- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Fixes and improvements to VCF website
by Jeffrey Brace 02 Nov '20

02 Nov '20

The link on the head of every page had a link "Get our e-mail newsletter" produced an error when clicking on it. Now it has been updated with "Sign up for our Mid-Atlantic Discussion List" and with the proper link: http://vcfed.org/wp/groups/vcf-mid-atlantic/vcf-mid-atlantic-discussion-lis…. I'm not sure how long this error has been there and it was discovered today by one of our docents trying to signup up for our discussion list. I also added a Contact Us sub menu item under "About". I'm working on adding "Contact Us" info on the footer of the website now. If anyone has any other suggestions or problems with the website, then please let me know. Any minor things I can fix right away. Other stuff will have to wait. Things in the works: Organize the VCF East archives with proper links to videos on YouTube. -- ========================================= 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 Report 2020-10-31
by Jeffrey Brace 01 Nov '20

01 Nov '20

A little slow that day, but that is to be expected on Halloween. Shortly after I opened the museum, long time member Don Caselli stopped by to drop off something and catch up. He dropped off a manual for an S/100 system that he donated a while back. The manual says S/10. He also showed me manuals and paper tapes for something called MonRobot. He worked at that company years ago and he mentioned that he did a VCF East talk many years ago on this. I chatted with him for a while. Bill Inderreiden showed up an hour or more late and we all chatted until Don left. Bill was on a work related road trip for the past few weeks and is back home. Bill and I talked about the outdoor signs for the swap meet, then he did some work in the warehouse. I did a number of smaller housekeeping tasks including: Updating the hallway notice board with current VCF event dates. Next project: 1) Update the firmware for FujiNet 2) Get as many computers in the museum as possible running Oregon Trail and other text based games. -- ========================================= 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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Swap Meet Reminder 11/7
by Jeffrey Brace 01 Nov '20

01 Nov '20

We are up to 11 vendors with 13 spaces! Keep them coming! Swap Meet is location found at this Google Map link: https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B011'05.6%22N+74%C2%B003'47.1%22W/@40.1848834,-74.0652735,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d40.1848793!4d-74.0630848 Vendor setup time: 7AM Buyers: 9AM Vendor Reservation form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftdpkFQo0CBCatGfqt1OICP-_g22n8nAj… Bring your own table if you wish. You can sell out of your vehicle if you wish. Vendors and buyers will be required to wear masks and social distance. Below is a link to the current NJ travel advisories. The full advisory is found here: https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/travel-and-transportation/which-… Any questions or concerns please contact us at swapmeet(a)vcfed.org or 732-722-5015. -- ========================================= 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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None
by None 28 Oct '20

28 Oct '20

Return-P

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VCF Swap Meet update
by Jeffrey Brace 28 Oct '20

28 Oct '20

The steering committee and I have been busy planning for the upcoming swap meet (http://vcfed.org/wp/vcf-swap-meet) which takes place on Nov. 7. So far we have 9 vendors with a total of 12 spaces (including VCF) with more coming in everyday. Places we have advertised: InfoAge member groups including CDL (hackerspace), NJARC (radio museum) Facebook Instagram Twitter To be advertised soon: Reddit Craigslist Eventbrite VCF Forum Does anyone have any other suggestions? Signup here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftdpkFQo0CBCatGfqt1OICP-_g22n8nAj… -- ========================================= 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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Pre-swapmeet dinner (Friday, Nov. 6)
by Evan Koblentz 28 Oct '20

28 Oct '20

I'm not attending the swap, but would like to get together for dinner with VCF friends on Friday night (Nov. 6) here in central NJ. If anyone's interested then contact me OFF-LIST (evan(a)snarc.net) We can meet anywhere between the museum and my home (08873). Also I have room for two or three people to stay over Friday night, socially distanced.

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VCF East 2021 Theme update
by Jeffrey Brace 27 Oct '20

27 Oct '20

After some consideration with the steering committee. I have tweaked one of the two themes for VCF East 2021. It was a little confusing and limited. The two themes are now: *1) The legacy of the IBM PC.* This means that the IBM PC came out in 1981 and it has a lasting legacy with clones, and lineage that stretches up to the modern era. This machine was influential in a lot of ways. Please note that I prefer that everyone have machines that are before 1995 to keep with the vintage computer theme. *2) Text adventures* Side note: Oregon Trail has an anniversary next year as well (1971) -- ========================================= 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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Swap meet marketing?
by Ethan O'Toole 27 Oct '20

27 Oct '20

Have you all advertised it on places like reddit /r/retrobattlestations? They have a calendar but it's outdated - Ethan

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF swap meet update.
by Tony Bogan 27 Oct '20

27 Oct '20

“One question We will be able to park our vehicles at our selling space for easy access to load and unload and leave the vehicle there?” Yes. You can set your table up right at your space where your car is parked for easy access to whatever you bring for the swap meet. Tony

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VCF swap meet update.
by Jeffrey Brace 27 Oct '20

