museum and VCF trying to make money, it's just what they do with the money above the operating expenses that differs from a regular business. And I'm sure Corey can back me up on that. So, we don't have to "live" like we only have enough to rub 2 sticks together (or sit behind some big iron) to keep warm, that's why this internal only fundraiser for the stools confused the living hell out of me. I've talked to Evan about a few "BIG" idea for the future to bring up to the board, dunno if he did or not, but with a few good grants or corporate investments from some companies that we may be able to reel in, we could make this a lot more fun, as well as a lot more popular. Let's teach as many of the students of today about the computers of yesterday!!! Joseph Oprysko -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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