March 2026 - vcf-midatlantic

MARCH Workshop - FEB 7-8, 2026
by Jeff Salzman 09 Mar '26

09 Mar '26

Coming up in several weeks, the next MARCH Workshop on February 7-8, 2026. Signup sheet is here: 2026-2-7 February 7-8, 2026 - Google Sheets <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KhB_4ITqYSqWl_pBR8f8JQF9qah7AyOhUbJ…> General Workshop details can be found here: Repair Workshops @ InfoAge – Vintage Computer Federation <https://vcfed.org/repair-workshops-at-infoage/> Note that the new location on the InfoAge campus for the Workshops is in Building 9010D, and details on that building location are on the Workshop details page above. See you there! Jeff Salzman VCF-MidAtlantic Steering Committee MARCH Workshop Manager

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MARCH Workshop... in March, not February
by Jeff Salzman 09 Mar '26

09 Mar '26

The recently sent email about the Workshop coming on the weekend of March 21-22, 2026 may have a Subject line indicating February. Chalk that up to me trying to be slick by forwarding a previous email and changing just the message content, and not generating a new email from scratch. Jeff Salzman

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Expiring starting Mar 16 - VCF East Hotel Blocks
by Jeffrey Brace 09 Mar '26

09 Mar '26

Get your hotel blocks now! We have 4 hotel block discounts this year: https://vcfed.org/vcf-east-hotel-blocks/ If you want a discount, then you need to reserve a room now. They start expiring Mar. 16. Take care! Jeff Brace VCF East Showrunner <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free.www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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BatMan Computer auction in NJ
by Herbert Johnson 05 Mar '26

05 Mar '26

Willow Auction House's "bat computer" seems to be one of three almost identical units. Estimated sale prices in the hundreds of dollars each. The auction descriptions say > Replica Batcomputer Head in 1:1 scale, modeled after the Batcave computer consoles in the original television series. Mixed media including fiberglass, acrylic, and electronic components. Design based on the 1950s Burroughs-Electrodata B205. Mounted on clear acrylic platform. Electronic lightbulb displays are tested and working, displaying pre-set flashing light patterns. 15" H x 34" W x 10" D. Light scuffing and wear to casing. Web search finds eventually, clear enough images of the various variations of the 1966 Batman TV series "bat computers" in the Bat Cave. https://66batman.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7564 One of these images shows a small console atop a larger console, that pretty much matches the auction units. I did not check for the "portable" version used in some Batman episodes. So these are replicas of a prop of a blinky-light toggley computer console from the 1966 Batman TV show. It would be a skills-challenge to make another one today. But with a found cabinet, surplus parts and a computer minimill to cut the front panel it could be done. There's a genre of people who make stuff like this, beyond the prop masters who make these for a living. Regards Herb Johnson -- 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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BatMan Computer auction in NJ
by Christian Liendo 03 Mar '26

03 Mar '26

Honestly I think it's kind of cool. https://willowauctionhouse.com/auction/306-pop-culture-time/lot-407-batman-…

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Workshop in Hunt Valley, MD at System Source on March 28th and 29th
by Ryan Burke 03 Mar '26

03 Mar '26

System Source is hosting a computer and electronics repair workshop on the weekend of March 28-29. The workshop will be from 9:00AM until 9:00PM, and on Sunday it will be from 9:00AM until 5:00PM. It will be located at 338 Clubhouse Road, Hunt Valley, MD. At the System Source repair workshop weekend, you can bring in your computers to work on, receive help from other enthusiasts, and tour our museum. There will be tables set up, all complete with power, just bring your tools and supplies, and there will be plenty of help from other hobbyists. Don't have anything to work on? Come by and offer expertise or chat with other hobbyists working on their projects. Please register at the link below: https://ca.syssrc.com/wp/?page_id=105&civiwp=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fevent%2Fin…

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Re: A bit of archaic terminology
by gsteemso 02 Mar '26

02 Mar '26

I'll add two more: - A Dr Who episode in the 1980s showed the Master pulling a recording of all of history out of the TARDIS... it was a rather convoluted tape carrier, as big as he was. (I think the idea was it was supposed to be like a map, so you'd know where in history you were... but it was a tape. Even Isaac Asimov's stuff set thousands of years in the future tended to assume everything would be on tapes, or in some cases microfilm.) - We "turn out" the lights, even though they generally haven't been gas-powered since the nineteenth century. G.

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Re: vcf-midatlantic Digest, Vol 94, Issue 1
by Steve Lagotte 02 Mar '26

02 Mar '26

“Dial” really shook me when I realized its frankly in hindsight obvious derivation. The other day I heard that ska guys say “pick it up! pick it up!” because of the way they play guitars on the “up-pick” only. This is true. I kinda always assumed it had something to do with dancing (or as it is known to the skafficionado, “skanking”) and I have been waiting for weeks for a social scenario to jam this Fun Fact into. This’ll do. -Steve > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Jeff S <jsalzman(a)gmail.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Cc: > Bcc: > Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2026 08:19:15 -0500 > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Re: A bit of archaic terminology > "Dial" the phone > "Wind (or crank)" the window down >

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Re: A bit of archaic terminology
by Steve Lagotte 02 Mar '26

02 Mar '26

Alas, stabbed in the back by the Fourteenth Floor. Pour one out for the fallen homies, Poncho and Olds. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Vince Besse <vincentbesse725(a)gmail.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Cc: > Bcc: > Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:19:55 -0500 > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Re: A bit of archaic terminology > I miss Pontiac and Oldsmobile... > > On Fri, Feb 27, 2026, 3:18 PM Steve Lagotte via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > I find this interesting. Who said Old GM died in the Carpocalypse? They > say > > on a clear day you can see General Motors... > > > > Steve > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > From: Joseph Giliberti <kd2dhp(a)gmail.com> > > > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > > > Cc: > > > Bcc: > > > Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:39:53 -0500 > > > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] A bit of archaic terminology > > > I work at a Chevy dealership parts department and I discovered today > that > > > GM still refers to various databases as "tapes." For example, the > > February > > > pricing tape is the parts pricing file for this month. > > > > > > Just figured someone else might find that interesting. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Joe Giliberti > > > > > > > > >

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