C64 spotted !
LaFlamme
I just got back from holidays and im all excited to let everyone know what
i came across during my 2 week absence from the real world. I live in
british columbia canada and we have quite a few power generating dams here.I
took my family to the revelstoke dam which is a pretty good sized dam. Wider
than hoover and almost as tall. I had just gotten into the visitor center
and started to look around when i spotted a 1702 monitor sitting on a
shelf.It had some text running on it and i really didnt think too much of
it.That is until i recognized the font as that of the C64. I just about
shit!!It really surprised me so i went over and asked the lady at the info
desk if it was a C64 running in the background.She said yes and that it
refreshes every 15 seconds with updated info on the power being generated by
each turbine at the dam. I asked her if i could have a look at it so she
took me into a room right behind the 1702 and there it was. Not even a disk
drive but just a c64, a power supply, a modem, and a cartridge in the cart
port that was labelled "visitor center C64" At my request the lady tilted
up the commodore so i could have a look at the writing on the cartridge.I
thought it was pretty cool and she set it back down and out i went with a
big smile on my face. I get back out to the monitor to have a closer look at
the info that the c64 was presenting and there it was, A syntax error! oops!
somehow when the lady tilted up the machine it caused the program to crash.
I felt bad for a minute thinking that i had somehow just screwed up their
computer that had been running flawlesly for the last 18 years or so.But it
was not a problem.I watched as she hit the power button and when the screen
came back on it said something about the modem trying to connect and within
about 5 seconds it had connected and had started the program on the cart and
had updated the info for each of the 4 turbines that run 24/7/365 at the
dam.I peered at the monitor for a few minutes taking in the info it was
showing me and just sat their in awe thinking how great it was to see a
little ole c64 still in good use .I saw a lot of things on my 2 week journey
all over the province but that was definetely the highlight for me :)
Leo
BardCat
<comm...@vic20mail.zzn.com> wrote:
>when i spotted a 1702 monitor
*jizz*
--
And then I ate the bowl.
mykrowyre
that function! Constant crashes, hardware failures, people solitaire on
it... custom background pictures...arrrghhhh... hurray for simplicity.
-tom
A E
Don't forget the squadrom of MCSEs for formatting floppies and booting
CD-ROMs...
Robert Bernardo
> Hey all,
> I just got back from holidays and im all excited to let everyone know what
> i came across during my 2 week absence from the real world. I live in
> british columbia canada and we have quite a few power generating dams here.I
> took my family to the revelstoke dam which is a pretty good sized dam. Wider
> than hoover and almost as tall. I had just gotten into the visitor center
> and started to look around when i spotted a 1702 monitor sitting on a
> shelf.It had some text running on it and i really didnt think too much of
> it.That is until i recognized the font as that of the C64. I just about
> shit!!It really surprised me so i went over and asked the lady at the info
> desk if it was a C64 running in the background.She said yes and that it
> refreshes every 15 seconds with updated info on the power being generated by
> each turbine at the dam.
What a great story! If you don't mind, I'll use this story in
our Interface newsletter.
Wanting to visit B.C.,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
James Alexander
That tops my 64 sighting earlier this spring when I spotted a 64c in the display
case of a surplus pc dealer here in toronto. If he'd had the power supply I
wold have tried to buy it from him.
LaFlamme
"Robert Bernardo" <rber...@value.net> wrote in message
news:f890d44d.0208...@posting.google.com...
Hi Robert,
I dont mind at all actually. If you want to hear the story on how i
came across a copy of " Ultima -Escape from Mt.Drash" for the Vic 20 and a
few other rare titles, Thats another good one as well. :)
Leo
LaFlamme
"James Alexander" <james-m-...@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:3D6169C0...@rogers.com...
Hi James (did you ever see if that company had ram for my laptop)
Alexander,
Are c64's that uncommon over there? I run into them quite often over
here, but i have so many of them i rarely buy any.Also our local dump here
has a swap shed where people drop off unwanted goods and you can take stuff
home if you want . A few weeks ago i came across a 1902, c128 and 1571 disk
drive with a printrer interface and some cabling.Nice find i must say.I ve
rescued a few c64's from there as well. That reminds me of a disk drive i
had sold to a guy one time.Another long but very creepy story. lol
Leo
cbromley
Chris
www.rexxis.com
"LaFlamme" <comm...@vic20mail.zzn.com> wrote in message
news:Dcg89.177294$f05.9...@news1.calgary.shaw.ca...
