- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

2021 Event T-Shirts
by Adam Michlin 17 Feb '21

17 Feb '21

Hi Everyone, With the news that VCF East has been postponed to the Fall, we are able to move forward with one of many projects to give members more input into the day to day running of VCF. To that end, we're going to try a new approach to designing the T Shirts. For those who may not know, we design one t-shirt for all events in the year (VCF East, VCF West, and, historically, VCF Pacific Northwest). This year we are going to ask several graphic designers to submit designs on the theme of the anniversary of the IBM PC 5150 and the general theme of text adventure games. To that end, we are opening the floor for both input and suggestions. The running idea is to have a stylized IBM PC 5150 with a classic Colossal Cave Adventure (CCA) quote on it. Personally, I'm hoping for "You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike." The idea is that CCA was played on the 5150 but also predates it on mainframes and minicomputers. We're also leaning towards the green and amber on black options from last year. We won't necessarily do this every year, but it seems to make sense when talking about the 5150 and, of course, who can resist a good old fashioned green versus amber argument? Once we have a quorum of submissions by graphic designers, we will return to the membership to help decide which shirt goes to press. We realize this takes some of the fun of the surprise out of it, but we also realize that designing a t-shirt that more people like and have input on is a win all around. We also have near term hopes to make shirts available for print on demand after the events and may even bring back some of the classic shirts (thank you, Dan Roganti! May you RIP), also as print on demand. General and specific suggestions, publicly or privately, are most welcome and we would love some more ideas of different classic text adventure quotes. To answer the most obvious question, Zork was high on our list but there are already a lot of t-shirts with the famous Zork quotes. We would also love any submissions of the actual drawn design from any of you, the more the merrier! Best wishes, -Adam --- Adam Michlin Director of Marketing Vintage Computer Federation http://vcfed.org https://www.instagram.com/vcfederation https://twitter.com/vcfederation https://www.facebook.com/vcfederation https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKdBVD2wVUkuJQZhxGvVr0Q

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SX GBIC fiber cable speed
by Neil Cherry 17 Feb '21

17 Feb '21

I've posted this in the CDL list also. I don't know of a polite way to post once to both and I'm not sure it's a good idea to try. :-) It has been a while since I played with fiber (2010) and I'm trying to figure out if I should go fiber or copper in my home. Here's what I know from my current switch: - SX GBIC - LC - duplex - MMF I want to buy about 25M of fiber. I think the price is competitive with copper. I'm also hoping that the fiber will age better than the copper. I'm seeing a few old copper drops fail to lower settings. One went to 10/half (wow, that's bad). The GBIC & switch I have handle 1G. So I can easily pop in a few 1000baseT, put them into a LAG and get 4G (4 ports). So I'm covered for a while. - Can the same piece of fiber handle 1G or 10G? (in case I upgrade in the future). - Does anyone know the bend radius of this fiber? - What color should I expect for SX fiber. ? - What's a "mode-conditioning patch cord" ? I'm seeing a $35 price for 25 Meter OM3 LC LC Fiber Patch Cable (Corning 50/125um core/cladding) and it says 1G but with a "mode-conditioning patch cord" (an attenuator?). Any pointers? -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] SX GBIC fiber cable speed
by Neil Cherry 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

On 2/16/21 11:08 AM, MikeWillegal via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Just too many strange incompatibilities with optical SFPs and various vendors equipment when you go optical. When I was in the labs in 2011 we used a lot of fiber. The long haul single mode stuff was fun. In order to use it we had to have attenuators so as to not burn out the lasers. Yes, the SFPs was also fun/ We did have a few no-name (weren't really no-name but I can't recall the vendor). With some equipment we'd turn off the check. Other vendors there was no turning off the check (lock in). The good news is that SFPs are now pretty in expensive for the distances I need. So can actually afford to by the vendor specific SFP. On the subject of vintage networking, I started at the end of coax (10Base2 & 10Base5). I still have nightmare about cable splinters. ;-) I also worked with 1BaseT and that crazy FDDI which had a large LC like connector (why did that LC like connector always end up going to a hub with an ST connector? ;-) ). Didn't like fiber then, did love the 10BaseT hubs. A lot easier on my hands! But my eyes can no longer easily build those cables. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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ENIAC Birthday and thanks to Tony Bogan and the UNIVAC Crew
by Adam Michlin 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

