February 2022 - vcf-midatlantic

iMac help during this weekend's repair workshop
by Jeffrey Brace 24 Feb '22

24 Feb '22

There is someone that needs help with wiping the hard drive and checking out an iMac that they are want to donate to a family in need. Who can help with this? She will bring the iMac to the repair workshop. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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[OT] silly uses for scope cart
by Jeffrey Jonas 24 Feb '22

24 Feb '22

replying to Joe Giliberti: ... - Adding weight to your car for better traction in winter There's nothing quite as satisfying as rolling over large bubble wrap with one of those old carts with the tube scope and several spare modules! That *that*, popper-fake-bubblewraps :-)

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Wordle in BASIC
by Christian Liendo 24 Feb '22

24 Feb '22

I know, they didn't scan the whole page. I have been looking for it, but the newsroom is busy and I have been bouncing around work. On Thu, Feb 24, 2022 at 7:48 AM skogkatt007--- via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > It doesn't appear to be a complete listing.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Help identifying Apple II board
by Bob Shuster 23 Feb '22

23 Feb '22

Thanks all for the input! I’ll assume this is indeed a 16K expansion board, but a generic card not from a major manufacturer. It’s in a 48K Apple ][ Plus. Is there a command to report the amount of RAM on an Apple II? I recall on the TRS-80 it was simply PRINT MEM. Bob Shuster

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Help identifying Apple II board
by Gregg Levine 23 Feb '22

23 Feb '22

Hello! It's been a while. I remember watching as such a card was installed into the one we owned, and from there, the cable was placed into the socket where its RAM chip was swapped out of. Typically the routines to do so are embedded into DOS3.3 and related releases directly, and are not normally encoded into a ROM chip. You would find them on disk controller cards say, and even the odd serial card though. ----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again." On Tue, Feb 22, 2022 at 9:50 PM W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > Great catch, thank you for clarifying Gregg, I had not intended to imply BASIC (or other languages for that matter) were resident in the ROM itself. The ROM on the language card has the auto start routines and other enhancements that permit booting the 16 sector DOS 3.3 disks which actually contain the language interpreters/compilers which functioned as you described. > > My main objective was to point out that the card in question does not appear to be the language card, but rather it is simply the 16k expansion. > > While I did not find the exact card that Bob posted either, this one is suspiciously similar: > > https://www.ebay.com/itm/264723255394<https://www.ebay.com/itm/264723255394?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110…> > > > > > On Feb 22, 2022, at 8:49 PM, Gregg Levine <gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Hello! > Um, misnomer here. The language as such was a binary file that was > loaded onto that card, when booting an appropriately configured DOS3.3 > Master disk on an appropriately configured Apple 2Plus. Such > configurations presuppose that the computer left the builders wearing > 48K of memory and expected 16K on that card who went into the Zero > slot. > ----- > Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com > "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again." > > On Tue, Feb 22, 2022 at 3:51 PM W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic > <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > I agree with your assumption, 16K ram expansion to take a 48K II/II+ to 64k. Given the rest of the board is just TTL support logic and bus transceivers, and there is no ROM present, I don't think it can be called the "language card" which traditionally provided both the 16K and full featured BASIC. That RAM chip in the bottom right (with the apple logo) is likely from the Apple II mainboard itself, which is removed to make a place for the ribbon cable to connect. That socket on the expansion board was likely empty from the factory. That chip could move back to the mainboard, removing the ribbon cable, and that would return the machine to its (likely) original stock 48k configuration. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Bob Shuster via vcf-midatlantic > Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 2:25 PM > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Cc: Bob Shuster <bob(a)theshusters.com> > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Help identifying Apple II board > > I found a card installed in one of my Apple II computers and I can find nothing about it online. The only labels are a brand name - I think - “Elite” - and “YKH Interface” near the card edge. It has a connector that plugs into one of the RAM sockets on the main board, so I assume it to be a RAM expansion, particularly since it’s populated by 8x16K RAM chips. > > Pictures available at > > https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tkRch5-lrEj65uZsJqKgxVGH-id4crRz?us… > > Anyone? I don't have an OS to run on these Apple IIs, just what they boot up to from the ROMs. > > Bob Shuster >