27 Oct '20

Hello everyone, An update on our swap meet. We were able to get permission to use the large parking lot across from InfoAge/Brookdale. It is found on Monmouth Boulevard. This gives us plenty of room for our swap meet. GPS location: 40.1848793,-74.0630848. Plenty of space for vendors, plenty of parking for buyers. For reference, the Brookdale College Wall campus is 800 Monmouth Blvd, Wall NJ 07719. The large municipal parking lot is directly across the street. Just a reminder: Swap meet is Saturday, November 7 from 9AM to 6PM. Vendors setup at 7AM. Buyers can come at 9AM. Reservation form is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftdpkFQo0CBCatGfqt1OICP-_g22n8nAj… Vendors and buyers will be required to wear masks and social distance. Below is a link to the current NJ travel advisories. The full advisory is found here: https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/travel-and-transportation/which-… Any questions or concerns please contact us at swapmeet(a)vcfed.org or 732-722-5015. -- ========================================= 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 Mid-Atlantic Committee Scope
by Dean Notarnicola 26 Oct '20

26 Oct '20

We’ve had some questions regarding the scope of responsibilities for the committee position. As per our recently published charter, VCF committee members support the operations and advancement of the affairs of the VCF Mid-Atlantic (VCF-MA) chapter, including the warehouse, museum and associated events (Relevant sections are copied below.) The committee serves at the pleasure of, and reports to, the national board on an advisory level via the current committee chairperson and has no vote there. However, VCF-MA committee members can, and do, offer guidance to the national board for consideration. The VCF national board has ultimate authority over finances, and may interject in VCF affairs in extenuating circumstances. Thank you to everyone who has made nominations thus far. We look forward to seeing even more. Regards, Dean 1. Purpose The Vintage Computer Federation Mid-Atlantic (VCF-MA) committee (henceforth referred to as “the committee”) is a regional member organization of the Vintage Computer Federation whose role is to create and coordinate execution of strategic and operational plans. The committee is charged with identifying opportunities for improving the operations of the VCF-MA chapter, including creation and maintenance of the VCF-MA committee charter. The committee’s efforts will provide the most effective support of the ongoing needs of VCF-MA, considering the care and maintenance of VCF-MA facilities and artifacts, in accordance with VCF’s mission. The committee may advise the VCF governing board and members on how such efforts will proceed. *Mission*: To preserve computing history through education, outreach, conservation, and restoration. We strive to accomplish this through family friendly hands-on activities at our museum, at regional and global events, and by fostering and nurturing the expansion of our on-line and in-person communities. 2. Authority The VCF-MA steering committee is an advisory, coordinating and operations group for VCF-MA. Committee membership will consist of five individuals who will have the authority to bring motions and voting on VCF-MA issues. One of the five members will be named as committee chairperson. If needed, chairperson duties may be temporarily delegated by the chairperson or the committee members to ensure continuity of VCF-MA business. The chairperson or their delegate has the authority to call or delay formal votes and serves as a tiebreaker when necessary. The chairperson serves at the pleasure of the committee. The committee is not directly responsible for VCF national projects, although it may offer advice or guide the efforts of projects that impact VCF. The steering committee and its members serve at the pleasure of the VCF national board. 3. Responsibilities The principal responsibilities and functions of the committee are to define and support VCF-MA goals and objectives, and ensure that VCF-MA initiatives are carried out consistently and successfully in alliance with overall operating guidelines. The responsibilities of the committee also include: • Provide recommendations on strategic priorities for VCF-MA that includes a balance of financial and mission goals • Develop a specific multi-year roadmap that specifies priority of objectives that support the VCF-MA mission • Construct sub-committees and working groups to work towards objectives • Disseminate information to and elicit feedback from the VCF membership and leadership teams • Help in creating specific yearly plans for projects and services that match with the practices and directions established in the roadmap • Provide a focal point and repository for VCF-MA standards, document existing standards and validate/adopt new standards as determined by the committee • Revise by-laws as necessary as determined by a super-majority vote • Other activities as needed to encourage a coherent strategy and efficient operations

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Hollidays
by Duane Craps 26 Oct '20

26 Oct '20

Why do programmers tend to confuse Halloween and Christmas? OCT31 = DEC25 -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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Workshop report 2020-10-24 & 10-25
by Jeffrey Brace 26 Oct '20

26 Oct '20

A smaller group this weekend. Ian fixed the museum's Macintosh portable. The first machine that he looked at wasn't in good shape, but he tried to repair with limited success. The motherboard had too many issues. The second machine was in much better shape and he was able to get working and now boots to System 6. Much thanks to Ian for spending so much time working on this machine and getting it working. It is now in the museum for display to the public. Connor spent a lot of time organizing the IBM section of the warehouse and it is in great shape now. He also checked some of the 3174 turbo controllers and 3270 terminals. In addition he imaged some hard drives. A pretty good weekend for repairing VCF artifacts. -- ========================================= 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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Committee Member Nominations
by Dean Notarnicola 25 Oct '20

25 Oct '20

I'm very happy to report that we already have four nominations! Ian Primus - Nominated by Adam Michlin Bob Roswell - Self nominated Tony Bogan - Nominated by Dean Notarnicola Dave McGuire - Nominated by Chris Fala Nominees should feel free to make statements in support of themselves, if desired. Keep the nominations coming! Regards, Dean

