VCF East recap
glenn.f...@gmail.com
This past weekend I was pleased to co-host (along with Darrell Pelan, Joe Travis and Alex Bodnar) an SEBHC presence at VCF East in Wall NJ. First a big thanks to Darrell for taking the lead in organizing a two-table display of equipment that he, Joe and I brought for display. Darrell worked hard in the preceding weeks to polish the presentation materials and develop handouts such as business cards with key SEBHC information and QR-coded displays. And Darrel and Joe both drove all the way from Ohio and Michigan (respectively)! Kudos also to Alex Bodnar who should get some kind of award for longest SEBHC participant in this event – I think 14 years? (he was wearing his original badge from the early days when it was called MARCH).
It was also great to spend time with other long-time contributors here including Lee Hart and Mike Loewen. One of the show’s highlights was a standing-room-only talk by Brian Kernighan (Joe got Brian to autograph his ‘C’ book!). I’m sure the video of that talk (and all the others) will appear on the VCFED web site at some point
I have shared some of the pictures that I took in this Google folder:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wc2gVdkH1PbxFpUL8
If you’re on Facebook there are some pictures there too
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1A8C4pLXHA/
Our table was in a slightly different location this year which made for more traffic but had the advantage of being front-and-center when you entered that room. We had good traffic and lots of engagement from participants. It was a little hard on the feet, back and vocal chords but we survived. We all wore our cool “Heathkit” badges that Darrell 3D-printed!
Some of the things we showed that got particular interest were:
- Les Bird and Wayne Warthen’s RomWBW/H8-based emulation of the MSX gaming environment where Darrell was running Galaga and Galaxian for most of the event. Very popular!
- Darrell’s 3D-printed H8 chassis – really amazing looking!
- Joe Travis’ Votrax and SP0256-AL2 speech synthesizers. Joe put a lot of work into some clever voice demonstrations including a classic Monty Python bit.
- Back-lit Cherry style keyboards for the H8, H9 and H19. I got lots of ooh and aah comments on the cool looking H9. Very retro! Big shout-out to Terry Smedley for his detailed engineering work on these keyboards. They’re great!
- I brought a Z-110 computer for the first time and that was the source of a lot of discussion and reminiscing. The Z100 was a “bridge” machine that could run CP/M-85 (to allow you to use all your old CP/M software) as well as the (then) new MS-DOS.
- The mixture of old and new and how we’re using technologies to preserve and enhance these classic machines was a common discussion theme.
As in previous years I heard from many participants who had some vague familiarity with Heathkit but really didn’t know anything about Heathkit computing. Lots of people commented on the cool classic look of these machines.
So all-in-all it was a great event and Joe, Darrell, Alex and I enjoyed some personal time (including breakfast/dinner at the Princesss Maria diner – when in “Jersey” gotta do the “Jersey diner” thing!). We were pleased to be able to represent SEBHC and spread the word about our preservation efforts and the important contributions Heathkit made in those early days of personal computing.
- Glenn
Joseph Travis
Thank you Glenn, Darrell and Alex! It was great to hang out with you and all the rest at VCF East!
Joe
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/012801dba7ad%240d8c9760%2428a5c620%24%40gmail.com.
Les Bird
norberto.collado koyado.com
Thanks for the pictures and for leading/organizing this event.
Norberto
From:
se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Les Bird <lesb...@gmail.com>
Date: Monday, April 7, 2025 at 2:59 PM
To: SEBHC <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [sebhc] VCF East recap
Very cool pics Glenn! Thanks for sharing. That 3D printed H8 case looks great!
Les
On Monday, April 7, 2025 at 7:10:09 AM UTC-6 Joe Travis N6YPC wrote:
Thank you Glenn, Darrell and Alex! It was great to hang out with you and all the rest at VCF East!
Joe
On Mon, Apr 7, 2025, 7:06 AM <glenn.f...@gmail.com> wrote:
This past weekend I was pleased to co-host (along with Darrell Pelan, Joe Travis and Alex Bodnar) an SEBHC presence at VCF East in Wall NJ. First a big thanks to Darrell for taking the lead in organizing a two-table display of equipment that he, Joe and I brought for display. Darrell worked hard in the preceding weeks to polish the presentation materials and develop handouts such as business cards with key SEBHC information and QR-coded displays. And Darrel and Joe both drove all the way from Ohio and Michigan (respectively)! Kudos also to Alex Bodnar who should get some kind of award for longest SEBHC participant in this event – I think 14 years? (he was wearing his original badge from the early days when it was called MARCH).
