VCF's latest rescue: PDP 11/34 from Wilmington, NC
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue. Picture here: https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/> Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/ Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/ Links about what happened to the factory: https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5... Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center: https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra... Take care! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
OMG I love Slim Jims! That is awesome! Does it smell like original, mild or Tobasco? - Ethan On Sat, 19 Oct 2024, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue.
Picture here: https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg
Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/>
Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/
Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/
Links about what happened to the factory: https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5...
Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center: https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra...
Take care!
Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
Hey Jeff and all, This is cool! I have much the same setup in a 6 foot rack with side panels and two RL02s and LA120 which are part of my "The Great Haul" rescue of DEC gear from back in July 1998. (Story behind that I can repeat later...) Been setting idle for about 24 years in my shop since it would not boot and is waiting for a good chunk of time time to get to it. Now that I've FINALLY retired at nearly age 70 from my engineering career back in March, sometime in the next year or two I plan to re-familiarize myself with it, its docs and troubleshoot whatever issue(s) it may have. Got several PDP-11/23s, VAX 11/730 which needs a whole heap of work, other small VAXen, ALPHA 240 (IIRC), etc, along with my IBM 9370-60, DG NOVA 1200, several Teletype ASR33s, various VMEbus gear, and other cool stuff to get to. I've got a HUGE amount of sorting and downsizing of my shop, basement, attic, two garages and office to do first so I can even move around. Much various DEC equipment and bits stashed throughout along with a large amount of early pre-1930 radios (my really main passion) and test equipment and documentation to have fun with. One heck of a DEC cluster could be assembled here if I was so inclined :-) Will report on what comes of the 11/34A system after (or while) restoring it then plus maybe other adventures on the computing side I may run into around here. Have fun with it. Best regards, -Chris F. On 10/19/2024 3:26 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue.
Picture here: https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg
Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/>
Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/
Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/
Links about what happened to the factory: https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5...
Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center: https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra...
Take care!
Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
-- ================================================================ Christian R Fandt Jamestown, NY 14701
Electrical/Electronic Collector & Historian: Radios, Early Computers, Test Equipment Radio restorations: Pre-1970s Automotive & Home radios Retired engineer/consultant on electrical/electronic contact physics
-- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com
Oh! We'll look forward to your help with ours! On 10/20/2024 2:31 AM, Chris Fandt via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Hey Jeff and all,
This is cool!
I have much the same setup in a 6 foot rack with side panels and two RL02s and LA120 which are part of my "The Great Haul" rescue of DEC gear from back in July 1998. (Story behind that I can repeat later...) Been setting idle for about 24 years in my shop since it would not boot and is waiting for a good chunk of time time to get to it.
Now that I've FINALLY retired at nearly age 70 from my engineering career back in March, sometime in the next year or two I plan to re-familiarize myself with it, its docs and troubleshoot whatever issue(s) it may have. Got several PDP-11/23s, VAX 11/730 which needs a whole heap of work, other small VAXen, ALPHA 240 (IIRC), etc, along with my IBM 9370-60, DG NOVA 1200, several Teletype ASR33s, various VMEbus gear, and other cool stuff to get to. I've got a HUGE amount of sorting and downsizing of my shop, basement, attic, two garages and office to do first so I can even move around. Much various DEC equipment and bits stashed throughout along with a large amount of early pre-1930 radios (my really main passion) and test equipment and documentation to have fun with. One heck of a DEC cluster could be assembled here if I was so inclined :-)
Will report on what comes of the 11/34A system after (or while) restoring it then plus maybe other adventures on the computing side I may run into around here.
Have fun with it.
Best regards, -Chris F.
On 10/19/2024 3:26 PM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue.
Picture here: https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg
Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/>
Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/
Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/
Links about what happened to the factory: https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5...
Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center: https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra...
Take care!
Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
-- Douglas Crawford VCF Mid-Atlantic Museum Mgr InfoAge Science & History Museums 2201 Marconi Road Wall, NJ 07719
Who was the driver volunteer? Can you name them and give them credit, or is it a secret? On Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 3:26 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue.
Picture here:
https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg
Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/>
Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/
Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/
Links about what happened to the factory:
https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5...
Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center:
https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra...
Take care!
Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
On Sun, Oct 20, 2024 at 11:25 AM Chris Fala <chrisjpf33@gmail.com> wrote:
Who was the driver volunteer? Can you name them and give them credit, or is it a secret?
Chris, It's not a secret. He's just new and very few know him at the moment. Andrew Mattera who joined our group about two months ago. He was recommended by his co-worker Steve Anderson at the last swap meet and it took two months to connect. Andrew has been an excellent docent (we need all the help we can get in that area as we are short handed!). He really enjoys our group. Through a conversation with him after a volunteer day in the warehouse I found that he was driving to North Carolina to his parents house to pick up some of his stuff to sell at the swap meet. So I asked him if he would drive a uHaul down there and he agreed. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. We have been trying to figure out when and who would be able to get down there, so this worked out well for everyone! Jeff Brace
On Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 3:26 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue.
