- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] HSC going out of business
by Evan Koblentz 03 Dec '18

03 Dec '18

>> Now, just so it's clear, I'm responding to this rather seriously. I certainly think something like this is possible, and would even take on a related project myself, but it would require a lot of support. VCF will not go into that field. We * used to * take all kinds of stuff. Nowadays we are highly selective and sticking to real policies about what we'll take and not take. On Sun, Dec 2, 2018, 9:17 PM m simons via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org wrote: > On Friday, November 30, 2018, 4:14:20 PM EST, Laura S. Reinhard via > vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >Like the > goodwill idea. Or maybe a new nonprofit that serves such a purpose? Perhaps > some >people in this group could get the ball rolling (and hand off). > >> If we could talk goodwill into opening a science store here and there > with > >> all the strange stuff they send to Dell for recycling... > Isn't VCF and all the other groups at InfoAge mostly nonprofit groups that > get all sorts of weird electronics and stuff, some of which that are > surplus to find new homes for? > > Part of the problem is, of course, that 1) You need enough space, and > resources (human and otherwise) to make such a thing feasible and 2) Some > of what you would be getting in is essentially potentially hazardous waste > / ewaste that has some potential liability, and will cost some $$ to > dispose of properly if you can't find it new homes. > > Now, just so it's clear, I'm responding to this rather seriously. I > certainly think something like this is possible, and would even take on a > related project myself, but it would require a lot of support. > > (For the record, I've previously been a manager of a nonprofit materials > exchange, and I recently joined the board of a recycling nonprofit > organization in PA. It's certainly in our wheelhouse to do this, but we > need space, people, and funding.) > > --Michael S. > > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] UNIVAC Black Paper Tape
by Paul Birkel 03 Dec '18

03 Dec '18

Thanks Bill. The closed-loop nature makes me think of a NC tape that intentionally repeats a series of steps, perhaps as a station in a line operation. Don't believe that this particular seller has a particularly good reputation, either. Perhaps there was some late model UNIVAC system that might have been used to produce these tapes to then drive a sequencer-controller (assuming that there's anything UNIVAC'y at all about them)? -----Original Message----- From: vcf-midatlantic [mailto:vcf-midatlantic-bounces@lists.vcfed.org] On Behalf Of Bill Dromgoole via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2018 11:44 PM To: vcf-midatlantic Cc: Bill Dromgoole Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] UNIVAC Black Paper Tape Good question Paul. To me its just ordinary black paper tape . Could come from anywhere and be from any computer. Would need to see any hand written pencil notes at beginning of tape to have a clue . It is the same format, that is eight level that we use on the 1219B but I doubt it is anything interesting especially at those prices. Bill Dromgoole From: Paul Birkel via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Sunday, December 2, 2018 6:38 AM To: vcf-midatlantic Cc: Paul Birkel Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] UNIVAC Black Paper Tape See eBay listings 113415388445 and 123521333211. I see no evidence of provenance. However what I do see appear to be cut from unusually heavy stock and in the form of closed loops. They appear to be 8-level (3-sprocket-5). Do these make sense for use on a Univac system? How so, and which system(s)? Happy Post-Festivus, paul

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] HSC going out of business
by m simons 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

On Friday, November 30, 2018, 4:14:20 PM EST, Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >Like the goodwill idea. Or maybe a new nonprofit that serves such a purpose? Perhaps some >people in this group could get the ball rolling (and hand off). >> If we could talk goodwill into opening a science store here and there with >> all the strange stuff they send to Dell for recycling... Isn't VCF and all the other groups at InfoAge mostly nonprofit groups that get all sorts of weird electronics and stuff, some of which that are surplus to find new homes for? Part of the problem is, of course, that 1) You need enough space, and resources (human and otherwise) to make such a thing feasible and 2) Some of what you would be getting in is essentially potentially hazardous waste / ewaste that has some potential liability, and will cost some $$ to dispose of properly if you can't find it new homes. Now, just so it's clear, I'm responding to this rather seriously. I certainly think something like this is possible, and would even take on a related project myself, but it would require a lot of support. (For the record, I've previously been a manager of a nonprofit materials exchange, and I recently joined the board of a recycling nonprofit organization in PA. It's certainly in our wheelhouse to do this, but we need space, people, and funding.) --Michael S.

