Dear Editor, I have a TS1500, 2040 printer and an Aerco disc interface and drives. I have been trying to boot the Chess game onto the disc, but every time I try, the game crashes.
Tom Saine, Wellesley Hills, MA 02181
Try the following listing. Although I haven’t proofed it, it should work. This isn’t the easiest, but it certainly is short. You need 6 bytes of ram for the code. The pokes to 16388 & 9 are to lower ramtop. This isn’t necessary if you have ram available elsewhere. Just change the BASE location.
POKE 16388,127
POKE 16389,127
NEW
10 LET BASE=32760
12 REM RAND AERCO PAGE ADDRESS
15 RAND XXXXX
20 POKE BASE,205
22 POKE BASE+1,71
24 POKE BASE+2,3
26 POKE BASE+3,195
28 POKE BASE+4,PEEK 16434
30 POKE BASE+5,PEEK 16435
32 RAND USR BASEThis program calls 0839d (LOAD next program) and then JUMPs to the page that you want to save the program on. On returning, your program should pick up where it left off from. The operating system always returns to find the next line location for you. This listing should work for any hardware device.
Computerfest Updates
We understand that quite a following of TS loyals will be at the Fest. In conversations with Frank Davis, I was informed of several vendors, user groups and magazines that were slated to appear and set up shop for the week end of May 3rd and 4th.
As a reminder, the Computerfest will be at the Ramada Inn in Sharonville, OH. There is plenty of evening entertainment, and shopping malls are located nearby to appease computer widows, etc. Riverfront Stadium plays host to the Reds and Mets both Saturday and Sunday for afternoon baseball. The Jack Nicklaus Sports Center has 18 holes of golf nearby, and let’s face it, there is no reason not to show up and meet us and all of the vendors in person. We expect that there will be plenty of amazing TS demos, and goodies to allay your computer appetite will abound!
Dear Editor, I have a ZX80 and would like to convert it into a ZX81 or 1000. Is it possible? I would also like to know if there is a complete ROM disassembly for the 2068 and if you know of a high resolution light pen for the 2068.
Charles Sullivan, Post, TX 79356
To convert a ZX80, all you need is the 8K ROM. Tom Woods and G. Russell Electronics have an 8K eprom upgrade that corrects several bugs and adds some improvements. This will give you everything except SLOW mode. Other modifications include cutting the pin 20 trace to the ROM and jumpering a 680 ohm resistor across the cut (SWN 2/1 pg. 19 & 2/2) and running a wire from the ROM out to trace 23B of the edge connector. This will provide the ROMCS capability. Don’t forget that the ZX80 is very easy to convert to the Video Upgrade (SWN 2/1, 2/2) that is available as a kit from John Oliger and built from Fred Nachbaur.
There is a bootleg macro-assembly listing for the 2068 that has been passed around the country, but it is worthless. There is a Spectrum Rom disassembly, by Dr. Ian Logan, that is very good, and I recommend highly. This book is available from several distributors in the US. LIST newsletter (SWN vol. 1, pg. 6) and Syntax both published a list of routine address conversions which help make 2068 disassemblies manageable. HOT Z comes with a name file annotation and names the routines right on the screen for you. It is available from Tom Woods.
The only light pen that I know of in this country is available from Zebra Systems, 78-06 Jamaica Ave., Woodhaven, NY 11421, (718) 296-2385. I don’t know how Hi-Res it is. Contact them for details.
Watch for Spikes
In several conversations with Wayne Kay, of Smyrna, DE, the questions of electrical spikes came up. Wayne sells surge protectors among other things and was very well versed in the subject. Surge protectors are used to keep electrical spikes from damaging your equipment when your local electric company has troubles, or even when someone nearby turns on a vacuum cleaner. Surge protectors will absolutely extend the life of your computer.
However, there are some areas that are usually overlooked. The inexpensive plug type protector does not have the high speed clamping necessary to protect you from lightning. Since protectors are self-destructing (they take the punishment instead of your computer), when they really do their job they may no longer work. This means that the next strike may get you. They should be tested occasionally. If you see static or similar glitches on your screen when you turn on the vacuum cleaner, then beware.
A near miss by lightning can be very destructive. Lightning strikes at 1/4 mile can create an EMF (electromotive force, or wave of electrons) of 50,000 volts and a fair current to boot. When lightning half scares you out of your wits, it is generally this power surge you feel. This occurs 50 nanosecond to 1 microsecond time frame (1 nanosecond per foot) and is unstoppable.
When lightning hits the power lines, the power company dumps the line to ground and restarts the line again. If the strike is closer to the transformer than your computer, then you are probably safe, although the glitch will crash you. But when the lightning hits the ground, your whole house changes potential (is no longer a good ground) and your computer has +5 volts on one side and +50,000 volts on the other.
Turning off the computer (or printer, modem, etc.) does not help. Most equipment has a switch on the 5 volt (or 120 volt) line, but not on the Ground side. Besides a switch is pretty flimsy protection against a lightning strike.
You must unplug your equipment to protect it!!
