- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

The Canon Cat and the Mac that Steve Jobs killed
by Christian Liendo 23 Oct '22

23 Oct '22

This is a new article about the Canon Cat and I know there are people who would be interested in this article and may have opinions https://reproof.app/blog/on-designing-a-more-humane-computer

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Z80 systems for $20.00
by Stephen A Edwards 22 Oct '22

22 Oct '22

These appear to be Nabu network PCs ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NABU_Network) that were, indeed, meant to be intelligent set-top boxes and had little to no firmware or mass storage since their software was meant to come over the cable network. Inside, they're little Z80 systems that might actually be able to run CP/M, but the home versions (of which these almost certainly are) didn't have the disk interface that would enable this http://dunfield.classiccmp.org/nabu/index.htm At the very least, some of the bigger chips (possibly the TMS9918 GPU and AY-3-8910) may be socketed and thus easy to recover. Even better, it looks like there's available technical documentation on the (meagre) firmware, memory map, etc. http://dunfield.classiccmp.org/nabu/nabutech.pdf There might even be schematics out there, although I couldn't quickly find them online. Bottom line: yes, it will be a brick when first purchased, but could lead to many interesting projects. Making it work like it did in the 1980s would be an enormous (and perhaps unrealistic) undertaking, although after seeing what the "Weather Machine" folks did at the last VCF East I've had to adjust what I think of as unrealistic. Some group actually did try to build an emulator, however https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/nabu I maintain that at $20, they're interesting little boxes

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Update - IBM 1130 Fundraiser
by Jeffrey Brace 22 Oct '22

22 Oct '22

Just giving everyone an update on the fundraiser for the IBM 1130. With the deadline looming of Oct. 31 we have so far raised $3,476 received from 20 different people. Thank you everyone who has contributed so far! If you want to contribute towards the repair, then follow this link: https://vcfed.org/membership/contribute/transact/?reset=1&id=2 If you want to find out what we are doing and why, then follow this link: https://vcfed.org/2022/10/15/ibm-1130-repair-fundraiser/ Thanks! ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Fall 2023 VCF swap meet
by Jeffrey Brace 22 Oct '22

22 Oct '22

So I'm thinking that October 14, 2023 would be a good date for the fall swap meet. This is not Columbus Day weekend. Anyone see any potential conflicts? ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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C64 Accordion
by Jeffrey Brace 22 Oct '22

22 Oct '22

I'm sure many of you have seen or heard about this already, but just in case you didn't. Some guy from Holland made two C64 into an electronic accordion: https://linusakesson.net/commodordion/ ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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OT - Makerspace question
by Martin Flynn 22 Oct '22

22 Oct '22

CDL has removed the dead Liebert CRAC system from the Makerspace, freeing up room to potentially set up a dedicated board repair / rework station on the wall common to the classroom. This is what we have to start with: * Hakko C1392B Positioning fixture * Hakko C1390C Omnivise (three) * Hakko FM205 Shop air de-soldering station To validate the concept, how much use would VCF make of this for restoration and workshops? Martin

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VCF Workshop status
by David Gesswein 21 Oct '22

