December 2017 - vcf-midatlantic

SNOW! and Festivus
by Jeffrey Brace 07 Dec '17

07 Dec '17

So the current forecast for our area has predicted 3 inches of snow in InfoAge's area. It will be starting around 10am and accumulate over a few hours. This could change to more or less. The party is still going forward as planned. Everyone is encouraged to use their best judgment as to their safety in driving to Festivus. If you do drive, then take it slow. Leaving early is greatly encouraged as well. Evan will be staying there Friday night for anyone wanting to come earlier and stay Friday night is welcome. Please send me a private reply to let me know that you will be arriving earlier. If you decide not to come, then let me know that as well. http://www.nj.com/weather/index.ssf/2017/12/revised_forecast_calls_for_3_to… Also keep in mind that we will still be there Sunday until around 5 or 6pm.

1 0

FS at Festivus: Working Kaypro 2
by systems_glitch 07 Dec '17

07 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

4 7

The Games of Joseph Weisbecker
by Pierri, Florencia 07 Dec '17

07 Dec '17

Dear All, I wanted to bring your attention to a new exhibit we have at the Sarnoff Collection that might be of interest to all of you, *Playing with Innovation: The Games of Joseph Weisbecker <https://davidsarnoff.tcnj.edu/2017/12/07/playing-with-innovation-the-games-…>*. You might recognize that name from the 1802 microprocessor, but this exhibit focuses on the paper and plastic computer games he developed in the late 1960s and 1970s. If you're driving back from Festivus and your path takes you to Ewing, consider coming to visit the Sarnoff <https://davidsarnoff.tcnj.edu/visit/>. Or, you can visit our online exhibition--which has more detailed information about the individual games-- here <http://sarnoff.omeka.net/exhibits/show/playing-with-innovation>. All Best, Flori -- Florencia Pierri Curator The Sarnoff Collection, The College of New Jersey davidsarnoff.tcnj.edu/ Twitter: @TCNJSarnoff <https://twitter.com/tcnjsarnoff> Instagram: @TCNJSarnoff <https://www.instagram.com/tcnjsarnoff/>

2 1

Festivus Degnan bringing update
by william degnan 07 Dec '17

07 Dec '17

Of the things I offered I was asked to bring VaxStation 3100 for Ian RL01 cart for Jon XT era keyboards (poss Herb interest) VT 100 with poss flyback issue (just the bare cover and tube) Non DEC-branded 11/44 era A/D type cards for Herb. I am looking for a DecMate OS/8 disk and drive cable, eventually I will make one but if anyone has one to sell/trade let me know. I am looking for an RL02 stand alone RSX-11M compatible with an 11/40 with no EIS card, so it needs to be an older version. I have three or four RL02s but none work, I am doing something wrong to build. I might need a NeXT Cube CD tray, if I am correct that these are not the same as a CD tray from a SGI. BIll

2 2

Saturday chili
by John Heritage 07 Dec '17

07 Dec '17

My wife and I would like to make and bring a veggie chili to festivus Saturday. However we won't be able to stay super long (11-4 or so) as we have another obligation that evening. Is there anyone else who can also bring a crockpot to transfer the goods from our crockpot if it hasn't disappeared by 3-4? (We're not veggies btw.. its just a recipe that works and is relatively healthy :) )

