Just got my first A2000! :)

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

LOL.  I think this is the first time I've ever found a use for "Productivity" mode.    After tweaking the colors and screen placement a bit (after I took this picture, unfortunately), it doesn't look half bad!

[rdolores]

@motrucker, @Bigbronc, @rdolores - that would be great!  I know there's at least a couple more still semi-active Amiga users in our area, and I remember going to a few of the old NCAUG meetings.  Of course they were mostly on days that I already had something scheduled (of all the luck), but my favorite was when they had a booth at the old Fairfax Fair with an A3000 & a Toaster, doing fades & wipes and "Star Trek beam-ups" on people as they walked by.  Ah, good old days, must've been around 1995-ish?

What would you guys propose?

If its a small group, we can meet in our homes.  Anything larger, maybe a school if we can get some kind of non-profit group status.  Tuesday & Thursday evenings are best from me.  We may be able to get some Baltimore area people too.

[motrucker]

@motrucker, @Bigbronc, @rdolores - that would be great!  I know there's at least a couple more still semi-active Amiga users in our area, and I remember going to a few of the old NCAUG meetings.  Of course they were mostly on days that I already had something scheduled (of all the luck), but my favorite was when they had a booth at the old Fairfax Fair with an A3000 & a Toaster, doing fades & wipes and "Star Trek beam-ups" on people as they walked by.  Ah, good old days, must've been around 1995-ish?

What would you guys propose?

I live in Edgewater (just outside of Annapolis) but don't drive much these days. I would find some way to a meeting though, if something can be put together. I'm all for it.
Our old group ended up meeting at Libraries. That was free. Or members homes - I would think a place to meet would not be a problem.

[Bigbronc]

Ok, first thing, we will be a small group, so meeting at a school or some place is overkill. I think we should meet and greet someplace, then plan at our houses after that. It just so happens I have a yacht in Baltimore, so I am offering a day on the water to talk about forming a retro computer club, maybe more than Amigas in the future. PM me with your contact info and a few dates that you would like to meet; I will collect the dates and find a date we all can connect with; we meet for the first time on the boat. From there we can set any future meets and what not.

[nicholas]

What Kickstart chips are in it Mike?

I just sent Iggy a nicely configured and optimized up the wazoo 3.9 boot drive archived as an LHA for his A2000/040.  I could send it to you too if you like?

[motrucker]

@ Oldsmobile_mike
     An idea on the battery. I have my battery mounted off the motherboard in a small plastic case velcroed to the front inside. It makes motherboard damage almost impossible, and changing the battery a snap - just soldering a couple of wires. I bought this machine like this, but kept this idea alive.

[motrucker]

Ok, first thing, we will be a small group, so meeting at a school or some place is overkill. I think we should meet and greet someplace, then plan at our houses after that. It just so happens I have a yacht in Baltimore, so I am offering a day on the water to talk about forming a retro computer club, maybe more than Amigas in the future. PM me with your contact info and a few dates that you would like to meet; I will collect the dates and find a date we all can connect with; we meet for the first time on the boat. From there we can set any future meets and what not.

Is this idea gaining any traction. I wish I could do more to help, but I think it's a great idea.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Hey @ A2000 experts!  Finally having a chance to get back to this.  I pulled the battery and scrubbed the area for about 30 minutes with a combination of toothbrush, Q-tips, soap, Radio Shack electronics cleaner, WD-40, etc.  It's sitting in front of a fan drying out right now, which is why it looks a little wet still in this picture.  Does this result look typical of the process or should I work on it longer?  I can't seem to get it to be any "less green".  On the bright side the corrosion doesn't appear to have gotten into my 68000 socket, oh, and it's a 6.4 board, I found the sticker when I pulled it out to clean it.  W00t.  

[carvedeye]

a little more alcohol on it wont hurt

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

That was the one thing I forgot to list - alcohol.  Putting a little more of that on there now, and then one for me afterward!  

[carnid]

If you guys are starting a DC/Metro area group I would definitely also be interested as I live in the area

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

If you guys are starting a DC/Metro area group I would definitely also be interested as I live in the area

I would love to!  Just not sure what's centrally located enough, or how far people would be willing to travel?  My office moved to Gainesville earlier this year.  It's right off Rt. 66 just west of Manassas.  On the downside it's a hike for the Maryland folks.  On the upside I've got several decent-sized IT work tables and plenty of monitors, power, tools, etc.

I don't think anyone would want to come to my crappy basement apartment off Craigslist, LOL.  

[blakespot]

I am also in the DC metro area (live in Silver Spring but work in DC).  I might be interested in reviving a users group in our area.  I also have a A2000 as a A2500 plus others (see sig).

I am in Alexandria, VA - just outside DC. I might just be interested in forming a group. Last Amiga user group I properly belonged to was ALFA - the Amigoid Life Forms Association in Hampton, VA back in the early '90s. :-)




bp

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I am in Alexandria, VA - just outside DC. I might just be interested in forming a group. Last Amiga user group I properly belonged to was ALFA - the Amigoid Life Forms Association in Hampton, VA back in the early '90s. :-)

Ha, you might be more centrally located than I am... although everyone is more than welcome to come out to my office in Gainesville (!!), and then we'd all get to see that A1000 you've been working on!  

[AmigaBruno]

I keep searching for A2000s on eBay, but I can't help worrying what kind of upgrades they can't accept. Can they be upgraded to AGA at all? If not, then that's quite disappointing.

[spirantho]

They can't be upgraded to AGA, no - there are just too many differences. But you can use an RTG graphics card, so you only would need AGA for games.