21 Oct '22

Summary 1) PDP-8 Symptom was start/load addr/deposit/exam/cont switches did nothing. Tracked down to bad R302 dual delay/one shot board. Swapped with a spare. Ran diagnostic set and no more problems found. Left normal demos loaded and discussed how to run lunar lander if people want to also demo it. Has long load time from teletype. 2) TI Professional Symptom was keyboard wasn't working. Swapped with keyboard from my TI and it worked fine. Swapped original back and it worked fine. Wiggling things didn't change behavior. Later it was acting up again but didn't have time to investigate much further. Looked to be connection problem at computer end either the motherboard connector or the cable. 3) Xerox Star/8010 Normally it declared fault with Ethernet which we aren't using so use alternate boot key to bypass diagnostics. It is now ignoring the alternate boot key. Tried board from spare machine and it acted as alternate boot key was always down. Alt boot key goes to IOP card. IOP card installed in Connors machine worked fine. Out of time to investigate further. TLDR; 1) PDP-8 Some people were interested in learning more about troubleshooting and operating machine so used time to also show how I approach troubleshooting. Verified reported symptom and that panel lock was not active so pulled out scope and schematics. Looked for paths that would effect multiple front panel switches and found some signals weren't active and traced it to the R302 that starts the chain of pulses to drive the front panel operation. Tested all the diodes with a DVM since they are the most common failure. All looked good. Forgot my transistor tester so used the DVM to test the transistors. They all appeared good. Looked at trying to troubleshoot the card with scope but DEC only released the schematics for the cards but not the component location drawing. Vince has created layouts for a number of cards at https://so-much-stuff.com/pdp8/flipchip/flipchip.php but the early revision card didn't have a layout. Since I had a spare we swapped it in and adjusted the delays and I took the card home to repair. Transistor tester shows one transistor is bad. DVM also shows its bad so did something wrong when I was originally testing and missed it. Will replace transistor and test in my machine before next visit. Showed how to load and run the diagnostics and the Focal lunar lander game. Also showed the board I made to allow the serial port to run at 9600 baud instead of the normal 110 and the current loop to RS-232 board so I could send tape images from the laptop to speed up testing. More of these can be made if others are going to do maintenance. Also noted that the intermittent issue with the machine going into run on power up seems to happen when the machine has been off for a little while. This has been on the todo to fix for a while but normally it won't reproduce after fixing the more serious issues. Probably best to start with this next time. Working around by setting switches to stop at power on/off. Computer corrupts memory if it starts running on power up. 2) TI professional Later when we noticed keyboard was acting up again the symptoms looked like a bad connection at the computer end of the keyboard cable. Didn't have time to verify it its the keyboard cable or the connector on the motherboard. Noticed some clicking from the speaker that changed with wiggling the cable. Likely this means the power or ground signal is the cause and the transients from it going open and closed are getting into the audio. Left keyboard disconnected to avoid the clicking. Didn't have time to investigate further. Note keyboard is not compatible with standard PC keyboard. 3) Xerox The machine has 4 digit diagnostic display and reset and alternate boot buttons to control and monitor boot progress. It was hanging on Ethernet loop test fault (0332). Nothing was connected to AUI port. I brought stuff to connect to see if that would get it past the fault. With AUI transceiver to switch it did get past the fault but faulted with 0323 which is real time clock (RTC) not set. Connor figured out that the keyboard skip/next key would make the machine continue past blinking fault codes. The machine then hung at 0501 which is starting to read the TOD clock. This wasn't a blinking code so couldn't get past it. I also tried booting other images such as Interlisp. It started to put up a desktop then also hung on TOD. The alt boot switch goes to the input output processor (IOP). We pulled the board from the machine in the warehouse and it instead acted like the alt boot switch was always down. This was the symptom seen with that machine when we were testing VCF's two machines originally. The IOP worked fine in Connors machine. Some other fault is causing the problem. Need to investigate schematics and see what could cause problems with reading the alt boot switch and real time clock. Tracing signals Will be a pain since don't have good access for probing signals. The power supply output good lights were all on. I didn't check with DVM. Probably would be good to dig up the test connector pinout to check them. Some comparison with Connors's machine with VCF's was done and with different disk images. The hardware looked to be similar but some of the behaviors and faults were different. Didn't capture details on these tests.

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Z80 systems for $20.00
by Herbert Johnson 21 Oct '22

21 Oct '22

> https://worcester.craigslist.org/sys/d/millbury-retro-z80-computer-new-in-b… > https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/nabu > https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2018/mstc-cstm/NM33-1-17-… large PDF, look at page 53-55 for "Nabu Manufacturing Corporation" of Canada The following is a lecture on the topic of these devices. Discussion of these units, mis-characterizes them as "Z80 systems". They apparently have a Z80, but they are not "systems" in the way an Apple II or a IBM-PC comparable or modern computers are personal computing systems. In my informed opinion, these are artifacts of an era, one that few people today have experienced; and hard to put to more-familiar use. My informed guess - I don't know, they are new to me - is that these are more fuss than most expect. That's the lecture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletext At a time around 1980, there was a confluence of several technologies. One of course was CRT based color TV's. Another, telephone networks, broadcast TV networks, and also early cable TV networks. Another of course, were 8-bit microprocessors. But it was early days in personal computing, and now-common stuff like mass storage, floppy drives as removable storage, and software - and experience with these by ordinary people - was still in short supply. But people understood things, like newspapers, telephone books, and paper-notes-on-cork bulletin boards. They were used to being information consumers, not producers. Businesses "thought" this way at the time. Again: 1980, don't blame me. So a niche that could be filled, was to build a terminal, that relied on a telecom network (wired phone, cable TV, broadcast TV) to broadcast data; display it on a customer's TV; and accept some slow and short data from a customer keyboard. The customer terminal, only needs to intercept some "page" of data among all the pages sent out, over and over again. These services had various brand names, but "teletext" is adequate to describe most of them. They provided information "narrowcast" and broadcast services; thus they had some incoming revenue, even saving costs (like printed telephone books, as in France as I recall). MOst use was outside the USA. Research of/in the era will flesh this all out. And that explains this Nabu. Apparently a Cable TV terminal. No mass storage because all content is "downloaded". No I/O, except maybe a printer to print notes (coupons for shopping, content to read later). No user programs - user's don't know how to program, the content is supplied. It's a *service*, not a computer - in general. But research shows (the PDF link), it did run some games and some "home" programs like "personal finance". It was in use from 1983 to 1986 (I nailed the date not knowing this.) This unit - I haven't seen the insides, it's unfamiliar to me - apparently has some kind of "slots" for some kind of boards. Due diligence may find details, or reverse engineering may determine the interface AND - and, and - a fair amount of disassembly of the onboard ROMs. Either it's already been done, or someone could assess several to make it worth doing. On value. I think comments like "the keyboards are easily worth $20" are, um, speculative. I've pointed out the challenges of the guts of it. Someone (not me) might be moved to provide some leadership on these, to make something more "vintage computer-ish" out of them. A very smart person, might figure out the head-end protocol to "feed" these devices. But they will have to modulate a cable TV frequency to get it into the box; not simple hardware, not digital. There were all kinds of Z80 based devices produced around 1980. They were purpose built, so it's a kind of a puzzle-to-solve to re-purpose them. Parts value? I guess. Historic value? if that's your mission. If someone has dozens, hundreds of them, it becomes an investment of some sort. These are my observations, bits of research, and some opinions I have; I'm informed on some of this. I'm not looking for a discussion or argument, the focus is this pile of devices and what one might DO with them. I'm providing some context to make more informed decisions. regards Herb 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 comcast DOT net

