Re: [M100] Mdeol 100 FACEBOOK group

[John Whitton]

Mike,

Hi.

Yeah, I'm one of the Social-media-averse, but I'm not contributing anything 
these days, so not a big deal.

So far as Canadian Cents, as it happens, I'm a penny collector and turn up 
a Canadian coin from time-to-time. I've learned that the composition has 
changed a bit off and on. While copper plated zinc has been the mainstay here 
in the U.S. for decades, you folk have in recent years produced both plated 
zinc and plated steel (for widely circulated coins). The plated steel are 
magnetic, of course, which we only did one year (1943).

At any rate, some of your recent Cents are fairly valuable, relative to 
face value. By valuable, I mean ~$2.00. By way of example:
  2006 - Magnetic  - - $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $25.00 $49.30 

http://www.coinsandcanada.com/coins-prices.php?coin=1-cent-2006=1-cent-1965-2012

Anyhow, my Water Heater logging project worked well. The result was about 
as interesting as watching grass grow. The careful tracking revealed that: 
When we use hot water, the water heater fires up. Mrs. W thinks I'm nuts. I 
haven't been able to mount a cogent counter-argument.

I'm afraid my dreams of a block-buster article for Science, or Nature have 
been dashed. Monitoring the boiler during the winter would have been far more 
interesting. Speaking of which, the last two or three nights it has dipped into 
the low 40's, OK, OK... ~ 6 deg. I am hoping that those temperatures will stunt 
the grass, which I have already had to mow twice.

Regards,
John

  - Original Message - 
  From: Mike Stein 
  To: Model 100 Discussion 
  Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2016 3:49 AM
  Subject: Re: [M100] Mdeol 100 FACEBOOK group


  Ah, another addict! ;-) Nice to hear from ya!

  We no longer have pennies up here in Canada, so it'll have to be my 5 cents 
(not that that makes it worth any more than your 2 cents, especially with 
today's exchange rate ;-)

Re: [M100] BASIC interval timing

[John Whitton]

1. No interval will exceed 24 hours.
2. One-second resolution is adequate.

To be a little more explicit, the object is to record the time of  "ON"/"OFF" 
events and their duration occurring over the course of several days with 
several events occurring each day. The real-time sequence will be:


"ON" - Record current time
"OFF" - Record current time and elapsed time since previous "ON"
"ON"  Record current time and elapsed time since last "OFF"
.
.
.
etc.

The only real issue is the conversion of the character-stringed TIME$ to usable 
numbers, and dealing with the crossing from 23:59:59 to 00:00:00

John W.
  - Original Message - 
  From: David Boyd 
  To: Model 100 Discussion 
  Sent: Friday, April 01, 2016 11:06 PM
  Subject: Re: [M100] BASIC interval timing


  Well, he wants to subtract one time value from another. Presumably we'd want 
to serialize both times, store them in a double, dblTime = (if HH=0 then HH=24) 
HH*3600+MM*60,+SS, do the subtraction, then build another time string to 
display. Lots of expensive string ops, VAL()s... surely peeks would be quicker, 
if messier, though I suppose the different models might put the time in 
different memory locations...


  On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 22:58 David Boyd <david.b...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well 

On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 22:52 Kenneth Pettit <petti...@gmail.com> wrote:

  The other question is if 1 second is fine enough resolution.  Presumably 
it is if string time is adequate.  


  And yes, the current clock values are maintained in RAM somewhere.  The 
question becomes the time for a single string = operation vs. multiple RAM 
address reads from BASIC.


  Ken

  Sent from my iPhone

  On Apr 1, 2016, at 7:13 PM, David Boyd <david.b...@gmail.com> wrote:


Clarify some things please:

What is the max interval?
Is the max interval longer than 24 hours? If so, we need date also.
Do you want shortest, or fastest, or best compromise?

Questions for the more experienced among us:

Is there some memory location where the system time is available as a 
number? If so, we would prefer that. Even a tick count would be handy. 

On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 21:59 John Whitton <jwhit...@bellsouth.net> 
wrote:

  I suppose I could lamely offer this as a challenge, but the fact is 
that I am just lazy, and am wondering how others would go about it.

