- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

OT: Anyone have an old laserdisc player?
by Jason Perkins 29 Jul '16

29 Jul '16

I've got some late 70s / early 80s General Motors laserdiscs that I want to capture, but my 90s Sony player won't read them. I'd like to try the discs in a 70s player to see if there's any hope of getting them to play, but don't want to drop $$$ on a player when I'll only use it 4 or 5 times. Does anyone on this list have a working player from 1984 or older with a gas tube laser? The GM dealers had Pioneer PR-7820's, I'd think that has the best chance of reading the discs. Thanks, -- Jason Perkins 313 355 0085

8 10

TRS-80 PC-1 & Printer
by Herb Johnson 29 Jul '16

29 Jul '16

David Gesswein posted: > I would always recommend opening up and checking anything you know has a > battery in it. They frequently leak which will damage whatever is nearby. > Nicads leakage seems to be less volume than some other types. > > Powering it up with the leakage would likely make things worse. There's many kinds of batteries inside vintage electronics; it's useful in my opinion to identify what you have. Generally you should not replace one kind with another kind. I'll walk through reasons - do your homework before serious work. I won't discuss lead cells or gel-cells. NI-cd's or Nicads work at different voltages than Nickel-hydride which is the more recent alternative. Lithium cells are usually very small batteries. Leakage is a problem, among other problems. Nicads have a longer shelf life, can be completely discharged but still are rechargable - good for those solar yard-lights. They usually don't leak, but do corrode and produce a flaky material. You can still obtain NiCd batteries, for equipment which may sit for months and then be put back to service. Also: when you want the same voltage from the same number of battery cells (say a NICd 12V pack). Nickel-metal-hydride or NiMH don't like to be completely discharged. They are more common these days of course, and have more power in a smaller package. Lithium batteries were used for years in vintage computers, as clock and data backup power in tiny cells (Apple Macintosh computers). I believe many of the coin-cells are lithium. They are not rechargable, they have a VERY long shelf life. But the cylindrical-type (look like fractional AAA or AA batteries) sometimes leak, and when they do it's a gooey awful mess. The 1990 lithium removable cells, seem to leak more than the 1980's wired-in lithium cells. They have specific voltages per cell and package, so pay attention to both when replacing. A side issue: the constant voltage from these batteries, produces copper corrosion - that green powder stuff - on circuits. I see chips and PC boards with green on them. Not good, and scrubbing off the copper oxide just reveals bare copper which will corrode unless coated with something. Frankly- I advice removing these batteries from any computer, when you can operate it without one. Install it when using, if you insist on the correct date or have BIOS settings, etc. All part of the fun of vintage computer repair. I enjoy the challenges and finding problems and fixes and work-arounds. That calls for understanding the fundamentals. That's how I work.... Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

1 0

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: Anyone have an old laserdisc player?
by Matt Patoray 29 Jul '16

29 Jul '16

On Fri, Jul 29, 2016 at 10:25 AM, Ben Greenfield via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Ben Greenfield <ben(a)cogs.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> > Cc: > Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2016 10:25:40 -0400 > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: Anyone have an old laserdisc player? > My players my be too new. > > One is an LD-4000 and the other is a LD-4400 > > Let me know if those would work. > > Ben > Ben, Those players are both Laser Diode based, being industrial they may play the discs a bit better then a consumer deck from that time but not much better. I have one of these, but it is in Ohio, it plays GM and DiscoVidion Discs very well. http://www.blamld.com/DiscoVision/LD-660.htm This is also a great player for them. http://www.blamld.com/DiscoVision/VP-7200.htm -- Matt Patoray Owner, MSP Productions KD8AMG

1 0

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: Anyone have an old laserdisc player?
by Ben Greenfield 29 Jul '16