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Museum Report 2020-10-24 & 10-25
by Jeffrey Brace 25 Oct '20

25 Oct '20

Dylan was docent on Saturday 10/24. One high interest person that really enjoyed the museum. On Sunday, I was docent on 10/25 and there was about 3 dozen people with 2 large groups of 8 and 10 and a few smaller groups of 2 or 4 throughout the rest of the day. Tony gave the tour to the first group and I took over subsequent groups. One group member remarked about how they remember when the iMac came out. Another asked if we had anything from the early 90's. I said mostly things we have in our museum are before 1990, but pointed out the iMac and the Cray. Everyone really liked the way we had our museum and we got a lot of positive feedback. About 30 minutes before closing a high interest boy and his father came in and got a 15 to 20 minute tour. I always like asking children to try to figure out how to load MacPaint on the original Mac to demonstrate user friendly design. Children who have never seen or heard of the computer can figure it out with little or no guidance. They had to leave shortly after the mother and daughter came to find them. They had to leave because the museum was closing at 5 and there was 10 minutes left to get to the front desk.. Lots of interest and enjoyed the museum and they will return another day. It was the first chance to show off the newly restored Mac Portable. -- ========================================= 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…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Xerox 860 word processor rescued long ago
by Tony Bogan 25 Oct '20

25 Oct '20

Jim, that machine was on display in the museum from the time we moved into the current museum space (a few years ago) until just recently. It was replaced by the (now working) Xerox Star that was demoed during VCF East Virtual a couple weeks ago. The machine, keyboard and monitor were displayed. I cannot say if there is a printer but the 860 from the museum is back in the warehouse along with all the other Xerox machines and components in the VCF collection. We can easily check to see exactly what other components if any are there. We are currently doing a workshop to restore/repair VCF Artifacts. We will be doing at least one or two of these a year (as often as we can) so the 860 would be an excellent candidate for a future VCF artifact workshop! Tony

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Xerox 860 word processor rescued long ago
by Jim Scheef 24 Oct '20

24 Oct '20

Many years ago in the early days of MARCH, I helped rescue a Xerox 860 word processor. The donor was from somewhere in Upstate New York; we met in Danbury and then I drove it the rest of the way to InfoAge. It came with the system unit, several keyboards, and a couple of displays. There may have been a printer as I seen to recall one of those noise shields. This is the Digibarn page so you know of what I speak: http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/xerox860/index.html I'm fairly certain this has never been even considered for restoration, but it would make a fabulous exhibit in the museum if it could be made to work again so that people could see the origin of WYSIWYG word processing. So, does VCFed still have this machine? How many pieces can be identified and in what condition? The keyboard with the touch pad will be unmistakable when found. Jim

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Upcoming Election For New Committee Members
by Dean Notarnicola 24 Oct '20

24 Oct '20

Dear VCF membership, The new VCF committee structure is nearly one year old, which means that it is time for our first annual committee member election! The election will be held according to section 4 and 5 of our published bylaws (copied below): http://vcfed.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/VCFMA-By-laws.pdf There are two seats becoming vacant and nominations are now open. Nominations for committee members can be made by current members in good standing simply by communicating the nomination via email to a committee member (adam .michlin(a)vcfed.org, andrew.diller(a)vcfed.org, tony.bogan(a)vcfed.org, chris. fala(a)vcfed.org, dean.notarnicola(a)vcfed.org) To be eligible for the election, the prospective nominee must then accept the nomination by replying in the affirmative to the nomination email. One nomination per member can be made. Members may also self-nominate. Nominations close November 26th. An updated list of eligible nominees will be published weekly. Voting will commence on November 28th and close at 11:59 pm on December 6th. Winners will be announced December 12th at the annual VCF Festivus celebration. *This is your chance to help steer the direction of VCF Mid-Atlantic! Nominate someone and vote in the upcoming election!* Regards, Dean Notarnicola VCF Committee Chairperson *4. COMMITTEE ELECTIONS* Steering committee membership includes representation of VCF membership, as determined by the VCF governing board and VCF-MA sponsored elections. • The committee membership will be determined by elections to be held on a yearly basis (currently December.) • Committee membership is ideally comprised of five people but may vary due to various circumstances. • Two seats will be up for election in every cycle, unless additional vacancies create the need for seats to be filled, in which case all vacant seats will be up for election in that cycle. • Nominations for committee members can be made by current members in good standing simply by communicating the nomination to a committee member. One nomination per member can be made. Said members may also self-nominate. • In the case of off-cycle vacancies, the committee may move to, without an election, appoint new committee members to fill the seats until the next scheduled election. • A committee chairperson will be appointed by the committee members within 30 days of each completed election cycle. • Prospective committee members should be knowledgeable in some aspect of computing, preferably vintage computers, and show a demonstrated interest in vintage computing, computing history, and museum management and governance. • In order to be sufficiently aware and have proper perspective of museum and warehouse issues, prospective committee members should be able to physically attend VCF events at least quarterly. *5. MEMBERSHIP* VCF general membership is open and granted to anyone who joins the mailing list. Voting rights will be granted to active members who register for the mailing list no less than 30 days before the election.