Dear Editor, “I have switched from the T/S 1000 to the T/S 2068 two years ago. In all of that time you have had very little in SyncWare News on the later model. I cannot continue to subscribe to your magazine as it wastes my time to read it. You now talk of adding material on the QL. Why? The QL and the TS computers have nothing in common, as far as operation is concerned. This means to me that the situation will get worse.”
“I don’t intend to get a QL. If I did go to a more advanced computer, it would be the new Spectrum 128″…(need I go on?)
Warren Fricke, [address omitted], Depew, NY 14043 (but postmarked from Orlando, Florida)
Rough day, eh? Since we have “Already turned you off,” I hope this letter pulls the plug. Go buy a PC and quit wasting my time.
Remember, if you send’em, they might get answered. Take what I said in Forum 3/3 (also last issue) seriously, because I mean it. If you think this magazine is easy (after work and no pay), then start your own newsletter.
FD-68 Info
There is a FD-68 (Aerco Disc) User newsletter available whose purpose is to disseminate ideas and information related to use of both the disc interface and the extra 64K (or 256K) of memory. The first issue discusses the ins & outs of port 244 (bank switcher) and has a routine labeled TASBANK to copy the contents of the 32 to 64K block of ram to the the dock ram and conversions for Artworx and Pro/File 2068.
Contact David Hill, [address omitted], [phone number omitted] after 5PM. At present, FD-68 User is slated to be a quarterly newsletter.
Astronomy Network
The CAN is a newsletter for Astronomy buffs. This bi-monthly newsletter covers program reviews, a reference guide to related articles in other magazines (and other brands of computers too) and bugs discovered in published programs. Although it is only 4 pages, the $3.00/6 issues is inexpensive. Interested parties should contact Barry Malpas, [address omitted], Warren, NJ 07060.
Dear Editor, I recently started to make some improvements in Mterm II, and I am interested in hearing from anyone who may have already made some changes in Mterm so I need not reinvent the wheel. Changes I am planning include a 42 column screen, 80 column output, macrokey and phone preservation on restart, improved menus, buffer inclusive of variables, redefined keys similar to caps lock in Mscript and possibly ASCII to token translation to port programs from other machines.
Mark Fisher, [address omitted], Takoma Park, MD 20912
We have a few articles on upgrading Mterm coming. Stay tuned to SWN.
Dear Editor, As a subscriber, I would like to share a non-technical synopsis of John Oliger’s disk interface. First, I have purchased several systems, 3 tape recorders, microdrives, A&J Micro drives, Aerco disk drive before getting John’s system. The JLO system comprises 2 disk boards and an expansion board that has an rgb output (requires an internal nod to work). The operating system comes on an eprom on board “B.” The DOS is 2068 and Spectrum compatible and works with the A&J (but not the Sinclair microdrives or Tasman I/F[Tasman compatibility requires a mod too.]
The DOS contains a printer driver and can break Spectrum programs with the push of a button (memory snapshot). Unfortunately, the DOS saves only 50K pages to disk as Ray Kingsley‘s new DOS is not ready yet.
John’s system comes as a kit or built. I recommend the built system. I purchased mine (2 disk boards, expansion board and printer board) for $216.00. Contact John at: John Oliger Co., 11601 Whidbey Dr., Cumberland, IN 46229
Ken Duda, Northlake, IL
Dear Editor, I enjoy using my 2068 and reading SWN, but I am considering getting a QL. I have seen ads for the ICE rom. Do you know anything about it?
W. P. Barton, Fairfax, VA
As a matter of fact, this Forum is being typed on a 640K QL (notice lots of hyphenated words) with an ICE rom attached. ICE is NICE, however to really utilize it to its fullest potential, you should have extra memory. I am multitasking QLWP (Quill) with ICE and notice that all of the commands do slow down, although it is impossible to out type Quill regardless of how slow everything appears. ICE, I understand has been upgraded with several additions. I have not received my update yet, so I can’t respond as to their usefulness. The calculator is useless, but file handling is a snap.
Dear Editor, I can’t get my Byte-back MD-68 modem to drive a CPI printer. I have tried an Olivetti and Gorilla Banana. My CPI is an Aerco. All components work well with Tasword, but with the Modem attached all I can manage is a locked up screen. I have used Aerco’s driver, T. Woods Profile driver and no driver. Can you help?
Joe Bradley, Agawan, MA
First, let’s clarify a few terms. CPI I assume means Centronics Parallel Interface. With this device you can drive a parallel printer. If your printer is a serial printer, then you need a serial interface. A modem (MOdulate/DEModulate) is needed to drive a telephone and not a printer. If the MD-68 has an RS232 port on it, then you must use this output for a serial printer. A modem will not drive a CPI or a parallel printer, nor will it drive a serial printer. One other problem associated with serial ports is the non-standard handshaking between printers and other serial devices. The only recourse that you have (and help I can offer) is to get in touch with Byte-Back and ask for help in this modification. If you send them a copy of the specs and pinout of the connector for your printer, they should be able to assure that the serial port is compatible. Since you also say that your screen locks up, you could have a defective MD-68 as well.