- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Problems we face as collectors/curators: The last lesson of Bob Pease
by Herb Johnson 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

Yes, this post is too long. Read it when you have time, if you have interest in analog electronics. Or, if you think about problems in collecting vintage technology from others' "archives" (spelled "hoardings"). https://www.electronicdesign.com/analog/what-s-all-pease-prototype-stuff-an… (link to previous article below) https://www.electronicdesign.com/analog/what-s-all-stuff-stuff-anyhow One of the electronic trade-magazines (papery bloggy things in postal mail to oldies) occasionally sends me email-links to articles on their Web sites. This article caught my attention, as it represents the problems we have today as collectors of vintage computing (or electronic, or semiconductor) items. It's the perception that this stuff is junk and has no value except as curiosities accumulated by "hoarders". But I'll explain why this stuff has value. If you read the article, it's about a collection of accumulated artifacts of work done by Bob Pease, an analog design engineer at Philbrick National Semiconductor in the 1960's and decades following. Since he worked before digital simulation - and because simulation isn't good enough - he accumulated many prototype circuits for things he designed. a reminder: prototypes prove the result. So they were necessary at design-verification time, and later to deal with problems in production. He also found them useful to demonstrate to others, and to show when National was exhibiting. Bob's contributions were not only in design and development, but in education and in publication. His columns (and books from them) on analog design were amusing, informative and are read to this day. He personally mentored a generation of analog electronic designers. Bob Pease died several years ago. However: the article is informative about attitudes about previous design and prototype practices; or simply about the technical past. The article essentially suggests: "This stuff is a mess of junk. We don't do things this way now, we know better now. There's no value to this stuff, because we don't know how to make sense of it. Since some parts are before production, they can't be of any interest to anyone except as scrap. A few things, remind some of us about the-old-days. But this guy was a hoarder." There's a link to a previous article of a few months prior (link above). The "Pease collection" was obtained from Pease's estate, I think in 2017. The task of organizing it was "resigned" to a "media relations manager" - very likely a person who was unfamiliar with its technical content. As with the current article, other engineer's comments and photos give some meaning to the items photographed. Nobody seems to know exactly what to do with this stuff, other than to give it away to their older buddies at social events. Of course, any collector of vintage semiconductors will wince when reading this article: they love pre-production parts. And many "senior" analog engineers, like the ones quoted in the articles, have some experience with the chips and circuits shown, and the methods Bob used in design and construction. Again: they are still informed by his work and methods. Some number of engineers or collectors, would likely be pleased to have some example from their mentor or simply from the period. I won't give a lecture on "curation", the art of displaying and describing artifacts to glean information and context and to preserve intellectual and/or physical content. That describes a process that has yet to be performed (may never happen) for this rescued but endangered collection. It's already picked over a few times. For those who are simply vintage-computing collectors or users, you'll likely be saddened by association about this article and situation. It could well be a bunch of vintage computers and accessories. Note the author confuses a 5.25-inch floppy drive with "a CD player". If that kind of iconic artifact is unrecognizable in 2019, imagine what will be overlooked going forward. The last lesson of Bob Pease, may well be as suggested in the title of the article: "What is this stuff, anyhow?". What's to be done - if anything - with artifacts of technical work and products? Do they have value? What do they mean? Can they inform us, or simply amuse us, or do they just get in the way? 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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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] August Repair Day - Sat Report from Member
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

andy diller via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> writes: > >Ok, the Saturday Repair Day was a blast. Here are some photos and notes >= from the show. > >A lot of people showed up, a lot of projects got done and we had a = >wonderful evening barbecue outside as well. If anyone took a photo of = >that, please pass it along, I was too busy eating and drinking to take = >any photos. We had a couple of new members show up and it was a nice = >time getting to know them during the day as well as over food. Some = >equipment was given away and some new donations to the Museum also. =20 > >Photos I took are here: > >https://imgur.com/gallery/X2o83iM <https://imgur.com/gallery/X2o83iM> > > >Items to consider- > >1. Serial box. JasonP's amazing serial box (Smart Cable SC821 Plus) let >= me connect the MicroVax to a VT term- without it i wouldn't have had >the = proper cabling to do it. This is a buy from me. = >https://www.smart-cable.com/catalog?action=3Ddisplay&key=3D102 = ><https://www.smart-cable.com/catalog?action=3Ddisplay&key=3D102> I've >found it on ebay for $10-50 (just got one on ebay w/ cables for = $40). DEC BCC08 There should be a cache of these in the warehouse. Andy Goldstein donated his MicroVAX-II from the DEC museum to MARCH/VCF. I picked it up at MRO and delivered it to Infoage. There was a cable on its console port. The MicroVAX-II had been on display at one time but I believe that it too has been relocated/retired to the warehouse. It had DEC property tags as well as other identifying marks that it belonged to Andy. If you don't know who Andy Goldstein is/was, too bad for you.

