- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

AT&T PC6300 in Philly on eBay
by Herb Johnson 04 Sep '17

04 Sep '17

Item location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.... -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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zoomfloppy on WIn 10 computer
by william degnan 04 Sep '17

04 Sep '17

I have a system with Win XT that I had been using a my ZoomFloppy computer, but when the new version came out and it was Win 10 compatible I attempted to install on my PC with Win 10. It worked, but I found that now the X-Cable component of the software suit thinks my CBM 8050 with Jiffy DOS 2.7 is a 8250. It still works but it mis-identified the drive. Also, I have to use D0 only, I can't get it to recognize D1 (the left drive). For me that's ok, but I was wondering if anyone else had similar experiences with their use of the Win 10 Bill

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OT: EBS, nevermind
by william degnan 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Never mind, I found this page, which I did not see earlier. https://cloudacademy.com/blog/amazon-ebs-shink-volume/ Bill

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OT: Amazon EC2 Question - Safely reduce EBS Size?
by william degnan 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Please contact me off list with replies. I have a server hosted on Amazon that has 750Gb allocated to it, and I don't need that much space and I'd like to cut it back to cut costs. Whenever I read about EBS they give examples about to increase the size, but I could not find anything about reducing the size. For example here is a page that shows the expand process https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-ebs-update-new-elastic-volumes-chan… So my question - anyone here ever successfully *reduced* an elastic volume on a production server? Is it a "smart" process that knows to adjust the hard drive volume? How does it work? Does it ask you which partition to shave down, should you unallocate the space first then do the volume reduction, etc? Please contact me off list with replies. Bill

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Looking for Help to make a MP/M Disk Image
by Herb Johnson 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Bill's MP/M system with S-100 cards, has cards built by MSC (Measurement Systems and Controls). I'd also like docs for S-100 cards with that brand. Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Looking for Help to make a MP/M Disk Image
by william degnan 03 Sep '17

03 Sep '17

Hi, After a lot of effort I repaired a Systems Group 2800 S-100 computer by tracing the electrical faults related to old caps and a 7805 regulator. Now it boots to the hard drive. The system boots up and asks PASSWORD PLEASE- I have tried various passwords but none work. I found a binary of the MP/M OS that came with the SG 2800 here: http://www.cpm.z80.de/binary.html (search page for "Systems Group System 2800") Is there anyone here who can make me a bootable 8" disk by using this binary? In the meantime I am going to see if I can make a generic MP/M disk boot that will work this system, but it would be nice to get the disk the computer came with running. I don't have the skills to use the appropriate assembler, it has been years since Dan Rogantis's class on building a CP/M (MP/M) disk from a binary of the disk files. I suppose I could just copy them to a CP/M disk but I doubt it will boot. If I keep at it I can probably get it to work but I will accept help if this is an easy project for someone else. Suggestions? Thanks Bill

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Fully working Apple Lisa 2 for sale in North Jersey
by Adam Michlin 02 Sep '17

02 Sep '17

Hi Everyone, I am helping a friend sell his working Lisa 2. He would prefer not to ship (for obvious reasons) and would like to avoid Ebay (for obvious reasons, as well). He is asking $2,700 and I may be in a position to facilitate the deal and, for example, perhaps bring it to the museum. Unfortunately, donation is not an option (and was the first thing I asked). Pictures are available at: http://ceos.io/lisa/ Please contact me directly off list if interested. -Adam

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W.J Eckert Punched Cards Method is Scientific Computation Thomas J Watson / IBM
by Stephen 01 Sep '17

