Ed in SoDak
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Posts posted by Ed in SoDak
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The more you add to the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the works! - Scotty
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No, No and No!
One TI connection is pretty mundane, but the other revolves more on the particular dinosaur portrayed in the pic.@Omega, is your mp3 made using Mike Maksimik's Midi card?
-Ed
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I'm probably wondering why I called you all here. -Ed
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Bzzzt! It was in '92-94 and pretty modern for the times. Hint: it was more than one thing and a few here may have participated in one of them.
-Ed
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While you're guessing on Omega's mp3, chew on this pic.
Hopefully before it chews on you!
-Ed
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The keys on mine have no gaps between them that might otherwise show what's behind the caps. Hmmm.
-Ed
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As a freelance photog for decades, I had a darkroom long before I met my wife. The room doubled as my cave. Darkroom's gone but the cave lives on! She has her own sewing room to turn into a temporary cluttercluster, workspace for her own projects, sometimes even some sewing.
She even has a yard shed to herself. As we both grow older, things get parked here or there in the house for a few days, no complaints from either of us for the other's temporary mess.For about a month or longer, I've had my TI sidecar taken apart and a breadboard with test circuits all wired up and other clutter on the pantry shelf that's in my cave. I finally at least moved it to a shelf out of direct view of the kitchen, which only took a few minutes to do. All good. Nary a word or a "look" all those weeks. Ya gotta love her!
As close to marital bliss as any man could hope for!
-Ed
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If you use the canned insulation foam, be aware it won't cure quickly against plastic bags. It will also flatten out if you place a weight like a monitor on it before it's cured enough to support it. I use a paper barrier between the foam and any plastic, I also let it firm up awhile before placing full weight of the item on it.
Packing foams don't have these issues, they'll expand till they're done expanding, so don't overdo their use. My old job used bags you popped an internal pouch, squish the stuff around and get it in place and form it as needed as it grows.
Whatever supports the weight and allows some give. I like to firmly support things in an inner box, then have a more cushiony filler in the outer box.
Bubba wrap can pop and flatten if there's not enough of it or the item is dropped. It the monitor can slog around, the bubbles will pop on the impacts and leave less and less support allowing even greater slogging and flogging of the contents. To get a "feel" for that, place 5 or 6 layers of bubba wrap on a hard chair, then sit down on it and wiggle your ass or bounce up and down. PopPopPop! Flat!
Styro peanuts will compress, then just move aside till there's peanuts and free air above, but not much of anything beneath.
Even densely wadded newspaper can work, but it'll take a month's worth that only adds weight to a large package, but you can use it to fill gaps in your other packing if you stuff in there firmly till it won't take any more. Think no movement and you'll be good.
Pack so any side can be up, down or sideways, because that's how it's going to travel and it'll take a few drops off conveyors and trucks besides the drop-kicking gorillas.
I ship fossils using these methods. Most monitors are much sturdier and come in more convenient rectangular sizes!
-Ed
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That's a good writeup on tape head alignment. Though it's aimed at stereo playback of music, much of it can be applied to computer tapes. Since data tapes are monophonic to begin with, skip the part about joining the channels to listen for loss of highs. Since there's only one channel, there's no phase shift if the head is tilted slightly, just the possibly of crosstalk between the two tape sides or a bit of signal loss. Nor does it address signal levels. Good, solid advice regardless. I like his methods of checking speed. And I'll often use a commercial recording to adjust a player for "good enough" head alignment.
Here's my little meter "dongle." I inserted a crude schematic in the pic. Meter internal connections may vary, so if your meter moves the wrong direction reverse connections to it or the diode to get the pointer moving upscale. The resistors I chose suited my meter and earphone, change them to suit. It could also be wired differently for the same result, just make sure the input and output are a straight-through path.
As seen in the pic, I added short wires (no need for shielded cables), two jacks and a plug to make it portable between computers and players. I added a little plastic "megaphone" to my earphone so I can leave it on the desk but still hear it without it being annoyingly loud. It's use is optional, just unplug the earphone if you don't need/want to listen to loads or saves.
If you do use a stereo player, there are stereo-to-mono headphone adapters to simplify joining the two channels into one, the advantage being greater output to the computer. My GE-made TI Program Recorder is quite loud if you listen to its speaker at the proper volume level for loading, so keep that in mind when choosing players or connection methods.
My meter adds a visual indication for best alignment of the playback head besides using your ears. A little alcohol on a q-tip wouldn't hurt to clean any accumulated tape oxide and crud on the heads and pinch roller/capstan. A DMM or analog multimetermeter, set to AC can be substituted for the meter and diode as I mention in my first reply. You can also use the DC ranges if you add the diode to a meter probe to rectify the AC signal.
With Bodyshot's and my writeups, you should be all set!
-Ed
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Walkman-type players generally have a resistor in series with the headphone output to protect people's ears. They're just not as loud as the monophonic portable. Same problem with some computers and cell phones. Some may work fine, while others may not.