Picture here:
https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg
Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/>
Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/
Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/
Links about what happened to the factory:
https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5...
Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center:
https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra...
Take care!
Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
Hello! Has restoration work been started for this amazing machine? ----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8@gmail.com "This signature was present when the impossible happened 23 years ago, twice." On Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 10:31 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
On Sun, Oct 20, 2024 at 11:25 AM Chris Fala <chrisjpf33@gmail.com> wrote:
Who was the driver volunteer? Can you name them and give them credit, or is it a secret?
Chris,
It's not a secret. He's just new and very few know him at the moment. Andrew Mattera who joined our group about two months ago. He was recommended by his co-worker Steve Anderson at the last swap meet and it took two months to connect. Andrew has been an excellent docent (we need all the help we can get in that area as we are short handed!). He really enjoys our group. Through a conversation with him after a volunteer day in the warehouse I found that he was driving to North Carolina to his parents house to pick up some of his stuff to sell at the swap meet. So I asked him if he would drive a uHaul down there and he agreed. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. We have been trying to figure out when and who would be able to get down there, so this worked out well for everyone!
Jeff Brace
On Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 3:26 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue.
Picture here:
https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg
Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/>
Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/
Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/
Links about what happened to the factory:
https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5...
Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center:
https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra...
Take care!
Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
On Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 10:37 PM Gregg Levine <gregg.drwho8@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello! Has restoration work been started for this amazing machine?
No. It's way too early as we just got the machine back on Sunday. The side panels are back on. We will have different members of the Steering Committee and trusted volunteers look at it for what to do next.
----- Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8@gmail.com "This signature was present when the impossible happened 23 years ago, twice."
On Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 10:31 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
On Sun, Oct 20, 2024 at 11:25 AM Chris Fala <chrisjpf33@gmail.com>
wrote:
Who was the driver volunteer? Can you name them and give them credit,
or
is it a secret?
Chris,
It's not a secret. He's just new and very few know him at the moment. Andrew Mattera who joined our group about two months ago. He was recommended by his co-worker Steve Anderson at the last swap meet and it took two months to connect. Andrew has been an excellent docent (we need all the help we can get in that area as we are short handed!). He really enjoys our group. Through a conversation with him after a volunteer day in the warehouse I found that he was driving to North Carolina to his parents house to pick up some of his stuff to sell at the swap meet. So I asked him if he would drive a uHaul down there and he agreed. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. We have been trying to figure out when and who would be able to get down there, so this worked out well for everyone!
Jeff Brace
On Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 3:26 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the
Slim
Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue.
Picture here:
https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg
Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/>
Money donations to support our organization:
Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/
Links about what happened to the factory:
https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5...
Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center:
https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra...
Take care!
Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
That's really awesome, great story! Welcome Andrew! On Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 10:30 PM Jeffrey Brace <jeffrey@vcfed.org> wrote:
On Sun, Oct 20, 2024 at 11:25 AM Chris Fala <chrisjpf33@gmail.com> wrote:
Who was the driver volunteer? Can you name them and give them credit, or is it a secret?
Chris,
It's not a secret. He's just new and very few know him at the moment. Andrew Mattera who joined our group about two months ago. He was recommended by his co-worker Steve Anderson at the last swap meet and it took two months to connect. Andrew has been an excellent docent (we need all the help we can get in that area as we are short handed!). He really enjoys our group. Through a conversation with him after a volunteer day in the warehouse I found that he was driving to North Carolina to his parents house to pick up some of his stuff to sell at the swap meet. So I asked him if he would drive a uHaul down there and he agreed. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. We have been trying to figure out when and who would be able to get down there, so this worked out well for everyone!
Jeff Brace
On Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 3:26 PM Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Our rescue of a DEC PDP 11/34 from North Carolina. Last used at the Slim Jim factory in Garner, NC. Our volunteer drove a uHaul truck from InfoAge to Wilmington, NC and back. Funding for this rescue was from our June 2024 swap meet. We had raised $800 from surplus artifacts that paid for this rescue.
Picture here:
https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PDP_11_34_NC_Rescue-scaled.jpeg
Our next swap meet is this coming Oct. 26, 2024: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/>
Money donations to support our organization: https://vcfed.org/donate/
Artifact donation inquires: https://vcfed.org/artifact-donations/
Links about what happened to the factory:
https://journalnow.com/n-c-slim-jim-plant-will-close/article_6d775dfa-7222-5...
Which is now an Amazon Distribution Center:
https://www.wral.com/story/scars-finally-healing-decade-after-garner-conagra...
Take care!
Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org
participants (6)
-
Chris Fala -
Chris Fandt -
Douglas Crawford -
Ethan O'Toole -
Gregg Levine -
Jeffrey Brace