November 2023 - vcf-midatlantic

Please fill out Festivus Survey
by Jeffrey Brace 22 Nov '23

22 Nov '23

We've gotten some responses, everyone please fill out when you can: https://bit.ly/vcfEoY2023pre I will be finalizing the plans very soon and your feedback would be appreciated! Thanks! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Festivus 2023 Mini-Swap Meet signup
by Gregg Levine 21 Nov '23

21 Nov '23

Hello! Palm Pilots. Both the original design and all in color. Strange. There's a velociraptor wandering around wearing a fur coat over his fuzzy down one all over the campus. ----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again." On Sun, Nov 19, 2023 at 8:17 PM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > So I plan on signing up for the swap meet and attending Festivus. > But my question is, > what are people looking for out there? > I know this is a very broad question, but if I have it, I’ll bring it, if it’s for sale, just ask. > > Mike R. > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Nov 18, 2023, at 2:34 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > This is the link for the Festivus Swap Meet Signup > > <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C0e0YwN-p_gl5i249rRBx9LYmyZMce3AqeC…> > > > > Thanks! > > > > Jeff Brace > > VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President > > Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner > > VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager > > Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity > > https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> > > jeffrey(a)vcfed.org >

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IMAC G3 Problem
by Herbert Johnson 20 Nov '23

20 Nov '23

I was gonna post " Davey will find better discussion, in a iMac repair email group.". Sure enough, Davey is in the vcfed.org "early PowerPC Macs" forum, photo and all, with details. Davey focused on the flyback. But it might be useful, to focus on the horiz output transistor. Be sure it matches *brand* as well as part-number. Exact replacement horizontal transistors on CRTs is often necessary - it's an analog circuit that is sensitive that way. But it's odd to see action as described. This may be a more classic "TV" problem, like that transistor. I'll post some details in the PowerPC list. Jeff Brace: > > You will need to provide a link to the picture because attachments don't > .. If you are local, then I suggest that you bring it to our next repair workshop > > On Sat, Nov 18, 2023 at 3:33 PM Daveyk021 wrote: >> >> Are there any iMac G3 experts in the group? >> >> >> I replaced the [iMac G3] >> flyback and horz output to get this iMac to come on. The unblanking has >> vertical strips in it, missing video. This one had worked almost perfectly >> until the first time I turned it off (it was having display size jittering, >> and some flashing, so I assume the flyback was failing). >> If I changed the OS resolution down to 800x600, >> the blank vertical lines are still there... So it kind of looks like a >> really weird unblanking issue. I cannot find schematics for this thing >> anywhere. -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA https://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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Huge Museum Status Update 2023
by Douglas Crawford 20 Nov '23