01 Sep '17

Speaking of little bits of computer history up for sale, just seen this:- W.J Eckert Punched Cards Method is Scientific Computation Thomas J Watson / IBM Copied from the listing:- A very rare early computing book and FAR rarer than the 1984 reprint. PUBLISHED IN 1940 BY Thomas J Watson / IBM, includes solving astronomical problems with punched card readers and sorters AND SOME PHOTOS Solution of differential equations for astronomy Around 1933 Eckert proposed interconnecting punched card tabulating machines from IBM located in Columbia's Rutherford Laboratory to perform more than simple statistical calculations. Eckert arranged with IBM president Thomas J. Watson for a donation of newly developed IBM 601 calculating punch, which could multiply instead of just adding and subtracting.[4] In 1937 the facility was named the Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau. IBM support included customer service and hardware circuit modifications needed to tabulate numbers, create mathematical tables, add, subtract, multiply, reproduce, verify, create tables of differences, create tables of logarithms and perform Lagrangian interpolation, all to solve differential equations for astronomical applications. In January 1940, Eckert published Punched Card Methods in Scientific Computation, which solved the problem of predicting the orbits of the planets, using the IBM electric tabulating machines, based on the punched card. This slim book is only 136 pages, including the index. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401379672686 Stephen Walters Professional Celebrity Photographer / G7VFY www.facebook.com/mister35mm Tel 07956-544202

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OT: WarGames: The Dead Code
by Joseph Oprysko 01 Sep '17

01 Sep '17

It's 2017, and I just found out about the sequel to the Original WarGames movie. Apparently it came out in 2008. I found it a bit humorous, that up in Canada running part of the power grid was Joshua (WOPR), it looked a bit different than the first movie. Plus everything was cellphones and WiFi... but no IMSAI 8080 or acoustic couplers, but they did do a pringles can WiFi directional antenna booster. The other kind of interesting thing, was that Philadelphia was the initial target. -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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Anyone want to bid on J.P Eckert's letters
by Christian Liendo 31 Aug '17

31 Aug '17

They talk about the ENIAC Patent, starting bid $750 https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/55302575_jp-eckert-receives-patent-on-…

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Apple //c equipment in Erie PA
by Eric Rangell 30 Aug '17

30 Aug '17

Hello all, My name is Eric Rangell and I live in Downingtown, PA. My parents live in Lakewood NJ so I am looking forward to visiting the museum in Wall in November. My first computer was an Apple //e when I was 13 years old in 1983. I learned programming in Basic, Pascal, and assembly language in my teens, which led to a degree in Information Systems and a job on Wall St, where I worked with COBOL, helped get the company through Y2K, then branched into Client/Server: Powerbuilder/Sybase, Java, C, C# .NET/SQL Server, HTML/JS. After that job I did consulting for a university where I built a class for remedial music theory in Java, Php, Mysql, and Unix. My current position is a solution architect in the pharma industry where I try to keep up with Azure and VSTS while coordinating testing and FDA validation of systems. So retrocomputing is a hobby that helps ground me in something familiar. I am revisiting a MIDI system I developed for myself on the Apple //e and learning about efforts by archive.org to preserve floppy disk images. I have recently become interested in the ideas of Ted Nelson - Xanadu and Zigzag. When I was recently forced to dive into Javascript it was Doug Crockford's video series that helped me explore it. I am impressed with how people got things done under the constraints of old hardware, and can appreciate the unique talents that this community has. Thanks, Eric

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Very much OT: Bitcoin?
by Joseph Oprysko 30 Aug '17

30 Aug '17

Does anyone have any experience with Bitcoin? I setup a bitcoin wallet, but I don't have any bitcoin to deposit in it. I've tried using some of those "Satoshi Faucets" but they give SO little, I haven't "earned" enough to even put a fraction of a bitcoin in my account. If someone wouldn't mind sending me a little bit of bitcoin so I can see what the big deal is. My wallet ID is: 1NtEGyywbKdYmsb1rAafrUs32nGkCm8vyh Thanks in advance for anyone who can send me a little bit. Joe -- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?

