The Timex Sinclair Amateur Radio User Group (TSARUG) has organized a FIDO Network node to serve the members of the organization and others who are interested. Messages can be sent to network 15 node 1006 (15/1006). The bulletin board can be accessed directly at (505) 646-5194. Files available include early copies of articles to appear in QZX, the group newsletter. For more information, contact Alex Burr, K5XY, [address omitted].
Dear Editor, In response to Pete Kelly, in SWN 3/2 Forum, you are probably right about the battery powered daisy wheel, but that does not mean that you can’t get a battery powered letter quality printer. My Brother EP44 has a 18×24 dot matrix (example of character set in text of the letter) and can be powered by a 6 volt source. Although its RS232 levels are not quite standard, it has been highly touted.
Bob Howard, [address omitted]
The EP44 has a NEAR letter quality character set and NOT letter quality. This text is letter quality (it looks much better before the printer gets hold of it). However, I very much enjoy reading your letters in newsletters that reduce the text to even smaller proportions than what SWN does. The large character of the EP44 is just about only legible thing in some of their issues. Although I personally think that the EP44 has a better character set than the Prowriter, Gemini 10X (I own one) and Olivetti Ink Jet, it is still a personal choice as to what looks good (some people prefer good cooking to good looks). If I say anymore about this I will surely hang myself on my words. So again, I will leave the rest to this discussion to the philosophers.
Dear Editor, The SWN 3/2, 2068 Curve Tracing program has a misprint in it. Line 1015 says GOTO 1200, but there is no line 1200. Could you explain this and offer a correction?
Richard Norek, [address omitted]
You correctly cite line 1015 GOTO 1200, which is a line that does not exist. However, the error, if error there be, is one of style, rather than of substance. The elegance of the program is affected by this quirk, but the effectiveness is not. Try the following on any Sinclair computer:
10 GO TO 25
20 PRINT 20
30 PRINT 30
40 PRINT 40Although some BASIC dialects will not allow this program to run, Sinclair BASIC will. There is no sacrifice of speed for not having the exact line number in Sinclairese. As often happens, this program included, when a program is modified or improved upon, empty lines are used for improvements followed by the deletion of obsolete lines. -Basil
We have received several letters in past months complaining about products and software from various distributors. The complaints in general are not because the goods were never received, but because for one reason or another, they did not work. For those with software problems, the difficulty lies in their inability to load the software properly in almost every instance. The incompatibility problem is usually the cassette player. SWN issues, 2/3 and 2/5, show the solutions to these problems.
The other prickly thorn is hardware purchases that either don’t function or don’t work the way they were first envisioned. The latter quirk is the cause of all the computer disenchantment of recent years.
Computers do not make many jobs easier–initially. The payoff comes after a lot of hard work training (programming) the computer to do its task. Whether your computer is a 1000 or a PC, you use stringy floppy or hard disk, Vu-calc or Lotus 1-2-3, you have a lot of work ahead of you. Learning how to use new hardware and converting software can be as difficult as any task that you set out to do. Take your time and have fun LEARNING. If you are having trouble, then it is a good guess that everyone else is too. Quite often the problem is a very small oversight or an insecure feeling about how you are progressing. My advice for this is, “Join a User Group.” Talk with others facing the same problems, gain confidence, divide the problem into handleable tasks and conquer it. If you would like a list of User Groups in your area, then send me a SASE at 9016 Flicker Place, Columbia, MD 21045, and I’ll return it promptly.
If you receive equipment that does not work or ceases to work, then remember that you do have a warranty, in spite of the fact that the device is for a Sinclair computer. Communicate your problem directly to the place of purchase. Eventhough your purchase is mail order, you are not deserted. Warranty problems can be rectified very quickly.
If you continue to have problems, then drop us a line stating the problem and what you have done to find a solution. The last thing to do, and something I hope never to see again, is send a hate letter to ever magazine, newsletter and user group crying wolf. We need all of the support that we can get for our computers. Get to know your distributor if possible. One short, friendly phone call can answer a lot of questions and solve a great many problems.
Another problem is one of incompatibility between your software and hardware. This is where SWN comes in. The 1000 is much easier to interface and adapt software to than the 2068. A good disassembler and an extra decode chip can solve virtually any incompatibility problem. Oh yes, add a little time. The 2068 is slightly harder to customize, in that some suppliers will not supply information to patch or improve or otherwise modify (see SWN 3/2, pg. 6) their products. Keep hounding them and they will give in.
Another type of question that we receive is that asking for more explicit instructions in the “How to” of a project. They add, “I had to read that article several times.” My response is “Join the crowd.” I have to read those same articles several times too. Knowledge is not free; you have to work for it. If you read a school text book once, and then ace every test from that book, I’d say that you, well, didn’t send me a letter like this. These letters don’t say that the project could not be done or had a bug, mind you. Just keep SWN by your side and refer to it often. We’ll try to keep it clear.
We have received many letters asking what happened to the CIDS series. We will make every effort to insure the return of CIDS, the database implementation in the next issue.
Calling All Hackers!
We have also received several letters from people looking for patches for Mterm and Spectrum, A&J microdrive and the Spectrum, Psion Vu programs on disk, etc. If you have come up with conversion solutions, send them in or request a FOR YOUR SUPPORT entry. Let everyone know. SWN pays for your work.