[ql-users] Ah, happy days!
At last, I have a *real* working QL to play with :) Not the Germanic one, I'm afraid (I still need a membrane for that one), but another one. And lots of kewl stuff too: - Trump card, - 512k Expanderam (not at the same time, obviously!) - MPS disc interface (the one where the device is fdk1_/fdk2_) - Sinclair badged 3.5" disc-drive - TK2 on ROM *and* it works! - ICE on ROM (how do I start that up then, and do I need a mouse?) - GST C on ROM (untried as of yet) - Pascal - Turbo (I've also got QLiberator somewhere, from my original QL) I forsee lots of playing around for the next few weeks :) Now all I need is a monitor, to save me from having to use the TV (which, for some reason, has a lousy picture - maybe the UHF modulator is on the way out). Cheers! Ade. -- B-Racing: B where it's at :-) http://www.b-racing.co.uk
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
At 11:24 ìì 20/8/2001 +0100, you wrote: >At last, I have a *real* working QL to play with :) Not the Germanic one, >I'm afraid (I still need a membrane for that one), but another one. > >And lots of kewl stuff too: > - Trump card, > - 512k Expanderam (not at the same time, obviously!) > - MPS disc interface (the one where the device is fdk1_/fdk2_) > - Sinclair badged 3.5" disc-drive > - TK2 on ROM *and* it works! > - ICE on ROM (how do I start that up then, and do I need a mouse?) Type ICE :-) (I have that too... you'll also need the utilities... mine are already dust :-( > - GST C on ROM (untried as of yet) > - Pascal > - Turbo (I've also got QLiberator somewhere, from my original QL) > >I forsee lots of playing around for the next few weeks :) > >Now all I need is a monitor, to save me from having to use the TV (which, >for some reason, has a lousy picture - maybe the UHF modulator is on the >way out). > >Cheers! >Ade. >-- >B-Racing: B where it's at :-) >http://www.b-racing.co.uk
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
At 06:53 pm 20/08/2001 -0500, Phoebus Dokos wrote: >At 11:24 ìì 20/8/2001 +0100, you wrote: >> - ICE on ROM (how do I start that up then, and do I need a mouse?) > >Type ICE :-) (I have that too... you'll also need the utilities... mine are >already dust :-( > I tried that, nothing happened... Maybe the EPROM is a goner :( Is it supposed to show anything at the F1/F2 screen? I'm not aware of having any utilities, but then I've still got a whole bundle of microdrives & disks to look through. Cheers! Ade. -- B-Racing: B where it's at :-) http://www.b-racing.co.uk
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
> >> - ICE on ROM (how do I start that up then, and do I need a mouse?)
The mouse, if it has one, is connected directly to the ROM cartridge. If it
doesn't then it must be an early, pre-mouse version.
> >Type ICE :-) (I have that too... you'll also need the utilities... mine are
> >already dust :-(
>
> I tried that, nothing happened... Maybe the EPROM is a goner :( Is it
> supposed to show anything at the F1/F2 screen?
Top of F1/F2 screen should say summat loike:
ICE v2.1 EIDERSOFT (C) 1985 D. Jones
[well mind does - I've got a mouse version - followed on the next line by
'Gold Card V2.49']
If this is missing it may be because the ROM isn't found during reset...I have
this problem from time to time and found 2 solutions:
a) try re-seating the cartridge: by unplugging-replugging, and/or jiggling it
in the socket (with power OFF/disconnected). If this failed,
b) [lasts longer] try lightly tinning all the connections on the ROM cartidge
with solder - making sure that NO two were accidently connected via solder
splats (a needle file between them works well) - and making sure that the edge
connector is clean (by using a little propan-1-ol [aka isopropyl alcohol] -
available from chemists, or [video] cassette tape [head] cleaning kits; which
also removes any filings). If re-tinning, having a desolder tool (solder
sucker) to remove old solder helps.
On boot-up, my ICE ROM takes control, unless the ALT key is pressed during the
reset process, when the normal MDV1_BOOT or FLP1_BOOT is run. At any time,
the ICE command allows access to the '"graphical" front-end'
>From November 1987 QL World ('Of Mice and QLs', pg 12-14):
"At present there are four brands of mouse available for the QL. The first
to make its appearance was the Eidersoft Mice system, released soon, after its
EPROM-based ICE front-end...
"The standard version of ICE relies on pressing a combination of cursor
keys to effect movement of a screen pointer which, in turn, accesses the
system commands. Command selection is made by either a single or double
pressing of the bar.
