S.N.U.G. (Sinclair North American User Group)
Update Magazine has withdrawn its offer to allow SNUG to take over publishing the magazine. This was because of two reasons: 1. It did not appear that SNUG was yet sufficiently organized to take on the responsibilities. 2. Strong opposition to SNUG publishing a magazine developed from other sources.
Other Developments: SNUG membership is at approximately 60 members. An election of SNUG officers has been conducted via letters. The results of this election are not available as this issue goes to press.
Update subscribers are advised to watch for news about SNUG, its plans, activities, and membership benefits offered, in future issues and in other publications. The growth and success of SNUG seems to hinge upon their development of an attractive membership benefits package. We wish them success and will report their progress.
**** The Event of the Year ****
The CATS FEST! Just in case you glossed over the announcement on the inside cover page- This will be the biggest and the bestest Sinclair Timex convention of this year. See you there–
THE SINCUS TS-2068 LIBRARY of DISK PUBLIC DOMAIN
SINCUS has devoted a lot of work into purifying public domain programs and re-working the programs to operate in two disk formats, Oliger SAFE, and Larken LKDOS. Update bought the Four Disk Oliger Library a few months past and rates the disks as an OUTSTANDING library (More than 120 programs!). Now it is available in LKDOS format. Send $2.00 to cover costs of receiving an index of Disk programs to: John Colona (SINCUS), 28 Guilfoyle Ave., Binghamton, NY 13903. SINCUS also publishes a good newsletter that is worthy of subscribing to.
SINCLAIR QL FIX- A source for Repairs and Up-grades
Dan Elliott, RR-1 Box 117, Cabool, MO 65689, says that he is now ready to receive QL Computers to install his “Outside Power Supply and Regulator”. He says that this up-grade completely eliminates the LOCK UP caused by un-stable QL power. This fix costs around $50 ( + or – a few). A “Coleco Power Supply and dual regulator” with ON OFF switch is supplied. Keep your QL power module to run your electric train or mustatche trimmer, as you wont need it for the QL anymore. Update’s spare QL is receiving this power mod. It had the “S.L.S.” (Sudden Lock Up Syndrome).
GOOD QL SOFTWARE– WOOD AND WIND COMPUTING, RR-2 Box 92, Cornish, NH 03743, is Bill Cable‘s Software Development House. Bill has at least six more excellent softwares for the QL, all for either Expanded QL’s or Standard QL’s. Dont wait for his programs in Update. Send SASE for a program list and pricing. We need to keep this outstanding programmer working for us.
TS-2068 Cassette Public Domain Library: CATS, PO Box 467, Fairfax Station, VA 22039, has one of the largest cassette libraries for the TS-2068. CATS also is one of the largest TSUGS and produces an excellent newsletter. A $2 check for information is well spent.
ONTARIO CANADA has one of the largest and most active TSUGS. Last issue Update mentioned that SINC LINK, the newsletter of this group, is one of the best sources for Larken Disk LKDOS information. That slighted some of the Ontario group’s members. SINC LINK and the Ontario Club has a well rounded membership consisting of users of all Sinclair computers. The Sinc Link newsletter covers all systems. Two of their members, Bob Mitchell and George Chambers, are foremost LKDOS programmers and have built up one of the most complete libraries of LKDOS Disk Software and utilities. This library also contains programs on cassette and is available at nominal cost to members and subscribers to SINC LINK. SINC LINK, 14 Richome Court, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, M1K 1Y1.
ZX-APPEAL is the newsletter of the Vancouver, Canada TSUG. This newsletter has good coverage of both the QL and the TS-2068. Membership is $15 and includes a subscription to ZX-APPEAL. ZX-Appeal, 2006 Highview Place, Port Moody, BC, Canada, V3H 1N5.
Pony Express galloped through the Indian Territories and opened up the West for communications. Western Sinclair Communications is via “THE PLOTTER“, a newsletter published by CCATS, in OREGON. PLOTTER always has good article support for the QL and TS-2068. Pony express operates a bit faster now a days, making it both practical and beneficial to make them bring you an issue of PLOTTER each month. SASE to THE PLOTTER, 655 N.W. Territorial Road, Canby, OR 97013.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA and Newsletter: This quib may contain some errors. There are several TSUGS in the San Francisco area that cooperate to publish Sinclair programs and utilities. There is a written newsletter TIMELINEZ, PO Box 1312 Pacifica, CA 94044, and another thrust at information propagation via BBS for modem download. Update receives the Timelinez newsletter. Timelinez is invited to send in a re-write of this epistle, explaining WHAT and HOW they do it. Other TSUGS are also invited to send in brief announcements of their repertriore.
BOSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter is a very informative newsletter published by BOSTUG, which is one of the largest and most active TSUGS. The newsletter is always well done and has a wealth of programming information for the Sinclair QL and TS-2068. BOSTUG, PO Box 8763, Boston, MA 02114-8763. Peter Hale is the Editor.
Q.Z.X. is a newsletter that covers Amateur Radio and Sinclair Computers. QZX has international readership and is likely the best source for PACKET information. QZX, 2025 O’Donnell Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88001.
TS-2068 and Sinclair QL Support
The UPDATE PROGRAM LIBRARY. Current support includes Sinclair QL Micro Drive and 80 track Disk. TS-2068 Larken Disk, Oliger Disk, and Aerco FD-68 Disk Formats are supported. We are working on establishing FDD (Zebra-TOS) support. Called “Issue Disks”, this is an ensemble of programs and utilities, listed or documented in Update Magazine.
The purpose of the Issue Disk program is to provide the users with useful and inexpensive programs and utilities, and to provide incentive for programmers to support us. The Issue Disks are bargain priced at $20 each, and the modest profits go to the programmers.
Each magazine issue will have a listing and discription of the Issue Disks offered. Each disk or MDV is stuffed to capacity with useful programs. Update urges subscribers to participate in the Issue Disk/MDV program to improve their program library and to help build North American Programming Support. An added incentive to participate is the disks and mdvs are Guaranteed to Please, or full refund.
TS-2068: Larry Kenny, Larken Electronics, still BUSY!
Larry’s RAM DISK hardware board was selling like hot cakes to lumberjacks until the price of 43256 chips shot up. This is one of the best additions to the TS-2068 that has come down the pike. R.M.G. Enterprises, (Tel: 503 655 7484) still has some. R.M.G. also carries a full line of QL and TS-2068 support items.
Now Larry has just released “MAXCOM“, a most impressive Communications software package for Modem Com. See his ad in this issue for this and still more new software. Ed Grey Enterprises (213 759 7406) handles LKDOS, Oliger DOS, Modem Communications software and equipment, plus a good catalog of other TS-2068 and Disk Drive Support.
SINCLAIR PUBLICATIONS NEWS
By now SyncWare News subscribers should have received the ending issue of SYN. We wont have an obituary or even a funeral, as SincWare News will be absorbed into the Quantum Levels magazine pages. Subscribers to SYN will receive the magazine under the QL’s name. Jeff Moore continues to be the Publisher. (This, according to the information published in the final edition of Syncware News.)
TIME DESIGNS MAGAZINE
Update received a lengthy news release from Tim Woods, publisher of TDM. For the sake of brevity it will be put into a nut shell. Tim promises to get back on schedule with Time Designs after a problem period that included the joyful addition of one “David Anthony Woods” to the family. Tim invites postcards if issues have been missed or make your problem calls to 503 824 2658.
NEW CAMBRIDGE Z88 PUBLICATION
PIPE LINE is the name, and is being published jointly by Time Designs and Paul Bingham. Subscribe through Time Designs Magazine.