Current List of Exhibits

Compaq Portable – Ryan Burke

The 4 major revisions of the Compaq portable.

Making Tandy work for you – Adam Brisebois, Michael Casadevall

A selection of Tandy computers from early to late, connected via serial or dial-up to a Linux server, allowing them to be used for modern work. Browse the internet, visit a BBS, print a document, on computers from the 70s to 90s.

Japanese PC Gaming: Late 80s-Early 90s – Lawrence Costella

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the MSX2 and PC-98 derivatives were the most popular choice of personal computers for Japanese consumers. Both had their own unique hardware and software that were not compatible with PCs outside of Japan. The most popular games of the time were visual novels and shoot em ups. This exhibit will feature a PC-9821 running DOS/V from a CF card, an MSX2 in its original configuration, and an MSX2 running a custom Flash Cart that functions as an OS and a hard drive. Each computer will be running a variety of games such as Touhou 1-5, Aleste 1-2, Space Manbow, and perhaps a few all-ages Visual Novels.

The European Clone Invasion – Johan Grip

Johan Grip will show off his Commodore 128 PCB as well VIC-20, C64, C128 and MacSE clone boards to show. Maybe even a Mac SE/30.

Commodore Reborn – Stephen Mayo, Elizabeth Mayo

Experience recently created games and demos on modern reproductions and recreations of classic Commodore systems. Exhibit will include VIC-2020, C64 Reloaded, C64 Ultimate, and Amiga Vampire alongside original systems as a point of comparison.

Unique and Upgraded Vintage Apple Computers – Steven Matarazzo

We’ll be showing off some unique Apples as part of the “computers for the masses” subject. Some of these machines are rare clones, prototypes, or heavily-upgraded specimens that some people have never seen. Others are classic designs and products that many of us grew up using or had in our homes. These machines will be hands-on so people can experience what it was like using these computers back in the day! We’re showing that these old machines still have a lot of life left in them!

S-100 Revue – Mike Loewen

Before the IBM PC’s ISA bus, there was the S-100 bus. Originating with the Altair bus on the Altair 8800, it evolved to the S-100 bus, then the S-100 IEEE-696 bus. With a multitude of boards available from over 100 manufacturers, it offered a great deal of flexibility for systems for hobbyists, business and industry. Early systems were based on 8080, Z80 and 8085 CPUs, with 8088 and 8086 processors coming later. CP/M was probably the most common OS for these machines. On display will be several iconic S-100 systems, including an IMSAI 8080, Sol 20, and a Vector Graphic Vector 1.

Behind the Screens – Jesse Cardone

Our team is back with more reverse engineered shenanigans of obscure cable headend systems. The Weather Stars, developed by The Weather Channel, return to VCF East again, as well as new additions from Prevue Networks (later TV Guide). The Atari-powered EPG Jr and an Amiga-based Prevue Channel systems make their first-time appearance this year. The Weather Channel launched their TV network in 1982 with their newly developed WeatherSTAR system. These were specialized computer systems installed in television cable headends across the country, allowing viewers to get their local weather information, receive lifesaving alerts, and by extension, listen to that catchy smooth jazz. Early machines were custom designed 8-bit computers increasing in complexity with every generation, eventually moving to an SGI based system, then Pentium 4 and beyond. The United Video Satellite Group (UVSG) launched the Electronic Program Guide, the precursor to the Prevue Guide, in 1981. It provided a channel that allowed viewers to see the TV schedule, including current and upcoming programs for each channel in their cable system. In order to produce the channel, each cable headend installed a computer that received a data feed over satellite and generated video output in real-time to form the channel. In 1988, the channel evolved into the Prevue Guide, taking advantage of the unique genlock capability of the Amiga to incorporate video previews of upcoming shows, movies, and pay-per-view events.

Weird Macs and Extreme Resurrections – Michael Stroz

We will have a shared exhibit of some unusual Macs including a Powermac 6500 with every possible upgrade, a medical Quadra 650 in a custom case, and iMac with a voodoo card, a Mac clone or two, etc. The other part of the exhibit will be a small demonstration of resurecting very neglected computers. There will be a formerly mouse infested Apple III, a Mac SE that was left outside for a year, a Mac SE that has been buried in the ground for 6 months, and a Mac Classic that had been left in a dirty warehouse since new. CJ will be attempting to get these working again at the show.