Hi Everyone, Tony Bogan worked with our UNIVAC people to create an amazing video honoring the 75 anniversary of ENIAC that has been playing very well on all our social media but has been particularly successful on Twitter with 22,000+ impressions and 3,500+ views only 24 hours after posting. If you haven't seen it, you can view it here: https://twitter.com/vcfederation/status/1361329841275084802 Please retweet! -Adam --- Adam Michlin Director of Marketing Vintage Computer Federation http://vcfed.org https://www.instagram.com/vcfederation https://twitter.com/vcfederation https://www.facebook.com/vcfederation https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKdBVD2wVUkuJQZhxGvVr0Q

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Paper tape fun
by Crawford Griffith 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

Folks, David Gesswein wrote: Things that visibly do stuff are fun. The DEC fanfold is nice the way it mostly restacks. I love watching fanfold run, whether punching or reading. In college, we used to have small ‘SysOps wars’ amongst us nerds on the PDP-11 system. (We were good sportspeople, it had to be recoverable). I took one guy’s entire RSTS/E account, PIP’ed it to the fanfold tape punch, flipped the tape and read it in backwards. Every single file was now byte-reversed, e.g. a BASIC program would start with: “DNE 0009”. He could never figure out how I did it until I told him. I even told him I used ROM. -Crawford

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Paper tape
by Mike Loewen 15 Feb '21

15 Feb '21

Recently, I've been deep into paper tape territory. I exhumed my HP 2748B high speed paper tape reader, and got it running after a clutch plate adjustment. It's connected to my HP 2108A minicomputer, along with a 2645A terminal. I can punch tapes from a Linux system to a GNT-4601 paper tape reader/punch, connected via serial port. Then load the tape into the 2748B and read it into the 2108A. They're not kidding when they say "high speed". http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/HP/2748B/ So, I'm able to load diagnostic tapes from a very large paper tape library on Bitsavers. Some of the diags only require front panel operation, while others need a terminal. There's also paper tape BASIC, which I'll get to after a connector arrives to make a different terminal cable. http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/HP/2108A/HP2108A_2748B_2645.jpg The 2748B reader doesn't have a takeup reel, so naturally the tape goes all over the floor. Rewinding it is a PITA. I saw a picture of a handheld HP tape rewinder, and built my own to chuck into my cordless drill. Rewinds even faster than it spits out! http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/HP/Rewinder.jpg Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Apple IIe Related Kickstarter
by Herb Johnson 15 Feb '21

15 Feb '21

> a new, transparent keyboard for the Apple IIe. soda !-> keyboard - Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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Apple IIe Related Kickstarter
by Chris Fala 15 Feb '21

15 Feb '21

In case you missed it, a new, transparent keyboard for the Apple IIe. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maceffects/mechanical-keyboard-for-the…

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HP 85 For Sale (not mine)
by Alexander Jacocks 14 Feb '21

14 Feb '21

All, There is an HP 85 for sale, near me, if anyone is interested: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/313453723100742/ - Alex

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Anyone Have a B/C Class HP 9000 Workstation for Loan/Trade/Sale?
by Alexander Jacocks 13 Feb '21

13 Feb '21

All, I need some kind of an HP PA workstation for a project that I have coming, next month. Does anyone have one that they'd be willing to part with, either temporarily, or permanently? I'm in Maryland, in the USA. Alternatively, does anyone know what PCI video cards might be supported in HP A-class servers? That might be an option. Thanks! - Alex

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Infoage closed tomorrow Sunday February 14
by Jeffrey Brace 13 Feb '21

13 Feb '21

Due to the impending ice storm, All Infoage museums will be closed tomorrow Sunday February 14. Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Amiga (Classic) BBS Terminal Program
by Blatboy 12 Feb '21

12 Feb '21

I used JR-Comm back in the day. I really liked it. It supported 80 column + full color ANSI. I do remember using it for file transfers. Donno about ATASCII off the top of my head. I used it to dial into the VAX at the university from my apartment to do my CS assignments, and skip the trip to the computer lab. I was so bleeding edge in 1990. I almost regret it though. I hear I missed out on a pretty good hang in the lab. I can make and send an ADF if you'd like. :) Walter ++++++++++++++++++++++ https://jwalterhawkes.com like to know where/when I'm playing? Click here <https://jwalterhawkes.com/contact> to sign up for my list, and let the babble begin.