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Repair Workshop for VCF owned artifacts Oct 24 & 25, 2020
by Jeffrey Brace 23 Oct '20

23 Oct '20

VCF has a list of artifacts that need repair in the museum and the warehouse. We are looking for volunteers to come and help us repair them. Anything is fair game to repair *with permission*. These are artifacts either in the museum or warehouse. We want to get the ones in the museum working first as we like to have as much hands on working computers in the museum as possible. We are also looking for good or better demos for the computers in the museum. Any volunteers working on VCF stuff are *not* charged a fee this repair day and stay for free in the Sandy bunkroom. VCF will likely even pay for a simple breakfast (Dunkin Donuts) and lunch (Pizza). Date: October 24 & 25, 2020 Time: 10AM to midnight (24th), 10AM to 6PM (25th) Building: CDL, 9032A Signup here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PC9h_XgDNuKPhEVFC6_PMjt9SlKeLMhZgfq… NEEDS REPAIRING: Mac Portable (needs good power supply and machine testing) TI Portable SWTPC HeathKit H89 Zorba (monitor) NEEDS DEMOS: Mac Portable TRS-80 Color 2 Challenger 2P Atari Mega STE? OREL Sinclair SX 80 clone SX 81 SWTPC TRS-80 Model I Osbourne 1 HeathKit H89 Zorba Commodore PET Atari 1040ST Amiga 1000 Commodore PET Zorba -- ========================================= 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 Swap Meet 2020 Reservation Form
by Jeffrey Brace 21 Oct '20

21 Oct '20

Hello everyone, Sorry for the delay, but we were working on some logistics and wanted to make sure things would work for our event. Without further ado here is the reservation form: https://forms.gle/mMwtVXmEcHKPEpYAA Here is the same info that is on the form: The Vintage Computer Federation is having its first Swap Meet event. This swap meet is for vintage computers, radios, TVs, ham radios and related items. DATE: November 7, 2020 (RAIN DATE: November 8, 2020) TIME: 9AM to 6PM ADDRESS: InfoAge Science and History Museums 2201 Marconi Road Wall, NJ WEBSITE: http://vcfed.org/wp/vcf-swap-meet EMAIL: swapmeet(a)vcfed.org PHONE: 732-222-5015 Cost is per space. First space is $20, each additional space is $10. You can park in your space and sell out of your vehicle. Fill out the form to reserve your space(s): https://forms.gle/mMwtVXmEcHKPEpYAA * Reservation doesn't guarantee sales. * The Vintage Computer Federation is only providing a space, vendors must bring their own tables. * In case of inclement weather, money will be refunded. * All items that you bring must be taken with you. No items are to be left behind. We don't have a flyer yet, but if anyone wants to volunteer to make one, then let me know and I will approve it. Any questions? -- ========================================= 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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Geoff's VT100 ASCII terminal problems
by Richard Cini 21 Oct '20

21 Oct '20

All – Has anyone on-list used Geoff’s VT100 terminal (https://geoffg.net/terminal.html) or any of its derivatives? It’s a great project that I plan on using with SIMH (which right now I’m using a USB dongle). Installation should be plug-and-play (only requiring an INF file for Windows) but it refuses to work. The port appears as available, yet nothing can connect to it. I’ve tried it on three different Windows laptops (XP, Vista and 10) -- the port emulator installs (as COM9 let’s say) and it shows in Device Manager as working, but when you try to use HyperTerm or SIMH to open or use the port, Windows complains that it can’t open it. Does anyone have this working and if so, what’s the magic trick needed to get it working? Thanks! Rich -- Rich Cini http://www.classiccmp.org/cini http://www.classiccmp.org/altair32

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF East Swap Meet - Save the Date - Saturday November 7 (Rain: Sunday November 8)
by Sentrytv 20 Oct '20

