QZX

Reprint of review of the newsletter that appeared in 73 Magazine.

A newsletter? How do you review a newsletter for 73? It doesn’t beep, light up, plug in, or charge your batteries.

But QZX, the newsletter for hams who own Sinclair/Timex computers. does transmit. It transmits a lot of very good information, and we thought the best way to bring it to our readers’ attention would be through a close look at what it does provide.

First, let’s start out with the products it serves-the ZX-80, Micro Ace, ZX-81, and TS-1000. With an average $50 price tag, these are among the best computer buys a ham can make. A low-end computer is one of the best ways to get on RTTY or packet radio, costing less than many a model 33 in the flea market. A small extra investment in time to write software and build an interface with your rig is all you need-and that’s time you would spend cleaning grease off the gears of an old Teletype machine.

Ham applications for computers differ from many others in that they do not require large amounts of memory, rapid storage-medium access, or complex mathematical calculations. What they do require is easy access to lO ports and simplicity of real-time programming. The Sinclair, with its TTL interfacing, meets the first requirement, and the plethora of Z80 assembly-language manuals makes learning the Timex/Sinclair computers’ native language that much easier.

in addition to communications se you can develop the extras-like an electronic logbook, dupe sheets, or even a rotor controller. These models, with very accessible innards, seem to be designed with the hardware hacker in mind.

The Need For Support

Unless you are a super-fast designer with an endless stream of creative ideas and lots of time on your hands, you need assistance in developing uses for your computer. Computer dealers are notorious for knowing little about ham/computer interfacing, and the staff in the department stores which offer you the best prices on Sinclair/Timex computers know even less about computers in general, much less amateur radio.

This is where QZX comes in. As a system-specific publication, everything in the magazine pertains to your computer. As an amateur-radio publication, it offers the additional advantage of focusing on a specific area of computer use.

Published by Alex F. Burr K5XY and edited by Ambrose Barry W4GHV/5, each month’s QZX is literally jammed with programs and circuits. For example, the April issue contained programs to compute antenna headings, manage net rosters, and calculate propagation, as well as a RTTY send/receive program. Circuits included a simple terminal unit and an interface for the Sinclair computers.

In addition to the program, a brief synopsis of each is provided. Explanations of algorithms and special instructions are included as, well. And the listings are reproduced directly from the author’s printout, eliminating the possibility of typing errors.

Another regular feature of QZX covers reviews. The publishers are up front about their policy; in one recent issue, they said “if you have objections to us doing reviews of products advertised in QZX, let us know. We intend to present objective comments on them. If an item advertised in QZX is obtained for review and found to be less than ‘OK’ in our opinion, we will simply decline to print that review. A rather polite way of avoiding a ‘cut throat.” Those not advertised but reviewed will receive our honest opinions and will be printed.”

A useful column in the newsletter is “Bits & Bytes,” a compendium of useful tips similar to 73’s “Circuits” feature. Subjects ranging from power-supply problems to photographing program listings from your video monitor are all addressed here. And if you miss a juicy topic, information on it may be recovered via the QZX Net, an almost nightly gathering of the Timex/Sinclair faithful, the schedule for which appears in the newsletter.

The newsletter is printed on plain paper and graphics are limited to schematics. All of this adds up to savings in production costs- savings which are passed on to subscribers. At $12 for a one-year subscription, QZX is much cheaper than a slick magazine, and in terms of applicable material, you probably get a lot more for your money.

From programs to reviews and advertising, QZX is a perfect solution to one of the great problems of owning a computer-what to do with it. As amateurs, we have the unique ability to generate new ideas and practical uses for almost any piece of electronic equipment. But newsletters such as QZX are necessary for us to share all of that knowledge.

For more information, contact QZX Newsletter, 2025 O’Donnell, Las Cruces NM 88001. Reader Service number 484.