  The issue is the shortest code that will collect (as a character 
string, H:M:S) the difference between two clock readings, in hours, minutes and 
seconds. The crux of the matter is the capture of interval between randomly 
occurring events.

  Assume 
  A$=TIME$'First event
  B$=TIME$'Second event

[M100] BASIC interval timing

[John Whitton]

I suppose I could lamely offer this as a challenge, but the fact is that I am 
just lazy, and am wondering how others would go about it.

The issue is the shortest code that will collect (as a character string, H:M:S) 
the difference between two clock readings, in hours, minutes and seconds. The 
crux of the matter is the capture of interval between randomly occurring events.

Assume 
A$=TIME$'First event
B$=TIME$'Second event

Re: [M100] off topic: Radon in houses

[John Whitton]

I dislike going OT on this board, as differences in perspective may 
escalate into argument. I have followed the Radon question for two decades or 
so, and find myself undisturbed by it. A common sense question would be, "If it 
is as dangerous as it is perceived to be, and given the fact that houses in 
areas of high Radon concentration have existed for generations, why has there 
not been massive local incidence of lung cancer?" And by "massive", I mean 
MASSIVE.

And yet, nope. Just plain nope. For me, this falls under the heading of, 
"Who are you going to believe? The 'experts', or your eyes?" But, that's just 
me.

I realize that a common put-on-the-blinders response is, "Why take 
chances?", but that perspective can also be applied to getting out of bed in 
the morning. Where I take issue, is with the facts in evidence vs. the hysteria 
gen'd up by 'experts' and promulgated by naive bureaucrats.  The consequence is 
needless millions of dollars expended in mandated 'abatement' efforts, 
inconvenience (even psychological burdens) and expense to home owners/buyers.  
But, that's just me. I have what I am told is a mulish tendency to rely on 
facts and figures rather than emotion.

One thing everyone agrees upon (so far as I know) is that limited exposure 
to Radon actually reduces the risk of lung cancer: 
http://www.wpi.edu/news/20078/radonstudy.html

Here is a succinct paper, 'Radon Risk and Cancer', on the question, take it 
or leave it as you choose:

http://www.forensic-applications.com/radon/reviews.html

As a potentially disruptive parting shot, and I'll say no more on either 
topic, it's too bad that given the depredations of malaria, and now the Zika 
virus, that we don't have a safe, proven means of mosquito eradication, like, 
oh, DDT. 

John W.

[M100] M100 power requirements

[John Whitton]

FWIW, find attached a .pdf graph of M102 power consumption. This was compiled 6 
years ago (hard to believe).

John W.
  - Original Message - 
  From: Josh Malone 
  To: Model 100 Discussion 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2015 4:02 PM
  Subject: Re: [M100] USB "juice pack"


  I just tested the power requirements of my 102. With the battery connectors 
connected to a bench supply at 5 volts, it draws a very consistent 65mA. I was 
expecting the current to vary slightly with CPU or screen activity but it does 
not. I'm so used to CPU idle states which, of course, the 8085 does not use :)


  I have one of these kicking around at home 
(https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10968) so I'm thinking to construct a 
LiPo-based AA battery replacement so I can recharge my 102 via USB. There's 
also https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11231 but that's capable of WAY more 
current than necessary and considerably more expensive.


  -Josh



  On Thu, Dec 3, 2015 at 7:00 PM, Mike Stein  wrote:



Yeah, I was wondering about that, especially with WiFi; definitely sounds a 
little high. Too bad.

Maybe Jeff's solution isn't such a bad idea after all ;-)

Anyway, the M100 works fine on a "juice pack".

m


batterypwr.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

Re: [M100] time

[John Whitton]

   For some years, I had a bit of software that I ran on a 486 machine 
which dialed up NIST via a Hayes modem, and set my Hayes Chronograph.


   Of course, hoarder that I am , I still have all three.

John W.



- Original Message - 
From: "Peter Vollan" 

To: "Model 100 Discussion" 
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2015 3:32 PM
Subject: [M100] time



I have just learned that if you "telnet time.nist.gov", the NIST sends
you a string containing the accurate time and date (UTC of course). It
seems to that that his could come in handy synchronising the Model T
to accurate time. 