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Ensoniq Synth for museum?
by Ethan O'Toole 21 Oct '22

21 Oct '22

A few weeks ago there was a request for an Ensoniq ?Mirage? I think for the museum. It's not a mirage, but I run a craigslist ad looking for broken synths to fix. For whatever strange reason like 80% of the emails I get are Ensoniqs. But besides that, someone has an EPS-1. I haven't sniffed out the asking price, but would this be something the museum would want? It is not general midi, but judging by youtube videos it sounds pretty okay. There are some PCBs on tendie to make multicarts for patches which could be cool. Sounds like it's something I could fix. They also said they had either a SQ2 or SQ-80 (can't remember which) but that one is working (no fun.) Not sure the multitimbrality of it. I assume one sound at a time, so could make sequences on the Atari ST using like a Mirage for sampled gritty drums and the EPS-1 for lead/bass? Then an A frame stand for the true 80s. Thoughts? - Ethan

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Z80 systems for $20.00
by Stephen A Edwards 21 Oct '22

21 Oct '22

I really hope someone can buy a bunch of these Z80 systems (with keyboards? The keyboards are easily worth $20) and bring them down to InfoAgo where we can buy them. I'd certainly like a couple. If I had a car, I'd drive up and buy a bunch, but I don't have a car.

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Z80 systems for $20.00
by Martin Flynn 20 Oct '22

20 Oct '22

https://worcester.craigslist.org/sys/d/millbury-retro-z80-computer-new-in-b…

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Craigslist ad (Worcester, MA)
by Jeffrey Brace 20 Oct '22

20 Oct '22

Someone alerted me by e-mail the following message: "I am reaching out to spread knowledge about a large batch of 'new-old-stock' vintage z-80 systems <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilog_Z80> in storage near Worcester, MA. I am not the seller but came across this local listing a couple weeks ago. After some communication with the seller, I found out that he has more than 2,700 units and is running out of indoor storage. These units are brand new and are being sold for $20 per unit and in bulk for a lower price. They are currently stored outside with minimal weather sealing/protection. I am not affiliated with the seller and have already secured my own unit but I am reaching out in an effort to possibly save these units before they are destroyed by the winter elements. Maybe you know people who have the capacity to take some of these units in? I know this message may seem strange but it is my sincere hope that such fun units can be saved! https://worcester.craigslist.org/sys/d/millbury-retro-z80-computer-new-in-b… " ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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OT: 3rd Party needs embedded developer - hardware & software
by Neil Cherry 19 Oct '22

19 Oct '22

3rd Party is looking for one embedded developer who knows C++, python, AVR, PSOC. That's hardware and software. Interested parties can contact me and I'll share the details. Local to Holmdel NJ Please don't reply directly to the list, you can use ncherry(a)linuxha.com . -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry kd2zrq(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies KD2ZRQ

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Next VCF Swap Meet: June 10, 2023
by Jeffrey Brace 19 Oct '22

19 Oct '22

So I'm choosing June 10, 2023 as our next swap meet. A few reasons for this date: 1) I will be able to get help from the Sea Cadets 2) Doesn't interfere with Father's Day 3) Hopefully doesn't interfere with graduations. 4) Is 8 weeks away from VCF East 5) Is a week and a half after Memorial Day. 6) Hopefully it isn't too terribly hot yet. 7) There is persistent interest in selling vintage computer items! ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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November Repair Workshop
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Oct '22

18 Oct '22

Just as a reminder. There will be a repair workshop on November 12 & 13. This is the signup sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yGntoKF6NbTq-3LjQVk0GKRbeBXuUBhYCcB… Hope to see you there! ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Semi-OT: Packing CRT monitors for shipping.
by Joseph Giliberti 18 Oct '22

