TI-99 4/A full set-up with 300 baud modem

[GameGirl420]

I'm considering to buy the full set-up for the TI-99 4/A when I catchup with my savings a bit in a couple of months. I'm planning to get the monitor and the whole complete setup lol. I just look at the back of the box for my TI-99 4/A keyboard and just think drats I'd love to have the whole thing.

 

Anyways I have a question about the 300 baud modem...

 

Is it a rare item? Also is it possible that it works and if you can build a modem network with other TI computers?

 

I know the technology must be obsolete compared to today's internet, but I've always been curious if that old modem actually works.

[Osgeld]

back in the days I used to patch modems together and run around telling one to start handshaking then run across the house telling the other to start listening, so its possible to make a network just using a modem, its just not that elegant

 

I have dead 4 wire phone lines now, meaning they are not connected to the phone network and am considering using them to bounce low speed RS232 serial around meaning I would not have to deal with the whole modem aspect, but its just a thought

[+save2600]

Lush Girl... you can always phone me up direct... and I guarantee my junk still works. Doesn't even need to be 4:20!!

Edited May 9, 2013 by save2600

[GameGirl420]

Uhh lol okay weird answer but funny.

 

Seriously how rare is the TI modem? I've always wondered if people in the 80's actually used that, just sayin'.

[yell0w_lantern]

Always think of the band, Lush, when I see her posts; probably because of the name and the avatars look like Miki Berenyi. I still love Lush; great band.

 

Anyway, I've never seen a TI-99 modem. I got the personal machine of a TI collector when he downsized to a condo. He gave me a ton of stuff including his PEB (heavy beast), TI-99 cassette recorder, and a random assortment of other bits but no modem. I think they are fairly rare.

Edited May 10, 2013 by yell0w_lantern

[GameGirl420]

Hah thanks Actually I love Lush the band and people always say I look like Miki Berenyi and funny we both also share the same birthday(March 18), but she's 10 years older than me.

 

I would love to hear more about the Ti modem though!

Edited May 11, 2013 by lushgirl_80

[oracle_jedi]

Be careful what you wish for!

 

The TI Expansion Box is an interesting option, and once you have fully expanded your TI with 32K card, disk controller and RS232 you have a noticeably different computer than before.

 

But the PEB is massive, takes acres of desk space and sounds like a small jet engine due to the noisy fan. You have limited options to place it elsewhere due to the thick and short fire-hose cable from the TI console. I knew some of the guys in the Chicago TI club who used their PEBs to add SID chips, Myarc or Corcomp disk controller, RAM disks or to support a Geneve set up, but unless you plan to go that far, other options such as the CF7 or the Corcomp 9900 are a better option.

 

The acoustic coupler modem plugs into the RS232 card, so adding it gives you the ability to use an old style telephone to dial into servers, I don't think you could directly network two TIs in that fashion unless you are willing to write your own code to do it. TI Terminal Emulator cartridge does not allow that IIRC, since it can only dial out, not receive incoming calls. I did use mine to connect my TI to a Linux server, but its limited what you can do with a 40 column screen in Linux.

 

However, I expect if you dig through the vast TI public domain libraries you might find some software that can do what you are looking for.

 

The 10 inch monitor is okay, but not great. The image is small and somewhat fuzzy compared to the later Commodore monitors. It's tough on the eyes after a while.

 

I used my PEB and TI monitor a few times before deciding they took up way too much space, and the CF7 and Commodore monitors were of much more use. Using the RS232 to communicate with other computers was fun too, but the entertainment factor wore off fast. I ended up selling my PEB after a year, and I had to send the monitor for recycling as no one wanted it.

Edited May 12, 2013 by oracle_jedi

[yell0w_lantern]

Maybe the guys over on the TI-99/4A Tech Group might have some more ideas? I think the 80 column upgrade has been quite popular so who knows what else they're doing.

 

I think the PEB has some charm to it.

Unless you have access to intact disks though it won't help you much for games.

I've tried using Lotharek's Floppy Emulator with PEB but no luck. I keep getting things like "name too long". Makes me wonder if the RAM is bad in the PEB. I broke down and got a NanoPEB too but I wish I could get that big beast running with the Floppy Emulator.

 

BTW, I thionk the estimate I read was only 1 in 10 TI-99/4A owners bought a PEB. Then figure only a fraction of them bought modems so, yeah, probably quite rare, Check the tech group in Yahoo.

