February 2018 - vcf-midatlantic

Possible monitor pickup in SE PA
by Mike Loewen 24 Feb '18

24 Feb '18

This isn't a definite, but I'm exploring the possible of acquiring a 25" monitor in Souderton, PA (north of King of Prussia). Is there someone near enough to pick it up, who is also going to VCF East? Please reply via private message. Gas bucks would be forthcoming. Thanks! Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Help! We need a VCF East keynote speaker
by Duane Craps 23 Feb '18

23 Feb '18

Too late for this year, but I might be a good idea ti set up a good video conferencing setup. Most companies and large museums have them. Not the same as in person, but you might get some killer west coast people who would not travel across the country to VCF. On 2/23/2018 12:50 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > >> What about bringing back old speakers from like 10 years ago that were >> good? Some people never saw them, some would like to see them again. >> There's no reason not to bring back speakers after a long period of >> time. > > I agree there's nothing * stopping * us from doing that, but I'm still > focusing on Plan A which is to find exciting new people. > -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Help! We need a VCF East keynote speaker
by Evan Koblentz 23 Feb '18

23 Feb '18

Three months until VCF East. I need to find a keynote speaker for Saturday, May 20. Right now I don't really have any good leads. Looking for realistic suggestions: people who did something important and live reasonably close. ** Nobody should contact any potential speakers on our behalf. Needs to go through me.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Help! We need a VCF East keynote speaker
by Eric Rangell 22 Feb '18

22 Feb '18

Hello all, Jason Scott and I would like to recommend Ed Smith, if he is available and willing to talk. He can be contacted through Benj Edwards. Here is an article about him written by Benj: http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/1230/ed-smith-interview Thanks, Eric

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Hello World
by Matt Reynolds 22 Feb '18

22 Feb '18

Hello, At Evan's suggestion I'm reaching out with a Hello World note. I know some of you from my years spent at InfoAge. I am an active member of the NJARC located there, have a thing for vintage electronics, and have been a lifelong tinkerer. I am a network engineer and for the time being am employed at a large chemical company. I've always been more on the tech\hardware side of IT, and have always been fascinated by the machines and equipment that preceded what we have today. I haven't spent much time playing around in the vintage computer hobby in the last few years, and being 32 I may have just caught the tail end of the wild west era of home PCs (or came in right after it). Most of the old tech I have played with was already old when I was goofing with it, even in the past. I do still have a few older 8 bit era machines, but it's been awhile since i've played with them, mostly due to space\time constraints. at some point I'll fire some of them back up and get back into it. For now I'll lurk and see what everyone else is up to!. Hope everyone is well. Regards, Matt Reynolds

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Looking for Lomas Color Magic board
by Richard Cini 22 Feb '18

22 Feb '18

Guys — I’m coming to the April workshop to bring my Gazelle replica and I thought I’d ask to see if anyone had a working Lomas Color Magic board that they want to part with. If so, let me know off-list. Thanks. Get Outlook for iOS

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Museum report
by Evan Koblentz 22 Feb '18

22 Feb '18

I had a meeting at InfoAge at 6:30 tonight, so I spent the afternoon there to get some work done. Arrived at 1pm and found Tony there working on assessment + repair of VCF's Apple II collection (above and beyond the initial assessment/repair that Adam and I did a few months ago). Tony was able to repair some of the systems that Adam and I couldn't. He also helped me do some warehouse tasks and various museum things. NJARC's John Dilks has been a friend to us since many years ago and spoke at VCF East one year. Of course he's known as the man behind the Personal Computing '76 show in Atlantic City. Today he brought us some cool posters. One is a custom-made, full-color map of the "Adventure" cave. Another is a Cromemco poster from the '78 edition of the Personal Computing event (after it moved to Philly). Yet another is some Cromemco schematics, and a booth layout of one of his events (I think '78 as well) -- unfortunately the booths only show numbers, not company names. A few updates about InfoAge from tonight's meeting: - They're planning to install an ADA ramp to our building this summer - There may be more paving this summer, giving us a smoother path for moving things between our building and the front buildings - The annual WW2 weekend is August 27-28. I will see about giving a talk for that event on computing during the war period. - Next month is the 25th anniversary of when the local daily newspaper (Asbury Park Press) ran an article titled "Camp Evans likely to fade into oblivion" yet here we are with a vibrant community!

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Techno-Swap-Fest at the National Electronics Museum
by William Sudbrink 21 Feb '18

21 Feb '18

For anybody down DC way this weekend: http://www.nationalelectronicsmuseum.org/events-calendar.shtml Bill S. --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Kemner Surplus visit
by Mike Loewen 21 Feb '18

21 Feb '18

It was a nice day for a drive, so I finally paid a visit to Kemner's Surplus Warehouse in Pottstown. Interesting place, with something for everyone. Vintage computer-wise, there are piles of Apple ][e systems and disk drives, various Mac vintages, C64s, Vic 20s, TRS-80 Cocos (all versions). I saw a TRS-80 Model I and a couple of monitors, and two Model II disk expansion bays (one with 1 drive and the other with 3 drives). Printers, joysticks, software, game cartridges, plotters, monitors, keyboards galore. Test equipment-wise, there were many varieties of oscilloscopes, meters, signal generators. Old radios, tape machines, slide and movie projectors. Several aisles worth of electronics components: resistors, capacitors, sockets, switches, transformers, ICs, lamp sockets, fuse holders, cables, probes, etc. I was briefly excited when I noticed an HP1000 under a pile of stuff. Too good to be true. Written on it was "bad power supply, bad memory controller, bad backplane". Plus, it was missing the front panel switch/indicator assembly. It was a model 2112A, one of the earlier models. Oh, well. I even found a disc pack for my 404MB HP drive, but it was dusty outside AND inside. I picked up several bags full of parts and a new scope probe. The prices on the small parts are pretty reasonable. However, the prices on the vintage computer stuff are way too high, IMO. $125 for a ][e, $65 for a TRS-80 Model I monitor, $150 for a Model I CPU/keyboard. You may be able to negotiate for slightly better prices. If you visit, you should be able to get a system tested and configured for your needs. Oh yeah - an IBM System 34 for $9,000 or "Make a good offer". Rusty and dusty. The systems in the vintage computer room are generally clean, but many of them on the shelves on the main floor are dusty and dirty. All in all, it was a worthwhile trip. If you need parts, it's a good place to check out. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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VCF East Exhibit
by Joseph Oprysko 21 Feb '18

21 Feb '18

Unfortunately, this year, I don’t really have the energy or strength to do an exhibit for this VCF-East. But if someone nearby (Philly and northern suburbs or maybe slightly into NJ near the PA Turnpike Extension) is looking for help for the upcoming event, I’m available. I’ve just been in too much pain lately, and haven’t been able to focus much, since the doctor that was treating my anxiety, etc., closed down without warning or notifying the patients. So I’ve had an extremely difficult time accomplishing much of anything these past few months. 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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