Everyone, We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true. The most recent plan was to use Asterisk, but that is overkill, a lot of maintenance, and would require an expensive telephony card. I asked Joe O. to research something better. He came back with this: http://www.excelltel.com/en/enproductslist.asp?id=612 It's an 8-port analog PBX with a GSM module. We bought it on Amazon for $98.49. Joe will connect this via modem to a PC running MajorBBS (possibly virtualized). We'll connect modems and vintage computers to the analog ports. Visitors and VCF East exhibitors/visitors will be able to dial in at 300-2400bps, hear the handshake, and connect to our BBS just like in the glory days. People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running). The PBX won't arrive until sometime next month because it shipping from China. Joe suggested that someone can draw the standard VCFed logo using ASCII art, and BBS users can watch it fly by a line at a time when they connect. I endorse that idea! Joe will answer any technical questions. Keep in mind we selected this approach because it's affordable, low maintenance, and the simplest way to reach the goal. Some people wanted us to use all period hardware, or modern servers that were WAY more than we needed, or a high-end PBX, etc. .... this one is "just right" for us.
This brought a huge smile to my face, since BBS'ing was what got me into this whole fantastic world of vintage computing. Evan, if one has a 1200 baud modem and would like to dial in from home, would that be supported, or will it only be internal in the VCF building? Chris On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 2:13 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
The most recent plan was to use Asterisk, but that is overkill, a lot of maintenance, and would require an expensive telephony card. I asked Joe O. to research something better. He came back with this:
http://www.excelltel.com/en/enproductslist.asp?id=612
It's an 8-port analog PBX with a GSM module. We bought it on Amazon for $98.49.
Joe will connect this via modem to a PC running MajorBBS (possibly virtualized). We'll connect modems and vintage computers to the analog ports. Visitors and VCF East exhibitors/visitors will be able to dial in at 300-2400bps, hear the handshake, and connect to our BBS just like in the glory days. People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
The PBX won't arrive until sometime next month because it shipping from China.
Joe suggested that someone can draw the standard VCFed logo using ASCII art, and BBS users can watch it fly by a line at a time when they connect. I endorse that idea!
Joe will answer any technical questions. Keep in mind we selected this approach because it's affordable, low maintenance, and the simplest way to reach the goal. Some people wanted us to use all period hardware, or modern servers that were WAY more than we needed, or a high-end PBX, etc. .... this one is "just right" for us.
This brought a huge smile to my face, since BBS'ing was what got me into this whole fantastic world of vintage computing. Evan, if one has a 1200 baud modem and would like to dial in from home, would that be supported, or will it only be internal in the VCF building? Chris
Internal analog + external TCP/IP judging by the PBX - Ethan
Hi Ethan, Re-reading this I saw "...or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running)." Would this require some kind of cellular plan? I'm not familiar with this. Chris On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 2:37 PM, Ethan <telmnstr@757.org> wrote:
This brought a huge smile to my face, since BBS'ing was what got me into
this whole fantastic world of vintage computing. Evan, if one has a 1200 baud modem and would like to dial in from home, would that be supported, or will it only be internal in the VCF building? Chris
Internal analog + external TCP/IP judging by the PBX
- Ethan
Chris, once we have the GSM SIM card setup in the system, dialing into the BBS from the real world via a modem should be possible. Likely at no speeds faster than 2400, as the cellular networks are optimized for voice calls, and modem calls often have issues, especially at higher speeds. On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, Christopher Gioconda via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
This brought a huge smile to my face, since BBS'ing was what got me into this whole fantastic world of vintage computing.
Evan, if one has a 1200 baud modem and would like to dial in from home, would that be supported, or will it only be internal in the VCF building?
Chris
On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 2:13 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org <javascript:;>> wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
The most recent plan was to use Asterisk, but that is overkill, a lot of maintenance, and would require an expensive telephony card. I asked Joe O. to research something better. He came back with this:
http://www.excelltel.com/en/enproductslist.asp?id=612
It's an 8-port analog PBX with a GSM module. We bought it on Amazon for $98.49.