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Magnusson Method
by Glenn Holmer 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

https://twitter.com/lizhenry/status/1165760903809130496 Anybody know where to find the original Datamation article? -- Glenn Holmer (Linux registered user #16682) "After the vintage season came the aftermath -- and Cenbe."

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Emailing issues
by Mike Loewen 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

On Mon, 26 Aug 2019, Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > I think what bugs me more is the fact that it sends my email as an > attachment instead of a response in the body of the email. Maybe this can be > set up differently via Yahoo. I know, we went through this before, just > saying. This also happens with others. This bothers me, as well. Tony Bogan's messages also show up as attachments. In order to reply to one of these in context, I have to copy and paste from the original message. Is there a setting on your email clients which can fix this? Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Emailing issues
by Sentrytv 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

I think what bugs me more is the fact that it sends my email as an attachment instead of a response in the body of the email. Maybe this can be set up differently via Yahoo. I know, we went through this before, just saying. This also happens with others. Mike R. Sent from: My extremely complicated,hand held electronic device. > On Aug 26, 2019, at 3:28 PM, Dean Notarnicola via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > Me too, using GMail > > On Mon, Aug 26, 2019 at 3:12 PM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > >> >>> Yeah- that bugs me also. >>> >>> Petition to ask to change the mailing list options - to send the message >> to the original sender also. >>> >>> It’s always not felt right to me that you don’t see your own postings to >> the list… but that is just me. >>> >>> >>> Anyone else feel like they’d like to see their own posts in the mailing >> list? >>> >>> -andy >> >> When I reply it shows in my in box. If I reply all it CCs the sender in >> addition to the list. >> >> Tony >> >>

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] August Repair Day - Sat Report from Member
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

Andrew Diller via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> writes: > >Yes, there are a few AG out there. > >OK, AG apparently was on the design team for VMS. I guess he's >Cutlers right-hand-man for VMS? > >https://www.slideshare.net/stanquayle/andy-goldstein-vx2001 = ><https://www.slideshare.net/stanquayle/andy-goldstein-vx2001> Don't go making DC out to be god. Dick Hustvedt and Peter Lipman were quite influential in the VMS design. Thanks for that link, however. I didn't know Stan had a copy of that presentation.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] workshop sign up?
by Andrew Diller 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

> > I’m using Apple Mail, from both mobile and desktop, (currently from my phone) I see my replies as another email in the given conversation like any other replies. Must be a setting you have turned on or off in your mail preferences. > > Tony OK, you all convinced me. I’m not sure what is going on then. To be clear, Apple Mail (in OS X and iOS) WILL pull your original sent message from the Sent folder and put it in the thread for you- so you have to be careful… -andy

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] workshop sign up?
by Dean Notarnicola 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

Me too, using GMail On Mon, Aug 26, 2019 at 3:12 PM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > Yeah- that bugs me also. > > > > Petition to ask to change the mailing list options - to send the message > to the original sender also. > > > > It’s always not felt right to me that you don’t see your own postings to > the list… but that is just me. > > > > > > Anyone else feel like they’d like to see their own posts in the mailing > list? > > > > -andy > > When I reply it shows in my in box. If I reply all it CCs the sender in > addition to the list. > > Tony > >

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OT: Anyone in Canada?
by Tony Bogan 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

Is there anyone on the list in Canada that could accept a package and then ship it to the States? I have a machine that would come from Hong Kong but due to size Hong Kong Post won’t ship it and SF Express won’t ship used computers to the US. Obviously shipping from Canada to me (New Jersey) would be paid to you in advance. Contact me off list eh? ;-) Tony Sent from my iPhone

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TexElec pads
by David Gesswein 26 Aug '19

26 Aug '19

I didn't get back to the main room at the right time. How did the texElec pads work in the Compaq?

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