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UNIVAC Black Paper Tape
by Paul Birkel 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

See eBay listings 113415388445 and 123521333211. I see no evidence of provenance. However what I do see appear to be cut from unusually heavy stock and in the form of closed loops. They appear to be 8-level (3-sprocket-5). Do these make sense for use on a Univac system? How so, and which system(s)? Happy Post-Festivus, paul

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Hot CoCo! (yea!)
by Neil Cherry 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

So the poor, unloved CoCo I (one) I adopted lives. There was damage to the case but the main part is the motherboard and I see no damage and it boots into BASIC (8814 bytes of RAM available, yea). There's hope for a life of leasure and pampering as a Frankenstein (upgraded and running OS9). :-) For the other OS9 junkies: CoCoTalk has Allan Batteiger, General Manager of Microware, the owner of OS-9. https://youtu.be/_J6c31MBkhc -- 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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It's the great Festivus Charlie Brown!
by Joseph Oprysko 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

I had a great time being able to get out to Festivus. It's been a while since I've been able to make it to any of the VCF events, and it was good to see everyone. Although things got a bit dangerous on the way home. About 30 miles inland I guess I that's where the barometric pressure changed rapidly. The road became a wall a fog, but the pressure change threw off my equilibrium and I had to quickly pull over as I almost passed out. If I had to describe what it felt like, I would think of being in a washing machine. So I had to spend 15-20 on the side of 195? Trying to regain my balance and deal with an almost instantaneous migraine-like headache. Luckily traffic was light. Well I hope everyone enjoys the holiday season. Joe

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OT - the guy that got the M100 from me
by dillera＠gmail.com 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

Nice meeting everyone last night, I had a blast. Quick note- I'm bad with names, so if the gentleman that grabbed the M100 from me last night will email me his address of list I'm mail him the back ROM plate which I just found at the bottom of a jar in box in a box that didn't make it out there yesterday. Hope to see everyone around at the next meet up and this time I will bring some locks that I have to try and pick. -andy D

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: film photography
by Dave McGuire 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

On 12/1/18 3:27 PM, Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > True. I just can’t afford to work the way I love most. Working > digitally was great at first and still has many advantages > especially for making photomontage. But I miss the level of > control and patience that film took. I can’t even print my own > color prints from negs anymore. The machine simply does not > exist. (At least not operating). C’est les vis. I think this is pretty much universally the case when technological advances enable the general public to do something that was formerly the exclusive domain of either the highly trained, the highly talented, or the rich. It becomes commoditized. Not just the equipment, but the activity itself. I watched this happen with photography. I grew up in the 1970s; my mother was (and is, among other things) a journalist and a photographer. I grew up watching the incredible work she did, both at photo shoots and in the darkroom. It is art of the very highest order. Now everyone has digital camera. Everyone has a crappy one in their phone, and lots of people have good real ones. A lot has been gained; we can all take half decent pictures now, but a great deal has lost...almost nobody can take truly great pictures now. The general public now thinks of photography as "taking pictures"; and they don't understand the effort and talent that used to comprise nearly all of photography. It has been diluted almost beyond recognition by the advent of cheap digital cameras and the subsequent commoditization of the field. But when people see the work of, say, Ansel Adams, they say "WOW!" and sometimes wonder how he did that using such "primitive" tools. "No Photoshop, OMG!" Like other fields, the truly artistic side of it will be kept alive by people like you and my mother. Even just talking about occasionally, like here in this thread, it raises awareness and keeps it in the public consciousness. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Al Lowe is selling a few items (LSL source code)
by Ethan O'Toole 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

Al Lowe threw a few items on eBay, including source code backup disks of two LSL games. This will be a fun one to watch! (I met him when he came to MAGFest a few years ago. Nice guy! Unfortunately he didn't bring his alto saxophone because he would have fit right in playing in the hallways.) https://www.ebay.com/usr/al_lowe?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

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Blue Swan diner - 9am
by Evan Koblentz 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

We'll be back at the museum by about 10:30-11am Evan Koblentz Executive Director, Vintage Computer Federation evan(a)vcfed.org / (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org @vcfederation On Sat, Dec 1, 2018, 9:19 PM Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org wrote: > On Dec 1, 2018, 3:28 PM -0500, Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org>, wrote: >

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Back at museum around 11am today
by Evan Koblentz 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

We're all at the diner, 10am now, and the food hasn't even arrived yet... Evan Koblentz Executive Director, Vintage Computer Federation evan(a)vcfed.org / (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org @vcfederation

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Epic festivus
by John Heritage 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

Had a great time!! Take care everyone! John and Jen

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Epic festivus
by Tony Bogan 02 Dec '18

02 Dec '18

Yes, more to come. Some will go to breakfast, others will sleep in or be there doing whatever. Typically By later afternoon the crowd begins to thin and the packing up begins. I’ll see you there later. Just got home from work. Probably skip breakfast and head up around the same time the diner goers are sitting down to eat. Tony Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 2, 2018, at 5:50 AM, Laura S. Reinhard <laurakid7(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > There is more today yes? Or just the diner? I thought I may stay up but fading. Doubt make it til 9. Would love to play more video games and such in afternoon or are you packing up then? Next year I will come way earlier! You guys aren’t so scary after all lol! >> On Dec 2, 2018, 2:47 AM -0500, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org>, wrote: >> Thanks for coming! It was the best Festivus ever! >> >> On Sat, Dec 1, 2018 at 10:31 PM John Heritage via vcf-midatlantic < >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >> >>> Had a great time!! Take care everyone! >>> >>> John and Jen >>> >> -- >> ========================================= >> Jeff Brace >> Vice President >> Vintage Computer Federation

