Prior Fest: 2025 EXHIBITORS / VENDORS
​Exhibit: The Southern Amis Projects (Sponsor)
Amis
Location: E23
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The Southern Amis Projects designs, restores, preserves, and runs Atari Bulletin Board Systems. Supporting a strong community of enthusiasts, built around the AMIS (Atari Message Information System) legacy, providing a retro to modern experience.
Exhibit: Diagnosis, Repair, and Modification of Retro Computers (Sponsor)
Jason Moore
Location: E24
Retro computers from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s are prone to failure for a wide variety of reasons. This exhibit will feature tips and information for diagnosis, troubleshooting, and repair of circuit boards. This includes using an oscilloscope to probe problematic chips and the removal and replacement of failure-prone capacitors. We will also provide some example modifications and upgrades that can enhance old computers for modern fun. We will use an Atari 800XL, a classic Macintosh, and an Amiga 500 as examples.
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Exhibit: 'For the Love of Q*bert' (Sponsor)
The VintNerd
Location: E31
For the Love of Q*bert: A Tribute to my Wife (aka Showrunner Micki). Come show your love of Q*bert, playing the iconic game on a variety of platforms. Take a selfie with Q*bert. Write a Q*bert themed card for your valentine. Everybody loves Q*bert, right??
https://www.youtube.com/TheVintNerd
Exhibit: Levi’s Retro Bridge (Sponsor)
Levi
Location: E21
Explore the fascinating intersection of old and new technology at Levi’s Retro Bridge! Blending vintage computing with modern innovation, this year, Levi is showcasing a dynamic video wall of CRTs, classic machines –like the Apple IIGS and Commodore 64 – and modern, connections and displays that create a bridge between the nostalgic charm of the past and the cutting-edge possibilities of technology today.
Exhibit: Maker Faire Orange County (Sponsor)
Ethan Coulter
Location: E3
Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these "makers" to show hobbies, experiments, projects.
We call it the Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth - a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness.
Glimpse the future and get inspired!
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PCBWay (Sponsor)
Location: Registration Desk
PCBWay Coupon Cards & PCB Board Rulers being handed out at the VCF SoCal Registration Table; while supplies last.
Vendor: Aquarius+ (Sponsor)
Aquarius+
Location: V3
Displaying & Selling Aquarius+ systems (new) and original, refurbished original Mattel Aquarius computers.
Checkout a clip of Aquarius+ at last year's fest!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF2s2qcEsbQ&t=4026s
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Vendor: Reimplementing the TRS-80 Model 1: A RetroStack Replica (Sponsor)
RetroStack LLC
Location: V11
Step into the legacy of the TRS-80 Model 1 with RetroStack’s faithful 1:1 reimplementation, capturing every aspect of this classic computer. This exhibit showcases a trace-by-trace reproduction of the main board, alongside recreated plastic parts, replica MX keyboard with custom keycaps, and a fully replicated case. Most parts on display will also be available for purchase, offering enthusiasts a unique chance to own a modern piece of computing history.
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Vendor: MDCon (Sponsor)
MDCon
Location: V5
MDCon is dedicated to preserving and promoting MiniDisc technology through engaging, in-person gatherings around the world.
Vendor: Comics & Video Games (Sponsor)
Ray's Comics & Collectibles
Location: V4
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Displaying & Selling Comic Books, Video Games and Disney Collectibles
https://www.instagram.com/rayscomics
Vendor: Learn to Solder Booth!
FutureVision Research
Location: V1
FutureVision Research provides electronic kits for students and hobbyists. Stop by our soldering area, purchase a VCF SoCal keytag and learn how to solder - we'll have all the tools needed. Check out our take-home learn to solder kits, too!
Click here to join our wait list and we’ll set aside a badge for you to purchase when you visit our booth: https://www.fvresearch.com/vcfsocal-badge
Vendor: FujiNet Demos & Sales
FutureVision Research
Location: V2
FutureVision Research is a fabricator of FujiNet interface devices. FujiNet’s for multiple platforms will be available for sale, including versions for the Atari 8-bit, Apple II & III, Coleco ADAM, and Tandy CoCo 1, 2, & 3.
