Forthcoming Cambridge CfCH events: RetroComp.Sale Sun 26th Feb, RCF-Japan 1st&2nd Apr

[Qbertni]

The BCS event has its own Web page, which says

Meet fellow tech enthusiasts, experience new and old technology in our free and open to everyone computing fair for Computer geeks, families/children, students, collectors, IT professionals or simply curious onlookers!

https://herts.bcs.org/events/program...-2023-and-agm/

[ortek_service]

Thanks for the info. I may well go, if it doesn't clash with any other events that day that I might be planning to go to.

Will have to get there quite early, as this event is only from 10am to 2pm - So quite short / an early-finish, compared to the RCS at CfCH ones.

[Pernod70]

Originally Posted by ortek_service

I've just discovered, from this Computer Conservation Society Webpage https://www.computerconservationsociety.org/ (See attched poster, I saved from there) another 'Autumn Computing Fair' Vintage / Retro event that might be of interest
- Although organised by the BCS, and at the (not too far away from CfCH) University of Hertfordshire.
It says stalls are free, but not sure of costs for visitors / if event is free for BCS-members (Although I'm only an IET member, not in BCS as well).

Is this a public event? The website is not clear and it's only on from 10.30-14.00, so not open long.

I graduated from Hatfield in '93 so would be interesting to return to campus after 30 years!

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by Pernod70

Is this a public event? The website is not clear and it's only on from 10.30-14.00, so not open long.

I graduated from Hatfield in '93 so would be interesting to return to campus after 30 years!

Well from what Qbertni said in previous reply post / BCS website link posted:

"Meet fellow tech enthusiasts, experience new and old technology in our free and open to everyone computing fair for Computer geeks, families/children, students, collectors, IT professionals or simply curious onlookers!"
It would seem that it is open to the public, for free, as well.

With exhibitors getting to go in rather earlier, for setting up, from further-info on there (where I not it actually start at 10:30 for visitors, rather than 10am on the flyer posted on the CCS website!):

Refreshments will be available and possibly even pizza courtesy of BCS Hertfordshire!

Event Schedule
9:00 Event setup for exhibitors
10:00 BCS Hertfordshire AGM (room TBC)
10:30 – 2:00 Autumn Computer Fair


Parking advice
Free parking in the car parks on the College Lane campus is available on Saturday. No payment is needed nor do you need to register with UH or Hozah (the parking management company) to attend this event.

For more information on Parking at UH please visit: https://www.herts.ac.uk/contact-us/parking

Download: UH Campus Parking Map (426KB PDF)

[Phil__G]

Can anyone please tell me if the Bring 'n' Byte Sale at the Centre for Computing History (Cambridge) on Sunday August 13th 2023 has replaced the Retrofest meeting? Is it one and the same event?
It was my very first visit last year and I was hoping the 'show-and-tell' format would be repeated, not sure whats happening as theres no 'Retrofest' listed on their site.
A junk sale doesnt sound half as interesting, especially when you're skint and the price of junk has gone through the roof!
Ta v much
Phil

[Timbucus]

The retrofest is not yet listed as the exhibitors are still being gathered and sorted to ensure a good mix of things. It will happen as well as the Bring and Byte next weekend. I cant make that as I planned to go to the ZZAP event (commodore show) which is the same weekend https://theoasisbbs.com/events/zzap-live-2023/

The RetroFest is confirmed for the 4th and 5th of November and I should have a table there - not sure what with yet.

[Phil__G]

Thanks Tim, I replied to your email

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by Timbucus

The retrofest is not yet listed as the exhibitors are still being gathered and sorted to ensure a good mix of things. It will happen as well as the Bring and Byte next weekend. I cant make that as I planned to go to the ZZAP event (commodore show) which is the same weekend https://theoasisbbs.com/events/zzap-live-2023/
>>

Thanks for advance-info on the ZZAP! Live event (having found-out just too-late last-time about their previous 'Crash' event, in Nov'22, you'd also gone to).

I was planning on going to this ZZAP! Live event, as < 1hour's drive from me. But when I tried to get a ticket yesterday, I found that tickets are not available on the door, and advance online tickets are now unfortunately all sold-out! (Both daytime main event & extra Evening event): https://fusionretroevents.co.uk/2023/03/19/zzap-2023/
- Except , strangely, reduced-price daytime tickets for under-12's / Disabled. So I guess they must have reserved a quantity of tickets for people in that category, and not just doing a combined 'venue-capacity' total.