20 Nov '23

The Mid-Atlantic campus has been kicking butt for the last year. My main concern is the museum, which has been pivoting into a computing history learning experience in order to hopefully become much more of "thing" on the east coast, appealing to both tech interested & STEM audiences as well as laymen. Here are a set of photos of a recent early morning high school student visit with docent Thomas Gilinksy demonstrating the PDP-8. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MWbqQhDESH5vS0Z_ZMsbLMLenO5bsUL7?us… Note the poster of Olsen behind the PDP-8, part of a continuing to effort to honor company founders of the equipment we have and tell a bit the founder's and company's history. In the background of photo 2 and 3 you can see the partially completed exhibits of the PC add-in cards angled towards the viewer. We are now routinely doing paper tape loads and demo programs thanks to David Gesswein's dedicated attention to the straight-8 and Rick Lewis's excellent PDP-8 instruction document. We had 45 high school students come through in three groups of 15 early Wed AM with Thomas, Bill I, and myself as docents. Though we only had 1/2 hour with each group, we packed a lot in and they were very very attentive. One student, suitably impressed, came right back with his brother and brother's girlfriend on Saturday. Other things we have going on for visitors to see and do include an expanding suit of software and activities add recently - The Entrance Exhibit is now able to illustrate what logic gates are, how they are used, and how they are made from any given technology from the 40s to the 70s - relays, tubes, transistors, ICs to Microprocessors. and how memory evolved from the 40's to the 70s physical delay lines to magnetics to solid state charge devices. - Also at the entrance of the museum, Thomas's is developing a mechanical calculator exhibit as an introduction to the reason why the ENIAC was necessary. It has become a big hit and really attracts due to the unique tactile and immediate sound, feel and feedback. - A third row has a very nice Intel Moore's law exhibit with not only the processors, but also the accompanying typical memory stick formats and math coprocessors for the era when these were separate products. - Atari ST - Bart has provided 7 programs and some innovative new signage - The Amiga has classic demos including BOING! and ROTOCITY as well as some great game titles. - Mac - Several games and the classic applications, including an floppy drive emulator to have more software available. - TI 99, which used to be relative to the hard to use exhibit "top shelf" was expanded upon by Bart with a text to speach activity and has now been moved to a bottom shelf. - Bart also supplied a Tandy 1000 complete with Deskmate as part of our "GUI user interface" example options, which is also a great DOS game player which is interesting to note bested out the IBM PC Jr. - A beutiful GRiD 1520 now occupies a top shelf sporting an intersting corporate computer example. It has an intact vintage Colgate mobile computing installation. This machine is a great example of the early design type that started the flip up screen format for laptops. - Apple II runs authentic Oregon Trail in color and is a big big hit. A must have that we didn't have until this year. - TRS-80 tape load and programming example, - Osborne - an example of a useful too programmed in BASIC that would have been typical of the day- decimal to binary converter - Newly restored TRS-80 Model III from the warehouse by yours truly - fully working 2 disk drive system that auto boots into the BASIC program that generated a number of screens for the enterprise on Star Trek: The Motion Picture and also the "Big Five" games, and Dancing Demon- an early example of user-definable behavior, foreshadowing things like Pinball Construction set and SIM CITY type software. This also has a functional RS-232 board ready for some communications. - Apple II runs authentic - Apple I - Woz's BASIC and demonstrating what about the Apple I probably stood out making a few investors interested in helping them get to the Apple II. Newly added Kaypro 10, with a fully loaded HD thanks to restoration by Dave Gesswein. - Silicon Graphics machine by Thomas that runs many demos including Jurassic Park items. - Several primers on BASIC, on a single laminated card, that step interested visitors through the joy of programming- One generic that can be used on many different computers, and one specific to the C64. - Many machines have a default demo instituted that the machines are set to run when the museum opens with a card that tells what the computer is running and why it is significant. - Scelbi and S-100 demos will be functional early in the new year. - The IBM PC boots into a typical batch processing menu system with a number of software titles ready to go. - We are also capturing video testimonies of visitors who had interesting careers or were involved at Camp Evans. Future: - We are now anticipating that the top racks will be the home of an exhibit of portable computers. - Plans for machine language activities on "trainers" - Assembly language activities & vintage art, music and productivity tool activities on several C64 computers set up for the purpose. - An BBS system and demonstrations of different computers using a BBS along with a specific museum tour about computer and peripheral communications innovations over the decades. - Creation of a new Mid-Atlantic Vintage Computer USERS group along the lines of user groups of old meeting monthly. - An exhibit demonstration and lecture open house quarterly. And, as the saying goes, much, much more. IF YOU READ THIS FAR, you are probably quite interested in all this. If you have artifacts that you would like to donate to embellish computing history as we are doing- now that you know it is all happening in earnest as per our mission statement (see below) OR if you might considering being a docent in this exciting operation... ... contact me offline. -- Douglas Crawford VCF Mid-Atlantic Museum Mgr InfoAge Science & History Museums 2201 Marconi Road Wall, NJ 07719 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Mission and Vision of the Vintage Computer Federation Museum in Wall, NJ A Computer History Learning Center MISSION To honor and propagate the history of computer innovation by preserving and exhibiting artifacts in a uniquely hands-on experience for the education of the public, edification of our membership, and inspiration of a new generation of thinkers, dreamers, and visionaries. VISION Develop a growing museum and knowledgeable docent staff. Rescue, preserve, and restore artifacts. Create interesting, educational, functional, and interactive exhibits. Establish educational tours, demonstrations, talks, and hands-on learning opportunities around the multi-faceted technological evolutions in computer subjects. These include hardware, operating systems, programming languages, applications/software, user interfaces, communications and networking, and gaming. Instill an appreciation of the evolution of technology by connecting tech of the past to tech of today. Illuminate our artifacts with information about the people, events, culture, and trivia in computer history. Inspire youth to continue the quest; help them realize that they are the future and give them a vision for that future. Provide avenues for them to get started learning electronics and programming. Cultivate a community of vintage technology enthusiasts by engaging them with the VCF in its mission, and provide opportunities to get involved. Grow the museum by promoting far and wide its value and educational experience. Increase attendance and revenue to InfoAge, encourage the increase in donations to the VCF. Establish that we are worthy of being the beneficiaries of significant, notable, or important artifact donations and monetary support, in particular from industry and influential entities. ASPIRATIONS To be regarded as a premier computer history learning center and museum To be regarded as a must-see destination for all levels of interest, from those casually intrigued with computer history to students studying technology to technology industry veterans to vintage computer hobbyists To embody these goals both in our current museum even more so in our future expanded museum