18 Oct '22

Greetings, Several years ago, I picked up a large collection of generic looking CRT computer monitors for free and have stored them for some reason. I guess it's paying off since it seems monitors with Sony Trinitron tubes are worth their weight in... not quite gold but something that's worth a lot. One that I'm getting ready to list is a later model Sony 19-in flat CRT which weighs at least 75 lbs. I'm planning on strongly encouraging local pickup but otherwise offering shipping within the continental US. I have successfully shipped CRT monitors before, with massive amounts of bubble wrap, packing peanuts and double boxed into high strength cardboard boxes. I've never shipped any monitor this large and this heavy before. Would you think cardboard is still an option or should I be looking at freight shipping in a wood crate? Thanks, Joe Giliberti

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VCF IBM 1130 Fundraiser - Update
by Jeffrey Brace 16 Oct '22

16 Oct '22

I posted a blog on vcfed.org's home page, which can be found here: https://vcfed.org/2022/10/15/ibm-1130-repair-fundraiser/ Here is what I wrote: The Vintage Computer Federation <http://vcfed.org/> has started a fundraiser <https://vcfed.org/membership/contribute/transact/?reset=1&id=2> for our IBM 1130 computer <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_1130>. We are looking to repair and restore this machine to operating condition. To accomplish this, we will need two things: Funds to repair and an expert to repair it. Donate by clicking this fundraising link IBM 1130 Repair Fundraiser <https://vcfed.org/membership/contribute/transact/?reset=1&id=2>. We have found an expert in the repair of this computer: Carl Claunch <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQZ1SxzeGcnr9nO7dFu5A4A>. He is well known in the vintage computer community as a renown and accomplished expert in restoring IBM 1130 computers <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDRw9mLkHX4>. After several weeks, we have not achieved our goal of $6000 and our deadline of October 31 to take advantage of our scheduled transportation. Our IBM 1130 has been on display for several years at The Vintage Computer Museum in Wall, NJ at InfoAge Science and History Museums (formerly Camp Evans). The IBM 1130 is an early example of what became commonly known as minicomputers (smaller than room-size); one computer for one person. It is also unique in the sense that there are only a small number in existence, and few are functional. We take pride in the fact that many, in fact most, artifacts displayed in our museum are functional and provide an interactive experience for our museum visitors. We now have an opportunity to add the IBM 1130 to the list of functional artifacts! A long-time friend of VCF who lives in Florida, Carl Claunch, has experience in successfully restoring these computers to a functional state. Mr. Claunch is not able to travel to us to perform the work, so we need to transport the computer to and from his residence. As you can imagine, this presents various challenges, but we believe this is a very worthwhile effort. To ignore this opportunity to engage with this expert would be a regrettable, permanent loss for our museum. To move forward with this project, *we need your support*. We need to raise approximately $6,000 to cover shipping and other expenses involved in the repair. Funds donated will be used for expenses related to this repair project and operating costs of the IBM 1130 computer. Funds received that are in excess of the needs of this project will be directed to the restoration and preservation of other artifacts in our collection. We need to acknowledge that, in a project like this, there is no guarantee of success. We cannot predict issues that may occur during transportation. Additionally, insurmountable problems may be revealed during the repair process that would cause the computer to remain non-functional, and there could be other issues that we can only imagine. Therefore, as hopeful as we are for success, there are no guarantees, and we cannot make any promises. For this reason, we must clearly state that your donation is NOT refundable. In recognition of your support, you have the option to include your name on a donor plaque (or another suitable memorial, to be determined) which will be proudly displayed along with the computer in our museum. Please follow this link https://vcfed.org/membership/contribute/transact/?reset=1&id=2 to reach the donation page on our website. We ask that you please act soon and consider donating to this important historic project. We have a delivery window of October 31 so we greatly appreciate your support. We hope that you will participate in this endeavor. Please share this with like-minded individuals and organizations who may also be interested in helping to preserve computing history. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Next Swap Meet - Possible Date
by Jeffrey Brace 16 Oct '22

16 Oct '22

Does anyone see any problem with June 17, 2023? I see nothing listed for hamfests. I don't know of any other events that might conflict. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Help NEEDED for network wiring 10/29 & 10/30 @ InfoAge
by Jeffrey Brace 16 Oct '22

16 Oct '22

Hey everyone, CDL will be needing help with wiring up various buildings with fibre. This helps not just our organization, but InfoAge as a whole. He is replacing the coaxial that is unreliable and goes to our museum and other buildings. Plan is to start on Saturday (10/29) AM at 9:00 AM and run until 4:00 PM (may go later) If we don't wrap up on Saturday, will start work on Sunday (10/30) AM at 10:00 and run until 4:00 PM (may go later) Two additional people would be a great help, there will be work in the attics of 9010 and potentially 9036. Martin is leading this effort, but if you are interested, then contact me and I will put you in touch with Martin. Thanks so much! ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Photos from the Swap Meet 2022 October 8
by Jeffrey Brace 16 Oct '22

16 Oct '22

https://imgur.com/a/BeUqe00 Anyone have any others to share? ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Photos from the Swap Meet 2022 October 8
by Ian Litchfield 15 Oct '22

