Updates to the Dick Smith System 80 site

Apologies for cross-posting. I've added a few new bits and pieces to the Dick Smith System 80 site. If anyone is interested, take a look at the first three entries under this link. https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/system-80/whats_new.htm Incidentally, this month is somewhat of a milestone.

Re: The Retro Search is back up

>>On Apr 1, 2019, at 7:11 PM, Kevin Parker via cctalk wrote: >> >>This will mostly interest TRS-80 enthusiasts on this list. >> >> Check it out at theretrosearch.com >> >Thank you for this, Kevin! This is awesome Kevin! Terry

More recovered Exidy Sorcerer software

Hi, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year (or Happy Holidays if that is your flavour), Just to note to those interested in the Exidy Sorcerer. I've added 18 more programs to the Sorcerer archive at https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2017-01-23-software-for-real-sorcerers.htm . To see what they

A New Zealand-based early '80s microcomputer retailer talks about his experience

This won't be of interest to everyone, but if you want to hear what it was like to open and run a microcomputer store in New Zealand back in the early 1980s, it's captured here. https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2018-08-23-viscount-electronics.htm Terry (Tez)

Re: 8 inch floppies, decaying

Just my experience, I once did a trial where I took two identical 5,25 inch disks of the same batch from the same manufacturer. These were clean disks which both formatted and verified just fine, but I wanted to see if IPA did indeed damage the disk. One I swabbed one with 75% IPA, the other

An NTSC Atari looks good on a PAL TV. How come?

Hi, The PAL vrs NTSC TV standard complicated things when collecting home computers from other countries. In New Zealand we are on PAL. PAL Atari 800s are rarer in the world that NTSC ones. That being the case I recently settled on an NTSC one for my collection. Hooking it up to a couple of my

Re: How to enable USB drives in both Windows 98SE AND MS-DOS 7.1.

>Sure. Neither would I. But how is this relevant to the CHWiki question? >> If I had to go to that extent of writing it as a robust, referenced, >> refereed, definitive technical article, I probably wouldn't bother. If I was writing an article as a contributor for a reference wiki, I wouldn't

Re: How to enable USB drives in both Windows 98SE AND MS-DOS 7.1.

Given that my article started this discussion, I should add my 2 cents worth. I’ll continue to do what I’m doing rather than putting this stuff on CHWiki. Grant’s motivations and explanations for posting on his site are pretty much the same as mine. I document these things largely for myself as

Re: How to enable USB drives in both Windows 98SE AND MS-DOS 7.1.

>That link mentions ExittoDOS.pif, and searches for it turn up related information about dosstart.bat. >I'd suggest digging around for them and some web searches. Hmm..interesting. >From a brief search and a test it seems using these files (or at least ones similar to those described) may have

Re: How to enable USB drives in both Windows 98SE AND MS-DOS 7.1.

>I recall using these drivers several years ago. >As I recall, the problem is that they're not amenable to hot-swapping. >That is, is you're using a USB flash drive with them, there was no code >that allowed you to remove the drive and substitute another without >rebooting. >Has this situation

Re: How to enable USB drives in both Windows 98SE AND MS-DOS 7.1.

I needed an MS-DOS 7.1 environment to give me FAT 32 hence the config.sys "menu" system. Terry (Tez) On Thu, Feb 8, 2018 at 4:20 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk < cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > On 02/06/2018 12:58 PM, Terry Stewart via cctalk wrote: > >> T

Re: How to enable USB drives in both Windows 98SE AND MS-DOS 7.1.

On Thu, Feb 8, 2018 at 9:28 AM, Curious Marc wrote: > Thanks Terry, I need to get my DOS7.1/Win98 Dolch to speak USB, that will > be helpful, particularly the DOS portion. I got my Win98 networked to Win7, > it's not that hard *once you know* and works really well. You

How to enable USB drives in both Windows 98SE AND MS-DOS 7.1.

