- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

AppleSauce
by Evan Koblentz 31 Jan '19

31 Jan '19

John Morris donated the deluxe version of his new-ish "AppleSauce" disk imaging hardware to us (it should arrive in a week or so.) We (Ian, Alex J., etc.) can build it at the next workshop. It requires a Mac with OS version 10.11 or newer. John said that's pretty much any Mac from mid-2009 or newer. So everyone is welcome to bring uncracked Apple II disks to the next workshop, and this thing should be able to make exact working copies. Wish I had that in 7th grade! Got in trouble for trying to copy Newsroom. :) Copy II+ wasn't up to the task.

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Museum report
by Evan Koblentz 30 Jan '19

30 Jan '19

A bunch of 20-somethings are staying at IA this week for volunteer programs. Several of them passed through our museum today, so it was nice to have visitors despite the bad weather. IA management then decided to close at 4pm when it started snowing. -- 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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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Hello Introduction
by Bob Flanders 29 Jan '19

29 Jan '19

Hi Bryan. Welcome to VCF. I live in NoVA -- Fairfax, actually. Great to have you. Best Regards, Bob On Tue, Jan 29, 2019 at 1:32 PM W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > As a new member to the list, I am looking forward to meeting some other > vintage computer enthusiasts and collectors and hopefully contribute to the > conversation in the future. > > My whole work life has in some way involved technology, and my interest in > computers goes back to elementary school with the TRS-80 model I and Apple > II. I grew up with Commodore machines at home, followed by TRS-80's and PC > Clones later on. I worked for Compuadd Corp in the 90's, then a local PC > shop, then started my consulting business in 1994. Most recently my full > time gig has been in infrastructure and architecture for a couple of global > non-profit organizations. When I am not at work or spending time with > family, my time is split between the computer collection and aviation. > > I have been intentionally collecting and restoring vintage hardware since > 2006 with the future aspiration of having them on public display in some > form either connected with an existing museum or starting something new. I > am located in central Virginia, and we currently have around 100 machines > in the collection, with the majority dating from the mid '70s through 90's, > and cover a broad range of home computers, business computers, portables, > and gaming consoles. I am happy to say that approximately 90% of them are > functional. In addition to the usual suspects, some of our less common > items include an IBM System/32, Basic Four Minicomputer, Acorn Electron, > NeXT workstation, Xerox 1108 Lisp Machines, and the Commodore PC-10 IBM > clone. > > I enjoyed my first visit to the VCF East last year and am looking forward > to returning this year. I am considering participating in some sort of > exhibition at the festival, either on my own or in cooperation with others > and Evan suggested that I join this list to see where my ideas might fit in > with what others are doing. > > Much of our collection is documented here if anyone is interested: > > http://www.vacomputermuseum.org<http://www.vacomputermuseum.org/> > > Thanks for your time! >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Hello Introduction
by Peter Cetinski 29 Jan '19

29 Jan '19

> On Jan 29, 2019, at 1:01 PM, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > As a new member to the list, I am looking forward to meeting some other vintage computer enthusiasts and collectors and hopefully contribute to the conversation in the future. > Hi Bryan, it's nice to hear from you again and that you found this group. I’m glad to see your museum is still in progress, especially with that Tandy 12/6000 running XENIX main exhibit! ;) Looking forward to meeting you at VCFE! Pete

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Re: Hello Introduction
by Tony Bogan 29 Jan '19

29 Jan '19

> On Jan 29, 2019, at 1:01 PM, W. Bryan Caudle <bcaudle(a)ctsi.net> wrote: > > As a new member to the list, I am looking forward to meeting some other vintage computer enthusiasts and collectors and hopefully contribute to the conversation in the future. > > My whole work life has in some way involved technology, and my interest in computers goes back to elementary school with the TRS-80 model I and Apple II. I grew up with Commodore machines at home, followed by TRS-80's and PC Clones later on. I worked for Compuadd Corp in the 90's, then a local PC shop, then started my consulting business in 1994. Most recently my full time gig has been in infrastructure and architecture for a couple of global non-profit organizations. When I am not at work or spending time with family, my time is split between the computer collection and aviation. > > I have been intentionally collecting and restoring vintage hardware since 2006 with the future aspiration of having them on public display in some form either connected with an existing museum or starting something new. I am located in central Virginia, and we currently have around 100 machines in the collection, with the majority dating from the mid '70s through 90's, and cover a broad range of home computers, business computers, portables, and gaming consoles. I am happy to say that approximately 90% of them are functional. In addition to the usual suspects, some of our less common items include an IBM System/32, Basic Four Minicomputer, Acorn Electron, NeXT workstation, Xerox 1108 Lisp Machines, and the Commodore PC-10 IBM clone. > > I enjoyed my first visit to the VCF East last year and am looking forward to returning this year. I am considering participating in some sort of exhibition at the festival, either on my own or in cooperation with others and Evan suggested that I join this list to see where my ideas might fit in with what others are doing. > > Much of our collection is documented here if anyone is interested: > > http://www.vacomputermuseum.org<http://www.vacomputermuseum.org/> > > Thanks for your time! Welcome Bryan! Love the pictures of the systems and software etc. We will have to talk about getting some Apple II love for your 1970s group. Original Apple IIs are pricey but a nice II+ from 1979 will fit the bill. I have many (as does VCF, so I’m not slighting VCF by offering one) and would be happy to move one your way. Perhaps if you attend a workshop or come to VCF East you can pick it up to save the hassle of shipping. I have a large selection of software and manuals so I will add something to round out the display based on your wishes. It’s my hope sometime down the road as the VCF museum expands to see displays of multiple machines from different vendors, and have some stuff put aside for that should it ever happen. Meantime the machine is yours if you want it. You’ve got some of the most knowledgeable and helpful people here in this group for all things micro and mini and mainframe, with some true experts to help you with your collection. Apple II series and compact Macs are my personal obsession so anything I can do to help in that area just ask. So many Commodore and Tandy and Mac guys and.....you get the idea! Lots of info to be had from this list! Tony