Vendor: Vintage Computer Parts & Accessories
Jeff’s Vintage Electronics
Location: V7
Selling vintage chips, Apple ][ parts, PC parts, cables and other vintage goodies.
Vendor: Modern Storage Solutions for Retro Machines
Rabbit Hole Computing
Location: V8
Rabbit Hole Computing will be displaying & selling its latest SCSI, IDE, and SATA-based storage solutions, including our 32-bit PCI SATA Hard Card and ZuluIDE, our new ATAPI CD-ROM/Optical Disc Emulator, as well as various other retrocomputing accessories we've designed and manufactured.
https://shop.rabbitholecomputing.com
Vendor: Old School Gamer Subscriptions
Old School Gamer
Location: V17
Selling subscriptions to our magazine.
Vendor: Obsolete Computer Technology
NSI Company
Location: V15
Selling old computers, peripherals, terminals and monitors.
Vendor: Computing, Gaming, and Accessories
GS Collectibles
Location: V9
Selling Vintage: Laptop computers, computer games, console games, gaming consoles, accessories. Computer and gaming related collectibles.
https://www.instagram.com/caballerodebronce/
Vendor: Wifi Retromodems and Terminals
Tattler Solutions, LLC
Location: V10
Wifi Retromodem replacements for both Hayes and USRobotics Modems. We will also be showing a VT100 emulator.
Vendor: VintageTech
Sellam Ismail
Location: V18
Computers and Books for sale
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Vendor: Amiga Upgrades and BlueSCSI
Amiga of Rochester
Location: V13
Amiga upgrades from Individual Computers, BlueSCSI
Vendor: The Hot Holder
Rick Wilkinson, Owner
Location: V6
Made in the USA, **The Hot Holder** is a game-changing soldering tool for bench technicians, hobbyists, and manufacturing. Throw away everything with an alligator clip! Thousands of customers say they can't live without it, and use it on every project!
Vendor: The Ogaek Store
The Ogaek Store
Location: V16
Computers (and related items), Video Games, Electronics, Related books/magazines, and Toys (like Hot Wheels)
https://www.ebay.com/usr/the_ogaek_store
Vendor: The Apple Doctor's Apples
The Apple Doctor's Apples
Location: V19
We are selling off our late fathers collection of Apple computers, accessories and software. Our father was "the Apple Doctor" for over 30 years specializing in Apple and Macintosh computer repairs and accessories. We will have everything from CD-ROMs to a few of the elusive Apple Lisa II units and parts. Stop on by and see if there's anything your collection needs, I know he would have loved someone to get enjoyment out of them.
Vendor: New Retro Games
Monsoon Studios
Location: V14
Newly developed NES games
Vendor: Highest Standards LLC
Highest Standards
Location: V12
Vintage computer computers and hardware
Vendor: Official Festival Swag
VCF SoCal
Location: V21
Head to the foyer to purchase the Official Festival T-shirts, Hats & Other Goodies
Exhibit: Jeri's Rare Machines
Jeri Ellsworth
Location: E39
Rare Machines from Jeri's collection
Exhibit: Librascope/General Precision LGP-21
Usagi Electric
Location: E22
This is a Librascope LGP-21 computer from 1963. It is a fully transistorized, cost-reduced version of the Librascope LGP-30 vacuum tube computer from the 1950s. Instead of a rotating drum memory, it utilizes a "RAM disk," essentially a hard disk platter with fixed heads that works as the Random Access Memory.
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Exhibit: Project IVY
Katarina Melki
Location: E35
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I am an avid collector and restorer of IBM ThinkPads. My collection includes the very first ThinkPad notebook, the 700C. The famous "Butterfly", the 701C. The rare and early 2-in-1 notebook/tablet, the 360P. The strange mashup of subnotebook and writing pad, the ThinkPad Transnote. The cute and tiny, Japan-exclusive, IBM Palm Top PC 110. I also have a small collection of other non-IBM palm top PCs. Stop on by to try all these machines out and see what other weird and wonderful machines I come across.
