Denial

I found a nice VIC in the box on Ebay the other day, and since I have been saving my coffee money, I decided to add it to my collection.
This is the first time I have purchased anything from EBay USA, but since shipping in Canada costs 5x the price of the item due to the use of snow machine couriers, I decided to give it a go.

3 days after purchase, I get this funny warning...

Dear Brad,

We are writing to inform you that your GSP order is currently under review for potential prohibited items and may experience a delay of 3-5 business days.

Woah, I had no idea that a VIC was such a dangerous item!
But on further contemplation, I can see how it could be used to cause harm...

1) Connecting the VIC to an active nuclear power station to run the core cooling system and forgetting to pop the stack in your control code.

2) Thwarting national security by sending classified documents over a 150 baud connection using punter protocol.

3) Using the VIC as a daily computer to avoid the subliminal brain washing that is today's news.

4) Beating someone to death with the AC power transformer.

So I shall sit back and wait as the geniuses at EBay national border security examine my prohibited VIC2-20.
I think we need a National VIC Registry so they know we are going to be responsible VIC owners.

Doh!
Brad

Dang! Someone must have told them of my newest project ...

Your enhanced video modes are letting Big Brother spy on you by reading the Van Eck Radiation from your CRT!
Better keep that model 1600 unplugged from the land line while you work!

Mike wrote:Dang! Someone must have told them of my newest project ...

Radical Brad wrote:Your enhanced video modes are letting Big Brother spy on you by reading the Van Eck Radiation from your CRT! Better keep that model 1600 unplugged from the land line while you work!

Unlikely. I'm working in a completely shielded environment with no chance for EM waves to leak out. Even cell phones don't work. Power is supplied by a local Diesel generator. And between the third and second glasses of the 4-glass metallized window pane, loud Rock music is playing.

If I were you, I'd check the KERNAL ROM for any inserted root kits, in case your VIC-20 still makes its way.

Good plan.

I may have to replace all ROMs in case they meticulously duplicated the look of the original, replacing the insides with some type of radiation hardened ASIC that functions normally on the VIC bus, but later transmits encoded bursts of stored information when the bus is powered down.

Come to think of it, they could have done this to any of the ICs, or even embedded the circuit in between layers of the PCB, making an exact copy of the original, including all aging characteristics.

I need a giant Faraday cage like the one you described for your lab!
Being on a budget, I will have to convert my C-Can into a shielded lab.
I't's going to be cold out there, but well worth the added security.

I like your window system as well.
It will certainly thwart this device!...



http://www.lucidscience.com/pro-laser%2 ... ice-1.aspx

... damn EBay spies.

Brad

Mike wrote:

Radical Brad wrote:Your enhanced video modes are letting Big Brother spy on you by reading the Van Eck Radiation from your CRT! Better keep that model 1600 unplugged from the land line while you work!

Unlikely. I'm working in a completely shielded environment with no chance for EM waves to leak out. Even cell phones don't work. Power is supplied by a local Diesel generator. And between the third and second glasses of the 4-glass metallized window pane, loud Rock music is playing.

If I were you, I'd check the KERNAL ROM for any inserted root kits, in case your VIC-20 still makes its way.

Why do you think I live so close to INL...

Radical Brad wrote:Woah, I had no idea that a VIC was such a dangerous item!
But on further contemplation, I can see how it could be used to cause harm...

Now now... who is the nincompoop who decided to use a MOS 6502 to control nuclear missile systems back in the late 70s?

Whoever you may be, you are BANNED!

"SIR--STRATEGIC COMMAND HAS SENT US A LUNCH ORDER."











...

Got a good chuckle form that one.
... and then I starting thinking about how something like that could be a reality in these crazy days!

Looks like my VIC is finally on its way from "inspection".
They probably unboxed it to play Jupitar Lander for a few days.

Brad

Mike wrote:"SIR--STRATEGIC COMMAND HAS SENT US A LUNCH ORDER."

A lot of postal services prohibit the sending of electronic items, especially with batteries.

Software manuals have a lot of clauses in about export/import - the US manual for the GoDot image software on Commodore 64 explicitly informs you that it must not be used to run a nuclear reactor...

merman wrote:A lot of postal services prohibit the sending of electronic items, especially with batteries.

Yeah, some lithium batteries can catch fire, especially if shipped fully charged. You can always write 'NO BATTERIES' on the box when shipping electronic stuff to avoid problems.

Software manuals have a lot of clauses in about export/import - the US manual for the GoDot image software on Commodore 64 explicitly informs you that it must not be used to run a nuclear reactor...

Duh! Is it really necessary to specify it shouldn't be used to control a medical heart/lung machine ?

I have always been interested in dangerous machines and defying technical rules that state either things I should not do, or things that should not work.

Perhaps one day I may join the expanding list of now 38 DIY nuclear reactor creators.

http://www.bbc.com/news/10385853

If I ever go down that road, I am making a promise here that I will absolutely control it using my VIC-20.
It's really not all that far fetched, and I do plan to have the garage space one day.

Just sayin!
Brad

merman wrote:A lot of postal services prohibit the sending of electronic items, especially with batteries.
Software manuals have a lot of clauses in about export/import - the US manual for the GoDot image software on Commodore 64 explicitly informs you that it must not be used to run a nuclear reactor...

Radical Brad wrote:Perhaps one day I may join the expanding list of now 38 DIY nuclear reactor creators.

http://www.bbc.com/news/10385853

If I ever go down that road, I am making a promise here that I will absolutely control it using my VIC-20.
It's really not all that far fetched, and I do plan to have the garage space one day.

A specific portion of the adventure game 'Maniac Mansion' invites me to suggest you use an outdoor swimming pool as a means of cooling it.

Radical Brad wrote:Perhaps one day I may join the expanding list of now 38 DIY nuclear reactor creators.

DIY nuclear fission reactors are sooo 70'ies.

Ya need the blue print for a Fusion Power Plant? Look here: ITER.

Very cool!
I wonder how this conversation may go?...

Honey, I am going to build an exact replica of the Tokamak Fusion Generator in the basement.
The good news is that we will no longer need the backup generator.
The bad news is that we will no longer have a basement.

Brad

Mike wrote:

Radical Brad wrote:Perhaps one day I may join the expanding list of now 38 DIY nuclear reactor creators.

DIY nuclear fission reactors are sooo 70'ies.
Ya need the blue print for a Fusion Power Plant? Look here: ITER.