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Hello Introduction
by Bob Aviles 29 Jan '19

29 Jan '19

Hi, Just want to say hello. Bobby On Tuesday, January 29, 2019, 1:31:59 PM EST, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: As a new member to the list, I am looking forward to meeting some other vintage computer enthusiasts and collectors and hopefully contribute to the conversation in the future. My whole work life has in some way involved technology, and my interest in computers goes back to elementary school with the TRS-80 model I and Apple II. I grew up with Commodore machines at home, followed by TRS-80's and PC Clones later on. I worked for Compuadd Corp in the 90's, then a local PC shop, then started my consulting business in 1994. Most recently my full time gig has been in infrastructure and architecture for a couple of global non-profit organizations. When I am not at work or spending time with family, my time is split between the computer collection and aviation. I have been intentionally collecting and restoring vintage hardware since 2006 with the future aspiration of having them on public display in some form either connected with an existing museum or starting something new. I am located in central Virginia, and we currently have around 100 machines in the collection, with the majority dating from the mid '70s through 90's, and cover a broad range of home computers, business computers, portables, and gaming consoles. I am happy to say that approximately 90% of them are functional. In addition to the usual suspects, some of our less common items include an IBM System/32, Basic Four Minicomputer, Acorn Electron, NeXT workstation, Xerox 1108 Lisp Machines, and the Commodore PC-10 IBM clone. I enjoyed my first visit to the VCF East last year and am looking forward to returning this year. I am considering participating in some sort of exhibition at the festival, either on my own or in cooperation with others and Evan suggested that I join this list to see where my ideas might fit in with what others are doing. Much of our collection is documented here if anyone is interested: http://www.vacomputermuseum.org<http://www.vacomputermuseum.org/> Thanks for your time!

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Museum warehouse tomorrow?
by Evan Koblentz 29 Jan '19

29 Jan '19

There's less than 1" of snow forecast for Monmouth County. Anybody want to do a warehouse day with me?

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Hello Introduction
by W. Bryan Caudle 29 Jan '19

29 Jan '19

As a new member to the list, I am looking forward to meeting some other vintage computer enthusiasts and collectors and hopefully contribute to the conversation in the future. My whole work life has in some way involved technology, and my interest in computers goes back to elementary school with the TRS-80 model I and Apple II. I grew up with Commodore machines at home, followed by TRS-80's and PC Clones later on. I worked for Compuadd Corp in the 90's, then a local PC shop, then started my consulting business in 1994. Most recently my full time gig has been in infrastructure and architecture for a couple of global non-profit organizations. When I am not at work or spending time with family, my time is split between the computer collection and aviation. I have been intentionally collecting and restoring vintage hardware since 2006 with the future aspiration of having them on public display in some form either connected with an existing museum or starting something new. I am located in central Virginia, and we currently have around 100 machines in the collection, with the majority dating from the mid '70s through 90's, and cover a broad range of home computers, business computers, portables, and gaming consoles. I am happy to say that approximately 90% of them are functional. In addition to the usual suspects, some of our less common items include an IBM System/32, Basic Four Minicomputer, Acorn Electron, NeXT workstation, Xerox 1108 Lisp Machines, and the Commodore PC-10 IBM clone. I enjoyed my first visit to the VCF East last year and am looking forward to returning this year. I am considering participating in some sort of exhibition at the festival, either on my own or in cooperation with others and Evan suggested that I join this list to see where my ideas might fit in with what others are doing. Much of our collection is documented here if anyone is interested: http://www.vacomputermuseum.org<http://www.vacomputermuseum.org/> Thanks for your time!

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OT? Color Clock project idea
by Duane Craps 28 Jan '19

28 Jan '19

ALL, I've have a project idea that I probably won't ever get around to. It would be nice to have a clock that displayed the time as EIA color code colors (resistor color code) Four tri-color LEDs driven by PWM should be able to display the time with each digit being a color . Would be a good training aid to learn the resistor color It could even be one LED that sequenced through the colors. It is too far the project queue for me Active mind - lazy butt - DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Re: vcf-midatlantic Digest, Vol 8, Issue 26
by mwillega 28 Jan '19

28 Jan '19

I bought a Mac 128K when they first came out and used it extensively. However over the years, I had forgotten much of what that experience was about. A few years ago, I resurrected a MAC128K with the first version of the Mac OS and the associated apps. When I got it going, I was somewhat startled to notice how much it had in common with modern smart phone apps. You basically have one app at a time running and “owning” the platform. Now smart phones can transition between apps much easier that the early Macintosh ever could and there is much that they can do in the background, but there certainly is a bit more commonality going on, when dealing with the basic user interface, than one would expect to see after 30 years of user interface evolution. Regards, Mike Willegal > On Jan 28, 2019, at 12:00 PM, vcf-midatlantic-request(a)lists.vcfed.org wrote: > > Send vcf-midatlantic mailing list submissions to > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.vcfed.org/mailman/listinfo/vcf-midatlantic > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > vcf-midatlantic-request(a)lists.vcfed.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > vcf-midatlantic-owner(a)lists.vcfed.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of vcf-midatlantic digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Museum Report 2019-01-27 (Jeffrey Brace) > 2. Macintosh HD 20 (Jason Perkins) > 3. Re: Macintosh HD 20 (Tony Bogan) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2019 17:00:23 -0500 > From: Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Museum Report 2019-01-27 > Message-ID: > <CALWfZAJPOS4RaXJ8TAic2v2kaGjvfRgaw2n+8RS3buBT+sE8qw(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > A busier than normal Sunday with three groups totaling about a dozen people > coming through with a moderate to high level of interest. They really liked > and appreciated the tours. Two groups were families with young kids. It's > always interesting to have the children guess what the different artifacts > are in the "Everything on this wall is now in your pocket" exhibit. I also > like to see if kids can figure out how to open up MacPaint on the Macintosh > and Paint on the Windows 3.1 machine. The basic functionality of the GUI > hasn't changed since the Macintosh, so it's fun to show how kids who have > never used the computer can still operate it due to user-friendly design. > > I also continued to work on VCF East planning and administration. > > -- > ========================================= > Jeff Brace > Vice President > Vintage Computer Federation > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2019 11:42:38 -0500 > From: Jason Perkins <perkins.jason(a)gmail.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Macintosh HD 20 > Message-ID: > <CA+8Y7qLKP7YOLDAb+YBoS=PcCFgxky2LwaJ23hf3EU7DP1t5bQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Does anyone know if the original Mac Hard Disk 20 - Model M0135 - ever > shipped with the Apple designed Nisha disk mechanism, or were they all > Rodime drives? > > Thanks! > > -- > Jason Perkins > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2019 11:51:32 -0500 > From: Tony Bogan <thebogans(a)mac.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Macintosh HD 20 > Message-ID: <032446A7-2F1B-4B06-A5D8-360C270E1A06(a)mac.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > I have had over a dozen, 4 still in my possession, all were the rodime drive. > Tony > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Jan 28, 2019, at 11:42 AM, Jason Perkins via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >> >> Does anyone know if the original Mac Hard Disk 20 - Model M0135 - ever >> shipped with the Apple designed Nisha disk mechanism, or were they all >> Rodime drives? >> >> Thanks! >> >> -- >> Jason Perkins > > > > End of vcf-midatlantic Digest, Vol 8, Issue 26 > **********************************************

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Macintosh HD 20
by Jason Perkins 28 Jan '19

28 Jan '19

Does anyone know if the original Mac Hard Disk 20 - Model M0135 - ever shipped with the Apple designed Nisha disk mechanism, or were they all Rodime drives? Thanks! -- Jason Perkins

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Museum Report 2019-01-27
by Jeffrey Brace 27 Jan '19

27 Jan '19

A busier than normal Sunday with three groups totaling about a dozen people coming through with a moderate to high level of interest. They really liked and appreciated the tours. Two groups were families with young kids. It's always interesting to have the children guess what the different artifacts are in the "Everything on this wall is now in your pocket" exhibit. I also like to see if kids can figure out how to open up MacPaint on the Macintosh and Paint on the Windows 3.1 machine. The basic functionality of the GUI hasn't changed since the Macintosh, so it's fun to show how kids who have never used the computer can still operate it due to user-friendly design. I also continued to work on VCF East planning and administration. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Apple IIe Duodisk Disk Drive
by Michael Pohl 25 Jan '19

25 Jan '19

My son and I have an Apple IIe with a Duodisk 5.25 floppy drive. The floppy drive drive suddenly stopped loading programs but still lights up and make the same loud turning noise when a disk is inserted. I did some research and see that we can't load programs from drive B on the Duodisk, but that we can open it up and swap the B drive to the A location. Of course, that won't solve the problem if the problem is with the controller card or circuit board in the Duodisk. Any opinions on whether we should (a) assume there's a mechanical issue move froward with the swap or (b) do additional diagnostic work with the control card and Duodisk circuitry? If (b), what should we try? Thx, Mike Pohl

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SCSI device replacement using Raspberry Pi Zero
by Christopher Gioconda 25 Jan '19

25 Jan '19

Hey everyone, I came across this article about using a Raspberry Pi Zero to replace failing SCSI devices, thought it was an interesting idea: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/using-a-raspberry-pi-zero-scsi-adapter… Chris Gioconda

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White Ceramic 6502 for sale with questions
by Jeff G 25 Jan '19