20 Oct '20

Good afternoon Just wondering about the proposed “swapmeet”. If it is still happening? If there is a link to a “sign up”? It is a few weeks away and I, like most people, would like to be a vendor at this event if possible. Please feel feee to get back to me at your earliest convenience. Thank you Mike Rosen There have been a few questions asked about this, but not may answers. Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. >>>> I am assuming that you do not want to have the swapmeet turn into a “fleamarket”. >>>> >>>> But my question is: >>>> >>>> What are the requirements / restrictions for what people will sell? >>>> >>>> Will it be only limited to computer related items? >>>> Will it be all electronica related items? >>>> Will you allow ham radio or radio related items? (Hamfest) >>>> >>>> If you’re not limiting it to computer related items only, then here is my suggestion. >>>> >>>> A cooperative swap meet with the antique radio club. >>>> >>>> This will allow you to have more vendors, more attendance and have a broader scope of what can be sold, bought, traded or swapped. >>>> More people, more advertising, more of a possibility of opening up peoples eyes to what InfoAge and VCF are all about. >>>> >>>> Mike Rosen > On Sep 17, 2020, at 9:00 PM, Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > Thanks for the correction > I don’t know where the hell that email address came from but it just automatically populated when I typed in Adam. > Hopefully Siri will correct in the future > who knows > thanks > > Sent from: > My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. > >> On Sep 17, 2020, at 8:37 PM, Tony Bogan <tony.bogan(a)vcfed.org> wrote: >> >> Mike, adams e-mail is adam.michlin(a)vcfed.org >> >> You should also be able to email the steering committee as a whole. We recently changed the settings for the steering committee list so anyone can send to it. >> >> steering_vcma(a)vcfed.org >> >> Tony Bogan >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>>> On Sep 17, 2020, at 5:57 PM, Sentrytv <sentrytv(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >>> >>> I’m sure there are more people I should copy on this but I have a question that pertains to the swap meet. >>> >>> I am assuming that you do not want to have the swapmeet turn into a “fleamarket”. >>> >>> But my question is: >>> >>> What are the requirements / restrictions for what people will sell? >>> >>> Will it be only limited to computer related items? >>> Will it be all electronica related items? >>> Will you allow ham radio or radio related items? (Hamfest) >>> >>> If you’re not limiting it to computer related items only, then here is my suggestion. >>> >>> A cooperative swap meet with the antique radio club. >>> >>> This will allow you to have more vendors, more attendance and have a broader scope of what can be sold, bought, traded or swapped. >>> More people, more advertising, more of a possibility of opening up peoples eyes to what InfoAge and VCF are all about. >>> >>> Mike Rosen >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Sent from: >>> My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device. >>> >>>>> On Sep 16, 2020, at 6:57 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>> >>>> It seems that there is a lot of crossover interests between Vintage >>>> Computers and Ham Radio operators. Back in the late 80's and early 90's I >>>> was part of the Garden State Commodore User Group which was originally >>>> formed by ham radio operators. >>>> >>>> Great stuff! >>>> >>>>> On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 2:00 PM Matt Reynolds via vcf-midatlantic < >>>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>>> Sussex seems to be one of the best meets I've ever been to. I don't know >>>>> how many other big ones there are outside of Dayton, but this one seems to >>>>> be the biggest one in NJ at least. >>>>> I've gotten some cool stuff there over the years too, and a lot of it was >>>>> computer related. >>>>> Last year I got one of the TRS-80 handheld computers that looks like an old >>>>> scientific calculator for a few bucks. >>>>> On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 1:04 PM Jeff Galinat via vcf-midatlantic < >>>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>>>> I have sold at & attended the SCARC in Sussex county hamfest for over 30 >>>>>> years and Kelly & his club always do a great job. I have scored quite a >>>>>> few vintage computer related items there over the years but the best >>>>>> bargain I got there was a KIM-1 Rev B for $20 back in 2016 . The seller >>>>>> said it didn't work but I brought it home, applied power, hit reset & it >>>>>> came to life. I think the seller might have confused the SST slide >>>>> switch >>>>>> for a power switch. I entered the clock program & slot machine programs >>>>>> from the "First Book of KIM" and they ran fine. Hamfests are a great >>>>>> source for finding vintage chips, passive components connectors, ribbon >>>>>> cables, etc. I always ran into quite a few VCF list members at area >>>>>> hamfests and while many are hams, many are not. So if you get a can, >>>>> check >>>>>> out the Sussex hamfest if you are able. >>>>>> 73, >>>>>> Jeff - N2KWK >>>>>> On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 7:14 AM Kelly Leavitt via vcf-midatlantic < >>>>>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>>>>>> Not to flog a deceased equine but... >>>>>>> Sussex County NJ is home to a great hamfest too. >>>>>>> We have over a thousand buyers through the gates and over 200 sellers. >>>>>> Ann >>>>>>> and I usually run the kitchen. We see all kinds of folks. >>>>>>> 73 de KE2L >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> ========================================= >>>> 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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Next Year's show - VCF East 2021
by Herb Johnson 19 Oct '20

19 Oct '20

> Our next show is planned for April 9, 10 & 11, 2021. > The theme is : > 1) 4004/8080 microchip > 2) [gaming stuff] Um, just wanted to verify. Do you really mean "8080" or do you actually mean "8008"? It would be an easy mistype, and it's a big difference. 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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Next Year's show - VCF East 2021
by Jeffrey Brace 19 Oct '20

19 Oct '20

Our next show is planned for April 9, 10 & 11, 2021. The theme is : 1) 4004/8080 microchip 2) Text adventure games Everyone is free to do any (approved) exhibit outside of these themes. Some are doing the IBM PC 5150 anniversary Some are doing the USA release of the Commodore Vic-20 We have some exciting possibilities for speakers for this show. Michael Tomczyk - confirmed Bill Mensch - confirmed Harry Bawcome - not confirmed Scott Adams - not confirmed Willian Crowther - not confirmed David J. Bradley - not confirmed Ken Williams - not confirmed More to come! We still have t-shirts available here: http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ -- ========================================= 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] rubber rejuvenation
by Jeffrey Jonas 19 Oct '20