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ENIAC 75th Anniversary Celebration
by Brian L. Stuart 11 Feb '21

11 Feb '21

This evening begins a series of events celebrating the 75th anniversary of the unveiling of the ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania. On the 11th and 18th, the Philadelphia Venture Cafe will be hosting virtual round tables with a number of us who have some connection to the ENIAC and Philadelphia technology. Included among the people present will be: - Bill Mauchly and Chris Eckert, sons of the ENIAC creators - Bill Mensch, part of the 6502 engineering team - Kathy Kleiman, producer of the ENIAC programmers documentary (And yes, I'll be there for anyone who wants to get nerdy and talk about the technical aspects of the machine and its programming.) Monday, the 15th is the day of the anniversary, and there will be a full day of webcasting. Starting at 10:30 EST, UPenn will be holding a mini-symposium in recognition of the ENIAC. Then at 3:30 EST, Unisys will be webcasting an ENIAC celebration video that includes a number of panel discussions, as well as clips from early newsreels, and happy birthday wishes from the various locations housing ENIAC artifacts. More details and links to all the events can be found here: http://www.eniacday.org/events/ BLS

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Amiga (Classic) BBS Terminal Program Questions
by John Heritage 11 Feb '21

11 Feb '21

Dear VCF, I was a long time BBSer on the Atari 8bit, Atari ST, and then later PC until the mid 1990s; I had occasionally dialed Amiga BBSes from the PC but never actually used an Amiga to dial out to a BBS. I was curious: - What are some recommended Amiga terminal programs (A-Term, Termite, etc?) for use on Amiga OCS that people have used back in the day? - Can Amiga OCS handle 80 columns and 16 color ANSI? (It was always disappointing the Atari ST could not..) Any serious serial port speed restrictions in this mode? - What terminal program would do 80 column + full color ANSI, and also be good for file transfers (Ymodem-G, ZModem) for example? - Bonus: Did anyone write any terminal programs for the Amiga that display ATASCII graphics from an Atari 8bit BBS? :) I will actually be using an Amiga 1200 for messing around but would like to see what the 'authentic' experience was like back in the day. Thanks! John

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Stickers Please Re: 2021 Event T-Shirts
by Michael Brutman 09 Feb '21

09 Feb '21

The stickers were returned to NJ along with the unsold 2020 shirts when I left the national board. I am particularly proud of them; two out of three were my design. The t-shirt was my design too. I had a great year as a graphic designer. ;) On Mon, Feb 8, 2021, 6:15 AM Sentry TV via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Jeff > At the next workshop, I would not mind laying out some money for a shirt > and stickers if available. > Mike Rosen > > On Monday, February 8, 2021, 08:49:51 AM EST, Jeffrey Brace via > vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > On Mon, Feb 8, 2021 at 8:07 AM Christian Liendo via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > Whatever happened to the stickers idea? > > > > We had some stickers done for VCF PNW back in March 2020. I will have to > see if we got those back over here in NJ. This is something that I will > think about and work on as I make plans for VCF East 2020 and or the Swap > Meet in April. > > > > > > I know there was some discussion but I don't know what happened? > > > > Covid-19 happened. We had put out a survey of 10 sticker designs and I > believe we took the top 3 and made them. We were going to sell at VCF PNW, > which was cancelled and then VCF West and East went virtual so there was no > opportunity to sell in-person and it wasn't practical to sell online at the > time. I have to check in the boxes of stuff that was shipped back to NJ > from Seattle to see if the stickers were included in the shipment. We had > the swap meet in November, but the stickers and the 2020 t-shirts were in > Seattle at the time. The swap meet was quickly arranged and it was our > first one so there was little time to plan. We will have the VCF 2019 and > remaining VCF 2020 t-shirts for the next Swap Meet April 24 (with rain date > of April 25). Keep in mind there is limited sizes for the t-shirts, they > are just leftovers that didn't sell before. We don't plan on printing new > ones for the swap meet at this time. Also we have plenty of VCF polos in > every size available. > > We also don't want to get too many of any particular swag before we have an > idea of how well they will sell in-person. We have been brainstorming for a > while about what kind of swag will sell or not sell. We will often try it > out with a small quantity to see what will sell before scaling up or buying > more for the next year. I know with East from 2019 there was a lot of > interest in swag of all kinds and we sold out of many items that sat around > not selling for a while from previous shows. It's always difficult to gauge > what will interest people. We had coffee cups made for VCF West and PNW and > very few sold and sat around for 2 or 3 years and then at East 2019 every > single one sold out. > > > > > > On Sat, Feb 6, 2021 at 10:56 AM Adam Michlin via vcf-midatlantic > > <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > Hi Everyone, > > > > > > With the news that VCF East has been postponed to the Fall, we are > > > able to move forward with one of many projects to give members more > > > input into the day to day running of VCF. > > > > > > To that end, we're going to try a new approach to designing the T > > > Shirts. For those who may not know, we design one t-shirt for all > > > events in the year (VCF East, VCF West, and, historically, VCF Pacific > > > Northwest). > > > > > > >

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Univac Demo
by Duane Craps 08 Feb '21