25 Jan '19

Hi All, I have come to ask for some opinions bout a white 6502 processor that I have acquired. I has a date code 0f 4576 which I believe means the the 45th week of 1976. The problem is that it has 7 broken pins. I have no idea how that happened as this is how it came to me. It looks like it came from an Atari Sprint video game as it had "sprint" written on it in pencil which has been erased. You can still make out a faint outline of the pencil markings if you look closely. I installed it in a machined pin socket to protect the pins so I could attempt to test it with my 6502 tester. I used a CPU tester that a fellow name Molka from Hungary developed as it quickly establishes whether the CPU is dead or alive. Please see here < http://www.cpushack.com/mc680xmcs650x-test-boards-for-sale/> if you want more info. Anyway, by contacting the stubs of the missing pins to the machined pin socket, the device passes the tests so it is a functional unit. So here lies the dilemma, since I want to sell it, do I repair it or sell it as is? I have similar gold IC legs from other bad vintage chips so my repair would consist of leaving the chip in the machined pin socket and tack soldering spare gold legs on the stubs and touching up with gold plating solution if desired. So I guess the question is in preparation for sale, your opinions on whether to repair it or leave it as-is and let the buyer repair it? Here is a link to some pics of the CPU < https://1drv.ms/f/s!AoxC-mzikoIghU-LUkQUKebT0Vdm> BTW, I would like to keep the sale local/face to face as I know these are pretty rare and would hate to lose it in the mail. I am in Northern NJ. So if anyone is interested please let me know as I am accepting offers. I am reluctant to set a price because know how rare the are fully intact but don't know with the broken pins. Regards, Jeff

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Happy owner fo a Tandy MC-10
by Neil Cherry 23 Jan '19

23 Jan '19

On 1/19/19 9:06 AM, Duane Craps via vcf-midatlantic wrote: I haven't gotten the MC-10 yet (won the bid last night). Before I start buying parts for it I'll check that it works. I found some documentation on the MC-10. I already have the 68xx asm books. Really need to find that Moto 6808 CoCo board. I think that's what the MC-10 is abased on. 6800 family, binary compatible 6800 - microprocessor 6802 - 128B of RAM, (microprocessor) 6808 - No ROM, No RAM (microprocessor) 6801 - ROM, RAM, IO (microcontroller) 6803 - RAM, IO, No ROM (microcontroller) 6809 - different microprocessor, mnemonic super set (not binary compatible) I haven't checked the circuit but it might be possible to feed it 9v AC as long as you have the correct current rating (I think it's 1.5A). The DC is okay for now as long as you don't need the RS232 and the cassette (ouch). I have found the various French Alice and Alice 90 stuff. Not sure how compatible it is but it's based on the MC-10. I'm sure there is something interesting there. I have a CoCo 1/2/3, a few Grant Searle's FPGA emulation boards, I'll let you know how that goes. I also have my Sardis ST2900 which I should be working on as I know they need a few chips and then documenting how we used to get them from ROM monitor to full OS9. BTW, love the 6809. :-) -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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mYSTERY KEYBOARD
by Neil Cherry 23 Jan '19

23 Jan '19

I have a mystery keyboard from around 1985. I know the following: - Keytronics model unknown - CPU (?) markings 30293-e 20-04592-054 GI 8215 CDA 19-4148-01 REV 1 PCB 01 A65-02395 -201A Images: https://ushomeautomation.com/images/mystery-kb-back.jpg https://ushomeautomation.com/images/mystery-kb-front.jpg What I haven't done so far is to power it up. And I'm not sure if the EPROM is actually original to the keyboard. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF East 2019 keynote suggestions?
by Dave McGuire 22 Jan '19

22 Jan '19

On 1/22/19 3:09 PM, Ben Greenfield via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> Here's my annual request for suggestions of people who could keynote >> at VCF East. >> >> - The person must have general appeal to our audience. It can't be >> someone who did something very narrow. > > I’m going to throw the name Walt Jung who I have recently stumbled > across and seems quite lucid on the topic of op-amp. I can’t tell if > what he did was narrow (focusing on op-amps) or general op-amps are > fundamental argument. > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Jung > > I find his writing quite comprehensible. Walt Jung is one of the world's foremost analog EEs. He's amazing and he writes damn good books. I don't see how he'd be relevant to a VCF, though, unless he wanted to give a talk about analog computers...being a known opamp expert, and analog computers consisting primarily of opamps, but still. And he's someone who is typically paid beau-coup bucks to speak at conferences, so.. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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OT: help the makerspace @ InfoAge
by Evan Koblentz 22 Jan '19

22 Jan '19

From the "Many of you may already know this, but some may not" department: For the past few years there's been a makerspace located at InfoAge. It was called the Institute for Exploratory Research, or "IXR". Adjacent to the IXR's space on the InfoAge campus was the Computer Deconstruction Lab, where people can learn about modern computers. It also has a podcast studio. Neither group was an independent entity, unlike VCF, NJARC, NJHDA, etc. -- IXR and CDL were simply part of InfoAge. Now, with InfoAge's blessing, the two groups are both closing and reforming as an independent entity (just like VCF, etc.) under the CDL name. That is already underway. The new group will be branded as "Computer Deconstruction Lab -- the Jersey Shore Makerspace". CDL needs to raise $1,084 for all the business/non-profit filing fees. So far they raised $710. IXR/CDL separately have been helpful resources to VCF and to InfoAge, so let's return the favor! Perhaps VCF/Mid-Atlantic members can help CDL raise the remaining funds. (Any funds beyond that amount will be used as seed money.) The new group doesn't yet have its own bank account. As I understand it, their treasurer will be Martin Flynn, who of course is a trusted VCF member too. Their other officers will be secretary Neil Cherry (also one of us!); president Dan Jacobs (a good friend to us); and VP Joe Wilkes. I will be one of the board members, but I won't be involved in day-to-day management. VCF keeps me plenty busy. :) Until they get a bank account (and thus a PayPal account), Martin is handling the funds directly. Please contact him at maflynn(a)theflynn.org to inquire about helping them get started. (FYI: they said these donations are NOT tax-deductible, because they're ahead of the status being obtained.) The group's website is www.compdecon.org.