Joe will connect this via modem to a PC running MajorBBS (possibly virtualized). We'll connect modems and vintage computers to the analog ports. Visitors and VCF East exhibitors/visitors will be able to dial in at 300-2400bps, hear the handshake, and connect to our BBS just like in the glory days. People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
The PBX won't arrive until sometime next month because it shipping from China.
Joe suggested that someone can draw the standard VCFed logo using ASCII art, and BBS users can watch it fly by a line at a time when they connect. I endorse that idea!
Joe will answer any technical questions. Keep in mind we selected this approach because it's affordable, low maintenance, and the simplest way to reach the goal. Some people wanted us to use all period hardware, or modern servers that were WAY more than we needed, or a high-end PBX, etc. .... this one is "just right" for us.
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
Sent from my iPhone On Oct 12, 2016, at 3:58 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Chris, once we have the GSM SIM card setup in the system, dialing into the BBS from the real world via a modem should be possible. Likely at no speeds faster than 2400
Any faster would be too new for us. :)
Really, I have a 9600 baud Motorola modem from 1984.
It's not that 9600 didn't exist back then, cellular networks don't play nice with digital signals through modems. Also, it's meant as an exhibit, not to see if we can squeeze 56k out of the modem. It's more to show visitors to the museum that being online wasn't A> Always On, and B> Tremendously Fast On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 5:38 PM, Matt Patoray via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 12, 2016, at 3:58 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Chris, once we have the GSM SIM card setup in the system, dialing into the BBS from the real world via a modem should be possible. Likely at no speeds faster than 2400
Any faster would be too new for us. :)
Really, I have a 9600 baud Motorola modem from 1984.
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
Can't wait to try it (via telnet). Bill Degnan twitter: billdeg vintagecomputer.net On Oct 12, 2016 6:17 PM, "Joseph Oprysko via vcf-midatlantic" < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
It's not that 9600 didn't exist back then, cellular networks don't play nice with digital signals through modems. Also, it's meant as an exhibit, not to see if we can squeeze 56k out of the modem. It's more to show visitors to the museum that being online wasn't A> Always On, and B> Tremendously Fast
On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 5:38 PM, Matt Patoray via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 12, 2016, at 3:58 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Chris, once we have the GSM SIM card setup in the system, dialing into the BBS from the real world via a modem should be possible. Likely at no speeds faster than 2400
Any faster would be too new for us. :)
Really, I have a 9600 baud Motorola modem from 1984.
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
On Wed, 12 Oct 2016, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
<snip>
People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
Since, there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to make it to Jersey for this, unless someone buys me a plane ticket, I'd love to be able to participate by telnetting into the BBS with my Atari 800. For many of the early home-micros, a 40 column layout would be ideal. Don't know if that's possible along side with an 80 col layout. All I know is that the 40 col display gets super goofy on some boards. Anyway, just my $0.02, it's super exciting news regardless!! --Jason
Most likely, the 40 column display will still be an issue. On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, Jason Howe via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
On Wed, 12 Oct 2016, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
<snip>
People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
Since, there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to make it to Jersey for this, unless someone buys me a plane ticket, I'd love to be able to participate by telnetting into the BBS with my Atari 800.
For many of the early home-micros, a 40 column layout would be ideal. Don't know if that's possible along side with an 80 col layout. All I know is that the 40 col display gets super goofy on some boards.
Anyway, just my $0.02, it's super exciting news regardless!!