19 Oct '20

Many thanks to everyone for their replies. Degnan is right: I never specified my situation. I have many rubber items that need restoration: tape drive rollers, printer/platen rollers, rubber stampers, sandal soles, etc. The rubber feet on equipment is the bane of my existence :-( I usually just replace them. The most annoying failure mode is when they LIQUIFY and slime everything UNDER IT :-0 Next worst: when just ONE is missing. -- Jeff Jonas

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ZX80
by Bob Aviles 18 Oct '20

18 Oct '20

Hi All, I am looking to trade for a Sinclair ZX80, I have a lot of computer stuff to trade. ThanksBobby

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Museum Report 2020-10-18
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Oct '20

18 Oct '20

Two visitors came with high interest and were taking pictures with a high end camera. They both had experience with mainframe computers. The woman said: "I used to verify the keypunch cards of everyone on the 030. The mainframes would fill the whole room. I programmed in COBOL, but preferred programming in assembly. I used to have a IBM PC portable that had a bigger screen than that." They both recognized a lot of the machines in the museum and were amazed that there were so many of them working. They asked if we made our own parts to repair them. Other things I did: 1) Updated the event board in the hallway. 2) Got the Atari 1200XL hooked up with Fujinet plugged in. It needed a micro USB for power. It works great! I tested it out by playing Jumpman. 3) Took care of some other administrative tasks. -- ========================================= 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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System Source Repair Workshop November 14 & 15
by Jeffrey Brace 17 Oct '20

17 Oct '20

The Vintage Computer Federation and the System Source Computer Museum are hosting a vintage computer workshop on Saturday November 14th and Sunday November 15th 2020 at: System Source Computer Museum 338 Clubhouse Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 Plenty of free parking, short walk from Baltimore’s light rail (Gilroy Road Stop) We will open at 9:00 AM on Saturday November 14th, 2020 and will lock up by 7:30 PM. We will go to dinner afterwards. If you are interested in dinner, then please indicate on the signup form. We will open at 9:00 AM on Sunday November 15th and lock up at 5:00 PM Accommodations: Try https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g41196-Hunt_Valley_Maryland-Hotels.html Feel free to talk with others about sharing a room. Food: There are plenty of restaurants within a short drive. We will have a catered Indian buffet on Saturday at cost ($12.00?) and catered Barbecue ($12.00?) on Sunday for those who sign up. We will feature tours of the museum throughout both days and several mini- workshops: - Retrobright workshop (bring your yellowed plastics) - Pre-industrial computing class - Learn to use a slide rule, and various types of Abaci - Hot Metal Typesetting (3500 lb word processor) If you need a machine to work on, please let me know. We have lots of computers awaiting restoration! Let others know what you are working on. If you have unusual needs, (220 Volts, fork lift, etc please email Bob Roswell at museum(a)syssrc.com Bob Roswell broswell(a)syssrc.com https://museum.syssrc.com 410-771-5544 x 4336 Sign up for the repair workshop is here: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z72yC72x5PmN4jb0Aw8uK3x0sQwMAk-0Opu… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member, VCF East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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VCF artifact repair workshop 10/24 & 10/25
by Jeffrey Brace 17 Oct '20

17 Oct '20

VCF has a list of artifacts that need repair in the museum and the warehouse. We are looking for volunteers to come and help us repair them. Anything is fair game to repair *with permission*. These are artifacts either in the museum or warehouse. We want to get the ones in the museum working first as we like to have as much hands on working computers in the museum as possible. We are also looking for good or better demos for the computers in the museum. Any volunteers working on VCF stuff are *not* charged a fee this repair day and stay for free in the Sandy bunkroom. VCF will likely even pay for a simple breakfast (Dunkin Donuts) and lunch (Pizza). Date: October 24 & 25, 2020 Time: 10AM to midnight (24th), 10AM to 6PM (25th) Building: CDL, 9032A Signup here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PC9h_XgDNuKPhEVFC6_PMjt9SlKeLMhZgfq… NEEDS REPAIRING: Mac Portable (needs good power supply and machine testing) TI Portable SWTPC HeathKit H89 Zorba (monitor) NEEDS DEMOS: Mac Portable TRS-80 Color 2 Challenger 2P Atari Mega STE? OREL Sinclair SX 80 clone SX 81 SWTPC TRS-80 Model I Osbourne 1 HeathKit H89 Zorba Commodore PET Atari 1040ST Amiga 1000 Commodore PET Zorba -- ========================================= 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 Report 2020-10-17
by Jeffrey Brace 17 Oct '20

17 Oct '20

Dennis was docent today and got a few nice visitors despite being such a nice day outside. One was very high interest and loved the Commodore 64/The Printshop bedroom exhibit. Another really loved the IBM 1130 and the original IBM PC. Looks like visitors are starting to come back as the weather gets cooler. -- ========================================= 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 Photo Archive
by Christian Liendo 16 Oct '20

16 Oct '20

Does VCF have a photo archive? I have all these photos from older VCF events and get togethers and I just want to share them