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Anyone Looking for a Ferret?
by william degnan 30 Aug '17

30 Aug '17

Jeff J or someone may be interested in this testing system. Not sure it's a good value, no idea, but the name is Ferret. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-FERRET-FERRET-A-Multi-Function-Computer-Tes… Bil

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Apple //c equipment in Erie PA
by Eric Rangell 30 Aug '17

30 Aug '17

Hello all, I'm forwarding this info about a system in Erie PA that is on Craigslist for anyone interested who can get there: https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageApple/comments/6wfuw4/guy_says_hes_going_to… https://t.co/stTtT9ewmS I live in Downingtown, so it is an 8 hour drive for me. I don't need the equipment, but hope the software and floppies can be saved and imaged for archive.org. Eric

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Saturday museum report
by Evan Koblentz 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

Not much happened yesterday. We had an ordinary amount of visitors including a 12-year-old who seemed genuinely interested + wanted the full tour. I'm getting to be good at entering octal code on the HP-1000. Roddy (art guy next door to us) is going to make some new signs for us around the campus. Jeff B. brought over the 30-ft. white Ethernet cord that I ordered. We swapped out the gray cord that we borrowed from IXR and returned it to them. White one fits better (other was 25 ft., too short) and blends in better against our white walls.

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Sunday Museum Report
by Douglas Crawford 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

Nice day at the museum. Took 4 families through the museum. One was a father and his 2nd year E.E. son. They got the full extended tour version complete with the 8 and 16 bitter IC history :) There were two families that breezed through without a tour. The Museum looked great. -DC

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Who exhibited ICS 8080 @ VCF East?
by Alexander Pierson 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

I believe that was Bob Roswell, the guy over by the door closest to the consignment area. He had the mechanical logic trainers and toys along with the ICS branded trainer. Rather than Bob himself, I mainly saw the younger pair of folks running the exhibit, but I cannot recall their names. Can anyone confirm? -Alexander 'Z' Pierson On Monday, August 28, 2017 8:13 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: Someone asked me who demo'd an 8080-based trainer from Integrated Computer Systems at VCF East last spring. Does anyone know? ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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Who exhibited ICS 8080 @ VCF East?
by Evan Koblentz 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

Someone asked me who demo'd an 8080-based trainer from Integrated Computer Systems at VCF East last spring. Does anyone know? ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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Pet 2001 in NJ
by Christian Liendo 28 Aug '17

28 Aug '17

https://newjersey.craigslist.org/sys/d/vintage-commodore-pet-2001/628062186…

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OT: Ruby programming books available
by William Dudley 27 Aug '17

27 Aug '17

I have the following titles available for free: The Ruby Way, 2nd Edition, by Hal Fulton Agile Web Development with Rails by Thomas and Hansson Learning Ruby by Fitzgerald Ruby Cookbook by Carlson and Richardson I'll ship if you pay for shipping. Bill Dudley Jackson, NJ This email is free of malware because I run Linux.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Monitor needed for museum
by Earl Baugh 27 Aug '17

27 Aug '17

Actually a UPS for a Pi isn't that expensive. I have a couple of these (get the right one for PI/PiZero/Pi 3 -- there are at least 2 different models) (https://www.tindie.com/products/xorbit/lifepo4weredpi/) They work great keeping the PI's running. I've not had any corruption on the SD cards (and two Zero's run 24/7) since I got these. Earl

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Monitor needed for museum
by Evan Koblentz 26 Aug '17

26 Aug '17

Hey look! http://www.robotshop.com/en/raspberry-pi-vga-adapter.html Ethan Dicks (VCF East frequent PDP-8 exhibitor) turned me on to this. He teaches Pi classes at his local hackerspace. He said that in his experience the Pi usually "just works" to detect the video type, but that it's more reliable when you edit the config file. For 7 bucks I am definitely buying us one. I already have a low-profile widescreen VGA LCD at home that's the perfect size for our application. (VCF's existing supply of VGA LCDs are all square-shaped.) All's well that ends well.