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Exhibit: Commander X16
Troy Ablan
Location: E37
Two Commander X16 (modern 65C02/65C816-based) systems, small MIDI keyboard controller, computer keyboards, mouse, LCD (19") and CRT (15"). small sound bars.
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Exhibit: Retro Acceleration
Michael J Conrad
Location: E36
Will show and demonstrate several Macintosh SE and SE/30 machines running various vintage accelerators from 5+ vendors. Additionally will show some other Macs running accelerators as well.
Lastly, will show and demonstrate Windows 11 and Haiku-OS computers sharing files via freeware I developed with retro Macintosh computers using AppleShare IP.
Exhibit: History of the CMA
Computer Museum of America - San Diego
Location: E26
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Photos, videos, and CMA-logo items from the gift shop illustrating the history of the Computer Museum of America in San Diego, from its founding by Jim & Marie Petroff in the 1980s to having its own building downtown, to its eventual demise - and potential future in the San Diego State University library.
http://www.computer-museum.org
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Exhibit: SoCal Vintage Computer Gaming Group
Steven Hertz
Location: E11
SCVCGG meets 3 times a year at the Claremont Packing House in Claremont, CA
Exhibit: The C64T - A Mini-tower Commodore 64 (And Other Weirdness)
John Riney III
Location: E13
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Based on a concept image by Nanoraptor, a mini-tower Commodore 64 is a idea so silly, I HAD to bring it into existence. Using an ATX C64 motherboard, custom-mixed paint for maximum beigeness, and a truly excessive amount of RGB lighting, the C64T is the best Business Machine Commodore never made. Also, I'll have other Commodore surprises to be determined.
Exhibit: Amiga Video Toaster
Marc Rifkin
Location: E2
The Video Toaster combines digital effects, titling, graphics and 3d animation. Its Lightwave 3D software has been used for CGI in many famous TV shows and movies. Also showing other cool Amiga technology.
Exhibit: Sideburn Mods and Restorations
Sideburn Studios
Location: E25
I will be showcasing some of my vintage computer restorations, modifications and inventions I have made out of vintage electronics. Including things done with mini CRT's and Nixie tubes. I will be displaying my recent Atari XE computer to laptop conversion as well as an original Ohio Scientific Superboard II that I have converted to a "portable" computer inspired by the Apple Macintosh Portable.
Exhibit: Vintage Computers on Film
The Paul Gray Personal Computing Museum
Location: E17
For this year's exhibit, the Paul Gray PC Museum will focus on computers on film. We'll be bringing some highlights from our collection (including a GRiD Compass) and spotlighting their appearances in iconic movies and TV shows to take a look at the intersections of genre, nostalgia, and vintage computing!
https://research.cgu.edu/paul-gray-pc-museum/
Exhibit: Atari Video Music (1977) Display
Craig
Location: E32
The Atari Video Music is a music visualization component that Atari released in 1977. The Atari Video Music system allowed users to visualize and interact with their music by connecting the device to a television and audio source.
The hardware responds to music's frequency and amplitude, creating a series of graphical patterns and effects that are displayed on a television, creating a visual representation of the music being played.
Though an innovative concept, it failed to gain widespread popularity, and production was discontinued after less than a year on the market.
Retail Price in 1977: $169.95
Inflation Adjusted: $905.95(!)
https://www.youtube.com/@AtariVideoMusic
Exhibit: Early Midi Sequencing on Mac and IBM PC
Deep Signal Studios
Location: E1
Two midi workstations, one 68K Mac and one IBM PC, will be available for you to create electronic music with, the way it was done from the mid 80s to early 90s. Each station will be set up with synthesizers, drum machines and samplers, mixers and effects from the era. We will teach you to use Opcode EZ Vision, Vision, Cubase, Texture and Voyetra midi sequencers and record the audio as an mp3.
http://www.deepsignalstudios.com
Exhibit: It's Compatible. Swear.
Chris Satterfield
Location: E8
Remember the joys of running your Windows software on a Sun, your Mac software on your Amiga or your Windows software on your Acorn Risc PC? Come see a selection of solutions from back in the day that bridged the gap between platforms.