1 0

vacuum tube computers
by Herb Johnson 06 Dec '17

06 Dec '17

The discussion below concluded in late November, but I have some comments and considerations. First, I'll say that there's any number of explanations available, for the history of computing technology and use. The person or institution doing the explaining, has their own objectives. The item has its time and place, and has levels of technology in it. And, there's sometimes consideration of the audience (child, expert in X but not Y, etc.). So - no right and singular answers to questions of presentation. I'll give or support a view for my own reasons. Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> How would you explain the George Philbrick machine to an 8 year old? > > Well, as you know it's critically important to tune your presentation > to the level of the guest. When starting a more personal tour of LSSM, > we usually find a non-intrusive way, starting out with reading body > language etc, to ask a person what their levels of technical knowledge > and interest are. Then we explain things in different ways, on > different levels, based on that. > > For a total technical neophyte, our explanations are more geared > toward talking about how what we have now (holding up my smartphone) > wouldn't exist without having first passed through all of these > (gesturing toward the exhibit floor) phases of development, then go to > some specific stories as to how and why. > > For an EE or CS person with a background in electronics and/or > processor architecture, that's a waste of time. We go into things like > "this machine is a 12-bit system implemented using all 7400-series TTL > chips" when I fire up the PDP-8/e. I talk about "no chips at all, all > discrete transistor logic" when we walk past the table of Straight-8s. > > While the LSSM doesn't have anything like the Philbrick system, we do > have a Heath H-1, another late-1950s tube-based analog computer. To a > young person, we'd explain that it was used by scientists and engineers > to perform calculations for designing planes and big buildings. It's > complicated, look at all those knobs! > > But to an EE/CS person who maybe doesn't know about analog computers > (most haven't), we explain that it's a system with no bits, just > voltages representing physical quantities, and most importantly it's not > a discrete system, but a continuous system. These operational > amplifiers (gesturing toward the op-amps) and resistors can be wired up > to perform most any mathematical primitive, and wired together with > capacitors to perform integration and differentiation, to solve the > differential equations that most every real-world process is based on. > >> How do you explain what a vacuum tube actually does to an 8 year old? > > I wouldn't, as there's essentially no chance that he/she would be > interested or have the background to be able to understand it. See > above. ;) > -- > Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > New Kensington, PA I have to agree with earlier posts by David Gesswein, who stressed the point that analog computers solve "differential equations". And all have mentioned in various ways, that analog computers use voltage-levels, not "bits", to represent the values computed. Those are fundamental considerations from my view. Other people have other views, I won't argue much with them - I'm arguing with people who are still choosing what views to consider. My view is, as a BSEE educated in the 1970's about both analog and digital circuits, who saw analog computers in use in academia and in the factory, who worked on one or two of them in my working lifetime. The hardest thing about explaining analog computing, is that it's almost TOTALLY EXTINCT today. It's hard to think or talk about something, outside your experiences. And preservation of extinct computing - and explaining it in it's own context - matters to me. One can explain "voltages not bits", in any number of ways, appropriate to audiences and settings. "Temperature" might be a good example. There's still mercury thermometers, mechanical thermostats and mechanical thermometers. They use the expansion of metals in an ANALOG way, to represent "temperature". The Weather Channel, gives it some number. But we feel "hot" or "cold" without numbers in our heads. A point to consider: the physical world is not lists of numbers, it's events and materials and the flow of time. "Differential equations" is jargon used by engineers and scientists. But it comes down to actions in systems over time. How fast does water boil on the stove? Or freeze if put outside in the winter? How long does it take your car to go from zero to 60? How long does it take a baseball/football in flight to be caught? These are ANALOG values that change with time. And, there are analog circuits (components wired up) which can represent these rates-of-change calculations. Then you feed those circuits the analog values as voltages, and watch what they do over TIME. *That* is what an analog computer is about. Circuits and components, wired for one computation, using time and voltages to represent values - no "bits", no digital (except for numeric results or inputs). I myself, don't tell people "this is too complicated to explain". I give them *something*; it will provide some impression and place to start; further consideration will be their choice to make. So. I hope the two explanations above, of "voltages not bits" and "differential equations", are helpful. I hope the notion of "extinct computer preservation" gets some attention. Otherwise, I'm not going to debate some ultimate description or how-to-talk-to methods. I've explained why, and I've offered my own views. Herb Johnson retrotechnology.com PS: a vacuum tube, controls electrons going from a hot metal to a metal plate. The flow of electrons is a current, like water from a faucet. The current is controlled by the electrons going through a grid. a grid is wires strung across the current-flow, which repel the electrons like magnets do. Just as you can control water by turning a faucet, you can control electric currents with a vacuum tube, by changing voltages on its grid. Old radios and TV's, very old computers, used vacuum tubes. -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