The ticket prices are also strangely quoted Ex-VAT, with additional VAT shown as a separate additional amount. And although no additional booking fees, does mean tickets were relatively-expensive for this at almost £20 for the daytime (before default £5 donation) / almost £40, if you buy evening event as well, plus donate £5.


I'm not sure what the venue capacity is - but apparently the first 300 to buy tickets are due to get a free 'Goody bag':
https://www.indieretronews.com/2023/...th-august.html

But it didn't really look that large (<300?), from photos of previous Crash Live 2022 event: (Under Events Pictures & Videos heading, at bottom of): https://fusionretroevents.co.uk/


I do see they are planning another event in March 2024 - 'Fusion Live' (All formats? this time): https://fusionretroevents.co.uk/2023/03/19/fusion-live/
So will have to look out for exact date / when tickets go on sale for this (I've now subscribed to their email Newsletter list)

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by Timbucus

The retrofest is not yet listed as the exhibitors are still being gathered and sorted to ensure a good mix of things. It will happen as well as the Bring and Byte next weekend. I cant make that as I planned to go to the ZZAP event (commodore show) which is the same weekend https://theoasisbbs.com/events/zzap-live-2023/

The RetroFest is confirmed for the 4th and 5th of November and I should have a table there - not sure what with yet.

Well it seems Timbucus did manage to make the Bring and Byte event after all, as I've just seen this post of a picture of the event with response from Tim about it: https://twitter.com/computermuseum/s...48796366802944

I had considered going, but I still wan't sure what kind of things were being sold at these CfCH sales, and if they were mainly relatively-expensive items rather than cheap deals. But will have to look-out for the next one (I think this was only the second one they've had)

The Bletchley Park TNMoC did used to have a few 'Electrojumble' sales, but mainly seem to be non-computer Electronics & Electricals. Although they also didn't seem too well publicised so I've only been to one of those so-far, several years ago. Although they did hold one a couple of years ago, when (like many Museums) they were still keeping many COVID-19 measures in place.

[Timbucus]

Yes I did make it along mainly because I had assumed the ZZAP event was two days - in the end I was tired and went to bed early on the Sat so was up early enough to take a detour down to Cambridge for the Bring and Byte - I had arranged to pick up my Atom as well that I bought sometime ago so made the journey (430 miles in the end) more enjoyable.

Here are some pictures to give an idea of the range there were around 12 stands plus the museum selling a few odd software items in the foyer.

There was plenty of variety on display for all budgets - most priced very reasonably - I was very tempted by the TRS80 Model IV and one of the many Video Genie units on sale from £130 -£200 for a boxed one.

The Harris trainer / electronics set looked really intriguing some form of 680x CPU but, a little big and pricey for me.

In the end I settled on a lovely condition VIC20 and got a free book and video cable with it

[ortek_service]

Thanks for the pictures. Some quite familiar items there - Looks like an old Cossor 'scope (Like I managed to give away, after being given it), and the odd Oric + lots of Archimedes.

Hopefullly you didn't have to pay too much for the VIC-20 - I recently saw one being sold for £130? at a radio rally (Although the same seller had it at many of these, and not many who be prepared to gamble that much on something with no guarantee of it working).

Luckily I picked-up some VIC-20 / VC-20's for about 20p / free, a few decades ago when they were fairly-worthless (With even much-better C64's also being virtually given away).
But maybe VIC-20's are now quite rare, compared to C64's, as their lack of internal RAM / expandability was always a bit of a limitation.
So needed to plug in different size RAM cartridges, to use some software. Or just have the programs on ROM cartridge, so it didn't need to be resident in RAM.

Although mine are not really in too good condition cosmetically. And some have had a few internal mods - Someone had wired an SRAM IC on veroboard directly to many points on the main board, to expand the RAM without needing to use Cartridges. Whereas it would be much neater / reversible, to have a plug-in daughterboard (The Breadbin case does give quite a bit of height for this, with a failed character RAM being replaced by an EPROM on a triple-stack of IC sockets to adapt the pinout slightly to match in one of mine)

[Timbucus]

No I didn't have to pay much at all and the seller is a m8 so it was fully working, really clean as I said he threw in a video cable / book and it had a games cartridge (space invaders clone) and PSU for £35

Between the two days I came home with quite a haul...