15 Oct '22

Had I not been at comic con, that 3b1 would have been in the back of my car and all my money gone in the first 30 seconds of it being placed out haha! Looks like there were a lot of good items! Ian L. On Sat, Oct 15, 2022 at 20:19 Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > It was I > Mike Rosen > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Oct 15, 2022, at 7:29 PM, Dave Shevett via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > Oo, who had the 3b1? > > > >> On Sat, Oct 15, 2022 at 5:18 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < > >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> > >> https://imgur.com/a/BeUqe00 > >> > >> Anyone have any others to share? > >> > >> ========================================= > >> Jeff Brace > >> VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President > >> Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner > >> Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity > >> https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> > >> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org > >> > > > > > > -- > > Dave Shevett > > shevett(a)pobox.com > >

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Does anyone know what these are
by Christian Liendo 12 Oct '22

12 Oct '22

Some guy on reddit has a box of small boards. he doesn't know what they are and if you do and are interested this might be for you. https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageComputers/comments/y1p5zs/im_a_reseller_pic…

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Still looking like good weather for the VCF Swap Meet
by Gregg Levine 10 Oct '22

10 Oct '22

Hello! Happens here. We've got a bag game going that's not as peculiar as the one in NJ. I've got a reusable that bought from the one in Queens. I also make use of a satchel that followed me home from an AWS event. Incidentally the older iPad that came back with me works nicely. ----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again." On Fri, Oct 7, 2022 at 8:20 AM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > Just to add to the story. > I was blindsided by this also. > > I went to Micro Center up in Paterson, New Jersey. > I bought a whole bunch of little items , parts, things that I needed for repairs. > At the check out, I found that they don’t have any bags either (I asked for paper also), > but yes they are willing to sell you a bag. > I live in New Jersey and I thought the bag rule was only for grocery stores! > > Mike > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Oct 7, 2022, at 7:56 AM, Jeff S via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > Off-topic, but not off-topic. > > > > I'm only interjecting this to the thread as an out-of-stater who was caught > > off-guard when shopping for personal use when in NJ. > > > > For those coming from out-of-state, and expect to hit a grocery or > > convenience store for food, personal effects, etc., and don't want to pay > > for a reusable bag, bring a bunch of plastic bags for your own use. Stores > > in NJ are banned from providing plastic bags, but you are still able to > > bring your own to bag up your groceries, etc., or risk needing to pay $1-$2 > > per bag at the checkout counter. > > > > Just an FYI > > > >> On Thu, Oct 6, 2022 at 8:20 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < > >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> > >> On Thu, Oct 6, 2022 at 7:38 PM Kelly Leavitt via vcf-midatlantic < > >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> > >>> I was the audio guy and one of the hams involved. I feel the same. > >>> > >> > >> My impression with television news is that they will pick and choose > >> whatever they want. I don't know how News 12 came to film at InfoAge, but > >> weeks after they did that 3 minute segment there are still visitors that > >> remember seeing it and come to visit. I wish that they would be more > >> sensible about coming to film events. > >> > >> > >>> > >>> Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg> > >>> ________________________________ > >>> From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> on > >> behalf > >>> of Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > >>> Sent: Thursday, October 6, 2022 7:32:15 PM > >>> To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > >>> Cc: Dave McGuire <mcguire(a)neurotica.com> > >>> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Still looking like good weather for the > >> VCF > >>> Swap Meet > >>> > >>> On 10/6/22 19:20, Kelly Leavitt via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > >>>> They weren't interested in a direct contact with the space station from > >>> a local school. > >>> > >>> That kinda makes me want to throw up. > >>> > >>> -Dave > >>> > >>> -- > >>> Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > >>> New Kensington, PA > >>> > >>> > >>

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Still looking like good weather for the VCF Swap Meet
by Jeffrey Brace 10 Oct '22

10 Oct '22

Saturday weather prediction is between 43 and 60 degrees, mostly sunny. We have 30 vendors now. We have put advertising locally, on message boards, and direct Constant Contact and other methods. Please share with anyone and any place that you know that would be interested. We have plenty of volunteers in parking management with the Sea Cadets help. Attached is an updated flyer. Vendor setup starts at 7AM. General public is at 8AM. Good luck and see you there! ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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CDL has one HP internal interface card
by Neil Cherry 10 Oct '22

10 Oct '22

It's grey and has BNC, RJ45 and LocalTalk. It has been sitting in the CDL for a while. Does this belong to anyone? Does anyone want it? -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry kd2zrq(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies KD2ZRQ

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Possibly OT: I'm looking to acquire a LaserJet 4V
by Joseph Giliberti 10 Oct '22

10 Oct '22

Hi Guys. The aforementioned printer is probably old enough to qualify as whatever vintage means these days. I'm looking for a workhorse LaserJet 4V or another vintage LaserJet capable of handling 11x17 paper. I want to be able to print tube radio and EM pinball machine schematics without taping together 20 pieces of 8.5x11. continuous feed would be even better, but those are expensive and big. Please let me know if you have such a printer you can spare. Thank you. Joe Giliberti