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Exhibit: Fun with Computers from my Childhood: A Trip Down Nostalgia Lane
Jim DiNunzio
Location: E4
Two computers that set my direction to become a software engineer a decade later.
The Apple II+ Computer I grew up with circa 1981 with early color graphics and 1 bit speaker, but with100s of early 1980's video games and early software like VisiCalc on 5 1/4 floppy disk and download access to large catalogue at https://asciiexpress.net/.
A humble Blue PET 2001-8 from Commodore circa 1978 like the one I used in elementary school but with vintage and modern mods for sound, multi voice music, joystick gaming, video display in PETSCII graphics, and audio spectrum analyzer display.
Exhibit: Silicon Graphics Onyx2 Deskside Workstation
Difficult Computing, LLC
Location: E7
The Silicon Graphics Onyx2 was a high powered graphical workstation based on the Origin 2000 platform. It came in a variety of shapes, from a simple deskside workstation to multiple racks as the "Reality Monster".
Exhibit: High End Computing in the Early 2000s
Zachary Calcagno
Location: E9
Demoing 2 very high end, upgraded machines from 2002- A Power Mac G4 with a dual 1.8ghz CPU upgrade, and a dual Pentium 3 1.4ghz workstation. Each machine is paired with matching accessories and will compete in similar tasks.
Exhibit: The Vintage Computer Federation presents Modern Reproductions
Jeffrey Brace
Location: E27
The Vintage Computer Federation will show off the modern reproductions: TheC64 and TheC64 Mini. We will also share information about what our organization does to promote the hobby through events, forums and social media.
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Exhibit: Xilinx: The Early Years
mxshift
Location: E14
Xilinx introduced the FPGA with the XC2064 in 1985. Development for these new devices was very different from the EDA tools of today. Experience two of the earliest versions of Xilinx's X-ACT tools by designing logic in a schematic, processing it into a bitstream, and loading it into a XC3000 dev board.
Exhibit: Modern Hardware, DOS Software
Retro Ambitions
Location: E28
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Retrocomputing has become more than a hobby sought out by collectors. Some people actually prefer the software experiences of bygone eras. We'll be exhibiting some examples of modern hardware being created to rebuild machines from (XTIDE, PicoGUS, PicoMEM, Resound 2 OPL3, Homebrew8088) as well as more modern office machines and thin clients that support running DOS software.
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Exhibit: Tele-Typin' Zone
Dustin Williams
Location: E18
TTY? You mean a Teletype? Yes, but no! Come see the revolutionary technology that enabled the deaf to communicate freely for over half a century, all from the comfort of their own homes.
Exhibit: Vintage Apple Upgrades and Oddities
Jeff Luan
Location: E10
Will be showcasing some rare/obscure Apple upgrades and clones from the late 80s - late 90s from my collection, as well as a few Apple prototypes from the above era I have acquired during the past several years.
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Exhibit: Inventing the Laptop
Larry Cameron
Location: E16
Laptop computers from the early 80's were uniquely different from what we have today, but if you look closely you can see the lineage. Stop by my exhibit to see and play with early examples of Alan Kay's Dynabook vision being made reality. You won't find MSDOS based machines by the way :)
Exhibit: Uncle Paul's antiquated-Legacy Tech Conglomerate
Paul
Location: E33
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A collection of various legacy technology from the mid 80s to the mid 2000s, from an electronic typewriter to a modular business laptop. I have done some restoration work on some of the devices including replacing HDDs with more modern alternatives and bolt-modding a failing keyboard. I have also setup a network including a simple working internet connection, and an ATA POTS line with modems and a phone.
Exhibit: The Wind Terminal
Wind Terminal MCP
Location: E34
The Wind Terminal serves as an ethereal bridge to the spiritual realm, offering a text-based means for sharing thoughts, ideas and remembrances with those beyond. The Wind Terminal project combines traditional Wind Phone functionality to repurpose old technology in a new way, ultimately giving new life to a forgotten platform.
Exhibit: Craig's Long Dormant Collection
Craig Cole
Location: E20
My career in software development started as a preteen on a TRS-80 Model 1. Over the years I've accumulated a small bunch of 8-bit and up computers and decided this year to try displaying them! It's been thrilling to have a reason to wake them up, even if not all of them woke up... lol. I'm into vintage electronics as well so I'll do my best to get them all going again.