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anyone want a mac plus $50
by william degnan 24 Aug '17

24 Aug '17

https://delaware.craigslist.org/sys/d/1986-macintosh-plus-computer/62416887… This is down the road from me, near Newark, Delaware over the PA line (rte 896 before rte 1). Bill

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FS: Industrial 486 ISA Computer with 8 GB DOM, Ethernet, MS-DOS 6.22, Utils
by systems_glitch 24 Aug '17

24 Aug '17

Description + pictures on the VC Forums: http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?59315-FS-Industrial-486-ISA-Compu… This little box started life as an 8-port terminal and application server. It came to me with only the CPU board, and a crashed hard disk that looked like it had a plain DOS install on it anyway. I cleaned it up as described in the forum thread, but I'm thinking I'll sell it as my PICMG box is effectively the same thing but more flexible. Thanks, Jonathan

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Fake 7400-series memory
by Herb Johnson 24 Aug '17

24 Aug '17

> That was a rather interesting read. It's like a combination > of archeology and technology. - Joe Oprysko Right. That's what early vintage computing looks like - kinda. ;) Editorial follows, for those interested. Otherwise: thanks for this glimpse into a corner of chip-collecting. - H Doing some Web "archeology" found the originator of the decapitated chip. It's part of a recent project by Robert Baruch which he calls "Project 54/74" and hosted on YouTube and a wiki at project5474.org, and his Twitter account. He extracts chip die from original 7400 (and the industrial/military version 5400) logic chips, for annotation and imaging; then reverse engineers the schematic. He seems to be doing other vintage-computing stuff as well, with new S-100 boards and 3D printing, very 21st century. Tracing out chip-die sounds like rocket-science; but it's a matter of knowledge and tedium, recognizing visual patterns and following the likely logic. That's what the "fake" poster Ken Shirriff performed in his deconstruction Web post. TTL gate-level logic is usually described in 7400 documents, but not in detail. EE's in the 70's era (like me) were trained in semiconductors at almost the die level; the detailed knowledge is/was available in other textbooks for IC design specialists. And, it's something done in the microprocessor collecting world; tracing out early CPU dies. There may well be other such projects, for other chips including TTL. And it was professionally done in the era as literal reverse-engineering; competitors looking for ways to produce copies, learn design techniques, and so on. "Archeology and technology" overlap considerably; archeologists try to reverse engineer how structures or tools, homes, weapons were made. To me this is another example of what I call preservation by restoration and repair and Web publishing. I work at the S-100 board and chip level, not at the die level. As do others in this email list. Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Fake 7400-series memory
by Evan Koblentz 24 Aug '17

24 Aug '17

http://www.righto.com/2017/08/inside-fake-ram-chip-i-found-something.html

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FS: Prototype Glitch Works Ohio Scientific Universal RAM Board
by systems_glitch 23 Aug '17

23 Aug '17

link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/272817996082 I'm selling some of the prototype boards for my GW-OSI-RAM1 Universal 128 KW RAM board. This board provides up to 128 KW (64 KW without memory management) of static RAM on the Ohio Scientific bus. It supports a 12-bit word size and is compatible with the Ohio Scientific 560Z "Processor Lab" in PDP-8 mode. It also includes a prototyping area, and a header for mezzanine display boards. Included with the auction is a Hex Lamp Register and an Octal Lamp Register, which can be mounted directly to the GW-OSI-RAM1 or used remote on a cable (e.g. for a front panel). This is a pre-production board, the most significant difference is that it lacks a corner mounting hole, which can be drilled if needed (no circuit traces run under its location). The other differences are minor. See auction link for full description! Thanks, Jonathan

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OT: my own Pi
by Evan Koblentz 22 Aug '17

22 Aug '17

Successfully booted my Pi Zero W into Raspbian tonight. Connected it to my living room TV (native HDMI) plus a keyboard and mouse. Now what? It's a little Linux computer.... although Corey says I shouldn't think of it that way. No need to serve tablet content at home :) so I could use (real) ideas about what to do with it. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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Monitor needed for museum
by Evan Koblentz 22 Aug '17