Marc Walters
[snip]
> rescued a few c64's from there as well. That reminds me of a disk drive i
> had sold to a guy one time.Another long but very creepy story. lol
That's now TWO stories you have to tell us! Please.
Marc
White Flame (aka David Holz)
> Hi Robert,
> I dont mind at all actually. If you want to hear the story on how i
> came across a copy of " Ultima -Escape from Mt.Drash" for the Vic 20 and a
> few other rare titles, Thats another good one as well. :)
Did you sell it to Edward Franks for the $250 he was offering? :)
--
White Flame (aka David Holz)
http://www.white-flame.com/
(spamblock in effect)
LaFlamme
I guess it was about 8 years ago now.How time flies. I was living in a
small town and was about 24 years old.My girlfriend and I decided to take a
trip down to williams creek. We jumped in the 4x4 and headed off for the
small river valley. This was quite the trip actually, The bridges that
crossed the creek/river had been washed out along time ago and we had to
cross the creek about 12 times before we made it to the final destination of
the fraser river.If you look at a map of the province of B.C. and see
williams lake, not to far from it is the fraser river. Anyway about halfway
to the fraser is a spot called the ashtray. the ashtray is a huge, almost
half pipe shaped area where the creek has carved away the soil for many
years.We normally go to the top of this cool but dangerous place and chuck
stuff off the top of it. Car tires still mounted on the rim, filled with
air, would rocket down the 900 ft slope after taking a 300 ft straight down
drop from the top. Some people in the town have even fallen off this
thing. A few have lived - most dont - including 2 sisters i went to school
with.But thats another story.So my girlfriend and I stopped at the bottom
and have a look around. We see about 5 pay phones that had been ripped off
the poles and thrown over, lots and lots of tires and shopping carts and all
sorts of other stuff. I was walking along when i noticed a warranty reply
card that had the words "sierra on line" on it.I recognized the way the
words were written from software i had for my c64.I start to look around and
all of a sudden im noticing boxed software strewn about the hillside like
somebody had just peppered their eggs. I remember finding some romox titles
for the vic 20 .Princess & frog and typo to be exact .Also i pick up a few
titles for the apple and the c64 but these were on tape.I look at the boxes
and realize that this software came from a small computer store that was in
business back in the early eighties selling vic20 and c64 software.I
remembered that the price stickers they used at the time looked exactly like
these did.Ok , i ll gather it all up and take it with me.
"Oh look at this", im thinking, "hmm.....fort apocalypse cartridge for the
atari 400/800 with box and warranty card" ,"Cool"."Oh and whats this?
Ultima- Escape from Mt Drash for the Vic 20, Neat-o." I went home that day
with about 30 titles of different software and even some doubles. Its too
bad that who ever threw it off the ashtray didnt advertise them first in the
local paper.I would bet a million that these were all mint condition
shrinkwrapped games before the big toss. I also think sometimes that
something meant for me to find these. I mean what were the chances of me
finding these delicate boxed software titles before a few good stiff rains
had come along and ruined them all.As it is , the fall from the top of the
cliff had scuffed most of the packaging up pretty bad .Thank god it left the
inside of the packaging still completely mint.I still have that box full of
software in my basement here. The box is clearly labeled " Vic20 software
found in williams creek" Just so there is no confusion as to where it came
from. Like there would be! :)
Leo
"cbromley" <cbro...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:Aqg89.222796$L02.10...@news1.west.cox.net...
cbromley
ANYTHING of value to me, let alone a rare title like that! Thanks!!
"LaFlamme" <comm...@vic20mail.zzn.com> wrote in message
news:ozk89.176739$Ag2.9...@news2.calgary.shaw.ca...
LaFlamme
"Marc Walters" <ma...@objectconnections.com> wrote in message
news:1Bi89.581$N5.4...@nasal.pacific.net.au...