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IMAC G3 Problem
by Daveyk021 20 Nov '23

20 Nov '23

Hello, Are there any iMac G3 experts in the group? I have never seen a CRT/TV do this before (I used to work in TV repair, but that was in the late 70s through 1983, so I am a tad rusty. I replaced the flyback and horz output to get this iMac to come on. The unblanking has vertical strips in it, missing video. This one had worked almost perfectly until the first time I turned it off (it was having display size jittering, and some flashing, so I assume the flyback was failing). I doubt the CRT got damaged while sitting on the floor of my storage room for a week or so. I have no idea if this could be the video out of the computer board or the display board. I checked all display board caps before replacing the flyback and horz output. If I changed the OS resolution down to 800x600, the blank vertical lines are still there. Could be a yoke, but the mouse passes through the blank line, like they still there. If I move a window, the window doesn't jump across the lines. So it kind of looks like a really weird unblanking issue. I cannot find schematics for this thing anywhere. [image: image.png]

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Workshop Weekend News at the Museum
by Douglas Crawford 20 Nov '23

20 Nov '23

- We have an exhibit high on the wall with some 21 different ISA cards showing the breadth and depth of value that the IBM PC bus brought, and "nod" to Lew Eggebrecht, Chief Engineer on the PC development at IBM, who "wrote the book" on interfacing to the IBM PC. Bart Hirst designed the rack system and 3d printed clips to hold the cards. It is mounted high on the walls and tilts forward to make the view flat to the observer. - A V4 Grease Weasle was generously donated to VCF by Emma Bear Holdings at the last VCF East. I constructed a rig for it from a broken CD duplicator case. The case was nice because of the 5 drive openings and suitable power supply built in. Bart Hirst 3D printed a bracket to hold the grease weasle in the rear opening of the case. It has 5.25 DSDD and 3.5 drive. And room for three more half height drives if we care to expand it. We have cabling for an 8" drive support too, so that should be coming soon to support our S-100 systems. - I started capturing disk images from our only copies of Amiga disks and made some fresh working disks. I'm looking forward to making more great demo software media for PC, CP/M, TRS-80, and others that can be done on the types of drives we have. (We will also have an AppleSause operation soon, too). - There is an intention now to provide instructions at each exhibited computer regarding simplified operation so visitors can run the computers themselves in a more meaningful manor. They will be able to handle the media, do directories to examine the media content, and run programs off the real media. We are OK with this because we will be able to replace the media on demand if anything happens to it. Douglas Crawford VCF Mid-Atlantic Museum Mgr InfoAge Science & History Museums 2201 Marconi Road Wall, NJ 07719

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OT / Host site work supporting the TLM-18 Antenna
by Martin A. Flynn 20 Nov '23