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free books in Jenkintown, PA
by Bill Degnan 10 Oct '22

10 Oct '22

I am passing along an opportunity should someone want to make these theirs https://www.dropbox.com/s/yl26qzrhiff174b/Bookstodiscard20221009%20copy.doc… If you're interested send me your contact info and I will forward it to the donor so they can contact you. Thanks Bill

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Fwd: fufu - Peter Stark
by Neil Cherry 09 Oct '22

09 Oct '22

Not sure how many folks are into the Motorola line of processors from the 70's & 80's but Peter Stark was popular with his software Star-KDos and other things for the boards. Fufu is the Flex OS Users Group (not Adobe Flex). -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: fufu - Peter Stark Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2022 10:48:53 -0700 From: David C. Wiens <dcwiens(a)sardis-technologies.com> Reply-To: FLEX UniFLEX User Group <fufu(a)flexusergroup.com> To: fufu(a)flexusergroup.com I just found out that Peter Stark and his wife both passed away a few weeks ago: https://www.hornandthomesfuneralhome.com/obituary/peter-stark Sidney Thompson, do you have any contact information for their children? Dave W.

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VCF Swapmeet
by Sentrytv 09 Oct '22

09 Oct '22

I just would like to say that I think that the swap meet was a very successful event! It seems that the vendors, at least most of them, were selling much of their stuff. I know I did come home with “a pocket full of money”. I sold some big and heavy items. I didn’t sell everything I wanted, but that can be done at another time. I would like to see pictures also and maybe somebody can tell me where to post some. Even though I don’t have many. Thank you Jeff and all the people involved for making it in worthwhile. I observed some people turning away from entering the swapmeet from what I assumed was the entry fee cost. Please correct me if I am wrong. Mike Rosen Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > On Oct 8, 2022, at 6:24 PM, Christian Liendo via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > Hope everyone was able to buy or sell everything they wanted. > > Would enjoy seeing any pictures

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Breakfast tomorrow for Repair Workshop
by Jeffrey Brace 08 Oct '22

08 Oct '22

We will meet at Blue Swam tomorrow at 9AM. Let me know if you will be joining us. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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hope the event went well
by Christian Liendo 08 Oct '22

08 Oct '22

Hope everyone was able to buy or sell everything they wanted. Would enjoy seeing any pictures

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Bonhams Auction APPLE II: VENTLESS REV 0 THE RAREST, MOST IMPACTFUL APPLE.
by Christian Liendo 07 Oct '22

07 Oct '22

I didn't know there was a ventless Apple II https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27617/lot/1087/apple-ii-ventless-rev-0-the-… I am noticing a lot more vintage computing stuff in auction houses though https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27617/history-of-science-and-technology-inc…

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remex tape reels?
by W2HX 06 Oct '22

06 Oct '22

Hi friends. I recently acquired a remex "director" 3U tape reader. I'm looking for two reels probably around 5.25" in diameter and will hold 1" 8-level tape. Anyone either have a pair or know what supplier would have such things? Picture attached. 73 Eugene W2HX Subscribe to my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/w2hx-channel/videos

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C-64 Equipment
by Christian Liendo 06 Oct '22

06 Oct '22

There is a gentleman selling two C64s with drives and a printer. This was forwarded to me by a friend He can be contacted at skip(a)osbornville.com. I believe he is near Trenton. Attached are a number of images. [image: E75F50F5-7C87-4B46-9715-61955CAE37C5_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 26A2EEAB-B81B-42D2-9891-31528A59FBE1_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 776D80C2-B9FB-43D8-B189-85254F3BDDDC_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 0C596D00-C104-4838-A748-047259770E74_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: AEA3ACFB-571F-4FB7-A2B5-08185AFE5AB6_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 25D7A809-CF50-4E81-AD4B-0BA70A435EBA_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: AE9410D1-2ECD-4F4A-80C8-424BF0648ACC_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 1BA8B48F-22C9-450B-A733-12D41B4126F0_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 8D1E72F5-CE34-4A4D-A21F-3DFAE504CB71_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 9C0E446B-BB76-4145-A203-16A931E5F786_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: B0D6F26E-2F83-40A8-99A6-AC05A5CD34AD_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 4B7314AD-D560-4096-8F6C-6E9E4384FA0F_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 0F558B3A-BF62-4147-A4ED-22F72A72C8D6_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: CF8DFF07-65A7-4A7C-8F3A-A1BB5FF2D8CE_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 5150404C-7E91-4D36-ADAF-3C6AB78967AC_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 33E46C93-DB29-402F-A91C-7A7E8EF90C46_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 1CC6A5FC-F435-4EE9-8791-74573378BDDE_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 118E3BBA-F910-4DD6-99F0-82E65B0D06DB_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 1E2BCCDE-30E8-4277-9F77-22709B3A899E_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 51D8F0C2-9977-4BD2-A3C8-044D228DEA92_1_105_c.jpeg] [image: 4E610D61-D278-4D4B-B5D6-491C2B3B2D7F_1_105_c.jpeg]