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Another CBM B Series on Ebay
by jaj＠totallyamused.com 16 Oct '20

16 Oct '20

>-------- Original Message -------- >Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Another CBM B Series on Ebay >From: Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> >Date: Fri, October 16, 2020 9:18 am > > >Here is a nice complete B128 system. In addtion to everything else The >book that comes with this is very useful and the software included shows >that there is useful software and that the person actually used this >computer. Also included is the best display for a B series system, better >than the color monitors made by CBM for a monochrome monitor. The USI is >the recommended display for B series computers and hard to find. Wow, indeed, that is nice, and turnkey - ready to go. I used to drool looking at that ad in Compute's Gazette when Protecto started selling those for $795. I had dreams of getting one of those as an alternative of using a C128 to run my BBS. It's a shame those never caught on. I've never researched, but CBUG created some software for the B-series, I'd be interested to find if they ever developed BBS software for it. Justin

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Another CBM B Series on Ebay
by Bill Degnan 16 Oct '20

16 Oct '20

Here is a nice complete B128 system. In addtion to everything else The book that comes with this is very useful and the software included shows that there is useful software and that the person actually used this computer. Also included is the best display for a B series system, better than the color monitors made by CBM for a monochrome monitor. The USI is the recommended display for B series computers and hard to find. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Commodore-B128-80-System-from-Protecto-with-8050-D… Bill

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Nov VCF Swapmeet!
by Ethan O'Toole 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

Hello, Looking forward to the Swapmeet in Nov. Question... have you all thought about putting the word out on places like reddit /r/battlestations or Facebook groups? IS there a flyer by any chance and a communications channel to handle the weather rain day swap over? - Ethan

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...
by Glenn Holmer 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

On 10/15/20 3:29 PM, Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Tom Haigh and Mark Priestley do give talks on ENIAC, but I know that > recently their work has been focused on other things. Tom Haigh spoke about ENIAC at VCF Midwest in 2016; it was excellent. https://www.lyonlabs.org/commodore/eccc-2016/200-eniac-presentation-1024x76… -- Glenn Holmer (Linux registered user #16682) "After the vintage season came the aftermath -- and Cenbe."

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Next Year's show - VCF East 2021
by Bill Degnan 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

I think it would be great if we all brought ENIACs and had a big mega exhibit. I'd like to see that. On Thu, Oct 15, 2020 at 12:15 PM Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Though very few of us are quite old enough for it to be > revisiting our youth, next year is also the 75th anniversary > of the unveiling of the ENIAC. I don't know if there's > room for observing the event in the formal proceeding, > but I'm planning on another ENIAC-related exhibit for > next year and if anyone else would like to do something > along that theme, I'll be glad to work with you. > > Thanks, > BLS > > > > > > > > On Monday, October 12, 2020, 2:45:25 PM EDT, Jeffrey Brace via > vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > Our next show is planned for April 9, 10 & 11, 2021. > > The theme is : > 1) 4004/8080 microchip > 2) Text adventure games > > Everyone is free to do any (approved) exhibit outside of these themes. > Some are doing the IBM PC 5150 anniversary > Some are doing the USA release of the Commodore Vic-20 > > We have some exciting possibilities for speakers for this show. > Michael Tomczyk - confirmed > Bill Mensch - confirmed > Harry Bawcome - not confirmed > Scott Adams - not confirmed > Willian Crowther - not confirmed > David J. Bradley - not confirmed > Ken Williams - not confirmed > > More to come! > > We still have t-shirts available here: http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ > > -- > ========================================= > 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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AOL CD and other old PC software...
by William Sudbrink 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

Like most of us, as a result of COVID, I've been mostly stuck at home. Consequently, I've been going through and organizing a lot of boxes of old stuff that just accumulated and I did not consider to be part of my vintage computing collection. However, I have noticed (and chuckled over) the fact that others are collecting computers and software that I "just used". Anyway, I'm finding stuff that I think others may appreciate more than I and I'm wondering about its value. First, I have what I believe is a pretty early AOL CD and I understand that it may be collectable. It includes the original silver, blue and red cardboard sleeve that reads (in part): America Online CD-ROM! IT'S NEW! IT'S FREE! Now with World Wide Web Browser! Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Most of what I find with Google seems to be related to a boom about five years ago. I have also found boxes full of other software, along with their original packaging. Original DOOM, original Lemmings, Wing Commander, Wing Commander II, Falcon, several old Microsoft Flight Sims, etc., etc. Thanks, Bill Sudbrink -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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rubber rejuvination
by Herb Johnson 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

Various automotive vinyl cleaners have some "plastic restorers". Classic is NuVinyl brand in the original white container; there's new mixes now. Some of these auto products also add a shiny coat, that can be scuffed off. All these contain "plastisizers" to replace those dissipated by age. The chemistry of rubber products can be interesting. - 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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Looking for (hopefully working) mouse for Amiga 500
by Mark Whittington 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Picked up an A500 from a friend but there's no mouse. Does anyone have one they'd be willing to part with for something less than the cost of a week's groceries, and would also be willing to drop in the mail to VA? In the meantime I'll be trying to arduino something together. Thanks in advance. Mark