29 Jul '16

My players my be too new. One is an LD-4000 and the other is a LD-4400 Let me know if those would work. Ben > On Jul 28, 2016, at 10:49 AM, Ben Greenfield via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > > > From: Ben Greenfield <ben(a)cogs.com> > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: Anyone have an old laserdisc player? > Date: July 28, 2016 at 10:49:26 AM EDT > To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> > > > I have a few Pioneer Laserdiscs that are from the ‘80s I’m not at home to check the model. > They were used in interactive exhibits and have serial control if that helps date them. > > I will check if they work when I get home. > > Ben > > > > >> On Jul 28, 2016, at 10:45 AM, Jason Perkins via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: >> >> I've got some late 70s / early 80s General Motors laserdiscs that I >> want to capture, but my 90s Sony player won't read them. I'd like to >> try the discs in a 70s player to see if there's any hope of getting >> them to play, but don't want to drop $$$ on a player when I'll only >> use it 4 or 5 times. >> >> Does anyone on this list have a working player from 1984 or older with >> a gas tube laser? The GM dealers had Pioneer PR-7820's, I'd think that >> has the best chance of reading the discs. >> >> Thanks, >> >> -- >> Jason Perkins >> 313 355 0085 > > >

1 0

OT: questions for famous hacker
by Evan Koblentz 28 Jul '16

28 Jul '16

I'm writing an article for work about end users being the weakest links in network security. Lined up an interview with a really famous hacker -- don't want to say who, but it begins with "Kevin" :) at 5pm ET today. That's one hour from now. Looking for serious suggestions of questions to ask him. Please reply on-list or privately, and PLEASE refrain from sarcasm or thread-drift.

7 11

TRS-80 PC-1 & Printer
by Joseph Oprysko 28 Jul '16

28 Jul '16

I just picked up this system, and the screen is practically unusable. Does anyone know if there is a way to repair this kind of damage on the old LCD screens. It doesn't appear to be cracked at all. If it is unable to be repaired, would anyone know where I could get a replacement display (if possible at all) Also, the printer apparently runs off an internal (read as non-replaceable) ni-cad battery. I'm not sure if it needs replacing or not at this point, I'm going to try and let it charge for 15hrs (per the manual) and see if it functions at all then. Otherwise I will probably have to take it apart and try to get the battery stats and find/make a replacement. -- 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?

6 8

OT: Anyone have an old laserdisc player?
by Herb Johnson 28 Jul '16

28 Jul '16

Matt Patoray said: > The best player for those discs is a Pioneer VP-1100 or a >Sylvania VP-7200. The Pioneer VP-660 also works well. > Avoid the Sony LDP-1000 as almost all of them have laser tubes > that have gone to air. I'm sorry to hear about the Sony; I have a Sony LDP-1500 model I've not run in years. I'll have to check it out. If others bring their laserdisk players to Infoage, maybe I'll bring mine for sale. Matt: an old trick to restore HeNe laser tubes, is to put the tube in a plastic bag and fill the bag with helium. Yes, the helium will leak out of the baggy, but it will hold for a day or so. That seems to be sufficient to restore the helium lost from the gas tube. Comments? Also: I think the topic of laserdisks is marginally "on" for vintage computing. Early commercial video arcade games used laserdisks. I think the first was "Dragon's Lair" if memory serves. Laserdisks were supported by personal computers in the era as used in education - commercial, military, and K-12. (My Sony model has a serial? interface and some kind of command set.) The vintage arcade collectors/restorers are important members of the vintage computing community. Many of the dealers, offer vintage digital parts that cross over to 1970's-80's vintage computers. They are active in the emulation community of course; many also own vintage computers. For myself, early on, I had a summer job repairing those early microprocessor-based video game boards. I also had a contract job, documenting software which supported a set of training videodisks on a PC. Laserdisks (and RCA's SelectaVision Capacitance Electronic Disc or CED) were an important development in multimedia computing for industry and home. Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

1 0

Extremely Rare Celebration Apple-1 Computer on Charity Buzz Auction
by madodel 27 Jul '16

27 Jul '16

*Extremely Rare Celebration Apple-1 Computer* https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/extremely-rare-celebration-apple-… Estimated Value: $1,000,000 Current Bid: $270,000 "The"Celebration" Apple-1 <http://apple1.charitybuzz.com/>is an original Apple-1 pre-NTI board that has many unique features, period correct power supply, original Apple-1 ACI cassette board (also populated with Robinson Nugent sockets), early Apple-1 BASIC cassettes, original marketing material, and the most complete documentation set of the known Apple-1 boards. The "Celebration" Apple-1 is extremely rare not only because of the scarcity of Apple-1 computers, but according to Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, no known PCB boards of this type were ever sold to the public. At this time, this is the only known Apple-1 to show the signs of starting out as a blank original-run board and not part of the two known production runs, so this board appears to be unique from all other known Apple-1 boards."