[cmjones01]

I made it to the Bring and Byte sale at CFCH too and, though I was only able to stay for a short time, enjoyed it. I met a few faces which hitherto had only been familiar online, and picked up a couple of useful things: an Adaptec AHA-1542CF ISA SCSI card, with cables, for only a couple of quid, and a lovely Microvitec multisync monitor (made in Bradford, badged here as Electrohome but also known as the Acorn AKF50). I paid about the going rate for it, not especially, but I've been looking for something similar for about 30 years and was able to wheel this one home on the handlebars of my bike. That's got to be safer than shipping it, right?

There were definitely bargains to be had, and plenty of interesting people to talk to.

Chris

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by Timbucus

No I didn't have to pay much at all and the seller is a m8 so it was fully working, really clean as I said he threw in a video cable / book and it had a games cartridge (space invaders clone) and PSU for £35

Between the two days I came home with quite a haul...

Attachment 283432

That doesn't sounds too bad at all these days, for what you got.
And quite-apt you got it, just after the Commodore event.

Hopefully you Atom is similar. I recently started lloking again at the Atom I picket-up from the NVCF (Now Retro-Tech), in Warwickshire for only £10 a few years ago, that's missing a couple of keys and the PSU.
These have a very-strange and uncommon size DC-coaxial Power-Socket: 2.5mm I.D. but 5.0mm O.D. (Rather than usual 5.5mm). But I've now got a plug to suit from Chris, who found them at Mouser.
You also have to be careful that the Internal (not really adequate, when RAM is expanded) twin 5V regulators haven't been bypassed - Especially as Acorn provided links to do this! And I recently picked up a DIY PSU Project, labelled 'Acorn Atom 5V 3A PSU' (although it was missing the output cable).

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by cmjones01

I made it to the Bring and Byte sale at CFCH too and, though I was only able to stay for a short time, enjoyed it. I met a few faces which hitherto had only been familiar online, and picked up a couple of useful things: an Adaptec AHA-1542CF ISA SCSI card, with cables, for only a couple of quid, and a lovely Microvitec multisync monitor (made in Bradford, badged here as Electrohome but also known as the Acorn AKF50). I paid about the going rate for it, not especially, but I've been looking for something similar for about 30 years and was able to wheel this one home on the handlebars of my bike. That's got to be safer than shipping it, right?

There were definitely bargains to be had, and plenty of interesting people to talk to.

Chris

I remember those Adaptec SCSI ISA Cards - I used to use these in the mid 90's, and I'm sure I've still got a couple / a manual for these. But I haven't really used them since then, after the demise of the ISA-slot (Although I still have some old PC's with this slot, with my previous PC I built in the early 2000's having PCI+ISA on the motherboard), plus the decline in the use of SCSI - especially on PC's, but some Acorn HDD etc. interfaces were based around it.

If they hold a third one of these sales, then I'll have to consider going to it - as well as the annual RCF and other specialised systems weekends I've recently gone to there.

[ortek_service]

Well I was intending on going to the BCS Autumn (Vintage) Computing Fair this Saturday, but just looking again through the details that had been linked to at: https://herts.bcs.org/events/program...-2023-and-agm/

It says Cost: Free for Members and non-Members
Booking: Get Tickets: https://herts230923.eventbrite.co.uk/
(Which is separate from 'How to reserve a table(s) contact email)

So it it appears you might need an advance (free) ticket, rather than just turn-up on the day. But unfortunately, the Eventbrite page linked to, says 'Registrations are closed - This event is now closed for any further registrations', even though it was still 2days away.

And rather than risk a 50mile each way journey, to find-out you needed an advance ticket, I think I'll try and contact the organisers to check if this the case, before going.

- Unless anyone else has found out if you can just go on the day.

Originally Posted by ortek_service

Well from what Qbertni said in previous reply post / BCS website link posted:

"Meet fellow tech enthusiasts, experience new and old technology in our free and open to everyone computing fair for Computer geeks, families/children, students, collectors, IT professionals or simply curious onlookers!"
It would seem that it is open to the public, for free, as well.