The title might suggest to topic is not vintage, but the reason I did this myself was to facilitate classic computer disk imaging. I’ve recently given USB drive capability to the MS-DOS 7.1 environment in a Windows 98SE computer I use for the purpose above. It was a bit of work configuring the

Re: IBM 9331-011 8" External Floppy Drive - eBay 183038271095

> > > But, you have to tread very carefully. Because SOMETIMES [now rarely], > they could mean the PRE-5150 definition where "IBM compatible" meant > 3740/SSSD 8" with 128 byte sectors. > 5150 really was a danger to itself and/or others; it totally destroyed the > meaning ot "IBM compatible"

Re: IBM 9331-011 8" External Floppy Drive - eBay 183038271095

>but dbit.com offers an adapter called an >FDADAP that >lets you connect a 50 pin 8" disk to the PC controller. I have a couple >and they work great. I second that. I've got one and works just as it should. Terry (Tez)

Re: IBM 9331-011 8" External Floppy Drive - eBay 183038271095

> > > DOS/Windoze will have absolutely no idea how to understand what is on the > disk. > > Makes me thinks of the time a few months ago when a lab on our campus wanted me to read some 8 inch disks in the archives for them. The IT manager said "I think they are IBM-compatible" (and by that he

Even old accounting software needs love and rescuing from oblivion

Hi folks, On the weekend I rescued some old software. It gave me an excuse to get my first micro out of its box and stretch its legs. Accounting packages hardly set the world alight but being a Dick Smith release for the System 80, it does have its place in Australasian computer history.

DP 1000 and filing off IC identifiers? Why?

Hi, My apologies for cross-posting. I’m putting this on a few of the forums I have a third party TRS-80 Model 1 expansion unit that I used with my System 80 when I first got disk drives. I’ve decided I should add some pics and info to the System 80 website as I know they were used here in

Re: Does anyone recognise this please

It looks very much like the Vic-20 one I have. Terry (Tez)

Re: Service manual for IBM PS/2 Monochrome Display?

> > >IBM service manuals (certainly for PCs, PS/2s etc) did not normally > contain > >schematics. They were for repairs at the FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) > level, > >which is probably the complete monitor!. > I think you are right. Thanks Tony. It might have to remain an ornament. Terry

Service manual for IBM PS/2 Monochrome Display?

(Note: Also posted to VCF) Hi Guys, It's a long shot but I’m searching for a manual, which hopefully someone has scanned somewhere. In my latest “check-my-gear-works” audit, an IBM PS/2 monitor failed. It worked initially although brightness and contrast needed to be almost fully up to see

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

?Anadisk tells me the disks are Single Sided, Single Density. > It can see ID marks as it tracks a disk but that is all. It can't see any data. >Could be an RX02 disk as people say Oh, and sector size is 128 bytes. On Sat, May 6, 2017 at 9:58 AM, Terry Stewart

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>In case not everyone noticed, but Terry's already given up on this Lol, true. The disks will be given back on Monday. It's no big deal. The owners can decided what they want to do. Even if I can't read it the disks, however, pondering just what the format might be is fun. I'm certainly

Re: Re: Extracting files off unknown 8 inch disks. Any thoughts

>First if they are DEC its one of two formats either FM aka RX01 or FM2 >aka RX02. >(..an in-depth explanation) >How do I know. I have PDP-8, PDP11 (with RX02) and VAX (qbus uVAX, >uVAX2000, and 3100 family). >I used to and still do exchange between RT-11 and CP/M using RX01 mode >and a CP/M

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>The 'RX02' format used by PUTR is actually IBM System 34 format, >since DEC's 8" DD disks use a strange combination of SD headers >with non-standard ID marks, and DD data fields, that can't be >accessed with a standard PC FDC regardless of the software used." Right. It's definitely a

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

cctalk wrote: > > > On 5/4/2017 6:16 PM, Terry Stewart via cctalk wrote: > >>> If these are from a VAX, could they be microcode disks for a > >>> 11/780? > >> There was a RX01 attached via a LSI-11 as console. > > > > And yet, if there were an RX0

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>And yet, if there were an RX02 somewhere on this VAX, I don't believe you'd be able to read them at all... RX02 seeming more likely with a VAX. Interestingly PUTR, does seem to accommodate this, and the kind of system I have set up (i.e. 1.2 MB 5.25 inch in CMOS even though it's an 8 inch

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

n ODS2. > > Jerry Weiss > j...@ieee.org > > > > On May 4, 2017, at 4:41 PM, Terry Stewart via cctalk < > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > > Hi guys, > > > > Just tying up some unfinished business. Right at the beginning of this > > th

Re: Re: Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>Is your 8 inch setup capable of FM/single density? >I think that Dave has a utility to test that. Yes, quite capable. It passes Dave's test and I have read/written in single density when archiving other stuff. Archiving my FM/single density POLY and Panasonic stuff was no problem.

