Greets from south florida...

[joekster]

Was big into the c64 back in the day. Aways wanted a c128, but could never afford. When I could afford, I went amiga instead. So now I am, many years later - got a cheap c128 from fleabay!!! I hope to really build it out with mouse, ram exp, etc...

I do have some immediate questions. I got donated a box of about 10 vic-1540, 1541 long board, 1541 short board, etc... They were marked as BAD, but some seem to work fairly well. Is there a guide to identify each type of drive. And, is there some sort of repair, alignment, maintenance guide?

Thanks All

[RobertB]

Was big into the c64 back in the day.

Depending how far back in the day you were, did you know anything about the Clearwater Commodore Club, the Computer Club of Jacksonville, the Computer Users Group of SW Florida, El-Shift-Oh (of Melbourne Beach, FL), or the Citrus/Sumter/Lake Commodore Users Group?

I got donated a box of about 10 vic-1540, 1541 long board, 1541 short board, etc... They were marked as BAD, but some seem to work fairly well. Is there a guide to identify each type of drive. And, is there some sort of repair, alignment, maintenance guide?

Hmm, well, there is always Ray Carlsen's website at http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/   Then there are archived manuals/guides at many different places on the Net.  Do a Google search for "Commodore manuals", and you'll have hundreds of thousands of hits.

          FCUG celebrating 30 years,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug
          The Other Group of Amigoids
          http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
          Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
          http://www.sccaners.org

[dr.v]

I used to be a member of the Jensen Beach C= users group (another S. Florida group).  Robert - do you know if there are any members from El-Shift-Oh still active in the C= scene?  I have really been aching to try and start a C= users group in central florida - and Melbourne is certainly part of central florida.

While this question may belong in a seperate post - has anyone successfully started a C= users group in the last decade?  (i.e., not one that was well established in the 80's/90's)?

Tom

[RobertB]

Robert - do you know if there are any members from El-Shift-Oh still active in the C= scene?

No, I haven't heard of any.  It's been years and years since we last received a newsletter from that group, and I'm afraid they've gone under.

...has anyone successfully started a C= users group in the last decade?  (i.e., not one that was well established in the 80's/90's)?

In December, the Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network (SCCAN) celebrated its third year anniversary.  In mid-2010 the Portland Commodore User Group (PDXCUG.org) and the Commodore Computer Club (of Vancouver, WA) were established.  Though not a C= club per se, the Manteca Order of Retro-Gamers (MORG) has been meeting for 4+ years; they have a strong interest in Commodore.

          FCUG celebrating 30 years,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug
          The Other Group of Amigoids
          http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
          Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
          http://www.sccaners.org

[dr.v]

In December, the Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network (SCCAN) celebrated its third year anniversary.  In mid-2010 the Portland Commodore User Group (PDXCUG.org) and the Commodore Computer Club (of Vancouver, WA) were established.  Though not a C= club per se, the Manteca Order of Retro-Gamers (MORG) has been meeting for 4+ years; they have a strong interest in Commodore.

Thanks, Robert.  This is good to know.  I'm tempted to declare myself the sole member of the central florida commodore users group.  Is the acronym CFCUG being used by another group?    If I were more into "social networking media" I'm sure making contact with like-minded people would be easier.  But I'm not the facebook type.

Though I have considered generating interest via a BBS as a point of contact.  In fact I have more than considered it.  I have spent a few months putting it together.  Not entirely sure it will go live yet.  We'll see how things play out.

Tom   

[RobertB]

I'm tempted to declare myself the sole member of the central florida commodore users group.

Well, strictly speaking, a group is comprised of two or more persons. 

Is the acronym CFCUG being used by another group? 

No, it isn't.  However, I think that "Commodore Club of Central Florida" is more mellifluous.  It abbreviates to C³F (which also means "Commander, 3rd Fleet (U.S.)"!).

If I were more into "social networking media" I'm sure making contact with like-minded people would be easier.  But I'm not the facebook type.

Though I have considered generating interest via a BBS as a point of contact.

Especially for a new club, advertising is the key - advertising whether at electronics/computer shops, at the public library bulletin board, at the local university/college, in the local newspaper, in Commodore newsgroups, C= mailing lists, C= forums, and on Facebook/Twitter/MySpace, etc..

          Yeah, FCUG has done most of that,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[Blacklord]

I guess forums like these are the "new" clubs in a lot of ways.

[joekster]

I was realy only active in south florida...
I was a member of the local club: CCCC ( or 4 c's). I believe that it stood for commodore connection computer club. We met once or twice a month at the south florida science museum.

[RobertB]

I was realy only active in south florida...
I was a member of the local club: CCCC ( or 4 c's). I believe that it stood for commodore connection computer club.

Oh, I have never heard of that club.  Are you still able to contact any of its former members?

We met once or twice a month at the south florida science museum.

Interesting!  I've never thought about having user group meetings in a museum (well, last year somebody else made a proposal to start a Seattle Commodore club at the Museum of Communications).

          FCUG celebrating 30 years,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug
          The Other Group of Amigoids
          http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
          Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
          http://www.sccaners.org

[dr.v]

Well, strictly speaking, a group is comprised of two or more persons. 

So here is my perspective - a group is a mathematical structure which consists of a set, S, together with a binary operation, *, such that:

(1) x*y belongs to S for all x,y in S.  (Though closure is inherint with a binary operation so this is a tad bit redundant)
(2) there exists an indentity, e, in S such that e*x=x*e for all x in S
(3) there exists an inverse for every element in S, i.e., for every x in S there is a y in S such that x*y=y*x=e
(4) associativity holds true. That is, (x*y)*z=x*(y*z) for all x,y,z in S

If the group also satisfies

(5) x*y=y*x for all x,y in S (i.e., the group is commutative)

then it's called an Abelian group.

Now to your point.  If we consider the set consisting of just the identity element, i.e., S={e}, under the binary operation e*e=e, you see the above 5 conditions are satisfied.  So my point is, not only can I call myself the sole member of my own group... but I can be the sole member of my very own (trivial) Abelian group which exists solely in terms of my identity.

And the above response to Roberts post, my friends, is precisely why mathematicians find themselves only fitting into groups of one   

However, I think that "Commodore Club of Central Florida" is more mellifluous.  It abbreviates to C³F (which also means "Commander, 3rd Fleet (U.S.)"!).

That is awesome, Robert.  I love it.

Tom

[RobertB]

And the above response to Roberts post, my friends, is precisely why mathematicians find themselves only fitting into groups of one   

You poor, lonely souls! 

          FCUG celebrating 30 years,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug