November 2017 - vcf-midatlantic

Head align Tape
by Duane Craps 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

>>> 7 track or 9 track? The Univacs are pretty old even for "vintage". Head alignment tapes are not track specific. They have one track the width of the tape and are used to adjust time delays to time align the bits coming off the read head when reading the alignment tape. Then a "scratch tape" is used while writing all ones to adjust the write delays while looking at the read amps. We used the same alignment tape for 7 and 9 track units. Duane On 6/17/2017 11:40 AM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > 7 track or 9 track? The Univacs are pretty old even for "vintage". On 6/17/2017 11:40 AM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > On 06/17/2017 11:37 AM, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >>> UNIVAC 1540 Magnetic Tape Unit...I wonder if anyone has a 800 BPI, >>> NRZ Master Head Alignment Tape (skew tape) to donate to VCF. >> 7 track or 9 track? The Univacs are pretty old even for "vintage". >> >> Also, as Dave McGuire noted, a lightly-used tape from a known-good drive >> will be useful. In the floppy-disk world, I use several diskettes each >> from a known good drive to validate "alignment". > That wasn't me. But yes, that can be useful for rough validation. > >> Seems to me, there's likely several boxes of mag-tapes in the inventory. > Yes, I brought a few boxes several years ago. > > -Dave > v

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Need someone for InfoAge front desk
by Jeffrey Brace 23 Dec '17

23 Dec '17

All InfoAge groups are now required to cover the InfoAge front desk each Sunday in a rotation. It is VCF's turn. I need to be docent at VCF. I can't do both at the same time. It's a pretty simple job. I've tried for weeks to get someone to take this, but have been so far fruitless. If you are interested and available, then please e-mail me privately.

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9000/300 available (fwd)
by Mike Loewen 10 Dec '17

10 Dec '17

This was forwarded from a Vintage HP list. If anyone wants a mid-'80s HP/UX system, please contact the original poster (adam.raub(a)simco.com) The systems appears to be in Allentown, PA. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2017 06:43:12 -0800 Reply-To: VintHPcom(a)groups.io To: VintHPcom(a)groups.io Subject: [VintHPcom] 9000/300 available I received his email today. If anyone is interested please contact Adam directly. David Collins _____________________________ Hello, We currently have a HP 9000/300 series computer that we are going to scrap. Would you be interested or know someone who may want it? We have a monitor, a few keyboards, cables & a few boxes of disks for it along with extra hard drives. Adam Raub Technician Simco Electronics Allentown, PA 18103 ( x-apple-data-detectors://1/0 ) Phone: (610)798-0100 Ext. 4248 adam.raub(a)simco.com ( tel:(610)798-0100;4248 )

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FS at Festivus: Working Kaypro 2
by systems_glitch 08 Dec '17

08 Dec '17

Pretty sure these things breed! I've got a nice, clean Kaypro 2 (built-in modem, half-height floppies) that boots from disk and appears to work just fine. I don't need it as I've already got one. I can bring non-original boot disks with it. Make offer! Thanks, Jonathan

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January Workshop - Vote for your choice
by Jeffrey Brace 04 Dec '17

04 Dec '17

Choose a weekend: January 6/7 January 13/14 January 27/28 Voting ends Dec. 2 Don't complain if you didn't vote!

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MOBIDIC replica project
by Evan Koblentz 03 Dec '17

03 Dec '17

I want us to build a MOBIDIC replica at the museum. Background for any newer list members who aren't aware: MOBIDIC -- Mobile Digital Computer -- was a first-gen (1956) transistor computer designed by the staff of Camp Evans, which is the Army Signal Corps secret electronics R&D facility that's now the InfoAge Science Center, which hosts the VCF museum among many other groups. MOBIDIC was not the "first" mobile computer. For example, the National Bureau of Standards (today called NIST) made DYSEAC in 1953. However DYSEAC was a one-time prototype, whereas Sylvania (in Massachusetts, under contract to Camp Evans) built six MOBIDIC computers all of which were successfully used in field operations for several years. Sylvania also made two 9400 computers which were faster versions of the MOBIDIC design. "Mobile" is relative. :) Each MOBIDIC was installed in two 30-ft. trailers. One for the computer itself, one for power, cooling, etc., with the trailers attached by cables/hoses when in use. None of the six MOBIDICs or two 9400s exist today. Our museum has a beat-up scale model of the computer trailer. Computer History Museum (our friends out in California) have a better model. There are various pictures on the Internet. There are large amounts of public/private documents from the Army/Sylvania about details of the electronic design, architecture, components, programming, etc., most of (all?) of which I obtained while writing my book "Abacus to smartphone: The evolution of mobile and portable computers" published in 2015 (www.abacustosmartphone.com) From this information, I believe a replica MOBIDIC could be constructed. At least, a fullish-scale model could be made, and we could let visitors walk inside to see it. At best, someone could emulate the software so the model could "work". (I can't fathom building a complete truly "working" exact clone.) Conveniently, there are two 50s/60s-era Army-green trailers parked at InfoAge. They're under control of the electronic warfare group, whose leader (John C.) is a super-nice guy. We get along well. A while ago I asked him if we could use one trailer for this purpose. We "just" need the know-how and money to do it. So if we do this, the replica would only be of the computer trailer, not of the support trailer. I envision plenty of signs explaining to visitors that this trailer is HALF an installation. I have some ideas about how to fund the project, but there's no point getting into that until we understand how much work is really involved and what it would cost. * I wrote "fullish-scale", not full-scale, because I haven't measured the length of the available trailers. It would be close. Online images: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOBIDIC#/media/File:MOBIDIC_cutaway.jpg https://www.usarmygermany.com/Units/7th%20Army%20SUPCOM/Partials_7th%20ICC%…

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Festivus Games being brought - In case you missed it on the list
by Jeffrey Brace 30 Nov '17

30 Nov '17

Jeff Brace will bring: 4 C64 4 1702 Monitors 4 uIEC 4 1541 2 - C64 DTV 1 - Namco Ms. Pac-man joystick 1 - Namco Pac-man joystick 1 - C64 SuperCPU 1 - Playstation to C64 joystick port connector (fresh off the boat from GB) 1 - Vectrex with cartridges Lots of C64 games on SD card Maybe Shredz 64 (Guitar Hero for C64) Ian will bring: Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo 64 Turbografx 16 Genesis Colecovision Jaguar Atari 2600 Many boob tubes

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test ignore
by Duane Craps 29 Nov '17

29 Nov '17

test -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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TBA for Festivus 2017??? Drinks and Food
by Jeffrey Brace 29 Nov '17

29 Nov '17

Drinks 10 people = Beer 7 people = Soda or Water 8 people = TBA Food 7 people = Meal food 8 people = Snacks and Desserts 6 people = TBA There are also others that are blank. Please update your TBA. Please change blank to None. I want to know what I need to buy more of. Thanks, Jeff Brace

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Museum inventory
by Evan Koblentz 29 Nov '17

29 Nov '17

Mike L. posted: "It bothers me greatly that we don't have a record of our holdings. We should have pictures of each item, along with make, model, s/n and donor info, at the least. ... I urge people to move on this." The VCFed board and I completely agree. It's already underway. Adam has been our greatest asset on this project. For some sick, twisted reason that I don't understand :) he * enjoys * being alone in the warehouse and counting stuff. He already counted our different models of Apple, Atari, and Commodore gear. There are five major benefits to having a proper inventory. In no particular order: we can buy artifact insurance, better evaluate the value of our assets, know what we can deaccession as fundraising, know what we have for exhibits, and clear warehouse space. We also have to attack the library which is mostly boxed up in storage. Jeff and I would love to arrange an inventory weekend when several members show up to work on this and nothing else. It will be important that everyone follow directions :) and not waste time on the minutiae of tiny bits. Over-inventorying is a trap to avoid. We needn't count every joystick, floppy disk, and power cable. Trying to do so would be functionally impossible. Instead, we're counting computers, major peripherals, and "box of TRS-80 software" or whatever the case may be.

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