08 Feb '21

Woo Hoo Bill Dromgoole's UNIVAC Demo Has 1000 views in the first week UNIVAC 2021 Update - Full Boot and Diagnostic - YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_d1QbeiOu0> - DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Altair 680/Dan Roganti
by Dave McGuire 07 Feb '21

07 Feb '21

I'm trying to find out what happened to Dan's Altair 680. Does anyone here have it, or know anything about it? Please contact me off-list if so. Thanks, -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Tomorrow is Bring Your Atari to Work Day
by Andrew Diller 07 Feb '21

07 Feb '21

And take a photo and submit it at RetoBattleStations on Reddit! February 7: Bring Your Atari to Work Day <https://twitter.com/benjedwards/status/1225782929282027520> (observed Monday February 8) https://old.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/laiwqb/calendar_of_up… <https://old.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/laiwqb/calendar_of_up…> With WFH still going on for some of us this should be a piece of cake. Submit away. -andy

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Super Sketch drawing tablet for Commodore 64
by David K 07 Feb '21

07 Feb '21

I recently bought a Super Sketch drawing tablet for the C64 from eBay. I was surprised by how sophisticated it was and how much fun I had trying it out. I have a video about it on YouTube that features: -unboxing of the tablet and all the extras that were included -a demonstration of drawing and the many other functions (2:57) -a look inside at how it works (21:20) My question is about the last part; about how it works. When I opened up the drawing tablet there were two, what I believe to be, linear potentiometers. Since the tablet plugs into the joystick port I was surprised that the C64 could "read" the potentiometers. There was not an IC (?) in the tablet itself but when I opened up the plug there was indeed an IC that I assume converted the variable voltage of the potentiometers into something the C64 could read. If anyone has feedback on whether I got this right and whether this was a unique feature I would appreciate it. The link to the video is: https://youtu.be/pLvQVJhRx2o. If that gets scrubbed you can likely search "Super Sketch vintage drawing tablet for Commodore 64 - also made for TI-99 / 4A and Atari 800 XL" to find it. Interestingly I had initially bought another Super Sketch on eBay that said it was for the C64 but when I received it the plug was not correct (which is why I bought the second one). Interestingly the non-C64 tablet has different circuitry in it and does not have the IC in the plug or anywhere else. So any help with this is appreciated. David K

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Repair Workshop on March 6, 7, 2021
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Feb '21

06 Feb '21

Our next repair workshop will be March 6 & 7, 2021 Signup here: March Repair Workshop Signup Sheet <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XE6z0-LwO77hg7BIhphhP6eSjbo5AhJ5Jdc…> Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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VCF East 2021 rescheduled
by Jeffrey Brace 06 Feb '21

06 Feb '21

Hello everyone, I hope that everyone is safe, healthy and still able to enjoy our vintage computer hobby these days. As you can see Covid-19 persists across the country and vaccines are not yet at the levels that we want them to be. Large crowds will not be possible in April and likely not be for at least a few months. So I am rescheduling VCF East to our backup date of October 8, 9 & 10, 2021. I'm hoping that 8 months from now we will be in a place where we can have an in-person event. I will make a final decision by August 1 whether we will stay in-person or go virtual. I will be starting to make plans for this event with the hope that we will have an in-person event. Take care everyone, be safe, and be well! Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Snow and Repair Workshop this weekend
by Jeffrey Brace 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

So the forecast is for snow to start around 4AM Sunday morning and get heavier around 2PM. For those traveling far, I advise either leaving Saturday night or after breakfast Sunday morning. We are expected to get 6 to 8 inches in our area during Sunday. Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Heathkit H8
by Herb Johnson 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

It's good to see H8 activity. I have one but it's sitting quiet these days: https://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/h8.html It is also "native" pretty much. I'd not mind a floppy controller upgrade, but not too modern a board. I also have some early SEBHC H8 boards unbuilt, from quite awhile ago. Thanks for the reminder! regards, Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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Flip-Chips on ebay
by Duane Craps 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

For all you DEC people -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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February Repair Workshop Feb 6 & 7, 2021
by Jeffrey Brace 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