"The Eidersoft mouse system includes EPROM-based ICE and connects to the QL
through the ROM port. Command selection is made by pressing one of the three
mouse buttons."
I've got an ICE manual here sumwhere...I've found the "Mice MOUSE User's
Guide" which basically gives the mouse differences, plus describes ARTice, a
drawing program (that crashes on my GC). It mentions an optional ICE TOOLKIT,
but I can't remember what this is, but with ARTice did come a toolkit of sorts
(providing access to the mouse pointer and buttons).
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
On Mon, 20 Aug 2001 at 23:24:27, Adrian Vickers wrote: (ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>) >I forsee lots of playing around for the next few weeks :) > >Now all I need is a monitor, to save me from having to use the TV (which, >for some reason, has a lousy picture - maybe the UHF modulator is on the >way out). No - the bad picture is quite normal (8-)# Sinclair tried (and failed) to improve it by screening mdv1_. Just bad design. The Atari ST used _exactly_ the same circuit, even down to the 1377, and did it better 'cos there is less board noise. -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:257/67) +44(0)1442-828255 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
On Tue, 21 Aug 2001 at 01:57:20, Robert Newson wrote: (ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>) >> >> - ICE on ROM (how do I start that up then, and do I need a mouse?) > >The mouse, if it has one, is connected directly to the ROM cartridge. If it >doesn't then it must be an early, pre-mouse version. > >> >Type ICE :-) (I have that too... you'll also need the utilities... mine are >> >already dust :-( >> >> I tried that, nothing happened... Maybe the EPROM is a goner :( Is it >> supposed to show anything at the F1/F2 screen? > >Top of F1/F2 screen should say summat loike: > >ICE v2.1 EIDERSOFT (C) 1985 D. Jones > >[well mind does - I've got a mouse version - followed on the next line by >'Gold Card V2.49'] > >If this is missing it may be because the ROM isn't found during reset...I have >this problem from time to time and found 2 solutions: First try is to clean the contacts with a rubber. All bar Romdisq (plug (8-)# ) failed to use 'gold' plated connectors. I find that that rescues most. It is rare to have other board problems - it is nothing much more than an EPROM. I assume other ROMs work. As Sinclair used sliced connectors, it is possible to crack them. I did that once when something fell on a ROM. > >a) try re-seating the cartridge: by unplugging-replugging, and/or jiggling it >in the socket (with power OFF/disconnected). If this failed, > >b) [lasts longer] try lightly tinning all the connections on the ROM cartidge >with solder - making sure that NO two were accidently connected via solder >splats (a needle file between them works well) - and making sure that the edge >connector is clean (by using a little propan-1-ol [aka isopropyl alcohol] - >available from chemists, or [video] cassette tape [head] cleaning kits; which >also removes any filings). If re-tinning, having a desolder tool (solder >sucker) to remove old solder helps. -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:257/67) +44(0)1442-828255 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG
RE: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
>> ICE v2.1 EIDERSOFT (C) 1985 D. Jones Not *the* D Jones ??? >> ... describes ARTice, a >> drawing program (that crashes on my GC). I remember just before Digital Precision vanished off the face of the planet, I had a very large box of DP's discs containing a large number of old QL programs which were all written to run from mdv in 128K of RAM and nothing else - ie, position dependant code :o(. I was working for Freddy converting these over to run as position independant code and hopefully on any system. There was quite a lot of ICE stuff in there and I suspect the reason it crashes the GC is down to either the screen memeory being in a different place - everything I converted hard coded $2 (131072) as the screen address - or because the code isn't position independant. I never got as far as converting the Ice stuff. I also never got as far as ever seeing the stuff on sale because FV and DP just 'went' ! Regards, Norman. Norman Dunbar EMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Database/Unix administrator Phone: 0113 289 6265 Lynx Financial Systems Ltd. Fax:0113 201 7265 URL:http://www.LynxFinancialSystems.com
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
>>> ICE v2.1 EIDERSOFT (C) 1985 D. Jones > >Not *the* D Jones ??? Yes, it was *the* David Jones of Eidersoft. I'm just an imposter. Actually, I've had the 'blame' for ICE more than once. I've even owned one, but rarely used it as I couldn't get it to work reliably on my QL. -- Dilwyn Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.soft.net.uk/dj/index.html
RE: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
