Bulletin Board Systems

In the late 1970s, computer hobbyists in Chicago set up the first public-access computerized bulletin board system (BBS). Inspired by physical bulletin boards in grocery stores and other public locations, bulletin board systems offered computer enthusiasts a way to communicate directly outside of user group meetings.

Many BBSes provided an private user-to-user email system, open message boards around specific topics and the ability to upload and download software and other documents. Access to most BBSes was free.

Bulletin Board Systems were a popular supplement to commercial online services like CompuServe, The Source and GEnie.

Because of the unique design of Timex/Sinclair systems, users of these computers faced additional challenges in connecting to BBSes. However, by 1985, the TS 2050 modem was widely available and many TS users were able to access online services and BBSes.

Limitations of the TS computers did not prevent enthusiasts from writing their own BBS software.

• I.S.T.U.G. TS2068 BBS - Bulletin board system for the unexpanded TS2068. Works with TS2050 modem and TS2040 printer. Holds 40 535-character messages; has “chat with sysop” feature.
• Micro BBS-1 - For use with Byte Back modem and TS 1000 with 16K RAM; stores 20 messages and sysop note.
• TINYBOARD - Bulletin board software, written by Randy and Lucy Gordon. The original Tinyboard BBS software program provided the ability of an unexpanded TS 2068 to serve as a host system. The program provided the “bare bones” essentials (no frills approach) to operate as a remote message base. The selections from the menu included reading, scanning, writing
• TMX-64 BBS - This BBS program is fully compatible with the Z-SIO (for use use with 300/1200 baud modems) as well as the TS-2050 modem. It features multiple message bases, 64 column sysop screen, abbreviated menus, and adjustable user display.

Bulletin board access grew, along with the importance of user groups, in the mid-1980s. How to access BBSes, lists and reviews of systems were popular article topics.