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wonderfully British video about 1982 office computerization
by Jeffrey Jonas 05 Oct '22

05 Oct '22

1982 video from the UK about Akai's computer assisted sales https://youtu.be/KlAk-YHxHGI A far cry from the "paperless office" of the future :-) -- jeff jonas

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There's a repair workshop the same weekend as the swap meet
by Jeffrey Brace 04 Oct '22

04 Oct '22

Yes. There is a repair workshop that begins after the swap meet on Saturday, October 8 at 2PM until 11PM and starts again on Sunday, October 9, at 10AM. Although there may be some that don't go to the swap meet and just to the repair workshop and will be there earlier. *Signup for the repair workshop*: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nr1RTETci3OWWPylfinntsncswcYVA8mquB… <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nr1RTETci3OWWPylfinntsncswcYVA8mquB…> ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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MOS 6501 for sale
by Dmitry _ 03 Oct '22

03 Oct '22

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Trenton Computer Festival 2023
by Jeffrey Brace 03 Oct '22

03 Oct '22

Just received an appreciation certificate from TCF for my talk last year. They also wanted me to spread the word about their 2023 show on March 18, 2023. I don't know if it will be a virtual or a live show this year. This is their website: https://tcf-nj.org/ *If* it is a live show, then I will be getting a table or two for VCF. I would appreciate volunteers to work with me to come up with something. If you are interested, then please let me know. I will be starting to plan for that soon. Thanks! ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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More good news about the swap meet
by Jeffrey Brace 03 Oct '22

03 Oct '22

Selective Seconds is having a Fall Warehouse Sale right across the street from our swap meet, so there will be extra foot traffic in the area. They are a non-profit charity that rents space at InfoAge. This is their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FurnitureMinistry This is their website: https://vincentslegacy.wixsite.com/furniture?fbclid=IwAR1J6sMbaIxC5zGG3D74o… ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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The Swap Meet is Coming - October 8
by Jeffrey Brace 02 Oct '22

02 Oct '22

About 2 weeks left to go. *Info*: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ *Vendor Signup*: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMNS0XBHc2enjQjhTYiFON-T0v2YTYAw4… Added: *For Sale Google Sheet*: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-uhM1m136qfgO_ad4zE-hd8fl25QuGug8sT… *Want to Buy Google Sheet*: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OZAJt-hEPX-vbkkVzkxDjHnSso7PKtalz1M… ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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VCF Swap Meet October 8, 2022
by Jeffrey Brace 01 Oct '22

01 Oct '22

*I have updated the web page*: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ *This is the signup form*: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMNS0XBHc2enjQjhTYiFON-T0v2YTYAw4… *This is the flyer:* https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-VCF-Swap-Meet-Flyer-1.pdf This time we are charging $5 general admission per person to cover our costs. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Swap Meet coming up October 8
by Jeffrey Brace 01 Oct '22

01 Oct '22

Looks like great weather in the 1 week forecast 65 degrees, sunny and dry. We are up to about 25 vendors with a total of 35 spaces. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Fwd: Swapmeet confirmation email
by Sentrytv 29 Sep '22

29 Sep '22

Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. Begin forwarded message: > From: Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com> > Date: September 27, 2022 at 11:06:13 AM EDT > To: Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org> > Subject: Swapmeet confirmation email > > Jeff I signed up, paid PayPal , 2spaces $30, but I haven’t received a confirmation in anyway, > can you tell me what I should be looking for? > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device.

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Development of the MOS Technology 6502: A Historical Perspective
by Christian Liendo 29 Sep '22

29 Sep '22

I figure this would be of interest to some https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/1453.php

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Help needed- watchers- at the VCF Museum Oct 12 & 13
by Douglas Crawford 29 Sep '22