22 Aug '17

Everyone, We need an HDMI monitor for a permanent connection to the Pi that powers our tablet content. Ideally it should be smaller than 19" (so it can fit on a rack shelf) but not less than, say, 15" (so we can actually read it). I tried using a known-working HDMI-VGA adapter. But it's not supported by the Pi. Does anyone have a suitable screen to donate, or can someone buy it for us? This is something we need quickly. ________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation A 501(c)(3) educational non-profit Evan(a)vcfed.org +1 (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation

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OT: Pi RCA conversion
by Evan Koblentz 21 Aug '17

21 Aug '17

I'm reading this: https://www.modmypi.com/blog/how-to-add-an-rca-tv-connector-to-a-raspberry-… I cut one end off a generic yellow-tipped RCA wire and stripped back the insulation. Insider there's one insulated wire (yellow) and one bare copper wire. Which is the positive/negative? Rest assured, I'm experimenting on my own Pi, not the museum's. :) ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: Pi RCA conversion
by Evan Koblentz 21 Aug '17

21 Aug '17

> Center conductor is video. > Shield is ground. Some would call it negative. Thanks! Found it on Google but I appreciate the confirmation from someone I know and trust.

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Halt and Catch Fire
by John Heritage 21 Aug '17

21 Aug '17

Is the show messing with us? A Sparc station running Excel? :)

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Halt and Catch Fire
by Michael Thompson 21 Aug '17

21 Aug '17

> > Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2017 19:32:53 -0400 > From: John Heritage <john.heritage(a)gmail.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic > <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> > Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Halt and Catch Fire > > Is the show messing with us? A Sparc station running Excel? :) > > Sun did have the WABI (Windows Application Binary Interface) that would let you run some Windows binaries. They also had a 386 processor on an S-Bus board that could run Windows. -- Michael Thompson

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An amazing event to photograph
by Ian Primus 21 Aug '17

21 Aug '17

I managed to get a pretty decent photo of the partial Eclipse blocking out most of the Sun. http://i.imgur.com/HqKSde6.jpg How'd everyone else do? -Ian

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Museum report
by Evan Koblentz 19 Aug '17

19 Aug '17

Typical museum day: good assortment of visitors throughout the day, straightened up a few things in the workshop area, and replaced a dead tablet with a working one.

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VCFMW
by Mike Loewen 19 Aug '17

19 Aug '17

Is anyone else heading for VCFMW next month? I'll be there with one of my HP minis (2113E) running RTE-6/VM with a pair of 264X terminals. http://vcfmw.org/ Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Not sure if you have seen this Osborn 1 on eBay
by David Keith 18 Aug '17

18 Aug '17

Osborne 1 Vintage Computer *Fully Tested Working - With original software disks* | eBay | | | | $ 150.00 | | | | | | | Osborne 1 Vintage Computer *Fully Tested Working - With original software d... Both drives read and write perfect, monitor is sharp and clear, keyboard is also functional. Comes with original... | | | |

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCFMW
by Alexander 18 Aug '17

18 Aug '17

I'm planning on going again this year. -Alexander 'Z' Pierson Sent from my pocket telephone. Douglas Crawford via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: >Its my plan to be going! > >On 8/18/2017 4:49 PM, william degnan via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> I'd like to go, not sure yet >> Bill >> >> On Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 4:45 PM, Mike Loewen via vcf-midatlantic < >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: >> >>> Is anyone else heading for VCFMW next month? I'll be there with one of >>> my HP minis (2113E) running RTE-6/VM with a pair of 264X terminals. >>> >>> http://vcfmw.org/ >>> >>> >>> Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us >>> Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/ >>> >

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Wifi232 Modem
by Support 18 Aug '17

18 Aug '17

Anyone have a Wifi232 modem (http://biosrhythm.com/?page_id=1453) they can part with or lend me for some testing / tinkering? Need one for just a few days. Thanks! Henry S. Courbis Office Toll Free: (800) REACTIVE (732-2848) Office/Mobile Direct: (856) 779-1900 www.ReActiveMicro.com <http://www.ReactiveMicro.com> - Sales, Support, and News, Our Headquarters on the Internet ReActiveMicro.com/wiki - Support, Software, Manuals, and History. Create your own page today! Facebook.com/reactivemicrousa - Our Social Media Outlet and Support

