February 2019 - vcf-midatlantic

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] [OT] Early Kodak Photographic Copying Device?
by Jeffrey Jonas 20 Feb '19

20 Feb '19

Before photocopiers & laser printers were ubiquitious, there were many curious methods of duplication. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_duplicating_processes 1) if you have a paper copy that's a B&W negative, it is probably a Photostat. I found several photostats in my dad's papers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photostat_machine Description Both Rectigraph and Photostat machines consisted of a large camera ... After a 10-second exposure, the paper was directed to developing and fixing baths, then either air- or machine-dried. Since the print was directly exposed, without the use of an intermediate film, the result was a negative print. 2) I once salvaged a Thermofax machine. It was a box of BRIGHT lamps and a heated roller. No chemicals required. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermofax 3) I once had a little darkroom kit with a contact printer which was a tin box with a light bulb inside, a glass top with hinged top. The paper was developed by inserting it into a plastic gadget where a crank turned rollers (via gears) dunking the paper into 3 consecutive chemical trays. 4) The way these relate to computers & electronics: several of these processes were used for chart recorders and "oscillographs" (oscilloscope where a light beam was bounced by moving mirrors onto a screen, or film). High resolution charter recorders avoided pen lag & overshoot by using a galvanometer and light beam onto light sensitive paper. I think HP used IR onto heat-sensitive paper similar to today's receipt paper. -- jeff jonas

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Someone needs an empty PDP-11 rack
by Evan Koblentz 19 Feb '19

19 Feb '19

Someone here in central NJ (who gave us an interesting homemade portable VAXstation) is looking for an empty PDP-11 rack. If anybody has one for sale then please contact him directly at joe.dempster(a)gmail.com.

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Atari exhibit(s) at VCF East
by Evan Koblentz 19 Feb '19

19 Feb '19

Since there will be a huge UNIX exhibit anniversary exhibit, there should also be a huge Atari computer anniversary exhibit. Pete opened the door by registering his Atari exhibit just now: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-exhib… I encourage all Atari exhibitors to work with Pete and to perhaps make your own off-list discussion method for coordination. It would be fun if, in one of the exhibit rooms, we have a whole long row of Atari facing a whole long row of UNIX systems.

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VCF East exhibit registration
by Evan Koblentz 18 Feb '19

18 Feb '19

It's open and there are already three exhibits including someone from the Netherlands: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-exhib… Sign up now. Don't make me chase you down. :) -- Evan Koblentz, executive director Vintage Computer Federation www.vcfed.org evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 VCF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

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Upcoming Repair workshops VCF
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Feb '19

18 Feb '19

Besides *March 30 & 31*: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qisU7Goz7_QQVOtuCEg8PsDfh7-adv0zNXI… > There is: *April 13 & 14*: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XTEGeYkzqrmGL_X5OdyFbjoy4QtLMBDoX5r… > *June 1 & 2*: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cdRaUOarYmLe0c7Veddzl4HhOqB1BXTgTCQ… > *August 24 & 25*: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13Gmvr2ZEtEXouN0oB7Y_UtCRabbwhLTi4E_… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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CNN story about Apple IIe found in attic
by Christopher Gioconda 17 Feb '19

17 Feb '19

Touching, nostalgic story about a man finding his (working) Apple IIe in his parents' attic after 30 years, along with a letter that his deceased father wrote him: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/17/tech/30-year-old-apple-computer-work-trnd/in… Some great comments in the twitter feed, too. Chris Gioconda

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[OT] Early Kodak Photographic Copying Device?
by J. Alexander Jacocks 17 Feb '19

17 Feb '19

All, Do any of y’all have any idea what this is? https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2F… It looks like a direct contact plate exposer, to me, but I’m not sure. Very pretty. - Alex

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Parts available / FS
by David Hoelzer 15 Feb '19

15 Feb '19

Hello there- I'm continuing my ambitious cleaning out project and have the following available for reasonable offers, if anyone is interested: SGI O2 plastic body. If you've owned an SGI, you know the plastic is notoriously fragile. This is the complete greenish/bluish body that fits over the chassis. Pile of about 100 SSDD, DSDD, DSHD 5.25 floppies. Could be a few more, could be a few less. I'm just guestimating. Box full of 3.5 DSDD and DSHD floppies.. Looks to be approximately 60+ disks. 8" soft sectored double density floppy. I put Pickles & Trout CPM on this in 2015 for a TRS-80 Model II that has since found a new home. Fully functional (at last powerup, which is about 2 years now) Apple IIc with internal 5.25 and a very rare external high density 3.5 drive. There are many, many 3.5 drives out there that work with most IIc computers, but this one took me years to find and sells for 100+ when you can find it. The power supply for the IIc is not original and, in fact, is sort of a frankenstein's monster, so you'll want to replace that. I'm pretty sure there are a variety of IIc programmer books in the box with it, but it's tucked away at the moment, so I'm working from memory. I don't think they have value, they're just a couple of nice additional pieces that come with it. Commodore Pet 8032. This is in complete but not currently functional condition. I did a great deal of work on this a few years ago, got it up and running and then found some shorts, which turned out to be from acid core solder that someone used previously to work on it. I didn't have the energy to work on it again, which will require desoldering the SRAM and ROM chips, cleaning the board, repairing one trace, and putting everything back in. There is also a 1001 floppy drive (I might have that number wrong.. .It's the IEEE bus high density 5.25 drive that was pretty rare back in the day, though there were enough that a few survived.. definitely less common than the 4040 and the 8050 drives). That drive was fully functioning when I packed it up about 3 years ago. No reasonable offers refused. I've sold/given stuff to a few of you in the past, so they can vouch for me always wanting to be fair about the value of stuff. I'm on the very far eastern end of Long Island (Shelter Island, in fact), though I am willing to drive a (reasonable) distance to meet anyone who is interested. The distance I will travel is commensurate with the number of things you want to obtain. :) -- ---- David Hoelzer Chief of Operations Enclave Forensics, Inc.

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VCF East 2019 Saturday Dinner
by Jeffrey Brace 14 Feb '19

14 Feb '19

WHAT: VCF East XIII Saturday Buffet Dinner DATE: May 4 TIME: 7:30 PM LOCATION: Clancy's Tavern (West Grove Plaza) ADDRESS: 25 South Main Street, Neptune, NJ 07753 COST: $35 This is this same place that we had it the last few years. We organize this dinner so that the whole large group of us could chat in a casual place and have a quality meal after a weekend of fast food. This is the best available option to balance price, quality of food, parking, distance from VCF East, large group, etc. This is the best that we can do for such a large group. The menu is more flexible than other places for a large group of people. My research of places in the areas shows that this is the best option to balance all of our needs. We reserved the place for 40 people. So if you want to go, then make sure you pay ahead of time to secure your spot. You can prepay to paypal(a)vcfed.org and include a note that it is for VCF East 2019 Saturday Dinner and how many people. The VCF East organizers decided together along with feedback from my survey that the following will be the new unlimited buffet menu: COLD Caesar Salad Cold Cut Platter Fresh Fruit WARM Nachos Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles Chicken Parmesan Penne Vodka DESSERT Carvel Ice Cream Cake BAR Cash Bar After dinner some of us are going to visit the nearby SilverBall Arcade in Asbury Park. Anyone is free to meet us there. I'm not sure of the exact time. Probably 9:30pm. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Next Repair Workshop March 30 & 31, 2019
by Jeffrey Brace 14 Feb '19

14 Feb '19

The next VCF Repair workshop will be March 30 & 31, 2019. Signup here: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qisU7Goz7_QQVOtuCEg8PsDfh7-adv0zNXI… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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