--Jason
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
Let me give a brief outline of the way connectivity will work: Internal to the museum there will likely be 2 or modems hooked up to the BBS machine. The other extensions will be run to various machines setup to allow individuals to "Dial-in" to the BBS through the PBX. The PBX has 2 external (AKA Ma Bell) connections, one analog phone line, and one phone line supported through a GSM phone line. Since getting Verizon or whoever to run a real analog line to talk to the PBX, there will be ONE telephone number accessible from the outside for people to be able to dial in from home on an analog modem. That is the function of the PBX, to enable the internal connectivity, as well as the one external line. The telnet functionality will be handled through the LTE Router the group already has, and will have zero to do with the PBX side. The telnet functionality isn't limited to a specific number of connections, so we could have live multi-user chat (Think something similar to AOL Chat Rooms), as well as various games as well. Depending on usage and demand, there is also capabilities for forums (likely not needed), file libraries (Could be useful for pre-internet machines with a modem), as well as a few other features. For now, we're looking to give visitors to the museum the "1980's" experience of dialing into a BBS, hearing the modem negotiations, etc. If there are members of the group that want to use more/additional features (Such as the ability to call in from a real modem externally), we are making sure that we're prepared for them, as well as the telnet functionality. If anyone has any questions, or concerns, feel free to mail me either on or off the list. Thanks, Joe Oprysko On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 3:45 PM, Joseph Oprysko <joprysko1@gmail.com> wrote:
Most likely, the 40 column display will still be an issue.
On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, Jason Howe via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
On Wed, 12 Oct 2016, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
<snip>
People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
Since, there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to make it to Jersey for this, unless someone buys me a plane ticket, I'd love to be able to participate by telnetting into the BBS with my Atari 800.
For many of the early home-micros, a 40 column layout would be ideal. Don't know if that's possible along side with an 80 col layout. All I know is that the 40 col display gets super goofy on some boards.
Anyway, just my $0.02, it's super exciting news regardless!!
--Jason
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
Yes, it should read -
Since getting Verizon or whoever to run a real analog line to talk to the PBX isn't an option, there will be ONE telephone number accessible from the outside for people to be able to dial in from home on an analog modem, through the GSM/Cellular connection.
On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 4:18 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Since getting Verizon or whoever to run a real analog line to talk to the PBX, there will be ONE telephone number accessible from the outside for people to be able to dial in from home on an analog modem.
Looks like you're missing some words in that sentence.
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
(See the attached drawing for my VCF Midwest display) I've done similar BBS setups for VCF Midwest and VCF Southeast displays in the past. I've used surplus analog PBXs post one year ago - primarily a Nortel MICS which I still have and can donate (I'll be at East in spring). That sort of thing gets dumped cheap on eBay these days. That allows connections up to 33.3K POTS-to-POTS. Multiple 16-port analog modules can be connected to the central box via fiber. For VCF Midwest this year, I switched to a Adtran Atlas 890 with a mix of TI/PRI/BRI/FXS ports with 48 internal 300 baud to 56K (v.90) internal modems. I combined it with a terminal server so that 80 distributed analog lines can dial each other or a 10 line 'show' BBS that can also take connections over telnet or the terminal server. As you can see, anyone with a cell phone can connect to the local WiFi hotspot, telnet to the terminal server, and get an AT prompt to dial within the network. There were a few problems revealed in Chicago I need to stream-line, but the setup worked well. I suppose you could also telnet in remotely to the site (termserver) and get one of the internal digital modems which you could also use to dial. -Alan On 2016-10-12 16:10, Joseph Oprysko via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Let me give a brief outline of the way connectivity will work:
Internal to the museum there will likely be 2 or modems hooked up to the BBS machine. The other extensions will be run to various machines setup to allow individuals to "Dial-in" to the BBS through the PBX.
The PBX has 2 external (AKA Ma Bell) connections, one analog phone line, and one phone line supported through a GSM phone line. Since getting Verizon or whoever to run a real analog line to talk to the PBX, there will be ONE telephone number accessible from the outside for people to be able to dial in from home on an analog modem.
That is the function of the PBX, to enable the internal connectivity, as well as the one external line.
The telnet functionality will be handled through the LTE Router the group already has, and will have zero to do with the PBX side. The telnet functionality isn't limited to a specific number of connections, so we could have live multi-user chat (Think something similar to AOL Chat Rooms), as well as various games as well.
Depending on usage and demand, there is also capabilities for forums (likely not needed), file libraries (Could be useful for pre-internet machines with a modem), as well as a few other features. For now, we're looking to give visitors to the museum the "1980's" experience of dialing into a BBS, hearing the modem negotiations, etc. If there are members of the group that want to use more/additional features (Such as the ability to call in from a real modem externally), we are making sure that we're prepared for them, as well as the telnet functionality.