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VCFe 2019 - Atari 40th
by dillera＠gmail.com 20 Jan '19

20 Jan '19

We are also missing that 2019 is the 40th anniversary of the Atari 8bits. - the Atari 400 and 800 were announced 40 years ago on Dec. 14th, 1978 - first presented at the Winter CES in January 1979 as the 400 and 800 - The computers shipped in November 1979 One of the earliest media coverages, at CES: https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1979-04/page/n19 <https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1979-04/page/n19> I will bring my Atari 10888xel to the show for fun, but I'll be focusing on the Unix exhibition, and I'm sure there are some people working on some great Atari exhibits for the show- I just had seen it mentioned on the list, and we should perhaps note this in promotional materials, or perhaps try to attract some Atari-related guest keynote speaker. -andy footnote: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family

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Museum Report 2019-01-20
by Jeffrey Brace 20 Jan '19

20 Jan '19

Low number of visitors due to the cold, windy weather. I worked on VCF admin stuff during my time there. Tony stopped by and we talked about improvements to the exhibits and making guides for docents. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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VCF SouthEast speakers?
by Mike Shaw 20 Jan '19

20 Jan '19

Does anyone know if the speakers that are going to VCF East will be at VCF SouthEast also? I can't make it to VCF East so was planning to go to VCF SouthEast in April.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Friday classes @ VCF East
by Evan Koblentz 20 Jan '19

20 Jan '19

Here's what I have in mind for Friday. We can extend the day by one slot (one hour per slot), so there are 18 classes instead of 15. 1. Apple II (Tony) 2. Mac (Tony) 3. Atari 800 4. C-64 5. Amiga 6. IBM PC 7. TI-99/4A (because it never gets any love) 8. TRS-80 9. CoCo 10. S-100 11. Land of CRTs (we all know who!) 12. "So you are curious about big iron" 13. Schleptops! 14. Power supplies 15. Electronics 101 (Fala) 16. Unix networking (Diller) 17. Unix weirdness (Jacocks) 18. Terminals? Keyboards? Disk imaging? Or anything else

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Friday classes @ VCF East
by Jeffrey Golas 19 Jan '19

19 Jan '19

Rather than a restoration class on a particular model or brand, how about an “ask the expert” panel with a panel of peeps who specialize in a particular brand/era of machine? Perhaps even two, one for 8-biters and another for different era machines or big iron. My other idea is along the same line, but almost like a mini workshop with tables set up with experts on various machines, people can bring in their machines to ask questions, etc. Not a full blown soldering/repair thing, but perhaps basic troubleshooting and cosmetic stuff. Jeff (aka Bags)

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Apple ii GS at estate sale in Manalapan New Jersey
by Sentrytv 19 Jan '19

19 Jan '19

Just a heads up to those who may want an apple IIgs there's one for sale in Manalapan at an estate sale on estatesales.net Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > On Jan 15, 2019, at 8:41 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > So the next workshop will be February 9 & 10, 2019. > Same place, same time. > Here is the signup sheet: < > https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11Iy1jqPJqVzY1gnGRrHfLfIcx5IQ82QkkaB… >> > > We tried Patrick's Pub for Saturday dinner and it was a bust. I take the > blame for this one. It had great potential, and came highly recommended. I > didn't call ahead and didn't anticipate the large crowd due to football > playoffs. The waitress was cranky, the service slow, etc. I think that this > place is probably hit or miss. When it's busy, then terrible, when not busy > then fine. I will check out the next place in person to make sure. > > I think that we will try Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten.This one is highly > recommended and Yelp rates it as a 3.5 out of 5. > > I also have a great idea for a different diner for Sunday breakfast. The > Americana Diner which is only 2 minutes further away than the Blue Swan > Diner. It's the best diner in the area. > > > > -- > ========================================= > Jeff Brace > Vice President > Vintage Computer Federation

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Happy owner fo a Tandy MC-10
by Neil Cherry 19 Jan '19

19 Jan '19

Yup, Ebay but it wasn't expensive. Not in great condition but I can most likely repair it. I like my 6502/68xx chips so this will go along with the rest of my collection. Any other MC-10 owners out there? Atari 800/600xl/800xl TRS-80 CoCo 1/2/3 Sardis ST2900 Grant Searle Multicomp board (6809 - x3) -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Friday classes @ VCF East
by Chris Fala 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

I would go to this class. Lots of people need this information. Newbies are ruining their newly acquired retro machines because they don’t know what they are doing or are watching The 8-Bit Guy too much. On Jan 18, 2019, at 11:42 AM, Tony Bogan <thebogans(a)mac.com> wrote: I was tossing around the idea of doing a “basic Restoration and troubleshooting your micro computer collection for beginners” class focused on Apple II and compact Macs specifically, since those are in my wheelhouse. Obviously some of the cleaning and basic techniques would apply to other types of machines. The idea is people starting a collection or even those who may have vintage micros but are just starting to add Apple II and/or Compact Macs to their collection and are looking for tips, hints, ideas of where to start and what to do. No oscilloscopes or multimeters, just the basics of cleaning, testing, simple troubleshooting as well as where to find helpful information . I even considered either CDs (which I already have the ISO file to make them, but CDs are fading from daily use) or cheap usb sticks to give to attendees that already have a nice collection of the manuals and how-to books and service notes I’ve collected over the years in pdf format. My concern is the focus may be too narrow to garner any amount of attendance since 90% of the focus is Apple specific. Any thoughts? Tony