8 13

batteries in computers (was: NeXTstation)
by Herb Johnson 06 Dec '17

06 Dec '17

In regards to the possible battery in a NeXTstation. Also, this post is appropriate to the discussion on "inventory". > Check the large Panasonic lithium battery on the [NeXT] motherboard, > like a Mac II, it will not boot with a dead battery. > They are still produced and available from Mouser, the > Mac cubes and the slabs use the same type of battery. Caution: the lithium batteries used in various computers to keep time-of-day running, and to retain other information (as in "Mac PRAM battery"), have good odds of *leaking* and emitting hydrogen or other gasses. The results are very, very damaging, and often not repairable. Details: Any vintage Mac collector, and some owners, have had the horror of opening their Mac and seeing several square inches of circuit-board covered in goo. And, adjacent metal surfaces covered in red rust - not just discoloration, but deep rust. Components in the vicinity, have rusted leads and through-holes on the PC boards. These are not repairable. I'm sure there's pictures on the Web of such damage. I myself, checked out several Macs recently, and found one so rusted by leakage, neither case nor motherboard was salvageable. The Mac Plus/128K/512K, has a large 4.5v battery, in a holder accessed without disassembling the case. Leaving the battery in those units, almost guarantees the battery-holder will green-rust and corrode. No battery is needed to operate these oldest Macs. Bottom line Suggestion: While the VCF Museum is doing their inventory and cataloging, it may be a good idea to inspect computers for these batteries *and remove those batteries* if not wired in. I suppose a note can be added inside the computer, to specify the kind of battery removed and where it was connected if not obvious. If it's known the computer won't start without a working battery, add that info to the note. Comment to "this is too complicated, too much work, etc." This is the cost of long-term ownership. The space and time taken by a computer, will be lost if it it self-destructs and that's not discovered until that computer is needed or accessed. Herb Johnson retrotechnology.com -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

7 9

Festivus food we need
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Dec '17

06 Dec '17

Hot dogs 4 10 packs kosher beef hot dogs (Nathans, Hebrew National, etc.) Burgers 4 20 Packs Shoprite Brand Burger buns 40 Hot dog Buns 20 Tomatoes 2 Cheese 3 packs of 16 Pickles 1 20 OZ Ketchup 1 20 oz. Mustard 1 19 oz. Paper towels 2 80 sheet roll Milk 1 Half Gallon Orange Juice 1 Half Gallon Head of Lettuce 1 If you want to bring one of these, then let me know and I will put it down on the list.

7 8

Festivus Feats of strength - Bills vs. Jeffs vs. Jonahtan's (sorry only two Evan's)
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Dec '17

06 Dec '17

In the Festivus tradition we will be doing the feats of strength. While individuals will be wrestling until someone is pinned, the Jeffs, Bills and Jonathans will be doing a tag team tournament to determine the champion.

7 11

Festivus 2017 Info readme2.txt (part 2)
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Dec '17

06 Dec '17

*EQUIPMENT:* VCF will have tables setup for food and games. We will have two full sized refrigerators and one full sized freezer to temporarily store food and drinks. We will be borrowing *my* propane grill to cook hamburgers and hot dogs outside. *DRINKS:* Everyone is encouraged to bring their own drinks and enough to share with others. Bring your favorite and put what you are bringing on the list: *FOOD:* VCF will be supplying hamburgers, hot dogs, condiments, plates, forks, napkins, cups. I sent out a list of what we need. E-mail me if you want to bring. You are encouraged to bring your own favorite good and put what you are bringing on the list: *IMPORTANT TO KEEP FOOD AND DRINKS IN THE CAFETERIA! THIS IS THE RULE OF THE FACILITY OWNERS.* *ENTERTAINMENT?* Ian: Vintage video games and boob tubes. Jeff Brace: Namco Joystick games, C64 Jostick Games, Intellivision Joystick Games, C64 with Super CPU and Metal Dust with optional PS2 controller, Cards Against Humanity!, Vectrex Evan: Will be entertaining us bad jokes and stinky farts. Bill Degnan: Live action Terrance and Philip skit with Jeff Brace. Name the farter/burper: Throughout the night there will be a contest to identify who farted or burped. Difficulty will increase when we are all in bed and it is dark. *STAYING OVERNIGHT?* Let me know if you want to stay overnight. The cost is $25. A mattress is provided in a bunk bed frame. You provide your own mattress cover, blankets, pillows. There is a shower area, lounge, bunk beds, hot water for tea, microwave oven, toaster oven, keurig, coffee pot, ice machine, sink, cable TV, wi-fi. Evan will be responsible for sorting the snoring people into the "snoring room" and the non-snoring people into the "non-storing" room. To get an accurate headcount, let me know as soon as possible that you are staying overnight and how many nights. There will be coffee, milk, cream, sugar and tea bags available as well. * BUYING, SELLING, FREEBIES :* You are allowed to bring items to sell and trade with specific individuals, but this isn't a hamfest where you get a table to sell your stuff. If you want to bring your stuff, you are encourage to post to the list what you want to sell/trade and set it up ahead of time with individuals. Anything you bring in and don't sell/trade, you bring home. We can set aside a freebie table as per traditional, but you *must* take your stuff home before leaving if no one takes it. *SIGN-UP LINK:* https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1odmPxfBK9BrR-NDZIx4_c-V2lZpt_-vU- 3fIBGiyrM4/edit?usp=sharing If anyone is actually reading this, then reply with 42.

2 1