RetroChallenge 2021/10 Entry: europlus Refurbapalooza Resurrection, Lockdown WOzFests, Scanning, Applesaucing, [NEW] Citizen Science!

RetroChallenge 2021/10
#1

UPDATE: As if I wasn’t crazy enough, I’m taking on another project - and I need your help!

My entry for RetroChallenge 2021/10 has four five parts:

  1. europlus Refurbapalooza Resurrection – my Apple ][ europlus refurbishment project has edged along since my last Retrochallenge entries, but I’ve started to kick up the pace. Can I get all my boards tested by the end of Retrochallenge 2021/10?!
  2. Lockdown WOzFests – to celebrate Retrochallenge 2021/10, I will schedule the next two WOzFests for 2 October and 30 October. Retrochallengers from around the globe should connect in to detail their plans at WOzFest 21, then describe the pain of how they went all awry at WOzFest 22! If we’re out of lockdown, I’ll have attendees! Share the love, pain, frustration, triumphs!
  3. Pirated software manual scans – I have a 13cm pile of photocopied Apple ][ software manuals from WOzFest attendee Neville to scan and upload to the Internet Archive.
  4. Applesaucing – Similarly, I have a metric buttload of disks to image with my Applesauce, gotta just get back to it.
  5. [NEW] Citizen Science – Floppy disks vs Magnets: I’ve seen discussion of magnets affecting disks, I’ve done it myself, and I jokingly place bad disks on WOzFest HQ’s fridge with HD magnets. But magnets are all around us, now, and those into software preservation have to be careful. Join me as I test the effects of the various common (and maybe not so common) magnets in our modern lives on the media we’re here to preserve. If you have equipment to flux image a disk, and some magnets laying around, add your data to the pool so we can spread the warning far and wide – disks and magnets are not BFFs!

Yes, four five projects is a crazy an extra-crazy load to take on, but I’m crazy! Aim for the stars and you’ll blow up on the launchpad, I always say!

Good luck with your entries, can’t wait to see what everyone gets up to!

2 Likes
#4

Good work, and good luck!

1 Like
#5

Hello!

Well, less than a week to go till RetroChallenge 2021/10 starts.

WOzFest RC 21/10 officially kicks off on Saturday 2 October 2021 at 12:00 (UTC+10).

WOzFest 22 officially kicks off on Saturday 30 October 2021 at 12:00 (UTC+11).

I’m taking most of the Friday before each off work to tidy up and prep, so feel free to drop in to day G’day!

Join via Google Meet and have a chat, show me what you’re working on, etc. I may not be around all day during the Fridays, but don’t feel shy, just drop in anyway.

Starting to get excited!

Sean

#6

With Neville’s scans just mark them as ‘Photocopy Source’ somewhere - makes it easier to identify from a list of files if someone else can rescan etc.

2 Likes
#7

Good idea, thanks Jeremy!

I’ll be uploading them as as a single item to IA as per Jason’s recommendation and listing the individual titles in the description - some aren’t scanned anywhere else, so a case of “better than nothing”, but I tell you what, they are very obviously photocopies (of photocopies [of photocopies {of photocopies}]) :rofl:

I’ll look for a metadata tag regarding source in file and/or on IA.

Looking forward to having some attendees at '22 at the end of October!

Talk soon,

Sean

#8

No Gestetners in there at some point?

Who doesn’t love huffing purple ink :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

1 Like
#9

Nope, all photocopies, some have rubber stamps from the Singaporean pirates ship that did the copying and/or distribution.

That company’s still around and in the IT space!

Details at 6*!

Sean

*Well, actually, details in October!

#10

The full announcement post is now up:

#11

Am I crazy for thinking of a fifth project to take on?

It’s going to be a real Julius Sumner-Miller one, though, so a lot of fun (no eggs or milk bottles involved, I promise).

#12

OK, updated entry details above!

#13

I’ve posted some updates at my blog - setup continues, but some progress made, and fun had during WOzFest RC 21/10!

#14

Hey dude.

Just a thought. Some say that rate of change in magnetic field can dramatically change the effect of the field on magnetic media. I think it is bollocks and the field strength is all that is required to flip the magnetism of the particles on the media. I would happily lend you my gauss meter but I am locked out of my primary place of residence in Canberra where it is.

Good luck with your endavours

2 Likes
#15

Sound bollocks to me on the field strengths I’m planning on testing. For floppy media, I think anything that’ll stick on a fridge will impact the data no matter how quickly the field changes.

Talk soon,

Sean

#16

hi Sean,

When I worked in the ATC in Townsville as a technician in the late 90’s, we had large 40 track reel tapes to record various ATC audio from consoles and radios. The tapes were about a foot in diameter and about 1" wide. We had a large magnetic tape eraser to erase these before they were re-used.
This involved placing the tape on top of the unit and rotating the tape several times while holding in the button. The magnetic field was so powerful you could feel the tapes vibrating while you rotated them. You also had to remove your analogue watch if you didn’t want to damage or stop it.

One day I tried to erase some 3-1/2" floppy disks using this eraser and it didn’t work. I think I tried DD disks or they may have been HD disks, but not too sure now.

It will be interesting to see how your tests go.

cheers,
Mark C