8 12

Macintosh Floppy drive repair guide
by Matt Patoray 26 Jul '16

26 Jul '16

Hi all, I rember that someone in the group had done a presentation of Macintosh floppy drive repair (it might have been Ian P, not sure). I have decided that my pile of bad 1 and 2 MB Mac floppy drives needs attended to, they are all Sony auto inject drives. Was there a resentation ever done, and if so, was there a powerpoint that was with it? Or if anyone knows of a website with a good tutorial. Thanks, -- Matt Patoray Owner, MSP Productions KD8AMG

4 4

Z80 Starter Kit
by Mike Loewen 26 Jul '16

26 Jul '16

I dug out an unbuilt SD Systems Z80 Starter Kit (1978) that I acquired some years back in a trade, and started soldering. Sacrilege, some may say, but kits are meant to be built. :-) It took me about 9 hours from bare PCB to finished product, and worked the first time! http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/Z80_Starter.jpg Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

4 3

How to use an oscilloscope
by Mike Loewen 26 Jul '16

26 Jul '16

This may interest some of you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niBGkqlh2XY Alan Wolke's presentation for NJARC. "It covers the basic controls and operation of an analog oscilloscope (the first 50 minutes or so), and then how you would setup the scope to measuring the signals in various locations in a typical antique AM radio (staring about 52 minutes in)." Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

1 0

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Z80 Starter Kit
by Mike Loewen 25 Jul '16

25 Jul '16

On Sun, 24 Jul 2016, Bob Aviles via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > On 07/23/2016 07:42 PM, Mike Loewen via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> >> I dug out an unbuilt SD Systems Z80 Starter Kit (1978) that I acquired >> some years back in a trade, and started soldering. Sacrilege, some may >> say, but kits are meant to be built. :) It took about 9 hours from >> bare PCB to finished product, and worked the first time! >> >> http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/Z80_Starter.jpg > > I wish you video tape the process of building it, that would have been > great! > Bobby Editing nine hours of video? I don't think so. :-) Here are some progress shots: http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/Z80_Bare.jpg http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/Z80_Sockets.jpg http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/Z80_Components.jpg Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

2 1

yes, we have no bananas
by Herb Johnson 24 Jul '16

24 Jul '16

The lyric quality of Jeff's message was lost in translation, which I've tried to restore as below: Ode to banana plugs The analog computers are programmed by wires which walked away, when the computers retired. To other loves with banana lugs and everyone loves the piggyback plugs. So fight entropy and bring the wires home For love of analog and the law of Ohm. - translated from the original by Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

3 2

Paging Ben Greenfield
by Evan Koblentz 23 Jul '16

23 Jul '16

Ben, please call/text me: 646-546-9999. Need to ask you a question here at HOPE.

1 0

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] yes, we have no bananas
by Brian L. Stuart 23 Jul '16

23 Jul '16

> The lyric quality of Jeff's message was lost in translation, which I've > tried to restore as below: > > Ode to banana plugs > > The analog computers are programmed by wires > which walked away, when the computers retired. > To other loves with banana lugs > and everyone loves the piggyback plugs. > > So fight entropy and bring the wires home > For love of analog and the law of Ohm. > > - translated from the original by > Herb Johnson Excellent. That's one for the archives. BLS

1 0

At hope fri
by william degnan 22 Jul '16

22 Jul '16

So far I have seen jim sheet and Jon chapman Bill Degnan twitter: billdeg vintagecomputer.net

4 5

yes, we have no bananas
by Jeffrey Jonas 22 Jul '16

22 Jul '16

WE NEED YOUR BANANAS. Your banana jack-jumper cords, that it. The analog computers are programmed with real wires. Wires that love to walk away because so many other things use the ever-loving banana plug, and everyone loves the piggyback connectors. Please fight entropy and bring the wires back together, for the love of analog! thank you