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Friday classes @ VCF East
by Tony Bogan 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

On Jan 18, 2019, at 03:23 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: Here's what I have in mind for Friday. We can extend the day by one slot (one hour per slot), so there are 18 classes instead of 15. 1. Apple II (Tony) 2. Mac (Tony) 3. Atari 800 4. C-64 5. Amiga 6. IBM PC 7. TI-99/4A (because it never gets any love) 8. TRS-80 9. CoCo 10. S-100 11. Land of CRTs (we all know who!) 12. "So you are curious about big iron" 13. Schleptops! 14. Power supplies 15. Electronics 101 (Fala) 16. Unix networking (Diller) 17. Unix weirdness (Jacocks) 18. Terminals? Keyboards? Disk imaging? Or anything else Looks good to me! In the event there are not enough bodies to fill the slots, then you could just recombine the apple ii and Mac back into one class. Whatever works best! Tony

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Museum Tomorrow (Saturday)
by corey cohen 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

You do know there is a monitor rom and kill the bit in eprom on the museum’s ALTAIR. There was a piece of paper under the ALTAIR with the memory addresses where the software is located. Worst case I think I have the bin files that were used to make the proms so I can figure it out on the weekend. corey cohen uǝɥoɔ ʎǝɹoɔ Sent from my iPhone > On Jan 18, 2019, at 2:41 PM, Tony Bogan <thebogans(a)mac.com> wrote: > > Evan will be at the front desk at Infoage tomorrow so I will be docent in the museum from 1 to 5. > > > > Anyone not busy enjoying their weekend feel free to stop by! Going to test out my step by step "instructions for the front panel impaired" for the Altair and practice Dave G's instructions for the PDP. > > > > Company is always welcome! > > > > Tony >

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Friday classes @ VCF East
by Evan Koblentz 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

I'm starting to plan the Friday tech talks for VCF East. Andy D. said he'll do one about TCP/IP for vintage Unix computers. That gave me an idea: what if we do a whole *nix track? There are five classes per track. Each class is one hour. So, please speak up if you'd like to be an instructor. (That's important. We need people to say, "I will do it," not just "Someone should do it.")

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East dates - May 3-5
by Evan Koblentz 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

We're still waiting on IA management to make it super-duper-official, but, East will be May 3-4-5.

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Museum Tomorrow (Saturday)
by Tony Bogan 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

Evan will be at the front desk at Infoage tomorrow so I will be docent in the museum from 1 to 5. Anyone not busy enjoying their weekend feel free to stop by! Going to test out my step by step "instructions for the front panel impaired" for the Altair and practice Dave G's instructions for the PDP. Company is always welcome! Tony

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Friday classes @ VCF East
by Tony Bogan 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

Based on responses both public and private I’ll offer to do a class as previously described. If the powers that be deem it not worthy due to its focus, then that’ll mean more time Friday to set up the exhibit!!! Meanwhile I’d like to see if anyone either Commodore or Atari centric would be interested in possibly doing a duo. I’d like to have multiple “popular” platforms covered at once but a one hour class could easily be filled with one specific brand let alone several. Two I think would be doable. And Apple II/compact Mac and Commodore or Atari works for me if anyone else is interested. Again, one hour is so easily filled that more than two platforms would mean a lot less quality for all of them. If no one else is interested I could do a really comprehensive one on just the two Apple platforms. Ok, those that know me know I could talk for 10 hours without taking a breath but you get the idea! Volunteers? Tony

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Whoa! 11/70
by Evan Koblentz 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

Forget the BeBox thread :), check out this in Pennsylvania: https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEC-PDP-11-70-Datasystem-570/113553953503

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Friday classes @ VCF East
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> writes: > > >> What sort of class is wanted?=C2=A0 Ideas: > > 1) vintage Sun hardware >101 > 2) Solaris or hp-ux primer > 3)=C2=A0scsi basics > 4) 680x0 >workstations and servers (lots of different vendors had them) > > >Others? > > >How about an overview class of weird/unusual Unixes? I know there's >one for Amiga; what others are off the beaten path? It's all weird. ;)

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Feb Workshop Signup - February 9 & 10, 2019 - VCF Repair Workshop
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Jan '19

18 Jan '19

So the next workshop will be February 9 & 10, 2019. Same place, same time. Here is the signup sheet: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11Iy1jqPJqVzY1gnGRrHfLfIcx5IQ82QkkaB… > We tried Patrick's Pub for Saturday dinner and it was a bust. I take the blame for this one. It had great potential, and came highly recommended. I didn't call ahead and didn't anticipate the large crowd due to football playoffs. The waitress was cranky, the service slow, etc. I think that this place is probably hit or miss. When it's busy, then terrible, when not busy then fine. I will check out the next place in person to make sure. I think that we will try Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten.This one is highly recommended and Yelp rates it as a 3.5 out of 5. I also have a great idea for a different diner for Sunday breakfast. The Americana Diner which is only 2 minutes further away than the Blue Swan Diner. It's the best diner in the area. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Evan’s Favorite “F” Word (first)
by Chris Fala 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

Something about this article rubs me the wrong way. For starters, he leaves out the word “portable” which makes the whole “first” thing false. What else can you say Evan? https://www.neweggbusiness.com/smartbuyer/systems/the-lasting-effects-of-th…