Edited May 13, 2013 by yell0w_lantern

[matthew180]

The 99/4A only had an acoustic coupler for a modem and required you to have the RS232 card in your PEB. The MainByte website has nice photos of all of this:

 

http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/hardware/main_board.html

 

PEBs are not terribly hard to get, they just cost a lot to ship. RS232 cards are not hard to get either, and just about any PEB should come with at least the 32K RAM, RS232 card, and floppy disk controller and disk drive.

 

I had an acoustic coupler that I gave away at the "TI Faire" in Chicago one year, so I don't know how particularly "rare" they are. I think a telephone with a round handset would be more rare and harder to get.

 

Check on ebay. That should give you a good idea of how hard it will be to get one. However, with the RS232 card in the PEB, you can pretty much use any external serial modem. Or ask specifically over in the "99/4A Programming" subforum here on A.A. We are a pretty active bunch.

 

[slinkeey]

I'm considering to buy the full set-up for the TI-99 4/A when I catchup with my savings a bit in a couple of months.

 

I think that you would get a kick out of the speech synthesizer. I believe th it is the same technology that TI used for your Speak N Spells. This might fit right in with your Saturday morning hobby.. TI could DJ with you!... haha

 

This guy says that he uses the pitch controls built into the TI in order to get it to sing..

 

Here, I asked the creator about how get got it to sing.. He said the TI does it natively.. Didn't use any software for pitch correction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrMs_Up0T5o

 

 

Crappy Song made listen-able because TI is singing..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkH-GtlwBdc

Edited May 24, 2013 by slinkeey

[Omega-TI]

I'm considering to buy the full set-up for the...

 

Hi lushgirl,

It's been a few years since your post. What finally became of your TI quest?

 

Did you know that there is now a much smaller & cheaper route to expanding your TI to do 95% of what TI'ers do most (play games)

<< CHEAPER EXPANSION METHOD >>.

 

If you've already expanded, we would love to see a few photos of your system in << THIS THREAD >>.

[GameGirl420]

It's coming along!!! Lately I 've just configured a new setup for my TI and I've got it conveniently setup next to my CRT monitor and other consoles. I even bought new joysticks and a few new games.

 

Here are some pics of my latest TI setup....

 

 

I nearly got the expansion box a few months back for just a hundred bucks. I've even found a few modems on eBay. So it's coming along!

Edited February 28, 2017 by lushgirl_80

[+arcadeshopper]

the TI 300 baud modem requires a at&t style telephone receiver like this one below..and an analog phone line it will work with..the phone doesn't need to be rotary can be touchtone but it does have to have that rounded handset to fit in the modem, there must be a acoustic seal between the modem's speaker/mic and the phone receiver for it to work.. acoustic coupler modems were done away with due to the fact that if you sneezed or coughed in the same room as they were operating, you created "noise" on the line causing data errors

 

 

the TI will work with any other direct-connect modem just fine, up to about 9600 baud..then you start outpacing the rs232 card's capabilities as it has no buffers you can pick up a modem at a computer recycler for next to nothing that should work, I recommend us-robotics external modems as they are the best/most compatible and connect to the TI with rs232 like the TI modem.. but they will connect directly to the phone line, eliminating noise issues

 

Once you are modem'd then you can test it by dialing up my BBS or the Hidden Reef BBS with your modem by dialing the phone itself, then putting the handset in the Ti modem cradle and switching it on (once you hear the modem tone).

 

My BBS, The KEEP, currently has one modem online and available 24/7 supporting baud rates up to 38400 baud at 503 646 2407 it is also accessible via the internet at thekeep.net

Hidden Reef BBS (running on a TI) is at 718-448-9402 and supports baud rates up to 19200 I believe..

Greg

 

 

 

I'm considering to buy the full set-up for the TI-99 4/A when I catchup with my savings a bit in a couple of months. I'm planning to get the monitor and the whole complete setup lol. I just look at the back of the box for my TI-99 4/A keyboard and just think drats I'd love to have the whole thing.

Anyways I have a question about the 300 baud modem...

Is it a rare item? Also is it possible that it works and if you can build a modem network with other TI computers?

I know the technology must be obsolete compared to today's internet, but I've always been curious if that old modem actually works.

Edited March 1, 2017 by arcadeshopper