- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Warehouse help tomorrow
by Evan Koblentz 02 Nov '18

02 Nov '18

Is anyone available to help in the warehouse tomorrow? I can be available a few hours in the morning before opening the museum and/or a few hours at night after closing the museum.

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One MONTH to GO : Festivus (2018) REMINDER to SIGNUP
by Jeffrey Brace 01 Nov '18

01 Nov '18

This is just a reminder that there is only one month to go for Festivus. We have only 4 signed up, but know that there are many more interested, but procrastinating. Don’t wait, signup now! Google Sheets are standing by. Last year we had about 40 people. Let’s top that number! Here is the FESTIVUS signup: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CYLtFeyBlKwX7h2ohfXz421hFQjZTPPAkdV… > We ALSO need volunteers to sign up to be DOCENT for one hour. The holiday train show is that weekend and InfoAge will be quite busy. Here is the signup for that. DOCENT signup: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yyENBp9Oi2Cudkns4X9ssZc2usaGRYHQmbv… > Here is more information. *DATE:* December 1 & 2, 2018 *TIME:* Start about 10 A.M. on Saturday and goes late into the night until everyone sleeps. End about 5 P.M. on Sunday. (Re-starts around 10 A.M. Sunday morning) *LOCATION:* InfoAge Building 9010-D - (2201 Marconi Road, Wall Township, NJ) - It will be straight ahead once you enter through the gate. The door is marked Sandy Recovery and is up the steps. *PARKING:* InfoAge management wants us to park inside the campus, in a neat orderly row, between the Festivus building and the hackerspace building. The main parking lot remains available for guests of the model train show. Do not cost IA money by leaving it open to confuse paying guests. Always close it behind you when you enter/exit, EVEN IF IT WAS ALREADY OPEN! *COST:* $10 for all members attending Festivus, which VCF pays to InfoAge to rent the space and buy burgers, hot dogs and some supplies. $25 if you are staying overnight. See below for details. *EQUIPMENT:* VCF will have tables setup for food and games. We will have full sized refrigerators to temporarily store food and drinks. VCF had a grill donated and will buy a propane tank to cook hamburgers and hot dogs outside. *DRINKS:* Everyone is encouraged to bring their own drinks and enough to share with others. Bring your favorite and put what you are bringing on the list: *FOOD:* VCF will be supplying burgers, hot dogs, condiments, plates, forks, napkins, cups. You are encouraged to bring your own favorite good and put what you are bringing on the list. If you are not sure what to bring, then ask me. I will have some suggestions. *IMPORTANT TO KEEP FOOD AND DRINKS IN THE CAFETERIA! THIS IS THE RULE OF THE FACILITY OWNERS.* *ENTERTAINMENT?* Movies this year in the woman's bunk room. Ian: Vintage video games Jeff Brace: Commodore 64 games: 1) Bear, 2) 4 Player game, 3) PAL C64 to play European games/demos Cards Against Humanity! Vectrex Alex Jaccocks: C128 Games *STAYING OVERNIGHT?* Let me know if you want to stay overnight. The cost is $25. You provide your own mattress cover, blankets, pillows. There is a shower area, lounge, bunk beds, hot water for tea, microwave oven, toaster oven, keurig, coffee pot, ice machine, sink, cable TV, wi-fi. To get an accurate headcount, let me know as soon as possible that you are staying overnight and how many nights. There will be coffee, milk, cream, sugar and tea bags available as well. * SIGN-UP LINK:* < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CYLtFeyBlKwX7h2ohfXz421hFQjZTPPAkdV… > *MAP WHERE TO PARK:* <https://drive.google.com/open?id=1i_2cgAqnjub4rYE922Cwki38Nsdt8cp_> *DOCENT SIGNUP:* < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yyENBp9Oi2Cudkns4X9ssZc2usaGRYHQmbv… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Surplus computers @ Festivus
by Evan Koblentz 01 Nov '18

01 Nov '18

Kelly and I spent about 5 hours working in the warehouse again today. We finished sorting/organizing the Tandy section (reduced from four overflowing shelving units to less than 3) and also the TI section (reduced from 1 overflowing unit to less than 1. We also moved all the surplus items including lots of Tandy/TI/Epson from a pallet onto a shelving unit, so that it's easier to move around between now and Festivus-time. (Another benefit is shelving units use less floor space than pallets, which means more room for THE BIG COMPUTER arriving next week.) Here's a picture of the surplus unit: https://tinyurl.com/ybjmalfp. What's for sale at Festivus: - Six Tandy Color Computers (various models) - Thirteen TI-99/4A computers (some white, some black/silver) - Two TI Peripheral Expansion Boxes - Nine Epson QX-10/QX-16 (I forget the exact breakdown) - Four Epson monitors and possible one more - One lonely Mac SE None of these are tested. NO TESTING OR TAKING APART WILL BE ALLOWED AT FESTIVUS -- we don't want people tearing into stuff at a social event. Donation amounts for this surplus hardware will be very low, but it's a gamble how they look/work on the inside. Honor system: please don't buy these just to flip them. Kelly not included...