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OT: Solar Eclipse sunglasses -- legit, better and still cheap
by Herb Johnson 18 Aug '17

18 Aug '17

I was an amateur astronomer. I advise against the referenced Harbor Freight goggles. Here's reliable information about Welder's glass. - Herb https://www.harborfreight.com/ etc. Set comes with both flip front and permanent #10 lens.... https://www.space.com/36941-solar-eclipse-eye-protection-guide.html Welding goggles quote from Rick Fienberg, press officer for the American Astronomical Society (AAS), said "There is a particular circumstance in which [welding goggles are] safe," Fienberg said. "We don't recommend it because it's too easy to get the wrong kind of welding filter." Only goggles made for electric arc welding can be used to observe the sun, and they must have a shade scale number of 12 or higher. Shade 13 is ideal for solar viewing, but that shade is typically not sold in stores, Fienberg added. -------------------- https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety Additional Safety Information Viewing with Protection -- Experts suggests that one widely available filter for safe solar viewing is welders glass of sufficiently high number. The only ones that are safe for direct viewing of the Sun with your eyes are those of Shade 12 or higher. These are much darker than the filters used for most kinds of welding. If you have an old welder's helmet around the house and are thinking of using it to view the Sun, make sure you know the filter's shade number. If it's less than 12 (and it probably is), don't even think about using it to look at the Sun. Many people find the Sun too bright even in a Shade 12 filter, and some find the Sun too dim in a Shade 14 filter — but Shade 13 filters are uncommon and can be hard to find. -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Test, ignore
by Evan Koblentz 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

Nothing to see here.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: Solar Eclipse sunglasses -- legit, better and still cheap
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

Chris Fala via vcf-midatlantic writes: >Brian, to where will you be travelling? I plan to drive to eastern >Tennessee. Would love to get copies of your photos. I have a sister who purchased a large horse farm down in South Carolina many years ago. She's in the path of totality; only 5 miles from center. We're planning to go to a HP rocket launch Saturday in extreme southern NJ and then, continue on the road to SC. We should be there for Sunday, Monday (eclipse) and Tuesday. I'll have my Manfrotto tripod but I wish I'd gotten an adapter to put the camera on my telescope's equatoral mount with drive. I'll be sure to suss that out in the next 99 years! :) It would be something to consider if I'm still walking this spinning ball of mud when the 2024 eclipse occurs.

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PSA: Amiga 600 and Amiga 1200 can have leaky capacitors that eat PCB
by Ethan 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

Learned the hard way after trying to use my Amiga 600 this weekend to archive some software. Green screen. Figured it was PSU. Got home, popped the RF shield off and sigh. Caps leaked electrolyte and it ate through some traces. Had no idea this was an issue, I know about the Lithium batteries in the A2000/A3000/A4000 and A500 RTC module. Going to have to try to repair, almost thinking about paying someone else to do it if there is someone reputable in the USA. :-( - Ethan

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: Solar Eclipse sunglasses -- legit, better and still cheap
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

systems_glitch via vcf-midatlantic writes: >Heh, don't know that I'd trust a Harmful Freight device with my >eyesight, but there are many other suppliers that will carry name-brand >eye protection. The goggle type devices are often called "cutting >glasses" or "cutting goggles" because they're only used when cutting or >welding with an oxy-fuel torch -- electric arc welding requires full >face protection from the UV given off by the arc as it'll sunburn any >exposed skin. Many big box hardware stores carry either Lincoln, Hobart, >or Miller branded safety gear, which is fine, safe stuff. > >We went in for new glasses last week, and the optometrist had cardboard >and film filter glasses for free in their lobby. > >Thanks, Jonathan FWIW, most of the "eclipse glasses" have been sold out. If you are nearby the InfoAge center and want some glasses, Avenues of the Sky (AAS approved) have produced glases for the Lakewood crowd. They're printed in Hebrew but, come on, it's pretty self-explanatory as to what to do with them. I picked up a 6-pack from the Madison Rx in Lakewood for $12. I've also spent $250 on a 7mm solar filter for my camera lens from B&H Photo Video. I'll be traveling shortly a location in the path of totality, so eat your heart out if you're not in the path!!! :P