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Fashionably late. See u soon. I have tortillas and guacamole if anyone once. Or hard pretzels
by Laura S. Reinhard 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

On Dec 1, 2018, 3:28 PM -0500, Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org>, wrote:

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: modern cloud services
by Dean Notarnicola 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

* > I think there are a few things we can probably agree on: > 1) "cloud computing" is a silly buzzword for saying "their computing (server) environment and equipment" as an alternative to. "your computing (server) environment and equipment". * No, I can't agree to that. "your computing (server) environment and equipment" does not the features and capabilities that would qualify them as true cloud infrastructure with elastic, on-demand, resources. You can, however, build this into your infrastructure if desired. *> (I personally think silly buzzwords like this enforce magical thinking and a lack of understanding.) > 2) There are pros and cons for both maintaining in-house servers, as well as using online cloud services. Probably some combination of both is ideal for many organizations. * Agreed *> 3) hosting all our data elsewhere gives many of us pause for many reasons.* It should. Don't trust the hype. Understand your requirements and heavily scrutinize any potential offerings. On Fri, Nov 30, 2018 at 2:47 PM m simons via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Ditto, about all of the stuff about not knowing as much as everybody on > all the different issues related to cloud computing and why one IT > department or C-level executive may make one decision over another. > > I think there are a few things we can probably agree on: > > 1) "cloud computing" is a silly buzzword for saying "their computing > (server) environment and equipment" as an alternative to. "your computing > (server) environment and equipment". > > (I personally think silly buzzwords like this enforce magical thinking and > a lack of understanding.) > > 2) There are pros and cons for both maintaining in-house servers, as well > as using online cloud services. Probably some combination of both is ideal > for many organizations. > > 3) hosting all our data elsewhere gives many of us pause for many reasons. > > That being said, I've got a server rack and a large stack of older servers > burning a hole in my pocket looking for something good to do with them. > > Any suggestions? Any interest? > > --MS > > > > >

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OT: film photography
by Herb Johnson 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

> On 11/30/18 1:34 PM, Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> ...with a now antique/ non-existent degree in photography. > Jason Howe wrote > My one true regret in life is that I didn't peruse the same in the > 90's. Coming back to photography now in my late 30's has been a real > source of joy and deep personal satisfaction. It's far afield from vintage computing, but this is aligned with interests in vintage technology. And early microprocessor and silicon technology in imaging, has been displayed at VCF-East. So there's some overlap. - Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Festivus door code
by jsalzman＠gmail.com 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

No ride needed. Just pointing out I-95N traffic problems. On Sat, Dec 1, 2018, 1:05 PM David Riley <fraveydank(a)gmail.com wrote: > I’m taking off now from SW Center City, wasn’t sure if your inquiry was > about getting a ride or not... if you need one, call in about the next 5 > minutes, 443-824-2111, before I get too far out. Otherwise, see you there! > > - Dave > > > > On Dec 1, 2018, at 12:11, Jeff Salzman via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > Anybody coming up I-95N past Philly... > > > > On Sat, Dec 1, 2018, 11:31 AM David Riley via vcf-midatlantic < > > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org wrote: > > > >> Seems pretty out of date, no? > >> > >> I’m doing my final packing and should be there well before 2 unless > >> there’s unexpectedly bad traffic! > >> > >> > >> - Dave > >> > >> >

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Festivus door code
by Evan Koblentz 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

The door code is 2017. Please don't share it anywhere else. Evan Koblentz Executive Director, Vintage Computer Federation evan(a)vcfed.org / (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org @vcfederation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: modern cloud services
by Jason Howe 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

On 11/30/18 1:34 PM, Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > ...with a now antique/ non-existent degree in photography. My one true regret in life is that I didn't peruse the same in the 90's. Coming back to photography now in my late 30's has been a real source of joy and deep personal satisfaction. I've been putting the finishing touches on my Darkroom -- hopefully I'll be able to start making prints by the end of the month. Just starting to get into Medium format and small view cameras, which is just a whole different world. Best, Jason

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Free stuff at Festivus
by David Riley 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

Hey all, I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but better late than never. I’m bringing a bunch of stuff from David Ryskalczyk (who is sadly unable to attend) that he’s offloading, including: - A number of good books (including two copies of The Dead Mac Scrolls, which is the best reference book for repairing early Macs, hands down) - A few box of PowerBook Duo 200-series parts (including batteries, which are compatible with the PowerBook 500 series, and will probably need to be re-celled, but there are companies that still do that for those batteries) - Two NeXT laser printers (I believe one is claimed by VCF, but the other one is up for grabs) - A few other things Please take them home so I don’t have to bring them back. I’ll be surprised if most of them don’t find homes, they’re good things, but I’ve already picked over the bits I can reasonably keep. - Dave

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Festivus Video Games
by jsalzman＠gmail.com 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

I'll be bringing a couple vintage board games: Electronic Arcade Mania https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4624/electronic-arcade-mania and OMNI https://technabob.com/blog/2017/08/11/milton-bradley-omni-8-track-game/ So it's time to brush up on your 70s and early 80s trivia and LED light chasing skills. On Fri, Nov 30, 2018, 5:46 PM Alexander via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org wrote: > I was able to grab a few cartridges from my 2600 collection. Didn't have a > ton of space to bring the lot of it. > > Mario Brothers, Gorf, Spacewar, Crystal Castles, Joust, Warlords, Miss > Pac-Man, Tele-games Auto Racing. > > -Alexander 'Z' Pierson > > > Sent from my pocket telephone.