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Degnan Resigns
by Bill Degnan 01 Nov '18

01 Nov '18

I have been contacted a few times recently about my status on the board of directors at VCFed. For those who don't know, I submitted my resignation Aug 6th, but there has not been much about it here so I thought I'd mention this event for the record. Please contact me privately with questions/concerns through my company, degnanco.net. Good luck everyone. Bill Degnan

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Too quick to reply, need to fix
by Christian Liendo 31 Oct '18

31 Oct '18

After I re-read what I wrote I can see where this might not be taken the way I wrote it. I really want to thank Bill for all he has done. He has contributed a lot to the community. I really mean it when I say thank you. I never thought to do it before, but I thought to do it now. On 10/31/18, Christian Liendo <cliendo(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Thank you for all that you have done not only for the group but for > the community in general. >

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Forbes article on Amiga Vampire V4
by Jeffrey Brace 31 Oct '18

31 Oct '18

For those that missed it: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marcochiappetta/2018/10/29/the-first-next-gene… -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President Vintage Computer Federation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Games ready for Festivus 2018 (Jeffrey Brace)
by Eric Rangell 30 Oct '18

30 Oct '18

Hi all, I'm curious about the Infocom game Trinity and what was unique about the Commodore 128 version of it. Will someone have the hardware and software to demonstrate it at Festivus? Thanks, Eric

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Help with RCA VIP COSMAC
by Earl Baugh 30 Oct '18

30 Oct '18

> > Earl, I re-posted your request, to have an appropriate subject. Your > post was buried with a bunch of other postings. Myself, I like COSMAC > stuff, congrats on your find. Thanks for the update Herb (you're right a better subject!) FYI -- What the video shows is exactly what I got.... with all the manuals, original box, etc. (Penciled in on the box is a note about the possible memory issue.... the person was moving so I don't have follow on contact yet). It had an odd video cable set up (looks like an old BNC network connector with a Composite Jack. Not something I had seen before... and that was connected with some banana clips. I didn't receive any expansion cards :-( Nor an expansion interface...:-( The VIP is popular among COSMAC (RCA 1802 processor) enthusiasts. You > will find other owners in the Yahoo cosmacelf discussion group. > Great, thanks for that pointer... Of course, spend time with what you got, and find out what's actually > going on with it. Then look for chips by model number to see if you can > find it or them. Much of the fun I have with this stuff, is in figuring > it out myself. But it's also fun to discuss repair and parts, once > details are established. > My first fairly quick question is :It's got the original RCA power supply. I can test it (I don't have a scope though) but wanted to know what people's experiences were with them, do they tend to hold up? (I know that I don't run Commodore VIC and 64's without a long test of any original power supplies...had and know of too many issues with them) I've also got to figure out how this video cable is supposed to be set up... one of the banana clips was off on one end...not sure if it was supposed to be connected or what. It also came with a number of tapes (which I suspect contain some saved programs...) so also have to figure out how the tape player connects. I haven't found a manual with general set up yet.... most are all about the chip and assembly listings for it. I've not gone thru them all yet. The video was helpful in learning more about it (was interesting to see that it had audio options and color board!) It didn't show it running, so I've still got to figure that out... Would really like to find the Tiny Basic card for this... Earl

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Heads-up: Amazon Smile / VCF
by Evan Koblentz 29 Oct '18

29 Oct '18

From now through Nov. 2, Amazon will donate 5% of your purchases to us if you shop throughsmile.amazon.com/ch/47-4133714 <http://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4133714?fbclid=IwAR2aFvNN_Z6RY3eHZjdQexx20rc9…>. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, executive director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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help with RCA VIP COSMAC
by Herb Johnson 29 Oct '18

29 Oct '18

> Earl Baugh > Thu Oct 25 12:22:18 EDT 2018 > I got one of these (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkgmAjE1ONY) arrived > last night... > With original box, manuals and even sales receipt! [video shows an RCA COSMAC VIP single-board computer. Unknown if the items shown match what Earl obtained.] > > There may be a bad RAM chip... (according to the notes on the box...) > Any ideas if I'll have trouble finding an appropriate part to fix it? > (I've only had time to unbox it, not look thru the manuals or anything but > thought I'd try to tap the collective intellect here to get some initial > thoughts..) > > Earl Earl, I re-posted your request, to have an appropriate subject. Your post was buried with a bunch of other postings. Myself, I like COSMAC stuff, congrats on your find. The VIP is popular among COSMAC (RCA 1802 processor) enthusiasts. You will find other owners in the Yahoo cosmacelf discussion group. Of course, spend time with what you got, and find out what's actually going on with it. Then look for chips by model number to see if you can find it or them. Much of the fun I have with this stuff, is in figuring it out myself. But it's also fun to discuss repair and parts, once details are established. 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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