August 2020 - vcf-midatlantic

Repair workshop wrap-up 7/11 & 7/12, 2020
by Jeffrey Brace 26 Aug '20

26 Aug '20

We had 10 people come to our repair workshop. It was very successful and everyone enjoyed it. We seem to have a pattern that works for everyone, so we will repeat it for the next workshop on August 15 & 16. I worked on recovering data from a modern hard drive Jonathan and Ian helped), which I will detail in another email. I also was successful in repairing a Rev A Commodore 64 board. Alex Jaccocks and Jonathan Sturges helped me. It had bad Character RAM (U6), Character ROM (901225) and a bad U1 chip (6526). This Rev A board has a ceramic VIC 6567 chip too! Bill Dromgoole successfully repaired the museum's Ohio Scientific computer. There were 3 keys that needed replacing. Ian fixed one of his black and white TVs and worked on many other things with others. Neville worked on his Kay Pro. I'm not sure how he made out with his repairs. Mike Rosen worked on Commodore 1541 repairs. Ian and Jason Perkins also worked on scanning some documents from the museum warehouse for preservation. Don't know what Alex Jaccocks and Jonthan Sturges were working on. Bill Indereidden continued to document and work on the Wang 4000. Maybe everyone can tell what they were working on and their progress. Next workshop is August 15 & 16: Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L3Jc_RIHiBG08kZOOAgzvqjf8G0ox9ZRa6B… There will be a limit to 10 people in the workshop area. If more want to come, then there is room for 2 or 3 people in the museum workshop space. Face masks are required for this gathering. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member, VCF East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Help Wanted: InfoAge Part Time
by Jeffrey Brace 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Mike Ruane is looking for: Someone who wants to work part time for 8-10 hours per week. The person would work with Gloria (Mike's Administrative Assistant) and be able to back her up when she is out. The schedule would be two days at 4-5 hours per day depending on what schedule they work out and the salary would be $15.00 per hour. Computer skills and knowing Excel would help. If you know anyone, please contact Mike Ruane: thejamesthomasgroup(a)comcast.net -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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First Exhibitor Video received! VCF East 2020
by Jeffrey Brace 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Eric Rangell is first place to submit his exhibitor video! Who will be second place? Deadline is: September 21! Submit your exhibit idea here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSyp3A7yzPJw77Sc_gl0erV4a7QTN8x7W… We are looking for exhibitors for our virtual hybrid show. The format that we propose is that exhibitors create a short video about 5 to 10 minutes long to show off your exhibit. Send to us by September 21. During the event we would show your video which will stream to YouTube followed by 5 to 10 minutes of questions and answers live. The other option would be for you to show off your exhibit on InfoAge’s campus live on site and in person followed by live questions and answers. Don’t delay slakers! -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] The good old days of user groups.
by Herb Johnson 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

