- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Identifying head protector
by Bob Shuster 02 Dec '22

02 Dec '22

I found an old 3.5” floppy drive head protector, but there’s no manufacturer or product number ID whatsoever on it. Does it look familiar to anyone? Normally these are cardboard, so this was probably from a specific manufacturer. Really I’m just curious! https://drive.google.com/file/d/15W5_lGoYILF1RwrkIFdKp0fdrc3Ybiat/view?usp=… headvibprotector.jpg drive.google.com - Bob Shuster

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Gerry Lawson's 82nd birthday - Today's Google Doodle
by Dave McGuire 01 Dec '22

01 Dec '22

Yes. I said exactly that (though in a very slightly less politically-correct way) on the steering committee mailing list. -Dave On December 1, 2022 12:31:43 PM Peter Cetinski via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > ---------- > Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Gerry Lawson's 82nd birthday - Today's Google Doodle > From: Peter Cetinski pete(a)pski.net > Date: Dec 1, 12:31 PM > To: vcf-midatlantic vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org > > I’d love to hear his story as well. But, not sure a non-profit should pay over and above travel expenses. Doesn’t feel right. My $0.02. > >> On Dec 1, 2022, at 10:42 AM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >> >> Today's Google Doodle is about Gerry Lawson who helped design the Fairchild >> F and on the team that pioneered the video game cartridge. Gerry has been >> deceased for 11 years. He is one of the few African Americans who have been >> inventors in the early vintage computer and vintage video game industries. >> >> Related to this: I have been presented an opportunity to have another >> African American with similar experience come talk at VCF East: Ed Smith. >> Ed Smith started out working for APF Electronics, Inc. which released The >> Imagination Machine, a hybrid video game. >> >> Would any of you be interested in hearing his story? >> >> So here's the catch. Ed Smith wants a speaker fee of $5000 and travel >> expenses. As far as I know the Vintage Computer Festival has never paid a >> speaker fee. We honestly can't afford such a large fee. It is beyond our >> budget. We have paid travel expenses for a select few speakers who can't >> afford it and/or are very important speakers. I'm contemplating doing a >> fundraiser for this. Just a straw poll. How many would donate towards this? >> >> I would love to hear his story. >> >> Thanks for your input! >> >> ========================================= >> Jeff Brace >> VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President >> Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner >> Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity >> https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> >> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Festivus Party Info - Dec 10 & 11, 2022
by Jeffrey Brace 30 Nov '22

30 Nov '22

Hello everyone, Sorry for the delay. Job situation has been keeping me busy since early September with less time for VCF stuff. Here is the info: COST: $15 per person. Options to pay: Cash or credit in person Send via PayPal paypal(a)vcfed.org To be added soon: Payments through vcded.org website DAY AND TIME: Saturday, December 10 at 10AM Burger Cooking: 6PM Town Hall: 8PM Sunday, December 11 Starting at 11AM Breakfast at OB diner: 9AM Ending at 6PM POTLUCK: Signup for what food and/or drinks that you will be bringing: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RYFWZX50h_wcuSWIF8JpwsZRDP8pVtIsHdo… VIDEO GAMES: We will be setting up the game room this year: Signup: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lb2QObhwbP2rqYFI8TFmN6ANZvJo5eK8sa7… SWAP MEET: Buying/Selling/Trading/Free Signup: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i23VBX8AwsYA2FRH6eS8UlKvj73PN2gb4Wr… REPAIR WORKSHOP: I’m Sorry. Not this year. Last year there were complaints about the party being fractured. We want to keep everyone in the same building and focus on the social aspect. I didn’t reserve the CDL workshop this time. VCF SWAG: Let me know if you want anything before the party and I will put it aside. I will not be selling VCF swag like last time. I will be busy hosting and enjoying the party. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Specific reasons to give to VCF on Giving Tuesday
by Jeffrey Brace 30 Nov '22