[M100] Mxxx Software of 3.5

[John Whitton]

I have a batch of M10x, M200 programs on 3.5 disks. Too many to bother 
listing individually. My question is, what's the consensus for just scanning 
the disks/labels and post the scans. Anyone think stray scanner stepper fields 
might erase the disks? 

I doubt that I have anything particularly interesting, but maybe. Anyhow, 
thoughts?
John W.

Re: [M100] Upgrade via System Bus ?

[John Whitton]

This discussion comes up from time-to-time. I recall giving the question 
some thought. There is available on the 80C85 the HLDA pin, which was included 
for implementing DMA. That input is not brought to the external bus connector, 
but could be tied to an existing connector pin. That facility might make it 
possible to do some interesting stuff..., I think.

I fear that this is a case of  'Just because it might be done, that doesn't 
mean that it should be done'. Devoted hardware hackers are inclined to ignore 
such caveats, however (Damn the practicality!..., this is man vs. machine!), 
and I do not doubt that given sufficient resources of tenacity, someone could 
churn out an interesting external (or internal) speed-up option.

John W.




  - Original Message - 
  From: Ken Pettit 
  To: Model 100 Discussion 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2015 12:33 PM
  Subject: Re: [M100] Upgrade via System Bus ?


  I've actually looked at this before thinking it would be cool to have an 
expansion bus plug-in device that is basically a new processor on the system 
bus.  Can't be done.  The problem is that all the signals connecting to the 
system bus are buffered, meaning they are one-way traffic only.  The address 
bus can only be driven by the 80C85 CPU and the data bus direction control is 
the same.


  Ken


  On Tue, Jun 2, 2015 at 9:27 AM, Hiraghm hira...@hotmail.com wrote:

Okay, so the system bus is used to connect to the DVI drive/video 
expansion, but what are its total capabilities?
In an earlier message I wished for a cpu/ram upgrade for the M100. On 
reading about the extRAM in Portable 100 issue November 1990 (page 17), I began 
to wonder if one of you hardware types could build a very small cpu/ram upgrade 
board that takes over for the CPU over the system bus.

Maybe this is how QUAD adds the banks of RAM, I don't know. That's why I'm 
asking, because I don't know.

Not only would such a hardware upgrade speed up and expand the capability 
of the M100 (would probably require a customized ROM via REX), but it would 
make CP/M or even a custom FreeDOS (except FreeDOS is 32 bit :(  ) possible.

Re: [M100] Portable 100 searchable database?

[John Whitton]

I use a carbide-fired miners lamp. Lends a nice vintage touch. Might not be 
suitable for some atmospheres, or on commercial flights.   ;-)


John W.




- Original Message - 
From: MikeS dm...@torfree.net

To: Model 100 Discussion m100@lists.bitchin100.com
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2015 5:51 PM
Subject: Re: [M100] Portable 100 searchable database?



Is there a database of the magazine articles
somewhere, searchable by topic?


This one's not quite complete, but better than
nothing.

Lots of options for front lighting available today
that weren't around then, most available at your
local Dollar store; e.g.:

-Battery-powered book lights (I adapted one to
plug into and get its power from the bar code
connector but went back to its battery power to
not drain the M100 battery).

-USB note book lights that can easily be modded as
above.

-Reading glasses with built-in LEDs.

-In your car there are all sorts of map lights
that plug into the lighter socket or a USB
adapter.

m

Re: [M100] Fwd: Model 1000+1

[John Whitton]

 Did I stumble into the Vintage Humor thread?

You guys are showing your age.

As an aside, on Jeopardy the other night, one of the questions had to do with 
the computer company that Wozniak co-founded. The only contestant that guessed, 
guessed IBM. Sic transit gloria mundi.

John W.


  - Original Message - 
  From: Mike Stein 
  To: Model 100 Discussion 
  Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2015 10:42 AM
  Subject: Re: [M100] Fwd: Model 1000+1


  ROFL ! 

  - Original Message - 
From: Russell Flowers 
To: Model 100 Discussion 
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2015 10:01 AM
Subject: Re: [M100] Fwd: Model 1000+1


Dave's not here, man.



On Thu, May 14, 2015 at 9:00 AM, Flow gmail flowcharles...@gmail.com 
wrote:

  I don't know who Dave is.