Exhibit: Retro Gaming Experience
Mimz Tech Group
Location: E38
Step back in time and relive the golden age of gaming with our Retro Gaming Experience! Dive into a nostalgic collection of classic arcade games, vintage consoles, and pixel-perfect fun. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to the retro vibe, this interactive experience offers hands-on gameplay and exciting stories behind the games that shaped gaming history.
Exhibit: That Electronics Fool's Past And Pending Projects
That Electronics Fool
Location: E30
A variety of items that have been featured and are planned to be featured in future videos, including a fairly uncommon (rare?) Aptiva Stealth PC, Apple //e, boards of different sorts, and some other random things. Stop by and say hi, I'd love to hear feedback from other members of the community!
https://www.youtube.com/@ThatElectronicsFool
Exhibit: The Creative Corner
Mia Brandenburg
Location: E6
Express your creative side using vintage computers and game consoles. Try learning piano, making music, designing fashions, and drawing to your hearts content! Friendly software and games for all ages.
Exhibit: Wire Wrap Odyssey: A From-Scratch 8-Bit Computer
Paul Krizak
Location: E12
What was it like building computers from scratch during the heyday of the 1970s and 1980s? This from-scratch 8-bit computer build has been a decade-long journey to find out. The whole computer is composed (mostly) from 7400-series CMOS logic, and was built up hobby-style -- one functional block at a time. There is no Z80, no 6502, no 8088. Everything is home-built. The Wire Wrap Odyssey features a 6-bit color 64x60 character display with multiple fonts, 16K ROM, 32K RAM, 8 hardware interrupts, PS/2 keyboard, a real-time clock and timer, RS232 interface, 1MB extended RAM, and even an ATA interface! The computer has been designed and documented on dozens of sheets of (gasp!) paper: no verilog, no PCBs, all hand-generated netlists and wire-wrap! Come see the Wire Wrap Odyssey in action. As a bonus, tinker with the vintage HP 16500B logic analyzer used to debug it!
(Saturday Only)
Exhibit: Edutainment, 90s Style!
Clinton Crawford & Sean Brackeen
Location: E5
Treasure Mountain! Gizmos and Gadgets! The Incredible Machine and more! The only games available in school because they tricked you into learning as you play. Come experience all of best multimedia edutainment the 1990s had to offer, in two-hundred-and-fifty-six glorious colours!
Whether these are a staple of your childhood, or you're experiencing them for the first time, come play with us and see how it was to be a 90s kid!
Exhibit: Retro Ricing
xPLAYn
Location: E19
The computing equivalent of the tuner car culture, where old and new are slammed together and forced to get along. Insane upgrades that don't make sense, ludicrous projects that cost way more than they are worth, and hilariously-overcomplicated solutions in search of a problem that will never exist. You won't be inspired, you may not even be surprised, but you will almost certainly be entertained. The loving and faithful restorations of classic machines are not to be found here; instead the unloved and undesirable is chopped, slammed, blinged out, and made completely pretentious and ostentatious.
Exhibit: 90s Retro DOS Gaming, OS2 Warp and BBSing
Karate Pizza
Location: E29
Experience computing like it is the 90s!
Play games on a Windows 98 Intel Celeron PC with nearly all parts sourced from VCF SoCal 2024!
Tired of social networks? Why not join the cool kids on Karate Pizza BBS.
The BBS runs Wildcat! 4 BBS software sourced from VCF SoCal 2024.
The host system on display is a Intel 486 DX2-66, with a whopping 48mb of ram and running OS2 Warp 4.
Exhibit: Retro Wearables
RetroTech Collections
Location: E15
A selection of wristwear and cellular technologies from the late 20th century.
As electronic components shrank, wristwatches packing additional features such as calculators, data banks and schedulers by Casio and dominated the digital watch space. Likewise, companies like Motorola took advantage of miniaturization and produced ever shrinking cellular telephones beginning with the Dynatac in 1983 down to the StarTAC and diminutive Vader phones of the late 90s.