It was also great to spend time with other long-time contributors here including Lee Hart and Mike Loewen. One of the show’s highlights was a standing-room-only talk by Brian Kernighan (Joe got Brian to autograph his ‘C’ book!). I’m sure the video of that talk (and all the others) will appear on the VCFED web site at some point
I have shared some of the pictures that I took in this Google folder:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wc2gVdkH1PbxFpUL8
If you’re on Facebook there are some pictures there too
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1A8C4pLXHA/
Our table was in a slightly different location this year which made for more traffic but had the advantage of being front-and-center when you entered that room. We had good traffic and lots of engagement from participants. It was a little hard on the feet, back and vocal chords but we survived. We all wore our cool “Heathkit” badges that Darrell 3D-printed!
Some of the things we showed that got particular interest were:
- Les Bird and Wayne Warthen’s RomWBW/H8-based emulation of the MSX gaming environment where Darrell was running Galaga and Galaxian for most of the event. Very popular!
- Darrell’s 3D-printed H8 chassis – really amazing looking!
- Joe Travis’ Votrax and SP0256-AL2 speech synthesizers. Joe put a lot of work into some clever voice demonstrations including a classic Monty Python bit.
- Back-lit Cherry style keyboards for the H8, H9 and H19. I got lots of ooh and aah comments on the cool looking H9. Very retro! Big shout-out to Terry Smedley for his detailed engineering work on these keyboards. They’re great!
- I brought a Z-110 computer for the first time and that was the source of a lot of discussion and reminiscing. The Z100 was a “bridge” machine that could run CP/M-85 (to allow you to use all your old CP/M software) as well as the (then) new MS-DOS.
- The mixture of old and new and how we’re using technologies to preserve and enhance these classic machines was a common discussion theme.
As in previous years I heard from many participants who had some vague familiarity with Heathkit but really didn’t know anything about Heathkit computing. Lots of people commented on the cool classic look of these machines.
So all-in-all it was a great event and Joe, Darrell, Alex and I enjoyed some personal time (including breakfast/dinner at the Princesss Maria diner – when in “Jersey” gotta do the “Jersey diner” thing!). We were pleased to be able to represent SEBHC and spread the word about our preservation efforts and the important contributions Heathkit made in those early days of personal computing.
- Glenn
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/012801dba7ad%240d8c9760%2428a5c620%24%40gmail.com.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to
sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/5472aa50-38aa-4341-8739-7f4b6b08f655n%40googlegroups.com.
Darrell Pelan
Adrian Stoness
Speaking of VCF anyone going to Montreal next year?
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/e851991d-3517-4297-81bc-e8993dc6366bn%40googlegroups.com.
Lee Hart
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/CAA3rs23v_9sEfMFUS2F2eY%3DgW%3DWcTTyJCBG5%3DdM9P71KSaQAMg%40mail.gmail.com.
glenn.f...@gmail.com
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/CAF__8hfRqtA3Oox3ijJpLa5u77fB2rFRh%3DVmB9Nbj%2B-2EUjoUg%40mail.gmail.com.
Joseph Travis
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/036c01dbaf90%24581c4240%240854c6c0%24%40gmail.com.
norberto.collado koyado.com
Is Lee selling the Altair 800 system in a kit? What is the link to such system?
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/CAGQDgBDDgb-H5RA%3DV7CeiAOPhiETsBq8YBxmjQFwxiTArzrEhw%40mail.gmail.com.
Glenn Roberts
<image001.jpg>
pel...@gmail.com
I found a buy now page
From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Glenn Roberts
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2025 3:39 PM
To: glenn.f...@gmail.com
Cc: se...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [sebhc] Re: VCF East recap
While we wait to hear from Lee, here’s some info I found…
|
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/sebhc/OpVyjiuaxFU/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/6FDDDA8E-7061-4A22-9901-D1D72525C335%40gmail.com.
ocl...@earthlink.net
I think the original question might have been unclear as to which Altair clone was being sought after. In the photo, there was the “Altaid 8800” (Altair 8800 clone in an capable if fitting inside an Altoids tin), as well as a one-off mini-Altair front panel set up to ONLY play the “Kill the Bit” game, using a single IC that is NOT any kind of microprocessor/microcontroller; this is indeed a kit that Lee Hart sells. But in addition to that, Lee used my own kit for a “Kill the Bit” game that uses a single IC (4000 series shift register), but wired it up to his Altair mock-up front panel’s LEDs and switch(es), then used some “twinkle light” LEDs to animate the rest of the front panel.