You can meter the output on your DMM or analog multimeter on an AC voltage lower range. You'll of course need to be able to probe the output wires, so you will have to make an adapter to provide the place to connect your meter. Shoot for around 1 volt, plus or minus as your experience shows what works. Some multimeters may not have a sensitive enough AC range.
I made a load meter by connecting a diode in series with a recording level meter stolen from an old stereo tape deck. I set the player's output near full volume which setting often worked well for loading, then I hand-picked a resistor to add in series with the meter till it read at the "0 db" point on the meter's face. Alternatively you could just mark on the meter face where the meter pointer is at when it's set loud enough. In my case, the meter would peg at a good level, so the resistor was needed. The diode converts the rapidly alternating +/- state of the AC signal to DC so it shows a relatively stable level on the meter.
To make it useful, I added recorder cables with a jack for the input and plug on the output so it could be removed if wanted. I also added a second "monitor" output with a second resistor to drop the volume low enough I could monitor the signal through an earphone while the tape loaded.
Mine is pretty ugly, just dangling wires and parts but it has worked well for years. I use it on both my Timex and TI. In use, you can watch the pointer for any sudden signal level drops to help pinpoint tape glitches. I'd note on the tape counter where it would happen and then load again, bumping up the volume a bit just before the dropout. That got several balky programs to load so I was able to reSAVE them to fresh tape.
Watching the pointer as you adjust the tape head helped align the player for highest output or to adjust it off the correct position to match tapes made on poorly aligned machines. Afterwards, don't forget to relign the head to the correct position before recording anything!
Anything with a cassette and earphone jack can be tried. Boomboxes, etc. Even a stereo deck with headphone output using an adapter may work, but often that output might be even lower than a Walkman's. I've also used an old reel-to-reel deck.
-Ed
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My copy of REFERENCE is on my floppies which I need to port, but I do have COMPRESS in V9T9. Remove the ".TXT" to use.
-Ed
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I remember seeing a 99/4 at Sears. Way too expensive on my $100-150 a week paycheck. Must've been 1980 or early '81.
-Ed
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That disk should fix you up! Reference seems the most full-featured and that same disk has the Compress program as well. Note that Compress, depending on the options you select, can change the "look" as well as size of your program dramatically, so be sure to keep an unmodified copy.
-Ed
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Never hurts to check the obvious things, like modulator is switched to computer and the tv and modulator are both on the same channel 2 or 3. Should be a startup beep from the TV when you hit a key at the TI title screen.
Unless you're using a composite monitor cable, it which case it's plug'n'play, assuming all works.
More and more we're seeing aged components failing. Generally at least some of the common symptoms and causes are known. Capacitors, RAM chips, the VDP chip can all fail in time, powered up or not. So be specific, it may be an easy fix. Might take two consoles (and/or a parts order) to make one working unit.
-Ed
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On an old disk I have named XB*TOOLS there's a program called REFERENCE. Others I have are CREF, XREF and CROSSREF. Only two use the same number of sectors on the disk, which means at least three of these are different programs with a similar goal. Save your program in Merge and run it through one of these and get a list that may be just what you're looking for. Another XB program called COMPRESS will shorten and squeeze things down in several ways.
-Ed
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The audio and video wires from the console are easy to trace inside the modulator. I cut a stereo cable in half and stripped the wires to attach to these points. That way, if the modulator does end up as working, you have both methods available.
There's multiple causes of no video. What made it obvious to you to fault the modulator?
-Ed
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Some cool stuff there! And a clean layout. I grabbed a copy of your chardef PC program to try out.
A work-in-progress, but I noticed the first four sites on the Links page all go to the www.99er.net front page.
-Ed
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Seems like many of the old standby programs such as Funnelweb, DM1000, Archiver and others chose cyan/white and it worked on my TV. so that's what I chose for my own utility/business programs. Except my darkroom timer was something on black for reduced screen illumination (with a saved Preferences file to change that if one wanted).
-Ed
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Heat-related lockups happen. Mine worked a lot better after I plonked a small 12v fan on top of the console vents, purloined from some other computer gear. The little 2-inch-square fan runs fine off a 6v or smaller wallwart, even down to 3 volts, and is quieter than going full blast on 12v. And safer, since the blades are exposed with no enclosure for it. The console runs cool, even right over the power supply board. Just wire it to blow heat up and out through the cooling slots and set it where it does the most good. There's probably more elegant solutions, but it's cheap and it works.
Another common issue is simply due to grundge on the cart connectors. I pull and reseat it, but it benefits from a more thorough cleaning. TI used quality parts, but capacitors age no matter how well-made, so that issue is starting to crop up more frequently.
TI99's were made in the millions, so another console is not too hard to come up with. I still have three working consoles, the dead units with good-style keyboards I let go for shipping. I just picked 'em up when I saw 'em go for cheap years ago.
If you didn't let any smoke out, you're probably safe. Adding a fan is my best advice, after cleaning the cart contacts. There's threads and info on this and also at least a pictorial marking which screws to remove to pull the MB. Though that's really pretty simple. Most important is to mark which length of screw went where. While you're in there, also check for bad solder joints on the bottom of the keyboard and where the cart port plugs in via the L-connector. Those points see the most user stress.