[I wrote this but I put it aside, because who wants to hear what boomers did in the 1970's? But the discussion thread seems to be rooted in the 1980's when computers were things you bought at Sears and there were actual *computer stores* around, and BBS's you could dial up, and local computer clubs aplenty in any good sized town. There was a time before all that, you know. Except: most people I hear from, don't "know that". Things then, were very different from the times in ongoing discussion; and from times today. So, here it is. Pardon the length, this is unfamiliar to most who would read it, so I have to give background.- Herb] The generation of "computer clubs" of the mid 1970's, are of a period before most of the clubs and groups in discussion. I co-started one of the first such clubs in Columbus OH; attended others as they were created. Chronologically: Clubs & groups exploded in size and number once personal computers became production items and then commodity items, in and through the 1980's. BBS's in the period, reduced the need for physical meetings at clubs. By the 1990's there were: widespread dial-up Internet; with sufficient bandwidth and graphics and modem speed; and generic computers easily bought at stores (or online) fast enough to support Internet browsing. So the physical groups dissipated in size and number going through the 1990's and pooped out by 2000 or so, approximately. In the early days of the mid-70's, we got together because there was no other means to obtain and share computing devices and figure them out. The providers were, electronic kits or parts or surplus One bought from ads in electronics magazines. Or that surplus-store some towns had. Or surplus/trash from someone's company or a local university. We were our own tech support; and whatever kit-producing-engineers we got LETTERS and phone calls from; and again, the magazines. There were no personal computers in production in that early era; just things people built, or one bought used minicomputers and their terminals and printers. Then there were these new microprocessors that some technical people were buying to play with, or beginning to use professionally, or learn about in college. As a host of microcomputer items were produced, we'd buy 'em and compare notes. Same with things like terminals, modems, other categories of software and hardware. All these transactions are described, by the surviving computer-club paper newsletters one can find online. Some clubs *didn't even meet*: they were pure correspondence; newletters were contents of member's letters about their projects, reports on software and hardware. Most people did not have a lot of money to spend; most computer things were not cheap; technical skills were essential, not optional. Clubs let people pick each other's brains, share and trade "tech". Even when personal computers were more common, there would be clubs or sections of clubs about specific software: databases, word processing, business. There was no other institution to learn this stuff; otherwise one read "books" or "magazines" or "da manuals and schematics". These clubs that met, were much like other hobby clubs to this day. They printed newsletters and postal mailed them monthly (mimeograph or photocopies). We met at a home or sometimes an institution (university, library, museum). There was a meeting with minutes and resolutions and other business, then a presentation. People stayed a bit to chat before or after. Members also met at each other's homes to work on their own computers and to trade. Sometimes there was a meeting to trade things. There were dues, to pay for postage and printing, snacks, rent for the meeting space. The legacy these groups left behind, are the newsletters with technical content; the archives of software and manuals, which get mined often; and the survivors, who continue their vintage computing interests in varying degrees. Radio Amateur clubs today still do most of these things, by the way. And in these early years, computer-clubs used hamfests to obtain and trade scarce equipment. Dealers at hamfests were either "computer" or "radio", generally. The Hams got to tap this tech, and developed lots of ham computing tech; they supported early microcomputing. Some hams were unhappy about this alliance, which peaked in the 1990's when PC's were common. Computing stuff is now largely gone from hamfests. I know many other hobbies still operate as clubs as I've described. There is a social dimension to these organizations that all the online click-to-get activities cannot provide. And many clubs have activities which require multiple people to participate physically in some way. No mailed newsletters today, usually. However, all these clubs today which operate as I've described, seem to be predominantly run by and populated with "old people". There's a generational change in culture, as well as the technological changes I described. That would be another lecture: one today is enough. regards, Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Off-Topic:What is the most accurate large 48"ish plotter
by Dave Wade 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Most pen plotters plot to 0.01" accuracy, so a big HP or Roland if you can find one. Dave From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Ben Greenfield via vcf-midatlantic Sent: 25 August 2020 20:57 To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> Cc: Ben Greenfield <ben(a)cogs.com> Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Off-Topic:What is the most accurate large 48"ish plotter

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Off-Topic:What is the most accurate large 48"ish plotter
by Ben Greenfield 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Hey All, Sorry for the noise but I did label it:) Say I want to print shapes on plywood size paper is there a printer that prints an inch long line in CAD that actual measure an inch? ( or milimeter) I would be ok with accuracy somewhere betwen a 1/6th and a 32nd. Wash your hands, Ben

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] The good old days of user groups.
by RETRO Innovations 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

On 8/24/2020 8:33 PM, Alexander Pierson via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > The article mentioned TPUG, the Toronto PET Users Group. These days, they exist in part as a Discord group (however, I'm sure someone like Leif Bloomquist can speak to the nature of their current existence better). I think that's pretty cool. They still have regular meetings as well. > > The bulk of my interaction these days with vintage computer enthusiasts is done on that platform (though the VCFed Discord is rather... quiet). The youth of the hobby have found a home there, either on smaller manufacturer-specific servers, or larger generalist servers with plenty of cross-pollination between minis, micros, homebrews, etc. of a variety of makes and models. The SNR varies between servers of course, which can be jarring. What better to approximate the message bases of BBS systems :-) I remember logging into some back in the day and finding nice technical treasures message after message. Then, another BBS with local events were a hotbed of name calling and childish put downs. Ah, BBSes :-) And, if you *REALLY* want that traditional experience, some of the Telnet BBS systems are pretty active. jim -- RETRO Innovations, Contemporary Gear for Classic Systems www.go4retro.com store.go4retro.com

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] The good old days of user groups.
by Ethan O'Toole 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

For me growing up a lot of the groups were centered around BBS systems which I suppose followed specific platforms. 30 years later some of my best friends are still from the BBS systems back then. - Ethan

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] The good old days of user groups.
by Tony Bogan 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

I can neither confirm nor deny any activities involving telephone lines, computers, BBS or AE lines. PS. check out the Sider 10 meg drive for some great warez, and the T-File directory has new trashing techniques and Black and Red Box how-to filez as well!!

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] The good old days of user groups.
by Ethan O'Toole 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

[NON-Text Body part not included] One potential issue with the discord space is that the knowledge isn't captured for easy search outside that platform in the way that forums do. - Ethan

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