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] NeXT(s) f/s in Maryland
by Evan Koblentz 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

I sent the seller a message. -EK

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Now: BeBox Was: NeXT
by systems_glitch 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

I've got a dual 133 MHz BeBox I'm working on fixing up. I bought it from a local guy, it had been bricked some time in the 90's by a bad firmware update. Another BeBox owner on #vc IRC got me the flash rescue floppy for BeOS PR1, and that's gotten it as far as being able to actually boot the NetBSD 8 installer. Apparently the floppy rescue is often unreliable though, I don't get the Be logo on startup, and BeOS doesn't want to finish booting. It is indeed very interesting hardware, with an interesting OS to go with it. Growing up, a friend of mine had one -- his dad worked for TWA as a programmer and had convinced them to get him a 66 MHz BeBox. When the 133 MHz version came along, my friend got the old 66 MHz one. Thanks, Jonathan On Thu, Jan 17, 2019 at 3:10 PM Glenn Holmer via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > On 1/17/19 10:43 AM, Ethan O'Toole via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > > > > For those not familiar, Be was a company launched by Jean Louis Gassie > > (spelling) of Apple. He I believe was the guy behind Apple's 55% profit > > margin (Source the Jim Carrolton book.) > > > > Be was pretty good multimedia wise, good multitasking, was not decaying > > in that it was cleanly designed that updates and upgrades never harmed > > the root OS files I believe. It existed for the BeBox which was a dual > > PPC machine, Mac and PC hardware. > > And it lives on in Haiku! > > https://www.haiku-os.org/ > > -- > Glenn Holmer (Linux registered user #16682) > "After the vintage season came the aftermath -- and Cenbe." >

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NeXT(s) f/s in Maryland
by Evan Koblentz 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

I saw this on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/groups/208724552490319?view=permalink&id=27322057834…

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] NeXT(s) f/s in Maryland
by Tony Bogan 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

My apologies for two emails, I hit send before finishing my thoughts. On my way to work. There is more than just the Be box angle here too. We now have a NeXT Cube. “A” NeXT cube. Not some, not a couple, not several. So no backup, no parts machine. This person has several. 4 to be precise, two he’s looking to unload. He has a iie to iigs conversion. We don’t. They aren’t “rare” but they are hard to come by and are expensive. The list goes on. I think I’ve made my point. It only takes one “YES” out of 1000 “NO” responses to make a difference. End of line. Tony

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] NeXT(s) f/s in Maryland
by Evan Koblentz 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

>> Is this about the expense or the transport? Nope. Our policy is that we don't purchase artifacts. We only accept donations. >> Has anybody reached out to him officially on behalf of VCF? I think "we're a nonprofit dedicated to... _mission_ that doesn't have a BeBox, and this would be a key part of our collection. It would be very appreciated." Is a compelling point to make for someone who clearly cares about his collection. We did not reach out. Unfortunately, we've found that such requests fall on deaf ears. Once someone decides to sell, they see dollar signs not altruism. On Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 3:26 AM m simons via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org wrote: > Is this about the expense or the transport? Has anybody reached out to > him officially on behalf of VCF? I think "we're a nonprofit dedicated to... > _mission_ that doesn't have a BeBox, and this would be a key part of our > collection. It would be very appreciated." Is a compelling point to make > for someone who clearly cares about his collection. > > I don't go down there often, but my sister lives in the Baltimore area if > I'm ever there when something comes up I might be able to ferry things back > up to NJ at least half way. > > Man, do I really want a 4000 one of these days.. especially a 4000T > eventually.. this collection is... :O > > --MS > On Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 10:09:39 PM EST, Evan Koblentz via > vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > Someone please get it for us!! We don't have one. :( > > > On Wed, Jan 16, 2019, 5:08 PM Christian Liendo <cliendo(a)gmail.com wrote: > > > That guy has a BeBox. > > > > On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 5:06 PM Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < > > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > >> I saw this on Facebook: > >> > >> > https://m.facebook.com/groups/208724552490319?view=permalink&id=27322057834… > >> > > > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] NeXT(s) f/s in Maryland
by Lou 16 Jan '19

16 Jan '19

I would pay some serious Money for that BeBox. Hot damn!

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: help the makerspace @ InfoAge
by Evan Koblentz 16 Jan '19

16 Jan '19

> If InfoAge is a 501(c)3 and they have been a part of / program of InfoAge - in other words InfoAge has been acting as an umbrella and a fiscal sponsor to them, and they are now simply spinning off, then couldn't people donate to InfoAge on behalf of the project of independence for this organization? As long as InfoAge would utilize funds donated for that specific purpose, for that purpose, I would think it would be a legitimate tax deductible charitable contribution. That is 100% correct. However, the people who are leading the makerspace -- people who I know and trust very well, and 100% vouch for -- feel much more comfortable raising the funds directly and being completely in control of it, vs. having it go to IA and then waiting to get it routed.