3 2

Available soon (semi-OT): vintage Macs and possibly some Cobalt Qubes
by Herb Johnson 22 Jul '16

22 Jul '16

> I'm primarily interested in the IIci's. ^^^^^ IIcx's I meant, they are very similar. - Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

1 0

Available soon (semi-OT): vintage Macs and possibly some Cobalt Qubes
by Herb Johnson 22 Jul '16

22 Jul '16

I'm primarily interested in the IIci's. The LC III and LC474 are cute machines but I need those less. I'm sure the SE/30's will attract more interest than I'd pay. I suggest you power up these oldest Macs, they will likely have problems in starting up or with sound - their capacitors fail with age. I sent a private email, you can discuss details with me privately; contact me if you did not get that email today. Thank you. Herb Johnson near Trenton NJ -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

1 0

Available soon (semi-OT): vintage Macs and possibly some Cobalt Qubes
by David Riley 22 Jul '16

22 Jul '16

Hi all, My uncle in California is clearing out his earthly effects to move to KY and there are a number of older Macs that should be saved which I don't have the space for. He'd like to see them go to a good home, since he has fond memories of working with all of them. I don't have an exact tally yet (my father is there trying to pack everything up), but I know there are at least some LCIII and LC475 machines, a pair of IIcx machines and one or two Cobalt Qubes (I believe the MIPS ones, not the lame later Intel ones). There may even be an SE/30 or two in there, but those are problematic to ship... unsure how that'll go. Before my dad spends loads of money on shipping things back to the East coast, I'd like to gauge whether there's interest in rehoming these machines. The LCIII and 475 were (IMO) the ultimate expressions of the pizza-box LC Mac, and the Cobalt machines are pretty neat in their own right. They're free to good homes; I can deliver at Festivus, or any time near Philly (the likelihood of my making any of the workshops before Festivus is sadly low). Feel free to respond privately or publicly, doesn't matter to me. I'll have a better list later. - Dave

3 2

WTB S100 connectors
by Mike Loewen 21 Jul '16

21 Jul '16

I have a need for two S100 backplane connectors. Drop me a note off-list if you have two to spare. Thanks. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

4 10

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Saturday @ HOPE
by Douglas Crawford 21 Jul '16

21 Jul '16

I'm glad you still mentioned it Ken, I smiled just the same. On Thu, Jul 21, 2016 at 2:20 PM, Ken via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > At 7/21/2016 12:29 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > >>> Except the site says your talk is on Sunday > > > >Ah! Good catch. Bob misread it (he saw the date/time * above * each > session), told me, and so I noticed the same thing. > > > >Syntax error in Frankston. > > I was going to make a joke about circular references (early Visicalc > didn't detect them), but gave up trying. > > - Ken > >

1 0

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Saturday @ HOPE
by Evan Koblentz 21 Jul '16

21 Jul '16

>> Except the site says your talk is on Sunday Ah! Good catch. Bob misread it (he saw the date/time * above * each session), told me, and so I noticed the same thing. Syntax error in Frankston.

2 1

Reminder: social media
by Evan Koblentz 21 Jul '16

21 Jul '16

Hey, you! :) Please like/follow us at Facebook.com/vcfederation and Twitter.com/vcfederation. (But spare us your sarcastic rant if you're one of those anti-social media grumps.)

5 4

Saturday @ HOPE
by Evan Koblentz 21 Jul '16

21 Jul '16

Bob Frankston emailed me to point out that he and I are giving talks at the same this during HOPE this Saturday. World-changing programmer vs. lowly historian/journalist... I'd rather listen to him. :)

2 1

Museum Report 07/20/16
by Jeffrey Brace 20 Jul '16

20 Jul '16

About 10 visitors today. It seems that during the summer many of the visitors are from out of state. Interested kids, so it's all good. Bill I. stopped by to copy some documentation for the TR-20 EAI Analog machine. == Jeff Brace