Starting January 2021 we will be charging $15 per person per day. $10 goes to InfoAge and $5 will go to CDL. Signup for February Repair Workshop here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FytFtk9_rE0Nw_Pk_M9bFVMh324hNwJMwcK… Remember the spaces are first come first serve to the CDL space. Limited space available. Overflow space in 9032-A building. The workshop is $15 *per* person, *per* day. $10 goes to InfoAge and $5 goes to CDL. Sign up to guarantee a table!!! *DATES*: February 6 & 7, 2021 *LOCATIONS:* InfoAge: 2201 Marconi Road, Wall Township, NJ 1) Building 9059 (CDL Hackerspace - Formerly IXR) AND 2) Building 9032-A (Old workshop area in main building) TIME: Saturday START time == 10 A.M. END time == 11PM. Sunday START time == 10 A.M. and END == 5 P.M. *SIGNUP HERE!*: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FytFtk9_rE0Nw_Pk_M9bFVMh324hNwJMwcK… : Workshop area is limited to 10 people per room and facemasks are required. Hand sanitizer is available. *COST:*- $15 per person, PER day. This money goes to InfoAge and CDL. - $25 per night for those wanting to stay overnight (Money goes to InfoAge). Please pay ME (Jeff Brace) upon arrival. Cash or PayPal is acceptable as payment. Ask ahead of time if you need to use a credit card. *OVERNIGHT*: Bring your own pillow, blankets, soap etc. We provide a bed frame and an uncovered mattress. There are showers and a kitchen for your use. - You can pay via PayPal to paypal(a)vcfed.org. or to me via cash or credit card in person. *EQUIPMENT:* - VCF will provide a table and you can use any available electrical outlet. - Bring your own tools, power strips, power cords, and supplies etc. - If you need particular tools that you don't know or particular parts, please post to the list for those going. They may have what you need. Let them know ahead of time. - Let everyone know what project you are working on ahead of time to inspire collaboration. *DRINKS*: You should bring your own. We have a refrigerator in CDL to keep them cold. VCF will buy some water and soft drinks for member use. *FOOD*: *Saturday afternoon*: Pizza from Attilios (Tinton Falls) *Saturday Night Dinner at 7:30?*: Main Street Bar and Grill Address: 735 Route 35, Ocean Township, NJ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h3U1lf0M_nsgu2M7dccb2CoDnAAfDfLDc4Z… *Sunday Morning*: Bagel order from Delicious Bagels < https://www.deliciousbagelspointpleasant.com/) Fill out Order here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/106iJBC9_YlD6Z561qzWpvV5DlbdOBLezD0U… *Sunday Afternoon*: Wawa order GATE: Please close the gate behind you at all times. We want to discourage random strangers from wandering the campus as well as during museum hours. PARKING: Park in the main parking lot, unless you are unloading. Don't park on the lawn. QUESTIONS? Contact Jeff: 732-759-1783 jeffrey(a)vcfed.org Have fun everyone! -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Welcome New Member Murat!
by Jeffrey Brace 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

Hello Murat! How did you find our list? What are your interests? -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Tandy TRS-80 Model 3 in Schwenksville, PA - $250
by jsalzman＠gmail.com 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

There is a Schenksville in PA, but not to be confused with the homonym spelled Shanksville, PA, where Flight 93 went down. On Wed, Feb 3, 2021, 7:52 AM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Isn’t there a town called Schnecksville also > In PA? > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Tandy TRS-80 Model 3 in Schwenksville, PA - $250
by Jeffrey Brace 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

On Wed, Feb 3, 2021 at 7:52 AM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Isn’t there a town called Schnecksville also > In PA? Yes. Google Maps confirms this. > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > > > On Feb 3, 2021, at 7:32 AM, Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > I would like to have been in the meeting when they decided to call the > town > > "Schwenksville".....Welcome to Schwenksville. > > > >> On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 11:59 PM Alexander Jacocks via vcf-midatlantic < > >> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> > >> Not my listing, just came across it: > >> > >> https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3216072305176825/ > >> > >> - Alex > >> > > -- Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Tandy TRS-80 Model 3 in Schwenksville, PA - $250
by Alexander Jacocks 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

Not my listing, just came across it: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3216072305176825/ - Alex

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InfoAge closed tomorrow
by Jeffrey Brace 02 Feb '21

02 Feb '21

InfoAge will be closed tomorrow due to the snowy and icy conditions on the campus. It's not safe for visitors yet. Hopefully the warmer weather the next few days and the rain on Friday will clear out most of the snow so that the museums will be open by Saturday. I know that the two humongous ice boulders in front of my house created by the plows won't melt until spring ;) That is all. Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Museum HP 2117F
by Mike Loewen 29 Jan '21

29 Jan '21

I have a request for someone who will be at the museum, this weekend. Dave Bryan, author of the HP 21MX simulator portion of SimH, needs some data from a working 2117F. I have a list of instructions to enter from the front panel. If anyone can help out, I'd appreciate it. Let me know. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] 10, 000 Hours With Claude Shannon: How A Genius Thinks, Works, and Lives
by Herb Johnson 28 Jan '21