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OT: Recentish server and network hardware for sale
by Adam Michlin 16 Jan '19

16 Jan '19

Contact: geschwinda1(a)gmail.com (not me) Location: Maplewood, NJ - Motivated seller leaving the country in a few months Price is for each unless otherwise indicated but is negotiable, especially for large quantities: 2x Dell Poweredge T610 (dual Xeon E5645 CPUs, 24gb RAM - parts/broken?) $50 ea 2x Dell Poweredge 2900 (untested, 32gb RAM, single CPU) $100 ea 2x Dell Poweredge T110 II (unknown condition) $20 ea 2x Cisco UCS C200 M2 (redundant PSUs, 24gb RAM, dual quad-core Xeon CPUs, 4x 1tb SAS HDDs in RAID 10) $150 ea 1x Powervault 132T (2x ultrium 3 drives, 14? tapes) $150 1x PE 1800 (no PSU, unknown condition) $20 or thrown in with other stuff 2x IBM eServer i5 9406-520 (unknown condition) make an offer 1x Dell/EMC CX3-80 (unknown condition) - make an offer 1x Powervault 220S (unknown condition) $20 or thrown in with other stuff 7x Dell Poweredge 2850 (no RAM, some HDDs, untested) $30 for 1, $20 each for 2+, $100 for all 7 3x Dell Poweredge R200 (some tested, some not) $40 for 1 or $80 for all 3 1x Dell Poweredge 1900 (untested) $40 1x Apple server (no drives, fans spin and lights turn on but I don't have a cable to check the display) $50 1x Powervault 122T (untested)$30 2x Dell Poweredge1855/1955 blade enclosures (untested)$200 7x Dell Poweredge1955 blades (untested)$20 ea I also have a KVMdongle for USB and VGA output from the PE 1955 blades 1x Dell Poweredge1655MC blade enclosure & 6x PE 1655MC blades (untested) $100 for whole lot Cisco 2501 router (untested) $10 2x Cisco 1841 router (untested)$25used, $35in open (refurb?) box Cisco 2821 router (untested)$40 HP Procurve 2650 switch (untested)$25 Free or recycling: 1x PE 2500 2x PE 2450 (significant damage?)

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Jan Workshop Report
by Eric Rangell 15 Jan '19

15 Jan '19

I want to thank Todd for his excellent support in helping me diagnose the issues with the C64 I purchased at Festivus. We used the dead test cartridge to identify suspect RAM, then a logic probe to check the levels on those chips. He desoldered and resocketed them and the machine booted to Basic. Also, Jeff gave me some leads on where to find equipment for the machine. I was able to plan my VCF exhibit, which will teach people the basics of how to program a Replica 1 Plus by typing in hex codes to make it print their name. Or people can play Microchess with a Kim Uno or run programs on the Replica 1+. I got the Replica 1 Plus to use a Raspberry Pi as a serial terminal, so that gives it a nice small footprint. I also got Plamen's Passport MIDI card (a2heaven.com) to work in a GS by routing wires through the back panel to midi sockets on a breadboard. I also built a 6522 chip tester using an Arduino Mega and Data Logger shield - I soldered a ZIF socket to a PCB with ribbon cable jumpers going to the pins. I had previously worked on the test harness software, which can be seen at https://github.com/erangell/RMChipTester This will help Henry C. identify bad chips from suppliers. I still need to write more test scripts, so if anyone is willing to help let me know. At the end of the day I watched David G. give a fun demo of the PDP8 in the museum. He showed us how to enter the boot code and read and run programs from paper tape. Conceptually it all fits with my understanding of how computers execute code - the only differences I see are the hardware and the machine instruction set. Thanks to all of you for your friendship and support - it means a lot to me. Eric Rangell

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SGI Indigo help at tomorrow's workshop (Saturday)
by Adam Michlin 15 Jan '19

15 Jan '19

Hi Everyone, I'm bringing my SGI Indigo to the workshop. Known working CPU, keyboard, RAM and hard drives. Possibly working mouse (likely). Two appropriate CD-ROM drives that don't seem to work (with caddies). I'm just trying to get IRIX installed so I can do some MIPS programming on real hardware. If any one can bring appropriate installation CDs and a known working external CD-ROM, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, -Adam

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Jan Workshop Report
by Jeffrey Brace 14 Jan '19

14 Jan '19

The workshop was great. I estimate that on Saturday there was about 20 people there. Lots of things fixed. I started evaluating my many, many C64, but didn’t get very far. I will get started earlier on Saturday next time as many people do one day and leave early. Who else wants to tell what they worked on and fixed? -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Pictures from Jan Workshop
by dillera＠gmail.com 14 Jan '19

14 Jan '19

Some photos from the Jan 2019 workshop, which was fun and productive: -andy

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Andy's Jan Workshop Report
by dillera＠gmail.com 14 Jan '19

14 Jan '19

Hello- Ok, I'll put some words on what I did. It was a fun productive Saturday and I hope to see most of you all next month. - Completed sale/trade/swap for some excess stuff I'm getting rid of - Setup my Network based IRIX install and worked with Lou and Adam to install IRIX on their SGI workstations. We did complete an install for Adam on his Indigo 1. - We grabbed the VCF's SGI systems from the warehouse and brought them back to the room for a shake down - I had an Amiga 2000 system setup to copy OS disks but didn't end up using that - I saw a lot of amazing work - the Pet keyboard fix, lots of C64 fixing, Tandy 6000, Mac Apple work. - I saw Ian fixing every CRT around and got them squared up and sharpened - I smelled a capacitor giving up the smoke in a Profile disk on a IIe Didn't have enough time to look at the VCF SGI systems - but that is my plan for Feb workshop. Images: https://imgur.com/a/oJuNPXo <https://imgur.com/a/oJuNPXo>

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