• 2068 BBS Program - Program that creates a bulletin board system when used with a 2050 modem. Reprinted from Mile High Chapter of the Timex Sinclair Users Group.
• Area Bulletin Board Phone Numbers
• BBS - What Is It?
• BBS for Timex Sinclair Users - Announcement of BBS in Toronto area.
• BBS List
• BBS List
• BBS List
• BBS Listing for the Lower Mainland
• BBS News
• BBS Programs - I am very proud to announce that the download Section on the FUKUG MBBS & PSDE for the Timex/Sinclair computers now has 41 programs for downloading via XMODEM protocol.
• BBS Report
• BBS Report: Into the Depths of CP/M
• BBS Services Available in British Columbia
• BBS Update
• BBSes
• BBSes that work with Q-Code
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Bytes
• Bits & Pieces
• Bits & Pieces
• Bits & Pieces
• Bits and Pieces - News about Sinclair Research Ltd., two Timex-based BBSes join FidoNet, SOFTAID fundraising cassette, update on Timex Portugal. Shorter updates on MSCRIPT, RMG Enterprises, an RS-232 interface from Edward Loxterkamp, speech software from Tad Painter, software from Frank Lockhart, Jim Clatfelter and Peter McMullin.
• Bulletin Board Listing
• Closet Computers - Got an old computer stashed away somewhere? It may not be as fast or as powerful as your new machine, but there’s still plenty you can do with the machine that gave you the best eight bits of its life. Bulletin Board Systems Another type of digital communication involves connecting computers via telephone lines. Thousands
• Communications
• Computin in the Country - Oscar gets a 2050 modem and tries to connect to multiple BBSes, including the Zebra BBS.
• FLASH BBS Bites The Dust in Las Vegas - Bob Royall, sysop, shut down BBS because his wife was ordered to a duty station in Turkey.
• From the Editor's Mailbag and Information from the FWKUG MBBS & PDSE - I thought you might like to see just what takes place many times on the FWKUG MBBS & PSDE that affects the Timex/Sinclair users and modem users here in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. Also some of the information and files that get placed on the board for the benefit of all of us. (Our downloadable
• From the Editor's Mailbox - Messages extracted from the Fort Worth BBS.
• Galfrey II BBS
• Gator's Twisted Pair
• Guide to Bulletin Boards Coming
• Guide to T/S Telecommunications Update for Version 2.0 - Time Warp, based in Boston, MA, runs on Casboard on a TS 2068. VSYS, in New Jersey, also runs on a TS 2068 using JBBS. Mark Fendrick runs Sinclair at Night. The Toronto T/S Users Club uses Downloaders Anonymous. SINCUS’s board is TCCS. The Timex/Sinclair Computer Club of Florida ran its board using a re-write
• Input/Output
• ISTUG BBS
• ISTUG BBS
• ISTUG BBS Program - BBS program written by Paul Holmgren and Willie Jones is available for sale. Program features automatic word wrap, real time clock, printing messages to SYSOP on 2040 printer.
• Larken Electronics Launches Maxcomm
• Letter from Keith Skapinksi
• Local BBS List
• Local BBS Numbers
• Local Timex/Sinclair BBS
• LOG-ON!
• Modem News
• Modem News
• New American Sinclair BBS
• New BBS in Town
• New Modem Adventures
• New Timex/Sinclair BBS Notices
• Potpourri
• Program Review: TS Tinyboard
• Quick Guide to Using the CATS BBS
• Random Bits
• RMG BBS Down
• Sinclair ECHO
• Sinclair Echo
• Sinclair Echo
• Sinclair Echo
• Sinclair Net Addresses
• Sinclair Users Unite! - Rules and guidelines for the Sinclair/Timex user FidoNet Echo.
• Sinclair/ECHO
• Sinclair/ECHO
• SincLink
• SincLink
• SincLink
• SincLink
• SincLink
• SincLink
• SincLink
• Special Notice - Proposal to develop a nation-wide Timex/Sinclair bulletin-board network.
• Sysop John's BBS Beat - Updates on bulletin boards.
• Sysop's Twisted Pair - Swoger describes the club’s BBS, which he wrote. It runs on a PDP 11 under RSX-11M. The BBS has been up since 1984 and was written by me at a time when I had never seen any other BBS. As a result it looks like no other board you’ve seen before. I wrote it from
• Sysops Twisted Pair - PDP 11/23+ obtained for BBS.
• T/S BBS - Brief into to bulletin-board systems and a list of four that support TS users.
• T/S Resources
• T/S Resources - Cleveland Free-Net.
• T/S Tinyboard BBS
• T/S Update - Emulator news from Dewey; Pinball available from Sunset Electronics. Timex sold all hardware and software to New York liquidator.
• Telecommunication News
• Telecommunications Corner
• Telecommunications Corner
• Telecommuter's Corner
• The Bull Pen
• The Editor's Soapbox
• The ISTUG BBS Report: The CATUG BBS
• The ISTUG BBS Report: The Grey Matter BBS
• The T/S Telecommunications Guide - I have just received the BIG telecommunications guide from Pete Fischer. (This is the one that has it all on the 11 X 8 1/2′ paper.) The cover page is in black and white, but he included-for me-the identical page in its original COLOR form.
• Time-X-change
• Timex Sinclair Electronic Newsletter
• Timex Sinclair Sites for Humans and Small Animals
• Timex Telephone Tricks and Tips
• Timex Tidbits
• Timex Tidbits - Our Timex brethren in Milwaukee are producing Digitizers for the TS-2068. The cost of a completely assembled and tested unit with postage is $52.95 while the bare board alone costs $22.95! These prices include the software. For more information write to SMUG, Р.0.Вох 101, Butler, Wisconsin 53007. RMG Enterprises have expanded their Timex/Sinclair inventory by
• Timex Tidbits
• Timex Tidbits
• Timex Tidbits
• Timex Tidbits
• Timex-Sinclair BBS Update
• Timex-Sinclair Supporting BBSes
• Timex/Sinclair BBS Directory
• Timex/Sinclair BBS Directory
• Timex/Sinclair BBS List
• Timex/Sinclair News and Tips
• TS Telecommunication Tips for Long Distance BBSers
• Using Fidomail as a TS Network