28 Jan '21

The article is OK, to the extent it describes the personality of Claude Shannon, as like some number of technical geniuses. But the article gets tedious about it; it's a love story by a biographer. I hope they didn't mess up the science in the biography. Shannon himself is an important mid-20th century figure in information theory; I know of him from my BSEE studies in the 1970's. I'd say his biography is relevant to vintage computing interests, who wish to be informed about the development of computing technology. Myself, I learn science and tech by reading works by and about people who developed science and technology in the 20th century. So thanks to Christian Liendo for calling out the author of a Shannon biography, so I can look for that book. 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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YouTube Video on M.2 to SATA to IDE
by Alexander Jacocks 28 Jan '21

28 Jan '21

I just posted a new (short!) Video on 2.5” mSATA adapters and IDE machines: https://youtu.be/QVUMNUL4y6I It’s really just an overview of the SSD, and the adapters. I’ll show it in use, soon. - Alex

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anyone id this laptop? 1994-ish
by Bill Degnan 27 Jan '21

27 Jan '21

I was sent an inquiry from a visitor to vintagecomputer.net who wanted to know the make/model of this laptop aa.jpg (284×341) (ibb.co) <https://i.ibb.co/6bdnY7r/aa.jpg> Anyone have a specific clue? I checked AST, Toshiba, Compaq, Gateway and other laptops I have from that era, nothing matches that little keyboard display window. Bill

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WTB: A good soldering iron with adjustable heat
by Jeffrey Brace 27 Jan '21

27 Jan '21

A friend is looking for a good quality soldering iron with adjustable heat. Anyone going to the workshop selling one or know where I can find one? Thanks, Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Corey's Apple I "restoration" video
by Jack Rubin 26 Jan '21

26 Jan '21

Thanks for putting this together. A less caffeinated version with narration could be the starting point for a truly useful video that analyses problems, discusses materials, techniques, methods, part sources and actually illuminates the restoration process. Jack

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Heathkit H8
by Mike Loewen 25 Jan '21

25 Jan '21

Some weeks ago, I pulled out my Heathkit H19 monitor to connect to my H8, and the H19 promptly blew a fuse (and other nasty things). I finally got the last parts in today to fix it, and the H8 is up and running CP/M 2.2.04 from a Z87 dual-drive unit. http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/Heathkit/H8/H19H8-2L.jpg The H8 only has two boards installed: the H17 hard-sectored floppy controller, and a Z80 board from a recent Norberto Collado design. The Z80 board has 64KB of RAM, two serial ports and a real-time clock. Here's the design: http://koyado.com/Heathkit/H8-Z80-64K-RTC-ORG0-V3.html Norberto also has a new storage controller design, to replace the H37 (soft-sector), H17 (hard-sector) and H67 (hard drive) controllers, plus a USB interface. I have the PCBs, and am waiting for some final testing before ordering parts. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Meant to do this for years... Original Apple-1 restoration video
by corey cohen 25 Jan '21

25 Jan '21

Well I decided I should start posting videos of some of the restorations I have performed on some interesting computers. Here is my 1st video upload, an original Apple-1 that I restored last year. https://youtu.be/rbZt8PKvOus <https://youtu.be/rbZt8PKvOus> Cheers, Corey corey cohen uǝɥoɔ ʎǝɹoɔ

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Museum Report 2021-01-24
by Jeffrey Brace 24 Jan '21

24 Jan '21

Busy day today. We had 20 museum visitors today. Dylan was docent. Andy, Ryan Schiff, Ryan Burke and myself rescued more items from Wilmington Delaware. We will need to sort, and assess at the next repair workshop. There are still items to rescue, but Andy believes that this can be finished with a few car loads full. Next Repair workshop is Feb. 6 & 7. Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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RetroBright
by Duane Craps 23 Jan '21

23 Jan '21

RetroBright article at Hackaday: https://hackaday.com/2021/01/23/a-deep-dive-into-the-chemistry-of-retrobrig… -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Need pics of some CompuPro switches for project
by Richard Cini 23 Jan '21

23 Jan '21

All – I’m working on another emulation project and I’m looking for pictures of switches for the GUI. I need a power switch (both ON and OFF) and a reset switch. I saw the ones on the CompuPro 8/16 and those look nice. No rush, but if anyone has this in their collection and can snap some well-lit, clear pictures for me, I’d really appreciate it. I can re-size and clean them up. The pictures just need to be taken “head on” (no angles) as much as possible. Thanks! Rich -- Rich Cini http://cini.classiccmp.org http://altair32.classiccmp.org

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10, 000 Hours With Claude Shannon: How A Genius Thinks, Works, and Lives
by Christian Liendo 22 Jan '21