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Anyone going to Festivus have a spare 7812 or LM340-12
by corey cohen 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

I just blew one by accident on a piece of equipment and don’t want to wait for eBay or amazon. These are the times I really miss RadioShack. Thanks, Cheers, Corey corey cohen uǝɥoɔ ʎǝɹoɔ Sent from my iPhone

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Timing and parking for Sunday
by Kelly Leavitt 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

I'm a bit of an airhead. What time are we starting Sunday? Where should we park. Feel free to shame me for not paying attention Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/ghei36>

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Degaussing Coil
by Herb Johnson 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

Yes, I have a Radio Shack demagnetizer too. Right - ungh! - here next to my desk. (trudge trudge) it's now in my car. Geeze! You guys argue about computers in the clouds, but your wheels are spinning in the mud! Don'ja have anything in your basements? Herb "Tool Bin" Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Anyone going to Festivus have a spare 7812 or LM340-12
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

Neil Cherry via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> writes: >On 12/1/18 6:37 AM, Brian Schenkenberger via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> corey cohen via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> >> writes: >>> >>> I just blew one by accident on a piece of equipment and don't want to >>> wait for eBay or amazon. These are the times I really miss RadioShack. >> >> FYI, HobbyTown is now carrying Radio Shack parts. The one in Toms River >> very likely has a 7812. I'll be coming early to mid afternoon. I could >> drop in an pick one up for you. Reply before noon if you want me to get >> one for you. > >What's a Hobbytown ? I'll have to look that up. Hobbytown is a chain of hobby stores. One opened last Christmas season in the Toms River area. (Rt. 166) They carry RC cars and boats, model trains and assorted sundries, Estes rockets and motors, and various other hobbies paraphernalia. For Corey: https://www.hobbytown.com/radioshack-12v-fixedvoltage-regulator-7812-rsh276… >I know we also have a Micro Center up in North Jersey (Paramus). There's a place in Paterson that sells lots of gaming computer toys and kit, but I don't know of this place in Paramus. I'll need to check it out.

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Festivus Keurig Pods
by Jeffrey Brace 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

I got a bunch leftover from my mom. I’m not a coffee drinker. Bringing a big variety. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Final notes: Festivus
by Jeffrey Brace 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

Laura, You may pay me cash and arrive whenever you want. We are usually up until 1am and sometimes 3am. Always busy on Saturday night at Festivus. I recommend taking a breath and relaxing. Festivus is a fun event. Just show up and be yourself. Everyone there is very accepting, friendly, and helpful. On Sat, Dec 1, 2018 at 8:18 AM Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Oops. Haven’t slept yet. Jeff Brace OR PayPal. Gotcha. > > I am assuming there will still be plenty going on after 9? > On Dec 1, 2018, 8:09 AM -0500, Evan Koblentz <evan(a)vcfed.org>, wrote: > > >> Who do I pay and where? > > > > Jeff Brace or paypal@vcfed org. > > > > If you use PayPal then include a note about what it's for. > > > > > On Sat, Dec 1, 2018, 8:04 AM Laura S. Reinhard <laurakid7(a)yahoo.com > wrote: > > > > I have a roller derby event wasn’t sure about but now feel inclined > to go. It’s at 6:30pm so I will not be coming until after 9pm. Who do I pay > and where? > > > > On Dec 1, 2018, 1:36 AM -0500, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org>, wrote: > > > > > Some final reminders: > > > > > > > > > > - When you drive in, CLOSE THE FRONT GATE BEHIND YOU, even if it > was > > > > > already open. > > > > > > > > > > - Festivus event fee is $10/person, no exceptions. > > > > > > > > > > - There's plenty of room for more people to stay overnight > Saturday. Fee is > > > > > $25. > > > > > > > > > > - Please visit Infoage's holiday model trains show and the other > museums on > > > > > campus, but do the right thing by going to the front lobby and > buying an > > > > > admission ticket. > > > > > > > > > > - I'll be awake by 8 or 9ish tomorrow AM for whoever wants to come > early. > > > > > > > > > > - We set up various tables to sell stuff. Some of them are > reserved for > > > > > certain people. If you have things to sell, then check with me > about where > > > > > to put it. > > > > > > > > > > - Don't drink and drive. > > > > > > > > > > - Follow our parking scheme when you arrive. Don't park parallel > to the > > > > > road. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Evan Koblentz > > > > > Executive Director, Vintage Computer Federation > > > > > evan(a)vcfed.org / (646) 546-9999 > > > > > > > > > > www.vcfed.org > > > > > @vcfederation > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Snipe-It
by Martin Flynn 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

