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the best news of the day: the Secret Life of Components!
by Jeffrey Jonas 02 Mar '21

02 Mar '21

Just the videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/timhunkin1/videos The Secret Life of components. A series of eight guides for designers and makers by Tim Hunkin https://makezine.com/2021/02/26/secret-life-of-machines-tim-hunkin-is-back-… Secret Life of Machines Tim Hunkin Is Back With New Web Series The Secret Life of Machines alum Tim Hunkin is set to unveil a new web series focusing on explaining basic components, called The Secret Life of Components. Each roughly 45 minute episode will focus on a different technology, from glue to switches to bearings and more. Hunkin says, "I now learn a lot from watching practical YouTube videos and realize they can teach the sort of informal tips that used to be part of traditional apprenticeships." Part of what made The Secret Life of Machines so compelling was the way that Hunkin, like many great teachers, combined his engineering knowledge with strong storytelling. It'll be exciting to see what he has in store for the new series. The Secret Life of Components debuts March 4 on Hunkin's YouTube channel.

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Greenbar printout DONE!
by Jeffrey Brace 01 Mar '21

01 Mar '21

Much thanks to Mike Loewen for being able to printout and ship the printouts to LA! The production designer for a small independent filmmaker contacted me for a film about Margaret Hamilton's work on the Apollo 8 mission. 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] Greenbar printout DONE!
by Andrew Diller 01 Mar '21

01 Mar '21

Here are the printers I fought at VCF: Anyone familiar with the Diablo? It powers up, is very clean but the print-head won't budge. I wonder if there is a lock-down for shipping or something I couldn't find... https://i.imgur.com/mZkjmcx.jpg <https://i.imgur.com/mZkjmcx.jpg> - Diablo https://i.imgur.com/CrcOmbA.jpg?1 <https://i.imgur.com/CrcOmbA.jpg?1> - okidata w error https://i.imgur.com/wdOMbpN.jpg <https://i.imgur.com/wdOMbpN.jpg> - okidata test print - it would print those few lines and then error.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Greenbar print
by Jeffrey Brace 28 Feb '21

28 Feb '21

On Sun, Feb 28, 2021 at 11:50 AM Glenn Holmer via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > On 2/27/21 10:58 PM, Mike Loewen via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > > On Sat, 27 Feb 2021, Jeffrey Brace wrote: > >> So someone else pointed out that dot matrix printout isn't historically > >> accurate. So what kind of printer would have actually been used for the > >> Apollo 8 code? > > > > A chain-train or drum printer, such as an IBM 1403. The CHM has a > > working 1403 on their 1401 system. > > Ugh, memories. The 1403 had a worm gear to raise the lid, and > occasionally ours would fail. If that happened, the only way to operate > the printer until the CE arrived was to prop it open with a two-by-four > like a car hood. We even had a specially measured two-by-four with a "V" > notch cut in one end for this purpose. One of the guys before me had > written on it in magic marker "IBM Butt-Whacker, Part No. ..." > LOL! Thanks for sharing Glenn! I love hearing stories like this. It's nice to hear how machines were used years ago in a production environment. > > We had this kind: https://bit.ly/2P9tC15 > > Of course, hearing loss was almost inevitable if you used it that way... > > -- > Glenn Holmer (Linux registered user #16682) > "After the vintage season came the aftermath -- and Cenbe." > > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Greenbar printout DONE!
by Brian L. Stuart 28 Feb '21

28 Feb '21

On Sunday, February 28, 2021, 1:29:48 PM EST, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > That’s been my understanding of what line printer > means. We have one of these, rebadged for our > basic/4 mini and it does 600 lines per minute, or > used to last time I ran it: > https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.recycledgoods.com/amp/printronix-p600-600-… Now that brings back some fond memories. We had one of those on our VAX in college. One year, I whipped up a little program that would use the Hershy fonts and the dot plotting mode on the printer to do banners in callegraphic Old English. I kind of treated it as a one-off, but a couple years later someone came up to me and asked how to use the program. That was the beginning of me learning that your throw-away one-offs are the ones that everyone will want and care about, and the ones you labor over focusing on the details of the craft are the ones no one will ever pay attention to. BLS

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Greenbar printout DONE!
by Dave McGuire 28 Feb '21

28 Feb '21

On 2/28/21 1:36 PM, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Great point Dave. If a line printer was fitted with a DB9 connector > would it actually exist? If I understand your question correctly, no, I've never seen nor heard of a large printer with a DE9 connector. However, lots and lots of them have RS232 serial ports, but on standard DB25 connectors. That's how LSSM's big Genicom is interfaced; it's connected to a DECserver terminal server so that multiple systems can access it. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Greenbar print
by Bill Degnan 28 Feb '21

28 Feb '21

Can you please send technical details of the printout? Ascii file? Characters per line? Is the printout file ready and all they need is a print or does thenoutput need to be formatted first? I recall you said it was roughly a hundred or so total pages? Maybe someone near the museum can look for the two DECwriter III's that might still be around the warehouse, or some other wide carriage printer there. If you put a new ribbon on one of those and attach to an old pc running word perfect paginated to 132 character lines you could at least try to print this at infoage. I bet there is some green bar in the warehouse When the file and details are available I would be happy to at least try to do of it too. Bill

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Greenbar print
by Jameel Akari 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

I will try a clean & lube on mine first - the internal assembly looks highly optimized for initial assembly, not so much the reverse, and I take back the comment on cap quality. This was top-notch. -- Jameel Akari > On Feb 27, 2021, at 4:48 PM, Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > <mime-attachment>

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Greenbar print
by Brian L. Stuart 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

Alas I'm in the opposite situation. I'm in driving distance (1.5 hrs) from the museum, but the only dot matrix printers I have are 80 col, with ribbons of doubtful value. So I don't think I have the right stuff. However, if there's narrow paper available and it will serve the need, I'll be happy to pull them out and test them. BLS On Saturday, February 27, 2021, 4:18:45 PM EST, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: I’ve got a dozen working printers including wide carriage ones but so far no paper here in central va... Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 27, 2021, at 4:12 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > On Sat, Feb 27, 2021 at 3:44 PM Dean Notarnicola via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> My proprinter xl’s head is seized and it’s making unhappy sounds. I’ve got >> it apart and cleaning it out. Hoping for the best, but still can’t find any >> green bar locally. > > > Dean. If you get it working, then I can drive up to you with the paper. > > >> >>> On Sat, Feb 27, 2021 at 3:26 PM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic < >>> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >>> >>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> Andy and I talked through it based on my memory of what's available >>> at >>>>> the >>>>>> warehouse. That said, if we could just declare this "132 Character >>> Line >>>>> Printer Day" and see who "got the stuff”. >>>> >>>> At this point I’d say I’ve half got the stuff, but do I have The Right >>>> Stuff? I’ll wait and see. >>>> >>>> — >>>> >>> >>> Yup. Are we just posers or what? >>> >> > -- > 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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microvax3100.vintagecomputer.net is UP
by Bill Degnan 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

Speaking of exercising my rusty skills I have just now fired up my MicroVax3100. It's open for emails to mv3100(a)buzz1.com if anyone wants to tag it as a test. Thanks Bill

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