PDP-8 Spacewar and other graphics – David Gesswein

PDP-8/I with AX08 ADC and point plot demoing spacewar and other graphics and signal processing.

Nova 1200: Data General’s Low Cost Minicomputer – Alexander ‘Z’ Pierson

Meet Data General’s third minicomputer: the Nova 1200. Released in 1970, the Nova 1200 embraced the new 74181 single chip ALU to reduce cost and complexity, allowing the machine to fit the entire CPU on one circuit board. Come try the Nova for yourself in Single User BASIC, marvel at the massive circuit boards that make it tick, or watch the beautiful blinkenlights on the front panel.

Fast from the past – Recreating the Amiga 4091 SCSI Host Controller – Stefan Reinauer

The Amiga A4091 is one of only two Zorro III SCSI controllers that was ever developed. Last fall, Chris Hooper and Stefan Reinauer started reverse engineering one of its rare specimen that was found in a lonely, forgotten eBay auction. Four months later, we have a working version of the “ReAmiga 4091”. The exhibition shows the result, and some highlights and lowlights of development.

Dial 1 for IT – Jason Perkins

Comdial PBX, Interchange Voicemail, Vintage Answering machines. See what is going on in the back end with those horrible phone trees. Call in at (732) 456-5010.

Xerox: 50 Years – System Source Museum machine – Robert Roswell, Ryan Burke, Zach Hardesty, museum staff

On exhibit working versions of the Alto, Daybreak, and 820.

Core Memory Interactive Core64 – Andy Geppert

Want to build and interact with your own Core Memory? This is the kit for you. With this kit you get to weave 64 bits of core memory and bring it to life with a magnetic stylus and a matrix of 64 RGB LEDs aligned behind the 64 cores.

TeleVideo – Networked CP/M – Patrick Finnegan

TeleVideo made CP/M based systems in the early 80s that booted off a network server. I will be displaying a couple of models of their system booted off of a modern replacement file server that was built from reverse engineering their system.

Foenix Retro Systems – Michael Weitman (surrogate for Stefany Allaire)

Calling all retro-enthusiasts to meet the newest Foenix systems including the Motorola 68040V-based A2560K system (announced @ VCF East this past October) and the soon-to-be-released dual-CPU capable C256 Gen-X. Foenix Systems is supported by a growing community of developers, users, and makers from across the globe. All Foenix machines feature Stefany’s penchant for classic chip-tune ICs, custom FPGA based tile/sprite multimode graphics and plenty of I/O. Whether you are rekindling retro from the 80’s and 90’s or new to the scene, there is something for you. Three systems, including the WDC 65C816 based C256U+ will there to play with.

Speech Synthesis on 8-bit computers – Eric Rangell

Explore early speech synthesizer hardware and software from the 1980s on the Apple II and TI 99/4a. Exhibits will include SAM (Software Automated Mouth), the Echo ||b, the Mockingboard speech chip, and software that uses the speech module for the TI 99/4a. Listen to demos of each program and make them say your own phrases.

Remembering the ENIAC – Brian Stuart

The ENIAC was an extremely influential system. Many of the women and men who built it and programmed it went on to play important roles in early computing. This exhibit includes scale models of the ENIAC accompanied by multiple simulations of the machine. Visitors are invited to come an carry out a computation on the simulated ENIAC.

Modern TRS-80 Game Development – Pete Cetinski, Alexander Cetinski

TRS-80 Model I computer with several games Pete has developed using modern toolchains. The games are RoundUp! and Breakdown. He will also show the development tools used on a modern MacBook Pro and offer ideas on how to develop your own modern TRS-80 games.

Venerable DEC PDP11/03 – Douglas Taylor

“Sturdy, reliable and flexible, the PDP11/03 was a mainstay in industrial and
research automation environments in the 1980’s. This base model could address
64KB of memory and could be configured with a wide variety of peripherals. This
RAM limitation was lifted when more advanced models of the DEC Qbus PDP11’s
were released. A working PDP11/03 is exhibited that has been configured to
boot from modern disk emulators.”

Vintage Handheld Computers – Dave Shevett

A collection of mobile computing starting with the first programmable calculators up through the smartphone revolution.

DECMate III – A lunch box sized PDP-8 – Stephen Jones

The concept of the original DECmate (1977) was reintroduced as part of Digital Equipment Corp’s Personal Computer Challenge project in 1980. It is one of 3 models offered as DEC’s strategy to compete in the personal computer market. This exhibit features the DECmate III (1984) running both CP/M Z80 and OS/278 6120 modes as well as a terminal mode allowing the DECmate to access remote systems.