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Mail list issues
by Herb Johnson 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

test message sent 8:45PM 10/14/2020 a previous message took many hours to be posted a prior message to that was rejected after 12 hours. Jeffry Brace is aware of the situation. I can observe all posts on the vcfed.org archive Web page so no need to "ack". - 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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Mail list issues
by Tony Bogan 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Having some mailing list issues this afternoon (Wednesday 10/14) If you can see this, the issue has been fixed. If you can’t see this...... ;-) Tony Bogan Sent from my iPhone

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List test
by Jeffrey Brace 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

I'm testing this list. If anyone gets this message, then please reply. -- ========================================= 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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Test Sent 6:40PM 10/14/2020
by Jeffrey Brace 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Seems like list messages are delayed many hours. Still trying to figure out the problem. -- ========================================= 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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rubber rejuvination
by Jeffrey Jonas 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

I'm no chemist but I've read that glycerin rejuvenates rubber. "AT-205 re-seal" is in auto parts stores. Audio deck chemical kits had rubber roller conditioner. What's best? -- Jeff Jonas

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test, ignore
by Herb Johnson 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Testing, have trouble posting to list. - 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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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Informix for SCO XENIX (fwd)
by Mike Loewen 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Sean Ellis has made the disk images available on OneDrive: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2020 10:34:38 -0500 From: Sean Ellis via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Reply-To: Sean Ellis <seanellis9(a)gmail.com>, "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> To: Al Kossow <aek(a)bitsavers.org>, "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Informix for SCO XENIX Thanks Al. For those of you not on LisaList I've uploaded the ZIP to OneDrive: https://1drv.ms/u/s!ApXzHz2ZC305hscHvjo3mOu8loaSxw?e=uOFV9G The one downside is that while the disks seem to read error-free, it needs an activation key which I don't have. I have to wonder if the info on OS/2 Museum is of any use here? http://www.os2museum.com/wp/tales-from-the-xenix-crypt/ On 10/14/20, Al Kossow via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: > On 10/14/20 8:09 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: >> On 10/13/20 6:53 PM, Sean Ellis via cctalk wrote: >>> Just wanted to let you all know that I've found a copy of Informix >>> 3.11 for SCO XENIX on the Lisa 2... anyone interested? >>> >> >> please get these to ray arachelian >> https://lisalist2.com/index.php/board,1.0.html >> > https://lisalist2.com/index.php/topic,118.15.html > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Cleaning Franklin cases
by Herb Johnson 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Regarding cleaning chemicals, "Simple Green" is pretty useful stuff. It contains ether, which is a good but not overly aggressive solvent that dissipates rapidly. It is more aggressive than alcohol but of course it's also a kind of detergent which must be washed away. It's commonly available in spray bottles or nonspray. I'd wear rubber gloves and work outside for any cleaning with chemicals, if I were you. This stuff is not good for you. 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 retrotechnology DOT info

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Informix for SCO XENIX (fwd)
by Mike Loewen 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Could we use this for the museum? Contact Sean Ellis. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:53:58 -0500 From: Sean Ellis via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Reply-To: Sean Ellis <seanellis9(a)gmail.com>, "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Informix for SCO XENIX Just wanted to let you all know that I've found a copy of Informix 3.11 for SCO XENIX on the Lisa 2... anyone interested?

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Test Post
by Jeffrey Brace 13 Oct '20

13 Oct '20

Please ignore. Testing to make sure that the list is working properly. -- ========================================= 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 2020 on YouTube, Discord, Facebook
by Jeffrey Brace 12 Oct '20

12 Oct '20

We plan on dissecting the long Day 1 and Day 2 live streams into pieces and then uploading them separately. In the meantime, all of the pre-recorded videos are on YouTube for everyone to see. The YouTube streams for Day 1 & Day are still up. Day 1 is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=344AmR3CwnQ Day 2 is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=344AmR3CwnQ Our channel videos are here: https://www.youtube.com/c/VintageComputerFederation501c3/videos Our Discord server can be found here: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK Some stats (so far) on our show: *Discord*: We had a peak of 334 people on our server. 1,000 messages on Sunday. *Facebook:* 3,350 people reached on FB, 178 engaged 2,517 impressions on Twitter, 51 engagements *YouTube* *Day 1: * Views 669 Watch Time: 153.1 Peak concurrent viewers: 204 Average view duration: 35:18 Impressions: 1900 Unique viewers: 1100 *Day 2:* Views 1439 Views 158 Watch Time: 59.5 Peak concurrent viewers: 168 Audience view retention: 43.11 Impressions: 2600 Unique viewers: still processing *Top individual videos (as of 10/12/2020):* The Interactive Atari - Jason Moore - 51 CRT Repair - Ian Primus - 33 Commodore Assembly - Jeff Salzman Harry Bawcom - 30 Bil Herd and Dave Haynie - 28 Atari 8 Bit Bot - 20 Fujinet - 9 Chip 8 - 6 Printers - 3 Also: We still have t-shirts available here: http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ -- ========================================= 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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