On 11/29/2018 2:18 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > >> Eric, >> >> Quick question - how well does the current version of Snipe-It run on >> Ubuntu Server 18.04.1 LTS on top of ESXi? >> >> Might be usable to track stuff in the Makerspace (also at Infoage in >> Building 9059) > > I don't know if they have a server version. We were shopping for a > cloud-based product. local version is free - I'm willing to spin up a server to save $399.00 a year

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Final notes: Festivus
by Evan Koblentz 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

Some final reminders: - When you drive in, CLOSE THE FRONT GATE BEHIND YOU, even if it was already open. - Festivus event fee is $10/person, no exceptions. - There's plenty of room for more people to stay overnight Saturday. Fee is $25. - Please visit Infoage's holiday model trains show and the other museums on campus, but do the right thing by going to the front lobby and buying an admission ticket. - I'll be awake by 8 or 9ish tomorrow AM for whoever wants to come early. - We set up various tables to sell stuff. Some of them are reserved for certain people. If you have things to sell, then check with me about where to put it. - Don't drink and drive. - Follow our parking scheme when you arrive. Don't park parallel to the road. Evan Koblentz Executive Director, Vintage Computer Federation evan(a)vcfed.org / (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org @vcfederation

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Important: Festivus surplus donation amounts
by Evan Koblentz 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

Here are the donation amounts for VCFed's Festivus surplus items: - Books: $1/pound, $1 minimum, no in-between increments, round to nearest pound, no you don't get the cardboard boxes (we need those) - Disk cases: $1 (small), $5 (large) - Hardware: Any reasonable offer accepted Evan is final arbiter. :)

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Laura You Belong, Was Cloud was Snipe-It
by Neil Cherry 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

HeHe, a lesson we must all learn. Hopefully one day I will. For now I am a magician with the English language. I have the ability to say the exact right thing at the exact wrong time. :-) Hope to meet you tomorrow. BTW what vintage computers peek your interest? I come from Atari 8 Bits background (my first computer) but seem to be all over the place as I've used so many (not as much as others). -- 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] Anyone going to Festivus have a spare 7812 or LM340-12
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

corey cohen via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> writes: > >I just blew one by accident on a piece of equipment and don't want to >wait for eBay or amazon. These are the times I really miss RadioShack. FYI, HobbyTown is now carrying Radio Shack parts. The one in Toms River very likely has a 7812. I'll be coming early to mid afternoon. I could drop in an pick one up for you. Reply before noon if you want me to get one for you.

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Anyone going to Festivus have a spare 7812 or LM340-12
by Herb Johnson 01 Dec '18

01 Dec '18

Well, yes. I've just put two into my shirt pocket. The TO-220 package, right? See you Saturday. Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info

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how about a lovely vintage printer for that computer :-)
by Jeffrey Jonas 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

I have some things that need adoption, starting with a lovely Panasonic KX-P1124 24 pin dot matrix printer. Come on, upgrade from that 9 pin printer already!

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Kind of OT: RS-485 to DMX-512
by Martin Flynn 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

Trying to get a lighting controller to talk to 1986 vintage microprocessor based lighting control packs. The PHY layer of DMX-512 (lighting control protocol) is RS-485. Anyone have code samples that could be used as a starting point, or should I break down & buy the USB to DMX-512 cable?

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Snipe-It
by David Gesswein 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

On Fri, Nov 30, 2018 at 02:20:31PM -0500, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > But I quickly learned that this group of men and women are as happy to impart that knowledge and experience onto others as they are to discuss it with their peers in their respective fields. Getting us to stop imparting our knowledge may be the harder trick.

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Degaussing Coil
by Douglas Crawford 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

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HSC going out of business
by Bob Applegate 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

I got an email overnight from HSC, at one time known as Halted Electronics, about their going out of business. They were the classic electronics surplus stores with bins full of dusty components and strange secrets sitting on top of each other. The last time I was in Silicon Valley, I stopped there and grabbed some S-100 prototyping boards (they had dozens of them), and looked through their collection of other S-100 boards. They had a fair amount of other vintage computing stuff too. The web page can’t possibly show everything they have, but it’s worth a look: https://www.halted.com/commerce/index.jsp I have no involvement with them except as a customer. Always great people to work with. Bob

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Festivus Video Games
by Alexander 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

I was able to grab a few cartridges from my 2600 collection. Didn't have a ton of space to bring the lot of it. Mario Brothers, Gorf, Spacewar, Crystal Castles, Joust, Warlords, Miss Pac-Man, Tele-games Auto Racing. -Alexander 'Z' Pierson Sent from my pocket telephone.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: modern cloud services
by Mike Loewen 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