Paul
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/015801dbafdc%24d5bdc010%2481394030%24%40gmail.com.
ocl...@earthlink.net
Sorry for my earlier email, which I managed to muddle during editing. I just wished to point out that there were TWO different Altair related ‘things’ in the photo that was bouncing around this forum, not just one. The one that actually LOOKS LIKE an Altair, with a front panel having graphics and all, is a special “Kill the Bit” game, while the smaller one is Lee Hart’s “Altaid 8800” kit. I had managed to make it sound like the two were swapped in regard to which one was the kit.
In case anyone is interested, the special “Kill the Bit” game device in the photo was based partially on a kit that I made, and had sent one to Lee, and he built it into his (apparently) one-off device that appeared at the show. MY game was an implementation of an open-source hardware-only classic “Kill the Bit” game that uses a single shift register IC. I still have a few of the kits left over, and don’t plan on making any more. If anyone wants one, send me an email; I think it will appear as part of this message.
Paul Schmidt
From: ocl...@earthlink.net <ocl...@earthlink.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2025 4:20 PM
To: 'se...@googlegroups.com' <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: RE: [sebhc] Re: VCF East recap
I think the original question might have been unclear as to which Altair clone was being sought after. In the photo, there was the “Altaid 8800” (Altair 8800 clone in an capable if fitting inside an Altoids tin), as well as a one-off mini-Altair front panel set up to ONLY play the “Kill the Bit” game, using a single IC that is NOT any kind of microprocessor/microcontroller; this is indeed a kit that Lee Hart sells. But in addition to that, Lee used my own kit for a “Kill the Bit” game that uses a single IC (4000 series shift register), but wired it up to his Altair mock-up front panel’s LEDs and switch(es), then used some “twinkle light” LEDs to animate the rest of the front panel.
Paul
From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of pel...@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2025 4:08 PM
To: se...@googlegroups.com
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/015801dbafdc%24d5bdc010%2481394030%24%40gmail.com.
William Sudbrink
Commodore Z has put up a very nice gallery of photos of VCF East 2025:
https://www.commodorez.com/VCFEXX/index.html
Bill S.
To view this discussion visit https://groupsgoogle.com/d/msgid/sebhc/e851991d-3517-4297-81bc-e8993dc6366bn%40googlegroups.com.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/CAA3rs23v_9sEfMFUS2F2eY%3DgW%3DWcTTyJCBG5%3DdM9P71KSaQAMg%40mail.gmail.com.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/CAF__8hfRqtA3Oox3ijJpLa5u77fB2rFRh%3DVmB9Nbj%2B-2EUjoUg%40mail.gmail.com.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/sebhc/OpVyjiuaxFU/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/6FDDDA8E-7061-4A22-9901-D1D72525C335%40gmail.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/015801dbafdc%24d5bdc010%2481394030%24%40gmail.com.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEBHC" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sebhc+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/005d01dbb06b%247e282130%247a786390%24%40earthlink.net.
Lee Hart
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/SA3PR01MB79183FFB144BEC79B0F1C06CF7BC2%40SA3PR01MB7918.prod.exchangelabs.com.
norberto.collado koyado.com
Thanks Lee for the clarification!
I love the circuit to get +12V and -5V out of the MC34063 DC-DC converter. There is a circuit in the specs that uses a transformer to get +12V and -12V outputs. I will like to buy the transformer to wire-up such circuit. Any idea where I can find such transformer? I’m looking for a small size Transformer. The voltage input is +5V to such circuit to get +12V and -12V.
Attached is the schematic of such circuit.
Thanks,
Norberto
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/CAF__8heN5EZSCeCwDHEy_g5Y3Xoftx8KiTu0FPn5GoHVDhyRdA%40mail.gmail.com.
Lee Hart
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/SA3PR01MB7918575757701B0C47DD21D6F7842%40SA3PR01MB7918.prod.exchangelabs.com.
norberto.collado koyado.com
Thanks Lee for the feedback. I decided to go with a Pololu for the +12V voltage and for the negative voltage I will use the circuit in the specs.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/CAF__8hdpxHr%2BtVd9OBGa-VN_t8BpoQQYMR8e_Wd%3D-Ur8wvE2PQ%40mail.gmail.com.