1 0

I meant (oops)...Paging Ray Fantini
by william degnan 20 Jul '16

20 Jul '16

After a confused conversation with Ray Sills....Ray Fantini - are you out there? I wanted to talk about the RL11 project but I have not heard back from you and I can't find your email address or phone # in my home. Bill -- @ BillDeg: Web: vintagecomputer.net Twitter: @billdeg <https://twitter.com/billdeg> Youtube: @billdeg <https://www.youtube.com/user/billdeg> Unauthorized Bio <http://www.vintagecomputer.net/readme.cfm>

2 2

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Urgent!! Z-100 update
by Evan Koblentz 20 Jul '16

20 Jul '16

I don’t think a train woul work. Someone would have to get it to the train station (Sridhar can't due to this work schedule). Also while the computer is not large, it is quite heavy! Basically it's an S-100 chassis with the screen and floppy drive all integrated. However I am chasing some car leads... stay tuned.

1 0

paging ray sills
by william degnan 20 Jul '16

20 Jul '16

Ray - I have been trying to reach you...are you around? Bill Degnan

2 1

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Urgent!! Z-100 update
by Systems Glitch 20 Jul '16

20 Jul '16

> I take an Amtrak train that passes through Poughkeepsie between 7 and 8 am on Thursday on my way to NYC. Amtrak also offers a Package Express service, if it comes to that. Someone could also take Metro North into Poughkeepsie, pick it up, and ride back. It's not that big of a machine. Thanks, Jonathan

1 0

Urgent!! Z-100 update
by Evan Koblentz 20 Jul '16

20 Jul '16

Sridhar got the computer from Ian, so now it is in Poughkeepsie, no longer Schenectady. WE MUST GET IT TO HOPE THIS WEEKEND. It could be brought to my place in northern NJ or directly to the show this weekend, but getting it there is not optional. I am under no-driving orders from my dr. so we need someone else to do this. Someone please step up!!

4 4

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Museum Report 7/16 & 7/17
by Dave McGuire 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

On 07/19/2016 08:53 PM, Bill Sudbrink via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Originally, if I recall correctly, it was: > > sync > sync > sync > halt > > Yea, later on, all that fancy "shutdown -h" really made the > sync's unnecessary. The syncs were never actually necessary. > But, can you really trust the jerk who wrote the shutdown routine? Generally speaking, yes. ;) > Slightly changing subjects, I don't recall ever seeing the > system in question. The first 68K *nix box I ever played > with was a Masscomp. An MC-500 if memory serves. Is that > the machine we're talking about here? No, the AT&T UNIX PC 7300, a.k.a. the 3B1. It was by no means the first 68K-based UNIX system, of course. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

4 3

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Museum Report 7/16 & 7/17
by Dave McGuire 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

On 07/19/2016 09:10 PM, Bill Sudbrink via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >>> Originally, if I recall correctly, it was: >>> >>> sync >>> sync >>> sync >>> halt >>> >>> Yea, later on, all that fancy "shutdown -h" really made the >>> sync's unnecessary. >> >> The syncs were never actually necessary. > > Hate to argue with you, but in BSD, "back in the old days" I think "halt" > was "right now", no cleanup, no dirty writes, just a little better than > yanking the cord out of the wall. Perhaps I am remembering a shutdown script? But I've always done "sync;sync;halt", and I distinctly remember a buffer flush in the halt program. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

1 0

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Museum Report 7/16 & 7/17
by Brian L. Stuart 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

On Tue, 7/19/16, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > Actually none of us ever HAD to do anymore than zero syncs. A final > sync() is done before the filesystem is umounted. Doing a sync at all, > especially more than one, is nothing more than superstition. Admittedly, it's been over 30 years so my memory may be faulty, but I seem to remember that in 6th Edition there wasn't a shutdown program or script that unmounted the root file system. As I recall, the documentation specified that sync should be run before hitting the halt swtich on the 11. > I myself use two. =) Me too BLS

1 0

Museum Report 7/16 & 7/17
by Jeffrey Brace 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

I forgot to mention in the workshop report that I was also giving tours to visitors both Saturday and Sunday. There was about a dozen visitors each day. It was nice to have other VCF members around who could help add more information to the tours. They could add more in depth knowledge about systems that they have worked on. For example Bill I. showed parts of the analog EAI machine and explained in more detail the mechanics and composition. == Jeff Brace

7 12

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] UNIX PC, was Re: Museum Report 7/16 & 7/17
by Brian L. Stuart 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

On Tue, 7/19/16, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > The big deal with the UNIX PC is that it's a full-blown UNIX > system on a desktop for less than $10K, when such a thing was unheard of. It is a sweet little machine. One of these days, I'm going to have to write up my "desert island" experience with the first one I got. I picked it up at a hamfest in the early '90s missing a disk drive and without the compiler suite. To make things more interesting, it was a period when I didn't have Internet access. But i still managed to get gcc running on it. The secret is that it's possible to write a 68000 disassembler in AWK. :) It's also been useful in that I still use it's MMU for questions on my OS exams sometimes. > As a matter of opinion, this machine has the finest keyboard > I have every used on any platform. I completely agree. I miss using mine. BLS

1 0

OT: Hamfest Sunday July 17th Augusta NJ
by Kelly Leavitt 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

Unfortunately I won't be there this weekend. Held at the Sussex County Fair Grounds, 37 Plains Road Augusta, NJ 07822 Gates open at 6AM for vendors and our food service area will have coffee and breakfast sandwiches for our early arrivals. Fair Grounds overnight camping fee is $10 to $25 depending on type of vehicle. Cold drinks, Hamburgers and Hot Dogs will be available later in the morning Buyers are asked to arrive closer to 8AM so vendors can finish getting set up. We will have a VE Session at the Fairgrounds Administration building at 10 AM. DXCC card checking will be available. For the VE Session details, go to: http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session and type in Zip Code: 07882 and CITY: Augusta Our fees for 2016 are the same as last year. * Buyers $7 * Tailgate spot $20 (includes one admission) additional persons $7 * Indoor Tables $20 each We have major vendors already planning to attend: * KJI Electronic * Quicksilver Radio * Hy Power antennas * Fisher Cable * Eagle One * Total Electronic Concepts (W1TEC) * Art W2REN * Manual Man WA2CWA * Satellite Sam * Towaco Imaging * The Wooden Ham * KD Cubed Door prize: Yaesu FT-1900R (50w 2meter rig) donated by KJI Electronics For more information our webpage is http://www.scarcnj.org/hamfest/<http://www.scarcnj.org/hamfest> Email Hamfest(a)scarcnj.org<mailto:Hamfest@scarcnj.org?subject=July%20Hamfest>

4 3

DOS question
by Evan Koblentz 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

I'm using a Compaq 386. Rather than typing CD DOS every time that I need to run a program (BASICA) in the DOS directly, how can I create a shortcut that loads on boot to let me type BASICA at the C:\ prompt and have it run automatically? Also, is there a shortcut I can use (for example in autoexec.bat or config.sys) to make Caps Lock automatically enable on boot?

8 12

WWW Proxy Translation for Older Computers?
by John Heritage 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

Hi folks! I was playing around and finally got my Amiga 1200 running NetSurf. Obviously it's horrendously slow, www.amiga.org took 141 seconds to render.. but still fun :). Does anyone know if there is a proxy server or similar out there that could 'simplify' web pages browsed through it.. for older computers like this? Examples of simplification might be: - Remove Ads - Convert JPGs to something simpler to process (reduce colors, resolution) - Strip Javascript or other 'difficult' stuff out I can't find anything like this, and maybe it's on the super complex side.. but I figured I'd ask.. www.google.com appears to load 200 KB of text.. not counting the google image, and even that takes ~ 15 seconds to render on this Amiga.. (68020 @ 28 mhz, 35MB total RAM, no FPU). Thanks! John H

2 1

OT: FIOS Voice Backup Battery Replacement for 12V 7.2Ah
by Herb Johnson 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

> How do I know that the battery needs recharging vs. failing? Look for a date code, stamped or printed on the battery. But frankly, given the application - your phone and networking! - I'd say replace it every three-four years with a fresh battery. And keep one around on-charge for backup. You can trickle charge old batteries with a few-dollar 12V trickle charger - anything that puts out 10% of rated current at voltage (720mA at 14 volts max) will not cook your battery. Safety compels me to say: don't charge batteries unattended. There's a small chance of overcharge or shorting and excessive current, to lead to a fire. As to where to get these batteries. Many places that sell electroniics and car batteries locally sell them, at higher prices. Alarm companies use them, emergency lighting uses them, so those vendors may source them. Or you can mail-order them, and pay several dollars shipping. Jeff, without further comment - this is a once every three-four year purchase, so you decide how much shopping you want to do. This is a $15-$30 purchase. check the date of any battery you buy off the shelf. If it's more than a year old, I'd not buy it at retail prices. The size and placement of the terminals matters, as noted previously. So carry the old one to compare, or measure and photograph it, so you don't "ooops, the terminals are backwards, the wires won't reach, the connectors won't fit". Rule of thumb for lead type batteries: the heavier the battery for the same "ratings", the more capacity you'll actually have. The lead carries and produces the current; more lead means more current. battery makers won't waste lead but a more expensive brand won't cut lead. Herb PS: this is vaguely on-topic, for the robot builders. Gel batteries are often used in hobby robots, they are common and cheap as used/discards. -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

1 0

OT: FIOS Voice Backup Battery Replacement for 12V 7.2Ah
by Jeffrey Brace 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

So I heard this beeping about every 30 minutes or so. I thought it was a watch. My sister heard it too and didn't tell me so I was going nuts trying to find it. It turns out that it was the replacement battery light on our FIOS box. This is the battery backup in case power fails and lasts about 8 hours. It didn't help with Sandy because the power was out for 8 days. So anyway I need to replace it. It is 12V 7.2 Ah. The one that Verizon sells is 12V 8Ah: https://www.verizon.com/home/accessories/fios-voice-backup-battery/?&skuPar… . I figure that I can get a cheaper or better one (longer lasting). Before I start searching eBay, Google search are there any recommendations or warnings? Thanks! == Jeff Brace

7 9

OT: Will be in Philly, anything I should check out
by Christian Liendo 19 Jul '16

19 Jul '16

Hi. This week I'm going to Philly to prep for the Democratic National Convention. I know there are some locals on this group and I'm asking if there is anything I should check out in the ways of finding food to some cool places to go. I figure Mon-Fri I will be nuts, Sat/Sun I should have some time. Any advice is appreciated.

11 16

WTB: RCA VP4801 Terminal
by Herb Johnson 18 Jul '16

18 Jul '16

I'm looking for the RCA VP4801 terminal, that looks like a keyboard with video port and serial port. Here's some photos of one, from Josh Bensadon, he showed on at VCF-Midwest: http://www.retrotechnology.com/vcfmw9/josh_vp4801_5.jpg http://www.retrotechnology.com/vcfmw9/josh_vp4801_6.jpg Has to be in working condition and look decent. Contact me directly, please, at retrotechnology.com. Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

1 0

Vintage computer finds at the Sussex Hamfest
by Herb Johnson 18 Jul '16

18 Jul '16

I was at Sussex as a buyer, got there about 9:30AM. Of course I saw Jeff Galinat, he showed me the KIM he obtained. It was a good show as is usually the case, Sussex is one of the largest hamfests in NJ now. But there was not much vintage computing there, or it was sold earlier in the day if brought. I left around noon, when most but not all the vendors left: by then it was hot, clear and muggy - probably upper 90's heat index. I saw a 8086 in-circuit emulator, but I do very little with the 8086, more with the 8088, so I let it pass. A few books were on 70's computing or on robotics, I bought those. Parts were of all kinds, I got some discounted IC sockets and on a lark, 200 removed NE2 neon lamps. A Radio Shack bulk-tape eraser was cheap - the grey device that looks like a hand-mixer without the twirley-bits. Handfuls of parts, otherwise. I see a number of 20Mhz-40Mhz oscilloscopes at the hamfests, which go begging. Most are secondary brand, some are not; most work. Seems to me, for not much more spent than for a logic probe, one can get a much MUCH more informative test instrument. I acquired two, which worked back home but need some mechanical repairs. I may make these available at a convenient venue. I saw several people in our vintage-computing world who recognized me, or I them. It's a good opportunity to see people who live north of New Jersey. It's pretty low-mountain country up there, and there's good mid-20th-C. diner food. The geology in Sussex County is interesting and in some cases world-class (the Sterling fluorite mine, colonial iron-mines). Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