30 Nov '22

Donations toward: 1) Warehouse renovations 2) New museum space renovations 3) General museum needs like power supply protectors and other supplies for curation and maintenance 4) General expenses for internal and external events. We have a specific account that is for the warehouse that we have been building up through surplus sales. We plan on using that for … the warehouse move and museum move project This project was created in large part by the negotiations of Tony Bogan with InfoAge and input by the Steering Committee. It is a great project plan. It was created in June 2021. For various reasons it was not started until I became the project manager in June 2022. We have achieved great progress in the first stage of the plan: clearing out the old warehouse. Through the efforts of myself, Dan Jacobs, Lee Duncan, Pat Flanagan and Sea Cadet volunteers most of the garbage was emptied from our new warehouse section and thrown away. In fact two 40 cubic yard dumpsters have been filled and emptied. There are still some items to be thrown away. Anyone who wants to help me throw out or move items, please contact me. We have an empty dumpster to fill. Most of the remaining items are owned by various InfoAge groups. We can’t move them. This is why there is a delay in this first step and is beyond our control. Efforts are being made through InfoAge management to urge these groups to remove their items quickly so that we can move onto the next step. The next step is to renovate the space for security, electrical, climate control, etc. Following that we can start moving our items from the old warehouse section to the new one. The third step involves renovating “Broadway” which is the hallway that connects the H buildings. This will connect to our new museum space. Which leads me to … the fourth step: clearing out our new larger museum space. This will require volunteers to clear out as well as InfoAge groups moving their stuff out. The fifth step is renovating the new museum space. Obviously this will cost big bucks. So we are making plans that will encourage large donors to help with this renovation. We are currently getting estimates from contractors to renovate. We are also consulting with museum design experts on the layout of the new museum space. Thanks for your time, support and donations! ==Jeff Brace -- ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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That strange message of mine from last night
by Gregg Levine 30 Nov '22

30 Nov '22

Hello! Group please do me a great favor and ignore that message. It most certainly was not meant to be delivered to the list-droid for consumption by all of us. It definitely was meant for Jeff B directly, as he has reminded. Last night I was not at my best. That's what I get for trying to send a meaningful email out after being up for two straight days and nights with a sick computer. ----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again."

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World of Commodore 2022
by Jeffrey Brace 30 Nov '22

30 Nov '22

Anyone going to World of Commodore this year? I’m going. It’s my first time. Been wanting to go for years now! I will be driving up there on Friday. Coming back Monday. It’s a two day show December 3 & 4. More info here: https://www.tpug.ca/world-of-commodore/world-of-commodore-2022/ I heard that Bill Degnan is doing a virtual talk for the show. I think Amiga Bill will be doing something too. I was asked to give a talk too. At first, I was like who am I to give a talk at a show? I’m nobody important. What would I talk about? Then they said talk about Vintage Computer Festival East and Vintage Computer Federation history. I said I can do that! Should be a fun event. I look forward to enjoying a show where I don’t have the responsibility of running or volunteering for a show. They will celebrate the C64’s 40th anniversary. I have gotten to know some of the Toronto Pet Users Group over the last three years through their Zoom meetings which started with Covid-19. It will be nice to meet them in person. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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IBM 1130 fundraiser - DONE!
by Jeffrey Brace 30 Nov '22

30 Nov '22

Just wanted to report that the IBM 1130 Fundraiser is officially done! I closed the donation page as of today 11/30/22. We have raised $9080! This is way past our goal of $6000. We had a large donation of $3000 that put us way over the top. We had 41 donors. 32 of these were $150 or less. The next step is to wait for the delivery vehicle to be available. The current estimate is the end of December. ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Winter Festival and membership dues
by Gregg Levine 29 Nov '22

29 Nov '22

Hello! I just examined the website and saw that this weekend, (December 11 and 12) are not shown on the site. Also I see that the membership activity is also shown there as a certain price for two years. Jeff do you want me to do that again for the shown price there for Two Years? This message is jointly sponsored by the Millenium Falcon and the TARDIS because both know each other. ----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8(a)gmail.com "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again."

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Former Building Liebert A/C controller to be a display in CDL
by Neil Cherry 29 Nov '22

29 Nov '22

I think this falls under vintage computer, although it is a controller rather than what folks normally consider a computer. For those not aware, we've torn out the old unused Liebert A/C unit of the CDL. From that I stole the controller which is based on the Motorola 6803 processor (my favorite family). I'm in the process of reverse engineering and I really need to document that. I want to repurpose (Hack!) the controller to blink lights, controller some motors, drive analog cand make noise. I am thinking about getting a SPO256 but all I've got so far are 2 CTS256A-AL2. I might get a better chip. It will have a command line interface as I've got Humbug for the 6801 (We don't need to stinking GUIs!). Peter Stark gave permission to share the ROM monitor before he passed away. This will be on display in the CDL. Any other interesting ideas? -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry kd2zrq(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies KD2ZRQ

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Today in history …
by Jeffrey Brace 29 Nov '22

29 Nov '22

Atari released Pong in 1972. It’s also Giving Tuesday. VCF has some big projects coming up as well as day to day operations that can use support. Please support our mission and donate today: https://vcfed.org/donate/ Thank you and have a great day! -- ========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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