Re: Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>Does your system handle single density? (some FDCs do; some don't) Oh, yes it does.

Re: Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>Using IMD, or other tools, can you determine the density, bytes per sector, and sectors per track of the disks (try at least 2) >Also, is the data recorded single sided, or both sides? >If you can read it with IMD, then you can start wading through content within sectors to get more clues about

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

Hi guys, Just tying up some unfinished business. Right at the beginning of this thread I said... >Guys in the building next door to me (a Science lab) have found some 8 inch floppy disks. >They want to see what’s on them, or at least to archive them. >They have no idea what machine these disks

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>If you can find an old registered copy of FORMATQM, it allowed very >flexible formatting. So, you could format a DMF floppy by defining a >format in the FORMATS.CFG file thus: Reminds me of NEWDOS/80 V2 on the TRS-80 Mod 1/III. The PDRIVE command let you define your very own disk format! No

Re: Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>>It may also be that is just doesn't support 77 and can only do 80 tracks. >I don't think it is this. I can format it fine with 77 tracks using 22DSK and IMD. It has no problem reading or >writing to 77 track formatted disks. Oh sorry Dwight, I thought you meant the drive here. You mean

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>It may also be that is just doesn't support 77 and can only do 80 tracks. I don't think it is this. I can format it fine with 77 tracks using 22DSK and IMD. It has no problem reading or writing to 77 track formatted disks. Terry

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>Here's a writeup for those interested: >http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2017-04-15- adventures-with-an-8-inch-disk-drive-part1.htm One thing in this project puzzled me. Initially when I was testing the drive I tried to format it for 77-tracks. I used the command FORMAT B: /u /T:77

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

Hi, Just an update on this. I still haven't got those 8' floppies of unknown origin to play with but I HAVE made a lot of progress with my own disks. Thanks to everyone who gave me help with this. Here's a writeup for those interested:

Re: New addition to the collection

Re NEC 8201a... This is a machine I have a lot if fondness for. Wrote many article drafts and crunched a lot of numbers on that little unit. Terry (Tez)

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>I'll add one more note that an 8" drive supports 77 tracks/cylinders, >where a 5.25" high-density drive supports 80. So be careful. Noted. Everything is now ready waiting for those bits and pieces to arrive from the U.S. Last night I spent some time going deeper into IMD118, 22DISK and

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>For what it's worth, unless you're intent on *writing* 8" single-density >floppies on the PC, the interconnect between the 8" drive 50-conductor >cable and the PC 34-conductor one is pretty straightforward. You don't >need a FDADAP board for that, although it's very convenient. Yes, and I'm all

Re: RE: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

>Let's start with determining the hardware aspects to see whether Terry's machines are capable of reading the disks. Yes, this is the first step for me. Last night I pulled out an MS-DOS 486 that seems capable. It can read/write single density according to TESTFDC. This is the machine I'll use.

Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

gt; > > >> On 03/22/2017 08:39 PM, Terry Stewart via cctalk wrote: > >> > >> Chuck, in the highly likely event of the formats NOT being common > >> CP/M or DOS ones (i.e. ones I could probably manage), I'll give these > >> guys your email (-: > > &

Re: Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

Thanks Guys, Now I'm intimidated (-: Just kiddingthat's useful stuff Fred. Thanks for taking the time to type all that out. I'll give it a go...and see what I can see. If anything it's a good excuse for me to wire the drive up. I'd like to image those Panasonic disks one day for

Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

Hi, I’ve posted this to the VCF too…apologies for cross-posting. I’d be grateful for any guidance or comments anyone could give me on this problem. Guys in the building next door to me (a Science lab) have found some 8 inch floppy disks. They want to see what’s on them, or at least to

User group magazine scans for an orphan computer model

I've been scanning some user group newsletters. Reading them today reveals just how important they were for orphan machines home computers like the EACA Colour Genie. Even if you're not interested in that model, they are worth a look as they do reflect the "user club" scene of the day. I'm