22 Jan '21

I figured anything about Claude Shannon would be on-topic https://medium.com/the-mission/10-000-hours-with-claude-shannon-12-lessons-… While this is not a great article, I figured some people would be interested

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Ordering Snark Barker MCA (Sound Boaster clone) PCBs -- Want One?
by Alexander Jacocks 20 Jan '21

20 Jan '21

Thanks, Z. Did you already build one? - Alex On Mon, Nov 30, 2020 at 17:32 Alexander Pierson via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > The Snark Barker MCA does have a limited number of surface mount > components, namely the CPLD, associated voltage regulator, and some > capacitors. Everything else is thru-hole. > Meanwhile, the ISA Snark Barker is fully thru-hole. > -Alexander 'Z' Pierson On Monday, November 30, 2020, 04:55:15 PM EST, > Alexander Jacocks via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > wrote: > > Bill, > > This is a build-it-yourself project. The Snark Barker is an exact clone, so > it's exclusively through hole. > > Only the PCB is included. If others wanted, I could source the parts > necessary, but I'd need at least a few others interested. > > - Alex > > On Mon, Nov 30, 2020 at 7:38 AM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > Would the assembly be surface mounted or original? > > Bill > > > > On Sun, Nov 29, 2020, 8:43 PM Jameel Akari via vcf-midatlantic < > > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > $34 I assume is just the board? > > > > > > I’ll take a look at the details tomorrow but this might be fun. > > > > > > -- > > > Jameel Akari > > > > > > > On Nov 29, 2020, at 8:17 PM, Alexander Jacocks via vcf-midatlantic < > > > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > > > All, > > > > > > > > I'm in the process of ordering PCBs for the Snark Barker MCA > > > > (microchannel), which was just announced, here: > > > > https://twitter.com/TubeTimeUS/status/1333123576346468352 > > > > > > > > The design files and BOM can be found here: > > > > https://github.com/schlae/snark-barker-mca > > > > > > > > I'll be ordering from PCBway, who does gold fingers, so that the > boards > > > > will be able to be able to be repeatedly inserted, without wearing > out > > > the > > > > contacts. > > > > > > > > Is anyone else interested? The cost (at quantity 5) would be about > > > > $34+shipping, per PCB. The cost should go down with a bigger order, > > > should > > > > more than 4 others want boards. I could probably be convinced to make > > the > > > > parts order, as well, if folks want. > > > > > > > > Thanks! > > > > - Alex > > > > > > > > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] OT: Printing Press rescue (The Morning Call, Allentown, PA)
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 18 Jan '21

18 Jan '21

Christian Liendo via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> writes: >Nice.. I really need to check out the National Museum of Industrial >History in Bethlehem. I will now have to check this out next time I go home. >On Mon, Jan 18, 2021 at 2:33 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic ><vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >> >> Our very own Bill Inderrieden was involved with the rescue. Pictures on >> this website: >> https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-morning-call-original-printing-pres… The Morning Call. I delivered this Morning Call when I was a kid.

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OT: Printing Press rescue (The Morning Call, Allentown, PA)
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Jan '21

18 Jan '21

Our very own Bill Inderrieden was involved with the rescue. Pictures on this website: https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-morning-call-original-printing-pres… Jeff Brace ========================================= Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Culpability and Provenance
by jsalzman＠gmail.com 18 Jan '21

18 Jan '21

Hello group, Recent discoveries brought me to post this mostly philosophical message and question about what we do as collectors when we come across data stored in or with our acquisitions. For example, I have owned my Kaypro 10 for about five years. I bought it from a fellow collector in Chicago when I was at VCF MW at the time I acquired it. Since that time, I have only powered it up about 10 times. Each time was more for just making sure its hard drive would still spin up and boot, and for poking around my only operational CP/M machine. Just recently, I decided to actually look at the files that were stored on it. It had WordStar installed, and the drive was cluttered with many files without extensions on their names. Assuming they were WordStar files, I was able to open up a number of those files. Most of them were actual Will and Testament documents for a number of people in the Chicago area around 1990. I assumed this Kaypro was once owned and used by a lawyer at that time. Another thing I discovered, and this one has some interesting impact on the device's potential provenance, was a file called RESUME. The file was a WordStar document in that it started with several lines of "dot-commands" identifying it as such. The interesting part is that it was a resume of a U.S. Robotics co-founder and V-P, as discovered in the work history listed in the resume. Yes, THE U.S. Robotics company that made the modems many of us drooled over owning back in the day. So I asked myself... why would this file be on this computer, in WordStar format, if the machine wasn't also owned by the person in question? That leads me to wonder if this Kaypro was also owned by said Founder of USR. This Kaypro may have changed hands several times before I acquired it. It's still a bit of a mystery. After all, it's not like people simply emailed files between CP/M machines as readily as we do now. Plus, someone as computer literate as a computer hardware tech founder might actually be one to write their own resume in a word processor on a CP/M system. Besides, you can certainly understand my feelings and thoughts over the potential provenance of the machine. Those two examples aside, I want to address the opinions of others about the possession of random and potentially personal data found on machines we acquire. This Kaypro has a number of Will and Testament files on it, a few legal drafts, and of course, that resume. So this brings up the philosophical discussion of culpability. Do we, as collectors of these systems, have a certain responsibility to the disposition of data found on our acquisitions? While many laws have been made over the decades governing personally identifiable information, how much of the responsibility to identify and "secure" sensitive data falls on us collectors who acquire our computers through sale or trade vs. the previous owners who decide to get rid of their computers. Before I go on any further about my thoughts, I'll end the intro of the discussion here, for others to offer their input, before I get any deeper into my thoughts on what I have and what I could/should do with it. Looking forward to your respective opinions. Jeff Salzman