2 2

WTB: VAXstation 3100 Memory Module (MS42-CA or MS42-BA)
by Systems Glitch 18 Jul '16

18 Jul '16

I'm looking for a memory module for my VAXstation 3100. Mine is one of the smaller Model 10 slabs. The memory modules I'm interested in are MS42-CA (16 MB) or MS42-BA (12 MB). I'm particularly interested in the MS42-CA since it's the only one with a stacking connector, which you need to increase memory beyond 20 MB. Thanks, Jonathan

1 0

OT: Maintenance around 9010-A & 9036A
by Herb Johnson 18 Jul '16

18 Jul '16

While InfoAge grounds maintenance is a good idea, you might consider that most of New Jersey has been under high-temp, high-humidity alerts, and thunderstorms alerts, through this summer. Consider scheduling such work in the spring or fall. - Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

1 0

OT: Maintenance around 9010-A & 9036A
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Jul '16

18 Jul '16

So the building that houses the museum looks like it needs maintenance. For example: 9010-A: 1) There are invasive weeds around the entrance that Jonathan G. identified. Dan Jacobs recommends salt and vinegar: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/use-vinegar-salt-weed-killer-49329.html. 2) The bathroom smells. I will ask Fred the director if there is a mop and some cleaner that could be used. I think it would help when we have workshops and events that we help clean that bathroom. 3) I'm looking into getting more soap for that bathroom. 9036-A: Behind the building that holds our warehouse is a bunch of weeds that need to be cleared out. This is a fire hazard in the winter months when they are dried up according Fred the InfoAge director. It would be nice if a few of us could get together to help clear them out. Just trying to support our landlord InfoAge and it helps as at the same time!

3 2

Free PowerMac G5, Wash DC
by Jason Perkins 18 Jul '16

18 Jul '16

I have an Apple PM G5 that needs a new home. IIRC it has a 500 gb drive, 8 gb ram, and OS 10.4. DVD burner worked the last time I used it. I recall it was the 2dn fastest G5 sold. Model A1047. Need it gone asap. Come pick it up! Jason Perkins 313 355.0085 Sent from my phone.

3 3

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: FIOS Voice Backup Battery Replacement for 12V 7.2Ah
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 18 Jul '16

18 Jul '16

Richard Cini via vcf-midatlantic writes: >That's a pretty standard SLA battery. I got mine on eBay. I don't >remember f= rom whom but I probably shopped by top-rated seller and >closest to NY. No is= sues since replacement two years ago.=20 > >I have a small 2000w Generac generator that I use during longer power >failur= es for "infrastructure" stuff like the FiOS box, routers, and >charging my el= ectronics. Sandy lesson unfortunately. I also have a >massive 12kw portable o= ne that I have not used (thankfully) that can >power half of my house if I ne= ed.=20 I got a 9kW generator a year or two before Sandy because the power in my area sucks. Lost power one July after a heavy noreaster like storm and the power was out for 3+ days in 90degF temps. It was a godsend when Sandy took out my power for 2 weeks. The only issue then was gasoline which was being rationed at my local gas stations. I purchased a transfer switch but I still have not installed to allow connecting the generator to the whole house instead of me running 230V and 115V extension cables through the house.

4 3

OT: Looking for network setup resource near Lake Hiawatha, NJ
by william degnan 18 Jul '16

18 Jul '16

I am looking for network hardware support resource near Lake Hiawatha, NJ. Independent contractors contact me privately for poss contract or work. Must know firewall/routing in a small business. I can train but overlapping previous knowledge will be required. I have a customer for whom I am setting up a high-security small business network, remotely. There may be some ongoing support that needs to be done on site and I don't want to drive 2-3 hours each way for this on an ongoing basis. I want to be able to recommend someone near this location. In short whatever can be done remotely will be, but sometimes someone needs to go to the customer location. Interested? Contact me via degnanco.net (my company) contact form. Bill

1 0