20 Nov '23

Was on site yesterday with Bill D working on the Diana site technology "bucket list". * The new network switch is up and running (previous unit was damaged by running the UPS with bad batteries, CDL and Dan Marlow funded replacement batteries. * All four network cameras the Diana site are working. Link to screen shot: http://compdecon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/diana_site_cams.jpg * Bill D installed the EMP / Lightning protectors for the exterior cameras in the furnace room, final cut over is pending. * The computers supporting the touch-screens were replaced with new units running W11, and mounted in the correct bracket on the back of the touchscreens. Link: http://compdecon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_3840-scaled.jpg * The camera cables were cut (again) during landscaping activities by Wall Township. I was able to temporarily splice them, however they need to be re-run. InfoAge needs to purchase at least 100 meters of Belden/Mohawk M57622 outdoor network cable to effect permanent repair . Link to picture: http://compdecon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_3876-scaled.jpg / http://compdecon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_3877-scaled.jpg Wrap up (and hopefully close-out) is scheduled for Saturday, 12/02/2023 starting at 10:00 AM. Plan of the day is to wrap up the computer / camera / network tasks, along with installing the console brackets so the work surface can be fitted. If you are available and are interested in helping with the tech work, please contact me off-list. Martin Flynn

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Another great repair workshop! 2023-11-18 & 11-19
by Jeffrey Brace 19 Nov '23

19 Nov '23

A less attended repair workshop, but so much was accomplished that some people actually left early! Usually there are people there until late Sunday night. Lots of fun and learning going on. Seems like a lot of them were working on mechanical machines. Perhaps those who attended can chime in on what they got repaired. We went out to our new dinner hangout which is the MJ's in Tinton Falls, very good food and quiet atmosphere. Everyone enjoyed. I helped get some stuff done in the museum and enjoyed discussing in person with many people different issues. So much better to discuss in person! Thanks! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Festivus Survey
by Jeffrey Brace 19 Nov '23

19 Nov '23

In order to better assess planning for Festivus, please fill out this Festivus Survey: https://bit.ly/vcfEoY2023pre Thanks! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Festivus explained for new members
by Jeffrey Brace 19 Nov '23

19 Nov '23

For those who have become new member since last year's Festivus, this email explains what it's all about. *WHAT IS FESTIVUS?* Festivus is VCF's very casual holiday party. We hold it every December. Usually the 2nd weekend of the month. This year it will be on December 9 & 10. On Saturday we will start at 10AM and go late into the night. Saturday is usually the "main" day where most people show up and Sunday is the extra day for those who stayed overnight. We still hang out on Sunday, but there are less people and it is more subdued. It has always been a social event with other vintage computer friends. Usually about 50 people come. It is a great chance to reconnect with fellow members or make new friends. It is held at InfoAge in the Visitors Center building (A.K.A. Sandy area, the dorms, etc.) for the past few years and will be there again this year. *WHAT DO YOU DO AT FESTIVUS?* *FOOD* - In the past we would barbecue hamburgers, hot dogs on Saturday night and perogies for lunch Sunday afternoon. We are likely to do this again this year. - We would also bring potluck items where everyone brings a food and/or beverage item. This has lessened over the last few years. We may still do that this year. - The current idea is for VCF organizers to buy prepared food to supplement any potluck items that members bring. - Signup sheet for food that you are bringing is here <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1arqjLWO62XNKAKbbYMiEZQmlxlNn0R4teVX…> *VIDEO GAMES* - We have a game room setup for anyone to setup their video games for everyone to play: Sign up is here. <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jWjr4FwdX5dMeKR8BSlkvCJpOYa3y6OX-uA…> *SOCIAL* - Fellowship, fun and a time to catch up with friends. *SWAP MEET* - We have a mini indoor swap meet at no extra cost where members can buy and sell with each other. - Swap meet signup is here. <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C0e0YwN-p_gl5i249rRBx9LYmyZMce3AqeC…> *COST* - We are likely to charge about $30 for the event which will cover everything. Unlimited food and drinks. We will be sending out a signup form and payment through our website very soon. Cash or credit card on site is also possible. Signing up ahead of time is preferred, but not required. *WHAT ELSE?* - The Steering committee which leads our Mid-Atlantic Chapter usually has a Town Hall where they review accomplishments from the past year and plans for the coming year. This is usually done around dinner time. Any other questions? Please feel free to ask! Thanks! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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