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VCF Swap Meet Free Pile
by Jeffrey Brace 23 Feb '22

23 Feb '22

VCF has collected several items over the last three years of events that have not sold over multiple events which will be offered for free in a "free pile" at this weekend's Swap Meet and this is the last opportunity to rescue these items as anything left will be recycled. Sellers who have paid for a spot will have first opportunity access to this "free pile" before the start of the event and in all cases items are available on a strict first come first serve basis. Additionally, both sellers and buyers are welcome to put items in this "free pile" with the understanding of certain rules. RULES FOR THE VCF FREE PILE: 1. Please ask a VCF staff member for permission at the event to put any items in the free pile. 2. Please understand the policy for the free pile is that anything you leave which remains at the end of the event must be taken home by you (or someone you designate). VCF cannot be held responsible for storing or recycling it. Thanks and happy free hunting!

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Help identifying Apple II board
by Gregg Levine 23 Feb '22

23 Feb '22

Hello! Um, misnomer here. The language as such was a binary file that was loaded onto that card, when booting an appropriately configured DOS3.3 Master disk on an appropriately configured Apple 2Plus. Such configurations presuppose that the computer left the builders wearing 48K of memory and expected 16K on that card who went into the Zero slot. ----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again." On Tue, Feb 22, 2022 at 3:51 PM W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > I agree with your assumption, 16K ram expansion to take a 48K II/II+ to 64k. Given the rest of the board is just TTL support logic and bus transceivers, and there is no ROM present, I don't think it can be called the "language card" which traditionally provided both the 16K and full featured BASIC. That RAM chip in the bottom right (with the apple logo) is likely from the Apple II mainboard itself, which is removed to make a place for the ribbon cable to connect. That socket on the expansion board was likely empty from the factory. That chip could move back to the mainboard, removing the ribbon cable, and that would return the machine to its (likely) original stock 48k configuration. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Bob Shuster via vcf-midatlantic > Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 2:25 PM > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Cc: Bob Shuster <bob(a)theshusters.com> > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Help identifying Apple II board > > I found a card installed in one of my Apple II computers and I can find nothing about it online. The only labels are a brand name - I think - “Elite” - and “YKH Interface” near the card edge. It has a connector that plugs into one of the RAM sockets on the main board, so I assume it to be a RAM expansion, particularly since it’s populated by 8x16K RAM chips. > > Pictures available at > > https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tkRch5-lrEj65uZsJqKgxVGH-id4crRz?us… > > Anyone? I don't have an OS to run on these Apple IIs, just what they boot up to from the ROMs. > > Bob Shuster >

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Feb. 26, 2022 VCF Swap Meet update
by Jeffrey Brace 23 Feb '22

23 Feb '22

All the advertising that Adam and myself have been doing has gotten more inquiries and phone calls. We have 32 people with 47 spaces so far. There are definitely more that will be "paying at the door" who haven't registered, but I know that they are coming to the event. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Swap meet question
by Joseph Giliberti 23 Feb '22

23 Feb '22

Greetings! I've got two spots at the swap meet. Is it okay to use have a table in one spot and then have things on the floor in the other? Things on the floor are big items and wouldn't be a trip hazard. Thanks, Joe Giliberti

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Help identifying Apple II board
by Bob Shuster 22 Feb '22

22 Feb '22

I found a card installed in one of my Apple II computers and I can find nothing about it online. The only labels are a brand name - I think - “Elite” - and “YKH Interface” near the card edge. It has a connector that plugs into one of the RAM sockets on the main board, so I assume it to be a RAM expansion, particularly since it’s populated by 8x16K RAM chips. Pictures available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tkRch5-lrEj65uZsJqKgxVGH-id4crRz?us… Anyone? I don't have an OS to run on these Apple IIs, just what they boot up to from the ROMs. Bob Shuster

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