-Original Message- From: Dilwyn Jones [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Subject: Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days! >> Yes, it was *the* David Jones of Eidersoft. I'm just an imposter. >> Actually, I've had the 'blame' for ICE more than once. I've even owned >> one, but rarely used it as I couldn't get it to work reliably on my >> QL. I know - I have your ICE Mouse from way back when I was converting for Freddy. You didn't want it back, but I still have it somewhere, in the loft, in a box, under some other boxes, behind something large and heavy, and there's no lights up there (yet), oh yes, guarded by a large and hungry leopard as well. (Ok, I'll stop now !) Norman. Norman Dunbar EMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Database/Unix administrator Phone: 0113 289 6265 Lynx Financial Systems Ltd. Fax:0113 201 7265 URL:http://www.LynxFinancialSystems.com
RE: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
-Original Message- From: Norman Dunbar [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2001 9:13 AM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: RE: [ql-users] Ah, happy days! >>> Yes, it was *the* David Jones of Eidersoft. I'm just an imposter. >>> Actually, I've had the 'blame' for ICE more than once. I've even owned >>> one, but rarely used it as I couldn't get it to work reliably on my >>> QL. >I know - I have your ICE Mouse from way back when I was converting for >Freddy. You didn't want it back, but I still have it somewhere, in the loft, >in a box, under some other boxes, behind something large and heavy, and >there's no lights up there (yet), oh yes, guarded by a large and hungry >leopard as well. >(Ok, I'll stop now !) >Norman. Ah, you won't mind digging it out then if anyone needs it ;-) Jon.
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
At 01:57 am 21/08/2001 +0100, Robert Newson wrote: >> >> - ICE on ROM (how do I start that up then, and do I need a mouse?) > >The mouse, if it has one, is connected directly to the ROM cartridge. If it >doesn't then it must be an early, pre-mouse version. This is presumably pre-mouse then. Unfortunately, the machine came with 3 roms, but only one cartridge; so I have to open it up & swap the ROM in the cartridge. Yes, I got it the wrong way around first time, so it's plausible I've popped the EPROM :( It doesn't identify itself as ICE on the bootup screen, but then I've got the TC plugged in, maybe that's affecting it? I did have to re-seat TK2 to make it work. I'm wondering if that'll get my elderly "SuperToolKit" ROM working as well - I've had that for about 5 years, and it didn't work from the time I got it. At the time I didn't dare take it apart, so it landed up in a drawer somewhere. I've probably lost it by now... >a) try re-seating the cartridge: by unplugging-replugging, and/or jiggling it >in the socket (with power OFF/disconnected). If this failed, I'll try moving it about a bit; but TBH if it doesn't work I'm not *too* fussed; I've never had ICE before, but QPAC is the defacto standard is it not? Cheers! Ade. -- B-Racing: B where it's at :-) http://www.b-racing.co.uk
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
At 06:05 am 21/08/2001 +0100, Tony Firshman wrote: >On Mon, 20 Aug 2001 at 23:24:27, Adrian Vickers wrote: >(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>) > >>I forsee lots of playing around for the next few weeks :) >> >>Now all I need is a monitor, to save me from having to use the TV (which, >>for some reason, has a lousy picture - maybe the UHF modulator is on the >>way out). >No - the bad picture is quite normal (8-)# Not this bad - my AH QL had a nice clear picture (despite the variety of ropey TVs it was used on, including two ancient B/W jobs picked up for £1 each at a boot sale); I didn't get a monitor for it until about 1991 or 2, and a colour monitor a few years later (picked up from a QL show in Chester - I *think* I bought it off Dilywn's stand...). This one is very flakey, with washed out colours and lots of interference. OTOH, it may be because the QL is surrounded by CBM PETs... :) >Sinclair tried (and failed) to improve it by screening mdv1_. I've seen that in the QL I mentioned earlier. Incidentally, that one has a better TV picture than this new one too... Cheers! Ade. -- B-Racing: B where it's at :-) http://www.b-racing.co.uk
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
>>> Actually, I've had the 'blame' for ICE more than once. I've even owned >>> one, but rarely used it as I couldn't get it to work reliably on my >>> QL. > >I know - I have your ICE Mouse from way back when I was converting for >Freddy. You didn't want it back, but I still have it somewhere, in the loft, >in a box, under some other boxes, behind something large and heavy, and >there's no lights up there (yet), oh yes, guarded by a large and hungry >leopard as well. Correct, I don't want it back. Use it to feed that hungry stuffed leopard of yours. Bit cruel to keep a leopard in a dark loft though (says he remembering you used to come to workshops wearing WWF T-shirts). Seriously though, I don't want the ICE system back. If you don't want it, give it away when you next find it! I'm eagerly awaiting QDT from Jim Hunkins later this year! -- Dilwyn Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.soft.net.uk/dj/index.html
