Wow, I hooked up the original DVI box now that I know how all this works, and since I verified the cable/M100/boot disk combination that works.
Guess what, it works too!! I think what was throwing me was that when you reset the M100, the disk light on the DVI doesn’t even come on most times. You just hear a very brief disk noise from it, a second or two, and that must be all it takes to load the DISK BASIC. You then go into BASIC on the M100, type SCREEN 1,1 and voila! I had originally assumed the disk drive light would come on and that it would take several seconds to load DISK BASIC, so I was looking for that behavior. I now have a preponderance of riches. Two working DVI boxes. I’ll probably sell a fully tested system on eBay with cable, boot disk, M100, DVI and recover some of the funds I spent on all this. Thanks to everyone who helped with this. Especially you, Brian. I owe you that beer :) Randy > On Feb 18, 2018, at 5:45 PM, Randall Kindig <[email protected]> wrote: > > This worked perfectly, Brian! I now have a backup system disk and both have > the write-protect tab on them. > > thanks! > > By the way, the system is consistently booting now. Just had to shake the > dust off of it, I guess. > > Still would like to see if I can get the other DVI box working. > > Randy > > >> On Feb 17, 2018, at 10:24 PM, Brian White <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> The easiest way is using the backup program on the system disk. >> >> It's possible but I think it's probably more difficult with a modern pc. I >> don't think just any modern floppy controller chip can do it, and you need a >> 360K drive too, ideally, not the more common 1.2M drive. Then you also need >> special formatter software, which I don't know how available that is today, >> and don't know if it would work from dosbox or something. Might have to make >> a freedos bootable usb stick just to run the disk writing util. >> >> Steven Adolf has some notes on all that on club100 in the member uploads. >> >> It's much simpler to just use "BACKUP.SNG" in your case right from the >> system disk. >> >> You would boot the dvi normally, then go into basic and: >> >> RUN"0:FORMAT" >> >> Then follow the prompts to remove the system disk and put in a disk to be >> blanked and formatted. >> >> Then put the system disk back in and: >> >> NEW >> RUN"0:BACKUP.SNG" >> >> Then follow the prompts to switch back and forth putting the new disk in, >> then the system disk, then the new one again, etc, until it's over. Choose >> All when it asks All or System. >> >> I would definitely put tape over the write-protect notch on your one >> remaining working system disk before any of this! >> >> -- >> bkw >> >> On Feb 17, 2018 9:19 PM, "Randall Kindig" <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> I will check that, Brian. Thanks for your help. >> >> My other question is around the boot disk. I was sent 2 boot disks with the >> cable, but now only 1 seems to work. I’m worried now only having one >> working disk. >> >> How do I back it up? Is there a way to do that with the DVI? Can I create >> one in a different disk drive, like the drive in the TRS-80 Model 4P? >> >> thanks >> >> Randy >>> On Feb 17, 2018, at 9:15 PM, Brian White <[email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> >>> This sounds consistent with Fugu's idea about old capacitors. It sounds >>> like both dvi's are marginal, but one is slightly better than the other, >>> and one of your M100's is slightly better than the other, and so with the >>> two best ones combined, it just barely works, sometimes. >>> >>> I would check that voltage as he described and I expanded. >>> >>> On Feb 17, 2018 8:37 PM, "Randall Kindig" <[email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> SUCCESS! >>> >>> Per John’s suggestion (and was thinking the same thing when he suggested >>> it) I now have a working system. I started trying different combinations >>> of DVI/M100/cable (of which I have 2 each). >>> >>> DVI #2, M100 #2, Cable #2, no luck >>> >>> So I swapped out M100 #2 (32K) for M100 #1 (24K/REX), and it worked! >>> >>> It’s still a little finicky and doesn’t always work, but has worked >>> multiple times now. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do to “tune” it >>> so it’s more consistent, but I”m pumped that I finally got it to work. >>> >>> I had tried this M100/cable combination with DVI #1, so I’m wondering if >>> there’s an issue with that DVI. There also must be an issue of some sort >>> with M100 #1 as the current DVI/cable setup didn’t work with that machine, >>> but does with the other. >>> >>> This sure seems like a finicky setup. I would love to see a modern DVI >>> replacement, perhaps with SD card for disk and video output, that would >>> take up far less desk space and be more robust. >>> >>> Thanks all! Any other suggestions for troubleshooting why the M100 (#2) >>> doesn’t work with this and also why DVI #1 doesn’t work with either M100 >>> would be much appreciated. >>> >>> Randy >>> >>> >>> > On Feb 17, 2018, at 4:22 PM, Randy Kindig <[email protected] >>> > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> > >>> > I was just thinking the same thing John. It’s worth a try. >>> > >>> > Thanks >>> > >>> > Sent from my iPhone >>> > >>> >> On Feb 17, 2018, at 3:07 PM, John R. Hogerhuis <[email protected] >>> >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> >> >>> >> Btw it occurs to me that there are 16 permutations possible there. Not >>> >> so high that you couldn’t do all 16 and see if you ever get different >>> >> results in any of 16 if you haven’t already. >>> >> >>> >> — John. >>> >> >