29 Sep '22

There is a mass of people coming both days from the Lakewood community, families that are off for a Orthodox Jewish holiday. Its a Wednesday and Thursday. So this request is for people who have freedom on weekdays. 10am to 5pm. Probably heaviest visitor load after noon. We are having an "open house" of sorts. We will not be giving tours, we will be letting people walk through the museum. In and out. One loop. They come in the door, turn right, go around the room and out again. No touching, nothing powered on. (we will have computers in the hallway that are there for kids, running simple games) Our ideal staffing for this is a person in the four corners of museum to insure the safety of the exhibits. These are the watchers. At most you will point things out of interest and answer questions if you can. We'll compromise on # of watchers if we get less help and work with as few as two. Plus we have a door person and someone helping kids with the game computers in the hall. View/update the document here, and send me a direct email, thanks! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uFK-OA-frIheNkGsGivFB2uQ21b-DEk-fPW… ------------------------------------ (Our plan) Date & Time Wed Oct 12 10am-5pm Thu Oct 13 10am-5pm Eight step plan: 1. All artifacts inside the museum are planned to be kept off. 2. Four Commodore computers will be in the hallway. They will have monitors and game controllers and one cartridge game installed. No game changing. I'll have an 8x10 instruction card for each game on display. I expect contention for the machines. We'll do the best we can. I'll try to leverage games that give a player 3-tries-and-you-are-out" so that no one is hogging the machines. Doug will work on getting the equipment ready and set up. 3. A person greets the people at the door to tell them a bit about the museum, then admit them and throttle the flow as required. Our fire code head-count limit is 25. 4. Watchers are stationed to safeguard the artifacts and be helpful. 5. Visitors walk around the museum to the right and around at their own pace unguided. They just follow one after the other. They look at stuff as they walk & talk and read as they pass by exhibits. They go around the circle and exit. 5a. If we run at full capacity, the door person will keep the next visitors clear of the door until a group exits, then admit the next one. 6. Creature comforts This is a long gig. We will use our stools and chairs at our stations. The guy at the Atari gets to sit at the office chair. Or stand when you want to. We will switch around duties and ideally have one spare staff so we can rotate people out. Otherwise, we'll just drop out and the rest have a little more to cover. I'll arrange food, some extra drinks. Ice, etc. Creature comforts. I think I'll generally be the GAME HOST guy, as I can probably afford to occasionally leave my post and deal to check on things. 7. Remove loose items to prevent children from grabbing them. 8. Coordinate with the model train guys (GSC) down the hall. DETAILS, headcounts, etc. This plan depends on recruiting on quite a few new helpers. No experience required for watchers. Bring a friend? We can tell them a line to say like "these are the 90's micro." "This one started the internet" * I will call for help on the message board. * The ideal configuration is for 6 on floor floor and at least one alternate to fill in for relief for eating and resting. If I can get 14 people to help, we can have two crews. I'm probably dreaming, but it might be possible since 8 don't have to know much. If the headcount is sufficient, and no one but me has to do both days I'll probably be making a staffing chart that is a little different than the docent schedule. Put trash can in the hallway. We have an extra black one that we can use. Ideal staffing: 1. 4 WATCHERS a. A person at each end of the Micros b. A person at each end of the Minis. 2. 1 DOOR PERSON 3. 1 GAME HOST 4. 1 SPARE that can rotate in when someone has to rotate out. Manpower Fallback - if I can't get as many volunteers as I'd like, I'll consider cutting down to 2 watchers. One at each end one looking down the micros one looking down the Minis. Total of 10 staff, 5 people per day. At the end of the first day we'll move the game computer tables into the museum and close up. At the end of the second day, I'll need some folks to stick around and help take stuff back to the warehouse.

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Swapmeet - no friends and family paypal?
by Ethan O'Toole 27 Sep '22

27 Sep '22

Trying to reserve space and paypal -- don't see a friends and family option for sending to vcf? I am assuming paypal took that away? - Ethan

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Swapmeet
by Sentrytv 27 Sep '22

27 Sep '22

Do we know how many people are signed up as vendors so far? Mike Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device.

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Swap Meet sale items
by Mike Loewen 26 Sep '22

26 Sep '22

I've listed some items which I'll be bringing to the Swap Meet on October 8th: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-uhM1m136qfgO_ad4zE-hd8fl25QuGug8sT… ring Some of the more interesting items: NEC Multisync 3D monitor SD Systems Z80 Starter Kit SBC AsanteTalk localtalk to ethertalk bridge Apple II Workstation Card TRS-80 Model III, 48K, Percom controller w/2 SSDD drives, RS-232 TRS-80 16B, broken case, no floppy drives Contact me off-list to make offers before the meet. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Any Ham Radio operators going to the swap meet?
by Jeffrey Brace 25 Sep '22

25 Sep '22

In order to get listed on the Ham Radio sites for our VCF Swap Meet, we need someone to monitor the talk-in frequency. Jeff Salzman has done this in the past for us, but he isn't able to attend. Is there someone else that can do this? I have the talk-in frequency and PL from previous years. Please send me a private reply. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Handheld computers
by Gregg Levine 25 Sep '22

25 Sep '22

Hello! In the years before I got more involved in the retro computer movement, that is the activities of our group, I spent a month trying out a handheld computer unit. This contraption was originally intended by its designers, people at the printer division of Epson of all companies, to wear a barcode reader, lightpen sized one, like the one for the TRS-80 Model 100, to make use of programs written by using DOS(!) based tools for it. The thing contained MS-DOS6.22 in ROM, It got sent back at the end of the month reluctantly, mostly because at the time I didn't have a laptop who could communicate with it,via the PC Card slot it used. And of course the thing was expensive, then, for 1992 or so dollars. Naturally I'm still trying to find the things, and possibly the programming tools. Has anything like that shown up on the list of things for sale for the Swap meet? I'll even extend my wait until what we do in December, next. The whole thing also goes on that wishlist idea. ----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again."

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