Spectrum Software Trouble
Dear Editor, I recently purchased a copy of “TOP GUN” from Ocean. My son and I thought this would be a super game to play on our TS2068 with ROMSWITCH as the game will allow two players to compete head-to – head using a split screen and two joy-sticks.
We loaded the game without any difficulty, selected the two player mode, then keyboard input. The split screen appeared, showing two aircraft carriers, each with a little jet ready to take off, but that’s as far as we could get. The game was ‘stuck’! None of the keys has any further effect on the game. We have tried every combination we could think of, but to no avail. Thus far, Ocean has not responded to several letters. If there is anyone who knows how to make the game proceed, we would appreciate hearing from them.
Along the same lines, several games, “TOP GUN”, “ARCHON”, and others, are set up for dual joy-sticks. Is there a dual port Kempston interface available for the TS2068? Such a device would add a new dimension to these games.
G. W. Goegelein
Phoenix, AZ
Mr. Goegelein- I don’t personally know of such a dual Kempston joy-stick interface. Perhaps contacting a few of the good folks listed in our ads or For Your Support Column might turn up something. SyncWare News Volume 4 Number 3 (Jan.-Feb. ’87) had plans and instructions for building and installing a single Kempston compatible interface. Perhaps this could be modified to work as a dual interface.-jdm.
The Fame & Glory
Listed below are the names of everyone who entered our 2nd (sort of) Annual Programmers’ Competition. We sincerely thank everyone who entered. Future issues of SyncWare News will include some of their fine programs.
Alex R. Sweitzer
Basil Wentworth
L. L. Liedtke
Shawn Byrne
Bruce Shideler
Paul Holmgren
Frederick M. Lewis
Eugene Dorriere
Thanks again folks!
Rudnicki’s Noble Principle
Only someone who understands something absolutely can explain it so no one else can understand it.
from Murphy’s Law (c) 1986 by Arthur Bloch
Reader Replies
Dear Editor, If George Cary of Coloma, CA has a copy of Pro/File, then he can use the two POKEs given in paragraph 2 of my article, Quick Print Your Pro/File & Tasword Files (SWN 4:5), to adapt the P/F driver routine to Spectrum mode. I use it all the time with my Spectrum Beta Basic. It runs my C. Itoh 8510 without any problems.
While on the subject of Beta Basic, if his RAMEX DOS and program software are Spectrum compatible, Lyle Luzum of Calmar, IA, could be using Beta Basic to get all the extra non-Timex functions he wants for his program. Beta Basic supports commands to kill a variable, print using, and allow entry of BASIC lines from a string, either directly from the key-board or during a running program, with syntax checking.
Robert D. Hartung
Huntertown, IN
Bug Alert
Listing 1 of Quick Print Your Pro/File & Tasword Files has a slight error. Please change the last statement in line # 40 to read “GO TO 40” instead of the “GO TO 50” as printed. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our readers.-ed.
Ask Fred
Dear Editor, I own a Smith Corona PWP System 8. There is a messenger module available for this word processor with interface cable connectors for various computers (not including the Timex line). Which connector should I purchase for my TX 2068?
Frances M. Jackson
Gary, IN
Francis-I am not familiar with the S/C PWP System 8. However, I presume that by “Messenger module” they are referring to what is more commonly called a “printer interface.”
To use this with a 2068, there are a number of things you will have to determine. Firstly, on the “System 8” you must find out if it has a “Centronics Parallel” connector, or an “RS232 Serial” input. In either case, you will need a suitable printer interface to match the 2068 to the System 8. If it has a Centronics Parallel (CP) input, you will need a Centronics Parallel interface. These are available from Aerco, John Oliger, and Zebra Systems (see the ads in SyncWare News). If it is serial, contact Byte-Back Co.
The other point is that you referred to your computer as a TX 2068, rather than TS 2068. I presume, therefore, that you have one of the Portuguese Timex 2068’s, rather than the Timex/Sinclair 2068. The difference between the two requires some additional explanation. When Sinclair came out with the ZX Spectrum, they changed the connections on the computer’s expansion bus (as compared to the ZX81/TS1000). When Timex made the original TS 2068, they reverted the bus to make it ZX81/TS1000 compatible, allowing the use of their TS2040 printer and TS2050 modem with either machine.
Then, to make the “new” Timex 2068 Spectrum-compatible, they again changed the bus to match the Spectrum. If this is the machine that you own, very few (if any) of the add-ons developed on this continent will work with your machine. Your best (only?) recourse is to get an “Interface I” from England or from one of the importers of Spectrum hardware.
Hope this helps.-fn