With exhibitors getting to go in rather earlier, for setting up, from further-info on there (where I not it actually start at 10:30 for visitors, rather than 10am on the flyer posted on the CCS website!):

Refreshments will be available and possibly even pizza courtesy of BCS Hertfordshire!

Event Schedule
9:00 Event setup for exhibitors
10:00 BCS Hertfordshire AGM (room TBC)
10:30 – 2:00 Autumn Computer Fair


Parking advice
Free parking in the car parks on the College Lane campus is available on Saturday. No payment is needed nor do you need to register with UH or Hozah (the parking management company) to attend this event.

For more information on Parking at UH please visit: https://www.herts.ac.uk/contact-us/parking

Download: UH Campus Parking Map (426KB PDF)

[ortek_service]

I've just had a quick reply from the event organiser, Paul, after sending an email to the listed contact (p.moggridge@herts.ac.uk)

And he said "Yes this fine, I have factored in some allowance for walk-ins. So a ticket is not strictly necessary"

So hopefully I'll now be going to this, and looks like anyone else on here who didn't get an advance ticket should probably also be OK to go.

Originally Posted by ortek_service

Well I was intending on going to the BCS Autumn (Vintage) Computing Fair this Saturday, but just looking again through the details that had been linked to at: https://herts.bcs.org/events/program...-2023-and-agm/

It says Cost: Free for Members and non-Members
Booking: Get Tickets: https://herts230923.eventbrite.co.uk/
(Which is separate from 'How to reserve a table(s) contact email)

So it it appears you might need an advance (free) ticket, rather than just turn-up on the day. But unfortunately, the Eventbrite page linked to, says 'Registrations are closed - This event is now closed for any further registrations', even though it was still 2days away.

And rather than risk a 50mile each way journey, to find-out you needed an advance ticket, I think I'll try and contact the organisers to check if this the case, before going.

- Unless anyone else has found out if you can just go on the day.

[Pernod70]

Originally Posted by ortek_service

So hopefully I'll now be going to this, and looks like anyone else on here who didn't get an advance ticket should probably also be OK to go.

Did you go? I'm curious to hear about it and whether it was worthwhile.

[Timbucus]

In the unlikely event that anyone other than me ( ) was planning to go to the Dragon event at CCH the 7th/8th October (weekend after next) then be aware it has had to move venue as the roof works at the museum have overrun so it still can't be used and remains closed...

New site is the "Museum of Technology" same dates (just 20 mins from CCH) : https://www.museumoftechnology.com/c...mputing-meetup

This will be interesting as of course it is the site of the Pye building exhibits...

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by Timbucus

In the unlikely event that anyone other than me ( ) was planning to go to the Dragon event at CCH the 7th/8th October (weekend after next) then be aware it has had to move venue as the roof works at the museum have overrun so it still can't be used and remains closed...

New site is the "Museum of Technology" same dates (just 20 mins from CCH) : https://www.museumoftechnology.com/c...mputing-meetup

This will be interesting as of course it is the site of the Pye building exhibits...

Thanks for highlighting this event, Which I wasn't aware of until this post / recent tweets from 'Here Be Dragons' on X-Twitter (Where I see ZXspectrum - as well as Commodore - are currently trending) summary emails I get.

And I may well be tempted to go to it, as I did finally acquire a complete & working Dragon 32 (/ 64?) a few years ago, after previously only having some surplus Modulator PCB's and the odd interface for these.
Although all my TRS-80 stuff is all Z80, rather than the 6809 their Colour Computer was (with it being similar to Colour Genie?)

It always seemed that the 6809 should have been adopted much-more, as it had a rather extended (compared to earlier 6800 etc. / the 6502) instruction set, making it much-nicer to program. And this instruction set (which probably influenced their later 68000) could have made it the best 8bit uP. So will be interesting to see what other lesser-known computers used it, outside use in some arcade machines (often along with 6502 etc).

I've not been to the Cambridge Museum of Technology before, so it will be interesting to visit this and the Pye collection - I did once go to a radio rally at the old Pye Telecom site after it moved from Addenbrookes. But unfortunately, since many years at Wood Green, now seems to have disappeared.
And I'll need to investigate nearby parking, if there's none on-site that CfCH has, as usually find there's not much free on-street until the evening.

Hopefully CfCH will have re-opened (I wasn't aware it had closed) in time for the annual RCF, next month, as will be good to go to that again.