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
Adrian Vickers wrote: >Not this bad - my AH QL had a nice clear picture (despite the variety of >ropey TVs it was used on, including two ancient B/W jobs picked up for £1 >each at a boot sale); I didn't get a monitor for it until about 1991 or 2, >and a colour monitor a few years later (picked up from a QL show in Chester >- I *think* I bought it off Dilywn's stand...). Can't have been me, I didn't have a stand at that one, despite being the organiser. A family death meant that although I made a token appearance, I wasn't really up to it the event was handled by Mike Kenneally and some Club QL International members on the day to help me out in the circumstances, the only DJC presence being a few copies of Norman Dunbar's PE Idiot's Guide making an early appearance at £1 each for charity IIRC. Certainly no monitors from me, sorry! >This one is very flakey, with washed out colours and lots of interference. >OTOH, it may be because the QL is surrounded by CBM PETs... :) Some Spectrums had flakey pictures on some TV sets which could be improved by deliberately mistuning the TV slightly. The QL's TV picture output is not too bad on the whole, by comparison with some Spectra for example. The main problem with using a QL with a TV is that mode 4 csize 0,0 text is barely readable and most TV sets cannot display the full 512 pixel wide screen. If you have a TV set with a SCART connector, it can make a pretty good monitor. Connection details were published in QL Toady some time ago. CBM PETs??? I remember the name, but not the computer itself, is it from the VIC20 and C64 era? -- Dilwyn Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.soft.net.uk/dj/index.html
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
At 10:16 pm 21/08/2001 +0100, you wrote: >Adrian Vickers wrote: > >>Not this bad - my AH QL had a nice clear picture (despite the variety >of >>ropey TVs it was used on, including two ancient B/W jobs picked up >for £1 >>each at a boot sale); I didn't get a monitor for it until about 1991 >or 2, >>and a colour monitor a few years later (picked up from a QL show in >Chester >>- I *think* I bought it off Dilywn's stand...). >Can't have been me, I didn't have a stand at that one, despite being >the organiser. A family death meant that although I made a token >appearance, I wasn't really up to it the event was handled by Mike >Kenneally and some Club QL International members on the day to help me >out in the circumstances, the only DJC presence being a few copies of >Norman Dunbar's PE Idiot's Guide making an early appearance at £1 each >for charity IIRC. Certainly no monitors from me, sorry! Oh, must have been someone else then (ahem, stating the obvious). I do recall you being somewhat distracted however. >>This one is very flakey, with washed out colours and lots of >interference. >>OTOH, it may be because the QL is surrounded by CBM PETs... :) >Some Spectrums had flakey pictures on some TV sets which could be >improved by deliberately mistuning the TV slightly. This one has two points where there's a half reasonable picture, but it goes very fuzzy between them. I find this unusual, hence wondering if the UHF modulator's getting a bit wobbly. > The QL's TV >picture output is not too bad on the whole, by comparison with some >Spectra for example. The main problem with using a QL with a TV is >that mode 4 csize 0,0 text is barely readable and most TV sets cannot >display the full 512 pixel wide screen. Yep, had that problem for a *long* time... I also discovered, having written many a Basic program using B/W TV or green monitor, that when I plugged the colour monitor in the colours I'd used were atrocious! Good B/W contrast, but they looked terrible together... >If you have a TV set with a SCART connector, it can make a pretty good >monitor. Connection details were published in QL Toady some time ago. That's a pretty good idea... I really ought to subscribe to QLT - whom should I contact? > >CBM PETs??? I remember the name, but not the computer itself, is it >from the VIC20 and C64 era? > PETs - 1977 to 198mumble. There's a whole scree of pictures at this website: http://www.zimmers.net/cbmpics/ I currently have a 3016, an 8032 and an 8032-SK, soon to be complemented by a 2001. The 8032 is 17.5"x19"x18" (w,d,h), the 3016 marginally smaller - although to be fair they've all got built-in monitors. They also weigh a ton! I've 2 dual 5.25" disk drives for them, each drive unit is about 14"x14"x7", and they weigh as much as computer+monitor... Mind you, they were pretty advanced for their time; the 8032 was top-of-the-range when the ZX80 was new, and the 8032-SK qualifies as one of the most aesthetically pleasing computers ever made (although it would have been even better had it been all-black with a Sinclair logo on it :) Cheers! Ade. -- B-Racing: B where it's at :-) http://www.b-racing.co.uk