Good luck!
-Ed
BTW: Posts made in this sub-forum allow editing for only one hour. You have to ask a moderator to go back to edit after that. The Development sub-forum relaxes this rule.
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I breadboarded three different logic probes. A two-transistor, a three-transistor and an IC version using a 4001 that claims to show a tri-state output. Both of the transistor probes lit the "0" logic LED constantly till the probe was connected to a high signal. I was able to modify both to show tri-state of low, high and infinite (open-circuit). I figured that would be the most useful troubleshooting the sidecar.
The IC circuit hasn't worked yet, but I'm just using chips from my "recycle bin" so they may or may not function or I have a wiring error. Date codes on most of these are from 1974, which makes reading the chip number confusing at times! Meanwhile I found a basic tri-state probe kit on Digi-Key (looks like it's an Elenco unit) for under 10 bucks and small shipping.
Tonight while browsing another computer forum, I noticed an ebay link to this little gadget. For about $30 it'll test a good range of 74xxx and 4xxx chips. It looks like a good tool to have if I'm going to continue messing around with learning about ICs and can check many of those in my stash. As usual, there's several sellers offering a couple variations. I have a similar gadget that checks all sorts of non-IC through-hole parts. While not perfect, it's pretty useful to both ID and test parts.
Looks pretty cool! But, DAMNIT, it won't test the 244 nor 245!!
-Ed
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When we first bought insurance for home and auto around '84, we dealt with a firm that used 8" floppies. I'd never seen one before that, but knew they were dated tech by that time. Musta been a TRS system. I imagine the last ones to still be using them were diehards, small firms reluctant to lay out the cash and time to upgrade, while the old hardware and systems worked just fine. I think some three or four years later when we were insuring one our own rare upgrades to a different car, we commented they had finally gone "modern" with PC and 5 1/4 drives.
-Ed
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Wow, where's Tim Hartnell when you need him? I learned most of my best programming tips from his books. With the screen-invert routine and the code for a clock from one of his books, I wrote a darkroom timer program on my TS1000 that I used constantly in my photography business. I depended on it so much that I had two TS1000's running it, in case one of them crashed. With a handy wind-up egg time on hand just in case!
With as many as 11 timed steps, using that program with its one-key entries was sure preferable to relying on my own wobbly memory to keep track of the sensitive development processes.After-hours, his many great games occupied my off-time playing and enhancing them.
-Ed
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.18 is nudging close to .25, so a half-watter there might be better. Oversize current capacity doesn't matter in resistors, unless space is a concern. If the smaller one runs warm, upgrade it. For the 150 Ohm drawing .06, even 1/8-watt should be fine, or use what ya got in the bin.
-Ed
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The Demo limitations aren't mentioned in the manual from the Tucows d/l.
To be honest, I didn't enter my thoughts to try it out. What was I thinking?
So I tried entering something, a few characters. I got 4 days of entries and on the fifth day it said it was limited to 5 days, but prevented entry of day 5. Setting my own password did not change this limit.
Unless your mom remembers or someone discovers the unlock password (or perhaps the full version was sent by your mom to purchasers), only the limited demo seems available for d/l.
Here's wayback's capture of her website: https://web.archive.org/web/20030907185117/http://members.aol.com:80/SoftDock/
-Ed
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php1800 sidecar disk controller no worky
in TI-99/4A Computers
Posted
Small update. I tried my own DIY probes with inconclusive results. It seems I don't know what the heck I'm doing in the circuit or with my probes, or if those even work properly.
My usual method is to get a "known good" state to compare with, so I made that order with Digikey and it arrived on Thursday. I bought a couple 244 and 245 and that $9.30 logic probe plus a few other trinkets. I'm impressed with the entire order. Ordered online with paypal on the 7th, it's here, deep in flyover country on the 10th. Shipping was $8 and change. I could've gone cheaper with First Class for less than half that cost, but I opted to pay more to help protect the circuit board.
The packing can only be described as extreme for a few parts and a slim circuit board. Makes me wonder how they afford it, but their higher up-front packing cost no doubt earns them plenty of goodwill. Meanwhile, Amazon will use a huge box with one item bouncing around inside with almost nil for padding. My guess is their slave labor shippers are paid an extra pittance by pallets filled, and what better way to burn space or save a few seconds to ram another one out the door?
If that all sounds like a glowing review of Digikey, well, it is!
Here's the probe: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/twin-industries/TW-DIY-5024/438-1077-ND/735276
The pic shows red and black clips. Mine has a single double-ended green that will be half the length when cut. No probe tip, I'll scavenge an old meter probe. Nit picks. Who doesn't have more clips or probe wire? It's certain to be better than my breadboard mockups!
Looks like I'm finally trying to learn ICs and logic. It's mostly why I bought that RS/Elenco trainer some two decades ago. Instead of mere curiousity, this time it's with a defined goal in mind to start me off!
-Ed