On Fri, 30 Nov 2018, Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > "I may be opinionated and say things with conviction..." You and Evan will get along famously. :-) ...ducks and runs for cover... Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Popeyes chicken for Festivus
by Jeffrey Brace 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

I will be buying the food for Festivus Friday night from Shoprite and helping Evan Saturday morning move the books, floppy cases, grill, and t-shirts from the warehouse to the Festivus area. Then I have to finish setting up the Festivus area. Therefore I don’t have any time to buy Popeye’s chicken. Can someone else buy it? Send me a private reply and I can give you details. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Laura You Belong, Was Cloud was Snipe-It
by Christian Liendo 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

To Laura Yes you belong. This is a Vintage Computer Group and not a IT Group. When you get to Festivus you will meet many who will share your interest in old computers. Hopefully the only complaints will be how the pizza is cold and the beer is warm. Seriously though I hope you will come and we will show you that it's not all about IT. And as a person who has - Ben doing Networking since 1994 - Ran an ISP - Currently runs a Network for one of the largest newspapers in the world - Designed and built three datacenters for two different companies - Currently integrated his company with AWS and Google Cloud - and has actually met with and spoken shop to David Temkin who is the Vice President of Network Strategy and Architecture at Netflix I wouldn't touch this conversation with a 10 foot pole. So don't feel bad. Hope to see you there, I will be bringing Popeyes. Hope you like Popeyes. - Christian On Fri, Nov 30, 2018 at 1:22 AM Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > While I am beginning to doubt my “belonging” in this group, primarily > because my experience in IT has been limited to individual artists and > their Macs and developing databases for them in FileMaker to keep up > mailing lists (when people used to use mail). > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: modern cloud services
by Laura S. Reinhard 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

Yikes. I am really sorry I got involved in this discussion. I do see benefits to the technology and admittedly used it to my advantage to telecommute in the mid 00’s via iDisc. I worked for Apple Store at the time and was given .mac for free and it was included. Then they got rid of it for cloud and in true ADD style I forgot when date to shift data was and lost a lot of stuff. I hadn’t considered how “not mine” that space really was. Honestly I am just very skittish after some really bad kernel level malware disrupted my life and has essentially halted my development technologically speaking. Basically, I don’t trust anyone. I know I need to adapt but don’t want to jump into any boat as blindly as I did before. I am not a programmer or expert. I am a user primarily and have spent time educating myself primarily since graduating school in 1998 with a now antique/ non-existent degree in photography. One of my primary attractions to this group is to learn. I may be opinionated and say things with conviction, but if I am proved wrong I will concede without incident. Seems this topic has become kind of a flame war. That helps no one imho. On Nov 30, 2018, 3:57 PM -0500, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org>, wrote:

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Festivus Video Games
by Jeffrey Brace 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

Ian will be bringing the following: N64 NES Sega Genesis TurboGrafix 16 Atari Jaguar Colecovision Atari 7800 Fairchild Channel F Nintendo Famicom Odyssey2 Pong Super Nintendo If you have 2600 or Genesis games, then please bring and label them. We are short of games for these two systems. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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OT: modern cloud services
by Evan Koblentz 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