Alrighty, heres this story. Ive never had such a creepy strange feeling in
my life as this.When i was living in Williams lake about 8 years ago, I
decided that i had too much commodore stuff for one guy and decided to sell
off a system. I got
together a c64, a 1541 disk drive, printer, some software titles and all the
cableing and put an advertisment in the local paper.I was asking $200 for
the whole lot. It was a little high for the times, but i thought i'd give it
a try and see if anyone bites. One particular thing about the disk drive i
included in the lot was that i had engraved my social insurance number into
the bottom of it. I had bought that drive for $300 from a kid at school back
in '84 and felt it needed the extra security numbers on it. Anyways, about 5
days later i get a call from a guy who says he's passing through Williams
lake after a trip to Vancouver(about 6 hours south of Williams lake) and
would like to have a look at the computer I have for sale. He tells me he is
on his way home to Dawson creek (about 7 hours north of Williams lake) and
is staying the night in town and will stop by tomorrow to have a look. I
accept the arrangement and hang up the phone thinking that he prolly wont
come by. The next day i get a knock at the door and its the guy who I had
talked to on the phone.I invited him in and started to show him the setup
that was hooked up to my tv and he seemed quite interested in it. Within 15
minutes he was sold and didnt even deal wih me on the price.I packed it all
up for him and just before he left he asked me that if he had any problems
with running it if i would help him over the phone. I said of course and
gave him my number. So many moons later, my girlfiend and i pick up
everything and move to a small city called Prince George. Its about 2.5
hours north of Williams lake and is a much bigger center.Life is going good
and we decide to settle down and have kids. 2 baby boys later and about 8
years goes by and one day im heading to the local dump with a bunch of
garbage and the intention of stopping off at the swap shed to see if there
is any goodies kickin around.While inside , I notice a lonely 1541 drive
sitting there in pretty dirty condition and think to myself that ill grab it
for parts.I pick it up and start to flip it over when i notice some numbers
on the bottom of it. I start to read them and my thoughts are that these
numbers are someones social insurance number. What the Heck!? ...HUH!. This
is my social insurance number! What? How? Who? HOLY SHIT ! This is the drive
i had sold to buddy 8 years ago!! (10 years ago now) WHOA!! I need to sit
down here! This is too weird! I had the weirdest sinking feeling come over
me. Why? Im not really sure but even thinkin about the feeling i had back
then ,right now, i get shivers. I still have the drive. It needed a severe
cleaning but it still works. Thats one not-so-common 1541 drive find ill
never forget. :)
Leo
LaFlamme
> Wow.. that really is a great story... I can't remember the last time I
found
> ANYTHING of value to me, let alone a rare title like that! Thanks!!
>
Hey, your welcome and thank you too! That story is the truth the way i
remember it and its prolly the coolest commodore find ive ever had. :)
Leo
LaFlamme
"White Flame (aka David Holz)" <whitef...@y.a.h.o.o.com> wrote in message
news:ajsi27$1n6i$1...@barad-dur.nas.com...
> "LaFlamme" <comm...@vic20mail.zzn.com> wrote in message
> news:Dcg89.177294$f05.9...@news1.calgary.shaw.ca...
> > Hi Robert,
> > I dont mind at all actually. If you want to hear the story on how i
> > came across a copy of " Ultima -Escape from Mt.Drash" for the Vic 20 and
a
> > few other rare titles, Thats another good one as well. :)
>
> Did you sell it to Edward Franks for the $250 he was offering? :)
>
No I didnt , He offered me the full $300 but i decided that as a
collector i wanted to keep it for myself.
I made a mp3 file of the game for anyone who wants it.Its about 4 megs so
youll need to send me a proper email address to recieve it im guessing. All
you have to do is hook up a tape recorder to your computer and record the
noise back to cassette. If your really carefull about the whole process im
sure it will work great for you. The game requires 8k ram to play and its
actually a really cool game. Its funny there isnt more copies of it
surfacing out there.As far as I know, Edward and I are the only 2 that have
boxed copies of it.His is in better shape than mine for reasons i explained
in another post. Enjoy!
Leo
--
Im looking for Commodore Cartridges! Got any?
Check out my tradelist at http://www.commodore64.allhell.com
And my want lists too!
Dr. Video
it. It wants to load copy protected software again. Do as it says, or it
will harm you!
(key twilight zone music)
"LaFlamme" <comm...@vic20mail.zzn.com> wrote in message
news:84l89.179601$f05.9...@news1.calgary.shaw.ca...
Wildstar
"Dr. Video" <jhall...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:I9u89.278786$L02.10...@news1.west.cox.net...
Marc Walters
> Ok, Here it goes.
>
> I guess it was about 8 years ago now.How time flies. I was living in a
> small town and was about 24 years old.My girlfriend and I decided to take
a
> Ultima- Escape from Mt Drash for the Vic 20, Neat-o." I went home that
day
> with about 30 titles of different software and even some doubles. Its too
> bad that who ever threw it off the ashtray didnt advertise them first in
the
> local paper.I would bet a million that these were all mint condition
> shrinkwrapped games before the big toss. I also think sometimes that
This is my favourite of all the "How I found all this CBM stuff" stories
read in c.s.c over the years. Thanks for posting it.
Marc