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OT: Solar Eclipse sunglasses -- legit, better and still cheap
by Dan Roganti 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

This is a better option and it doesn't cost much, only $6 its not the gimmicky stuff that you see sold in stores, and its the same material specified for welding masks to filter the solar light. It's the same specification used by astronomers for their telescope equipment but these are welding goggles, so it's light weight and costs less, These are found at Harbor Freight and other places with tools pass it on https://www.harborfreight.com/welding/welding-helmets/2-piece-welding-goggl… <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.harborfreight.com%2Fwelding%…> -- _ ____ / \__/ Scotty, We Need More Power !! \_/ _\__ Aye, Cap'n, but we've only got 80 col's !!

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What's a good way to upgrade my Amiga 1000
by Dan Roganti 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

What's a good way to upgrade my Amiga 1000. I like to get it setup which would let me download Amiga software online and transfer the files to my A1000 as I do with my C64 and Apple][. Is there something like the uIEC with the SD card from Jim Brain at Retro Innovations. This is the best one I've seen so far. Here you just swap the SD card after you download any software online, and pop this into the uIEC plugged into the C64. I still use it together with my cross-platform dev when coding new stuff. or is it more like ADTPro for the Apple][ by using the serial cable I heard it's a lot easier to find something for the later models which don't rely on Kickstart disks. Dan -- _ ____ / \__/ Scotty, We Need More Power !! \_/ _\__ Aye, Cap'n, but we've only got 80 col's !!

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Museum report
by Evan Koblentz 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

We had a few scattered visitor groups today. I got a parts bin at Harbor Freight and put it on the workbench. Bottom few rows are now full of screws and nuts and bolts and washers. Not as impressive as IXR's electronic components :) but at least it cleans up our workbench. The majority of the bin drawers are empty for future use. I noticed that two of our 15-ish tablets were misconfigured. They were set to get content from a folder on vcfed.org rather than from the Pi on our local network. I fixed that. Every few months someone from the Infoage board hosts a meeting for the various group leaders. There was one such meeting tonight. One of the highlights: Infoage got a grant to install ADA-compliant ramps for all the public buildings on campus. That includes our museum building ("9010-A" in Infoage parlance from the Army days). I think it will be installed in the next few months. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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Simple 3D Printable case for WiFi232
by John Heritage 16 Aug '17

16 Aug '17

I made a very simple 'slide in' sleeve case for the WiFi232 modem in case anyone is interested. It does not fully enclose, but at least keeps the electronics off of your desk surface, and leaves plenty of room for the USB and RS232 connectors, and to push the button. The plastic does cover the solder in point for power, but the sketchup file is there if you need to change it. ~ 827mm of 3.0mm plastic required. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2486879

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DC600 mag tape cartridges available
by William Dudley 15 Aug '17

15 Aug '17

I have a box of 49 DC600 (maybe some DC300's in there) cartridges, plus one tape head cleaner cartridge. Some have been used to backup my MSDOS system back in the 90's. Some have labels on them suggesting that they contain UNIX-y things for Sun computers. That may or may not be true. I will bulk erase the MSDOS backups. If anyone is interested in these tapes, contact me. I won't want money for the tapes, just money to cover shipping, if needed. Bill Dudley Jackson, NJ This email is free of malware because I run Linux.

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Mac SE coming to Workshop
by william degnan 12 Aug '17

12 Aug '17

I am picking up a MAC SE model 5011 with a bad SCSi HD (I am told) on the way to the workshop Saturday to play around with. Not sure if anyone is into these I think the hard drive is bad because it needs a new Apple sticker on the side. I have found if you replace the sticker the computer fixes itself.

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