I don't have a fraction of the IT experience that most of you do. I don't pretend otherwise. However, as a tech journalist, I've been covering enterprise IT for 20 years. I interview dozens of major corporate CIOs every year. Pretty much ALL medium/large corporations -- the Fortune 1,000 -- spend thousands or even millions of dollars annually on cloud services/storage. There are many reasons why they do it. None of those reasons include, "Because they're stupid." I chuckle a little when I read comments from people who think they know better than all the massive international conglomerates whose budgets fuel the many-billion-dollar cloud computing industry. On Fri, Nov 30, 2018, 1:22 AM Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org wrote: > While I am beginning to doubt my “belonging” in this group, primarily > because my experience in IT has been limited to individual artists and > their Macs and developing databases for them in FileMaker to keep up > mailing lists (when people used to use mail). > > I often sound like I know less than I do, because I am more interested in > big pictures than technical terminology (which is why Apple Store hired > me... my ability to “plain speak” technology. However many true tech folk > think I am an idiot when they first talk to me about it. > > Why say all of this? Two reasons. First, I didn’t formally introduce > myself to this list and since I will be at Festivus am worried that > “they’re all gonna laugh at me”. Second, I replied to this particular post > because of my complete distrust in cloud storage. There is no way to even > pretend they can be “safe”. Ever since I bought my 2010 iMac and had no > disc to boot from and had to rely on everything being web-based, I have had > nothing but horrible experiences, primarily because of my early Mac user > ignorance about viruses and malware. I realize that was not the clouds > fault, but the concept of “everything wireless” is mind-boggling naive and > this post seems to agree? Also, confirmed my thought that this shift to > such insecure methods of data management/storage is because young “bros” > are in charge lol. > > Hope this meandering response made sense and doesn’t serve to make me > appear even less tech nerdy to you all. Hopefully Festivus won’t be like a > middle school dance I have to call my mom from haha! > > See you all there. > > Laura > On Nov 30, 2018, 12:42 AM -0500, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org>, wrote: > > On 11/29/18 11:40 PM, W2HX via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > > > I dunno, Dave. Some pretty damn big companies like Netflix, AirBNB, > Atlassian, et. al., all seem to think its the right thing to use someone > else's toothbrush. Fact is, thousands of companies use AWS. Almost 100% of > start ups, my own included, with tens of millions of investment use cloud > systems (aws and azure - another toothbrush, not our own) all seem to think > it is a better idea to use someone else's toothbrush rather than using > their own. > > > > And of course they're free to do so. I would never deny that it's > > common, but I'm not too worried about that, as I've never been much of a > > "follower". I do (and recommend) what's right in my judgment, not what > > others tell me to do. > > > > That said, though, I don't build Netflix-sized networks. Netflix > > seldom asks for my advice. ;) If Netflix came asking, I'd have to say > > "I'm sorry, you're talking to the wrong guy, I cannot do what you need." > > I've built Netflix-sized networks, but that was a long time ago, and > > it's no longer in my area of expertise. But small organizations of 1-30 > > people with specialized needs do solicit my advice, and what I tell them > > in most cases is "keep your own data". In the present context, we're > > talking about an inventory database for a club, to keep track of a few > > thousand items. There is no earthly need to farm that out to a > > timesharing provider. Further, such a small organization is a lot more > > likely to be hurt by a hosting provider's outage than a company like > > Atlassian, which will have SLAs with big penalties, offsite backups, and > > DR plans to cover their asses. Is VCF prepared to set up all of that? > > If not, are they prepared to periodically start over from scratch? > > > > > As a CTO myself with 39 years in IT, if I were to go on a job > interview and insist that purchasing, depreciating, maintaining and > staffing my own data center (24x7) was a better idea than using a cloud > infrastructure (because that would be stupid), I don't think that would be > a winning interview 9 times out of 10. > > > > If you have 39 years in IT, that's six or seven years more than me, > > and that means both of us separately have been doing this longer than > > Netflix, AirBNB, and Atlassian, combined, have existed. In my > > experience, the vast majority of the kids managing those networks have > > no idea of what they're doing, and it shows in the downtime. I'm > > grateful that I, for any of MY important data, don't have to rely on > > them for anything. Most of the data stored on my network is generated, > > not downloaded (and thus easily replaced). I can't just start over when > > AWS burps and files disappear, and I can't afford to just take the > > afternoon off when the "cloud" service blows up. You can take that risk > > if you want, but I won't. For my work, there is zero benefit to farming > > it out. That's actually true of many small organizations, but most > > people have fallen for the "cloud" hype. > > > > (For added fun, ask Matt Patoray how well that works for the support > > department's cloud-hosted VoIP phone system at his place of work. > > Better get some popcorn, in case you get him started.) > > > > About job interviews...I generally don't go on job interviews, so I'm > > not too worried about what the right HR buzzwords are. My singular > > focus is uptime and data preservation, not "sounding right" to someone > > who has fallen for the hype in order to get a job. > > > > Please understand that this isn't a case of hiding one's head in the > > sand or not being aware of what's cool and trendy in I.T. this year. > > I'm not a hobbyist...I assure you that I know exactly what AWS is, and > > rare is a day when I'm not logged into a couple of AWS-hosted servers. > > My experience tells me that it is a colossally bad idea. If your > > experience has been better, that's great. I respect your opinion, but I > > do not share it. > > > > For years, we've all seen a great push to get rid of all internal I.T. > > infrastructure, datacenters in particular. This is driven primarily by > > economics, rather than technical merit. Being able to write it off as > > an operating expense for the tax benefit is a lot more palatable than > > shelling out the money for a big purchase and putting it on a > > depreciation schedule, and then there's having to employ all those > > inconvenient technical people who aren't team players, don't play golf, > > and aren't even decent enough to wear ties. There are no such concerns > > in the context of VCF's inventory database. > > > > > I dunno. Hard to swim against the tide on this one but YMMV. > > > > I have no need to swim against any tide. It's just that I learned > > very early on not to depend on other peoples' computers for any of my > > operations, and I don't recommend that others do it either. > > > > I realize that this is not a commonly-held opinion, but I'm not too > > worried about that. My clients do not come to me for commonly-held > > opinions. They can Google for those. > > > > With respect, > > -Dave > > > > -- > > Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > > New Kensington, PA >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: modern cloud services
by Dave McGuire 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

On 11/30/18 1:55 PM, Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > I like to fall back to “mom’s” favorite saying. > Just because your friends are doing it doesn’t mean you should." That's a great one, but I suspect it's falling on deaf ears. We are mostly a society of "followers". Leading is harder than following. Leading means taking a stand based on what you know is right despite inertia or perception, and it takes testicular fortitude and the willingness to take a risk. These things are very unpopular within the ranks of huge corporations. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Snipe-It
by Eric Rangell 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