If anyone has any questions, or concerns, feel free to mail me either on or off the list.
Thanks,
Joe Oprysko
On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 4:10 PM, Joseph Oprysko via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Let me give a brief outline of the way connectivity will work:
Internal to the museum there will likely be 2 or modems hooked up to the BBS machine. The other extensions will be run to various machines setup to allow individuals to "Dial-in" to the BBS through the PBX.
I don't recall every BBS software myself But I do recall the ANSI Graphics in mid 80s Hope this one will have it as well, it was nice using that too Dan
MajorBBS does provide ANSI graphics, and auto detects the capability. On Thursday, October 13, 2016, Dan Roganti via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 4:10 PM, Joseph Oprysko via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org <javascript:;>> wrote:
Let me give a brief outline of the way connectivity will work:
Internal to the museum there will likely be 2 or modems hooked up to the BBS machine. The other extensions will be run to various machines setup to allow individuals to "Dial-in" to the BBS through the PBX.
I don't recall every BBS software myself But I do recall the ANSI Graphics in mid 80s Hope this one will have it as well, it was nice using that too Dan
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
On Oct 12, 2016, at 2:13 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
The most recent plan was to use Asterisk, but that is overkill, a lot of maintenance, and would require an expensive telephony card. I asked Joe O. to research something better. He came back with this:
http://www.excelltel.com/en/enproductslist.asp?id=612
It's an 8-port analog PBX with a GSM module. We bought it on Amazon for $98.49.
Joe will connect this via modem to a PC running MajorBBS (possibly virtualized). We'll connect modems and vintage computers to the analog ports. Visitors and VCF East exhibitors/visitors will be able to dial in at 300-2400bps, hear the handshake, and connect to our BBS just like in the glory days. People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
The PBX won't arrive until sometime next month because it shipping from China.
Joe suggested that someone can draw the standard VCFed logo using ASCII art, and BBS users can watch it fly by a line at a time when they connect. I endorse that idea!
Joe will answer any technical questions. Keep in mind we selected this approach because it's affordable, low maintenance, and the simplest way to reach the goal. Some people wanted us to use all period hardware, or modern servers that were WAY more than we needed, or a high-end PBX, etc. .... this one is "just right" for us.
This is awesome news!! Just in my couple years involved with the group it's been discussed numerous times. BBSing (if that's even a term!!) was what kept me on computers throughout my childhood (mainly running my own!) Tony
Does MajorBbs ask for 40 vs 80 columns ? On Oct 12, 2016 14:13, "Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic" < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
The most recent plan was to use Asterisk, but that is overkill, a lot of maintenance, and would require an expensive telephony card. I asked Joe O. to research something better. He came back with this:
http://www.excelltel.com/en/enproductslist.asp?id=612
It's an 8-port analog PBX with a GSM module. We bought it on Amazon for $98.49.
Joe will connect this via modem to a PC running MajorBBS (possibly virtualized). We'll connect modems and vintage computers to the analog ports. Visitors and VCF East exhibitors/visitors will be able to dial in at 300-2400bps, hear the handshake, and connect to our BBS just like in the glory days. People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
The PBX won't arrive until sometime next month because it shipping from China.
Joe suggested that someone can draw the standard VCFed logo using ASCII art, and BBS users can watch it fly by a line at a time when they connect. I endorse that idea!
Joe will answer any technical questions. Keep in mind we selected this approach because it's affordable, low maintenance, and the simplest way to reach the goal. Some people wanted us to use all period hardware, or modern servers that were WAY more than we needed, or a high-end PBX, etc. .... this one is "just right" for us.
I don't believe it provides the option, but I will double check while configuring the system. On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, John Heritage via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Does MajorBbs ask for 40 vs 80 columns ?