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Adrian Vickers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes >Now all I need is a monitor, to save me from having to use the TV (which, >for some reason, has a lousy picture - maybe the UHF modulator is on the >way out). Contact Bill Richardson - he has a few. The TV picture may well be influenced by Channel 5 which, I believe, is on the same frequency. I am not sure if I recall this correctly. -- Roy Wood Q Branch 20 Locks Hill, Portslade, Sussex BN41 2LB Tel : +44(0)1273-386030 / Mobile : +44 (0) 7836-745501 Fax +44 (0)1273-381577 web site : http://www.qbranch.demon.co.uk/
RE: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
Dilwyn, >> Correct, I don't want it back. Use it to feed that hungry stuffed >> leopard of yours. Bit cruel to keep a leopard in a dark loft though >> (says he remembering you used to come to workshops wearing WWF >> T-shirts). Leopards quite like the dark - that's when they do all their best hunting, but I wonder if she likes mice :o) >> Seriously though, I don't want the ICE system back. If you don't want >> it, give it away when you next find it! I know it's up there somewhere .. >> I'm eagerly awaiting QDT from Jim Hunkins later this year! Yes, the pre-review in QL Toady does sound good. Norman. Norman Dunbar EMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Database/Unix administrator Phone: 0113 289 6265 Lynx Financial Systems Ltd. Fax:0113 201 7265 URL:http://www.LynxFinancialSystems.com
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
> >CBM PETs??? I remember the name, but not the computer itself, is it > >from the VIC20 and C64 era? > > > > PETs - 1977 to 198mumble. I believe the PET was designed by Chuck Peddle around the 6502 processor he designed based on a PDP processor of some sort (though I may be wrong). The VIC-20 was CBM's "home-computer" that the PET begat; it used the same basic + video character set, but added colour and high res graphics, and removed ~27K of RAM - it came with ~5K as opposed to the 32K of the 3032 that I used at school. The c64 was then begat by the VIC-20, having an enormous 64K of RAM! > >Now all I need is a monitor, to save me from having to use the TV (which, > >for some reason, has a lousy picture - maybe the UHF modulator is on the > >way out). Vaguely following instructions in PCW magazine, I added a composite input to my Phillips TX range TV that I originally brought for my ZX81(s) - this improved picture quality dramatically (bypasses modulation and demodulation). > Contact Bill Richardson - he has a few. The TV picture may well be > influenced by Channel 5 which, I believe, is on the same frequency. I am > not sure if I recall this correctly. Channel 5 is on channel 37 (in the London area at least...the channel list I have is from 90/91 prior to it - on all the transmitters listed there is generally at least a 3 channel difference between the stations [eg Crystal Palace: 23/26/30/33 for ITV/BBC1/CH4/BBC2] which I presume is to prevent interference). Thus I suspect that CH5 interferance could well be the problem; as I have with one of my video players. I also believe the modulator has a tendency to wander frequency (or was that the ZX81/2). Tho' I did have a washy-like output that improved after I had re-seated (pushed back in) the chips on the QL (de-static-adize yourself first! - by touching something earthed).
Re: [ql-users] Ah, happy days!
> Channel 5 is on channel 37 (in the London area at least...the channel list I > have is from 90/91 prior to it - on all the transmitters listed there is > generally at least a 3 channel difference between the stations [eg Crystal > Palace: 23/26/30/33 for ITV/BBC1/CH4/BBC2] which I presume is to prevent > interference). > > Thus I suspect that CH5 interferance could well be the problem; as I have with > one of my video players. I also believe the modulator has a tendency to > wander frequency (or was that the ZX81/2). Tho' I did have a washy-like > output that improved after I had re-seated (pushed back in) the chips on the > QL (de-static-adize yourself first! - by touching something earthed). I've just used my video to display frequencies, and used http://www.bnoack.com/index.html (a veritable mine of info) to get Bandwith, etc, and came up with: Chan CH Freq Bandwidth Video Sound ITV23 487.2486-494487.25487.25 BBC1 26 511.2510-518511.25511.25 CH430 543.2542-550543.25543.25 BBC2 33 567.2566-574567.25567.25 QL 36 590.4590-598591.25591.25 CH537 599.3598-606599.25599.25