Hello all, Evan and I were looking at Snipe-It as a solution for maintaining an inventory of the items in the museum and warehouse. I did some work configuring it by adding custom fields, but it looks like additional coding will be needed to customize the UI to meet VCF requirements. Unfortunately I haven't had the time lately to devote to this effort. I was able to get it to run from a docker container but have not modified the underlying code. I will be at Festivus if anyone wants to discuss the project and how we can collaborate to make it work. Look for the Apple //c+ games to find me. Eric Rangell erangell(a)gmail.com > Message: 6 > Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2018 20:38:01 -0500 > From: dillera(a)gmail.com > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Intro > Message-ID: <5B03AF6A-1D3B-493B-9524-F8EEF480B2A6(a)gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > No photo- the photo is at the link I posted. > > So was my college - UMCP (university of MD @ College Park) I actually had > 2 IBM RTs - that had the original ROMP RISC chip, pre-POWER. They were in > an instructors closet (the were old by the time even I was there) and they > had the SystemV Academic Version of UNIX - not AIX. Of course they are long > gone from me.. really should have kept that one. > > The asset management app is really nice - Snipe-IT - > https://snipeitapp.com/ and code is https://github.com/snipe/snipe-it > > I looked for a long time and it's the nicest totally free, linux/php/mysql > based package out there. I've used it with their vagrant install to play > around with on my mac, and then just set it up on a small linux server I > keep around. There are USB scanners on amazon for $20 and a set of 500 > asset bar-code tags for like $10 I think. It works very nicely. > > -andy > > > > On Nov 28, 2018, at 1:43 PM, Jameel Akari via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > If you attached/embedded a photo, I think it got stripped from the > mailing list. > > > > Nice, I'm also into 90's *nix workstations. My college was deep into > IBM, so as a result of working in the buildings where we threw out > machines, I have a pretty deep stack of RS/6000s and parts. ;) Also SGI, > Sun, and DEC. I feel like I need an HP PA-RISC box to round it out. > > > > What are you using for your asset-management app? I keep meaning to > write something to keep inventory... > > > > -- > > Jameel Akari > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Snipe-It
by Tony Bogan 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

> On Nov 30, 2018, at 1:21 AM, Laura S. Reinhard <laurakid7(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > While I am beginning to doubt my “belonging” in this group, primarily because my experience in IT has been limited to individual artists and their Macs and developing databases for them in FileMaker to keep up mailing lists (when people used to use mail). > Ditto!! I’ve done patient databases (and HCFA form completion etc) for several doctors and chiropractors. I also have setup and maintained VERY small Mac networks since the thinnet days. My point being I have knowledge, but it pales in comparison to the collective experience in this list. > I often sound like I know less than I do, Unfortunately for me I always sound that way because it’s true!! ;-) > Why say all of this? Two reasons. First, I didn’t formally introduce myself to this list and since I will be at Festivus am worried that “they’re all gonna laugh at me”. Please don’t spend another second on such thoughts. I am a user, not a programmer/coder or engineer (electrical or otherwise) nor do I work in IT or any field remotely related to 99% of the topics in this list. I run passenger boats (and in the past fishing boats) for a living. My experience with computers is predominantly as a user (some have said power user with the amount of things I do and have done, but I would not) who reaps the benefits of what many people on this list and others help create and maintain. (excluding the late 70s and early 80’s during the early days of hacking, cracking and phreaking but that’s another story) My reason for saying this is while not intimidated (not really in my nature to be intimidated, which has created some of its own problems in life, but I digress) i too felt somewhat out of place when confronted with the overwhelming amount of knowledge and experience in this group. Sometimes I’d wait till the end of a detailed discussion like the “cloud” one going on, and respond with a “Dad lets me play video games slow in the driveway” as I felt overwhelmed. But I quickly learned that this group of men and women are as happy to impart that knowledge and experience onto others as they are to discuss it with their peers in their respective fields. Join me at festivus and we can sit there like Fluke Starbucker, Ham Salad and Princess Anne-Droid shrugging their shoulders saying “I can’t understand a word he’s saying” when Darph Nader is speaking. Tony

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Anyone need game port to midi adapter or matched 32 bit XEONS
by Kelly Leavitt 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

I have a spare game port to midi adapter if anyone needs it. I'll bring to Festivus. Also, anyone need a matched pair of SL72C 2GHz 32 bit Xeon processors? See everyone Sunday Kelly

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Snipe-It
by Neil Cherry 30 Nov '18

30 Nov '18

I have to make this quick. Laura, don't worry about your background. This is a place where you can learn as you go. The only thing you need to qualify is curiosity and the love for the old computers. Unfortunately you do have to put up with the old guys. (I remember when we didn't have 2 bits to rub together ...). I hope we see you tomorrow at Festivus. See everyone else also. -- 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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