On Oct 12, 2016 14:13, "Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic" < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org <javascript:;>> wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
The most recent plan was to use Asterisk, but that is overkill, a lot of maintenance, and would require an expensive telephony card. I asked Joe O. to research something better. He came back with this:
http://www.excelltel.com/en/enproductslist.asp?id=612
It's an 8-port analog PBX with a GSM module. We bought it on Amazon for $98.49.
Joe will connect this via modem to a PC running MajorBBS (possibly virtualized). We'll connect modems and vintage computers to the analog ports. Visitors and VCF East exhibitors/visitors will be able to dial in at 300-2400bps, hear the handshake, and connect to our BBS just like in the glory days. People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
The PBX won't arrive until sometime next month because it shipping from China.
Joe suggested that someone can draw the standard VCFed logo using ASCII art, and BBS users can watch it fly by a line at a time when they connect. I endorse that idea!
Joe will answer any technical questions. Keep in mind we selected this approach because it's affordable, low maintenance, and the simplest way to reach the goal. Some people wanted us to use all period hardware, or modern servers that were WAY more than we needed, or a high-end PBX, etc. .... this one is "just right" for us.
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
I'd like to clarify a few things in regards to the BBS as well as the limit on the number of modems, and connectivity. The requirements provided to me for designing the BBS mainly revolved around the fact that it's a museum exhibit. 1. Would not be functioning 24/7 2. To provide visitors to the museum the experience of dialing into a BBS, mainly observing the slow speeds as well as being able to hear the modem negotiation as it connects. 3. Require very little user interaction to start/shutdown the system and not requiring expert knowledge to keep it running. The ability to dial in externally as well as the ability to telnet in were more of 'wants' than requirements. This really isn't being designed as a "Production" BBS. While it likely can be modified as such in the future, it's mainly to provide the "experience" of a BBS from the 80's. Once the exhibit is configured and functioning properly, if there is enough support and requests for expandion or additional functionality, those will be addressed at a future time. Thanks, Joseph Oprysko On Thursday, October 13, 2016, Joseph Oprysko <joprysko1@gmail.com> wrote:
I don't believe it provides the option, but I will double check while configuring the system.
On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, John Heritage via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org');>> wrote:
Does MajorBbs ask for 40 vs 80 columns ?
On Oct 12, 2016 14:13, "Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic" < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Everyone,
We've had various talk / starts / stops about an authentic-ish dial-up BBS through the years. Now it is finally coming true.
The most recent plan was to use Asterisk, but that is overkill, a lot of maintenance, and would require an expensive telephony card. I asked Joe O. to research something better. He came back with this:
http://www.excelltel.com/en/enproductslist.asp?id=612
It's an 8-port analog PBX with a GSM module. We bought it on Amazon for $98.49.
Joe will connect this via modem to a PC running MajorBBS (possibly virtualized). We'll connect modems and vintage computers to the analog ports. Visitors and VCF East exhibitors/visitors will be able to dial in at 300-2400bps, hear the handshake, and connect to our BBS just like in the glory days. People can also telnet in directly to the PC thanks to our LTE modem, or they can call in remotely once we buy a GSM SIM card (to be considered after the main system is up and running).
The PBX won't arrive until sometime next month because it shipping from China.
Joe suggested that someone can draw the standard VCFed logo using ASCII art, and BBS users can watch it fly by a line at a time when they connect. I endorse that idea!
Joe will answer any technical questions. Keep in mind we selected this approach because it's affordable, low maintenance, and the simplest way to reach the goal. Some people wanted us to use all period hardware, or modern servers that were WAY more than we needed, or a high-end PBX, etc. .... this one is "just right" for us.
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
-- Normal Person: Hey, it seems that you know a lot. Geek: To be honest, it's due to all the surfing I do. Normal Person: So you go surfing? Normal Person: But I don't think that has anything to do with knowing a lot... Geek: I think that's wrong on a fundamental level. Normal Person: Huh? Huh? What?
participants (12)
-
Alan Hightower -
Christopher Blackmon -
Christopher Gioconda -
Dan Roganti -
Ethan -
Evan Koblentz -
Jason Howe -
John Heritage -
Joseph Oprysko -
Matt Patoray -
Tony Bogan -
william degnan