Euro-Computer – Thierry Mazzoleni, Jérémy Marsin

Machines with weird keyboard layouts, speaking fluently RGB and eating high voltage for breakfast.

RR Auction Rare artifacts! – Jon Siefken, Bobby Eaton

An Original Enigma Machine and Early Apple Item(s). Other items TBD!

Commodore 1982 – Ethan Dicks

1982 was a big year for Commodore. The biggest news was the announcement and release of the Commodore 64, but it wasn’t the only machine they had. There were several models of PET available, and the VIC-20. This is a slice of what you could get from Commodore all in the that same year.

Selectric – William Donzelli

Selectric terminals that are not 2741s. Variants and weirdos.

Game Development, the computer and the console – Thomas Andrews

The primary focus will be various ways of using a computer to do game development. This will not be “here’s unity” but focusing on Dreamcast, PS1, Xbox 360, PS3 eras. It will use the software and toolchains they would have used. It will feature a very rare piece of gamecube development hardware as one of the main features. There will be rotating demos of hardware to keep the presentation fresh throughout.

We are actively hoping to get in touch with a developer to create some form of demo that’s more than something provided by the SDKs as well.

A Tale of Two Apples – Dan FitzGerald 

A demonstration of an Apple II Plus, an Apple Macintosh 512Ke, and an Apple ImageWriter II dot matrix printer, along with a description about the work that was done to restore those systems. For the Macintosh, a description of what I learned about working with the internal CRT and recapping parts of the board. For the Apple II Plus, I will talk about the condition the machine was found in, my first exploding RIFA, fixing the Disk II drive, my search for a CRT, and making working boot disk images from scratch. Both computers and the printer will be available for use by the general public.

“You can take it with you”: Meeting the IBM PC Portable (5155) – Dan FitzGerald 

This will be an IBM PC Portable (5155) connected to an IBM PC Graphics Printer (Epson MX-80). The exhibit will discuss the capabilities and history of the machine, the condition in which I found the machine, how I learned how to solder and solder my first PCB, and how the XT-IDE can be used to give this machine a 2GB solid state hard drive. This exhibit will be available as a continuous live demo, and people can use the software and the printer.

Early Power PC- Connor Krukosky and Ian Primus

Power Series IBM desktop running OS/2 Warp. All things PowerPC including the desktop, PowerPC based ThinkPad, various PowerPC macs, and other assorted PowerPC goodness.
There will also a BeBox will be on display.
Pimp Your Amiga – Amiga Bill

The Amiga community is thriving and there are numerous new modifications you can do to your Commodore Amiga computer. AmigaBill will demonstrate new cases, key caps, mechanical keyboard, SD card floppy drive replacement, the BiFrost LED project, the Solas LED project, TF1260 card, PiMiga 2.0 and more!

 FujiNet – Modern Connectivity for Vintage Computers – Jeff Piepmeier

FujiNet began as a network adapter for Atari 8-bit personal computers and has grown into a multiuse all-purpose peripheral targeting multiple vintage computers. The current hardware is based on the ESP32-WROVER module with a microSD card for holding disk images, configuration files, and pdf printer output. Firmware provides wireless access to disk images stored in the cloud using the TNFS protocol. Other “protocol adapters” provide a streamlined interface to telnet, http, ftp, etc. Units for Atari 8-bit (using SIO) and Coleco Adam (using AdamNet) computers have been released with open source hardware and software. The exhibit features hardware and software in active development targeting Apple II (using SmartPort/Protocol Converter) and a first time reveal of work on the Commodore 64 (using IEC).

CONFIRMED VENDORS:

Jeff’s Vintage Electronics
Tucson, AZ
E-mail: jeffs.vintage.electronics@gmail.com
S100 boards, 8 bit trainers, Apple ][ parts, computer terminals, electronic components, miscellaneous vintage computer parts.

Francis Bernier – Commodore 64 related accessories. Website: http://3dpxl.com/

Eli Tomlinson – Vintage computer software – C64, Amiga, Apple II, DOS. Website: https://elisoftware.org/

RETRO Innovations – Jim Brain – Contemporary Components for Classic Computers: Commodore, TI, TRS-80, and more. Website: https://store.go4retro.com/

Johan Grip – C128 Neo Website https://c128.se/