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Wanted SD card solutions for Museum
by Dean Notarnicola 17 Jan '21

17 Jan '21

Chris, You can you a Gotek with Flashfloppy firmware to substitute for Mod 1/3/4 drives (You need an expansion interface for the M1.) Though not a floppy replacement, I highly recommend the M1SE http://bartlettlabs.com/ It adds hard drive, network and other enhancements to the M1. There’s also the M3SE for the 3/4. If you don’t have a M1 expansion interface, the MIRE (same web site) adds all EI functionality. You can attach real drives, Goteks, and/or a M1SE to it. On Sun, Jan 17, 2021 at 2:44 PM Chris Fala <chris.fala(a)vcfed.org> wrote: > I have several Commodore SD devices. I can donate/loan one to the museum > for the VIC-20. > > TFW8b has PET solutions. > https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/sd2pet-future.html is $81.53 at current > exchange rates. Maybe we can pool our funds or ask the list for donations. > > I can't suggest solutions for other manufacturers, but please let me know > what anyone knows about TRS-80 Model 1 and/or III devices that are > available. I need. > > > > > > > > On Sun, Jan 17, 2021 at 2:24 PM Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey(a)vcfed.org> wrote: > >> OK. Steering Committee. >> >> Here is the list that I came up with. Let me know if I need to tweak >> anything and if you think I can send this to the general list. >> >> *GOOD WORKING CONDITION* >> TRS-80 Model 1 >> Atari 1040ST >> Atari Mega >> IBM PCjr >> MSX >> OSI Challenger 2P >> Osborne 1 >> PET 2001 >> Vic-20 >> Zorba >> Amiga 1000 >> Mac Portable >> Mac 512K >> IBM PC Convertible >> Apple III Plus >> TI-99/4A >> IBM 5150 >> TRS-80 Model 100 >> Apple II original >> iMac >> Next Cube >> >> *NEEDS REPAIR* >> TI Portable >> >> *NEED DIAGNOSIS* >> SWTPC >> Heathkit H89 >> >> *DIFFICULT TO FIND DEMOS* >> Ukranian Apple 2 >> TV Typewriter >> >> ========================================= >> Jeff Brace >> Vice President & Board Member >> Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner >> Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity >> http://www.vcfed.org/ >> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org >> cell: 732-759-1783 >> >> >> >> <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. >> www.avast.com >> <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> >> <#m_6223536314463200676_m_-9168846585535048499_m_-6305579204510517935_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> >> >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF Marketing Director
by Jonathan Sturges 17 Jan '21

17 Jan '21

Congrats Adam! :-)

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Zenith “Easy PC” for sale on craigs
by Sentrytv 17 Jan '21

17 Jan '21

Just in case anybody is interested here is the link, not mine. https://newjersey.craigslist.org/sop/d/wallington-easy-pc/7260229025.html Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device.

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VCF Marketing Director
by Jeffrey Brace 16 Jan '21

16 Jan '21

Hello everyone, Please welcome VCF's Marketing Director: Adam Michlin! The national board unanimously voted him into this newly created position. Adam was previously a volunteer, Mid-Atlantic Steering Committee member and the Social Media Director where he did an exemplary job increasing the quality and visibility of our organization through our social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The Marketing Director position has all of the responsibilities of the Social Media Director, but adds national branding to the mixture. I'm excited to see what improvements that he will bring to this position. He has shown great dedication to his previous position and it shows in his understanding, the quality of his work and the results that he has created. And best of all his pay increases to double his previous salary of zero! ;) -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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