newTIboyRob

What do you think are the good/better word processors on cartridge or tape? Something middle of the road... not too advanced nor technical, but not just ABC either?

ok thank you, I obviously wasn't aware of that

I have (3) VIC-20 cartridges: Home Babysitter, Speed Math, Mole Attack. I'm looking for Poker, The Typewriter/Word Processor, Expense Calendar and maybe even Home Inventory. I'm most interested in the Word Processor, which I know is on cassette, but it may be on cartridge too, I'm not sure. A longshot, I know, but maybe, just maybe someone could use a couple of these more educational carts for the kids.

Ok, thank you very much

Hi, just wondering if the speech synth typically hooked to the TI99 4/A classic version can also be used on the beige version?

....Brilliant!

I tried that and it worked perfectly now. Brilliant!

Hello all, I have a c64 hooked up to Star SG 10-c printer. All I am trying to do is get simple output of 1 line of text on this printer. I know the serial cable connected works, because I tested it with another printer. I know the printer itself works, because it powers up fine and self tests perfectly. Page 27 of the Star manual gives the program to do exactly the simple test I am attempting: 10 OPEN 4,4 20 PRINT#4, "TESTING" 30 CLOSE 4 .....but I just get no sense of communication between computer and printer. After running that program above, the computer just acts like it printed something and responds with the typical "READY" prompt. Does anyone have an idea for a different simple few line program that would work to get that TESTING line outputted to the printer, or any way I get these 2 to communicate? Thanks

Wow, you are simply amazing carlsson. Thank you for being so helpful and knowledgeable!

Hello all, I have (2) 1541 drives daisychained to the c64: (out of c64, into drive 1, then into drive 2, then into printer.) After typing a basic program, I can save and load it to the top drive 1 with no issue, but drive 2's red light blinks. I am guessing this is because I am "confusing" the c64 since I have seen 2 different error messages: "device not present" and "illegal ...error". Others have suggested I could alter the hardware, but is there another way to get the c64 to recognize both drives, so I could tell it which drive I'd like to select to load and save a program to? And also... how do I get the bottom drive to stop flashing red, and to prevent these error messages? Thanks

Oh I see, I wasn't aware that the c64 's rf output is not in the din connector, and true, it does make sense that the vga input monitor would in fact need separate audio. Ok, very well, thank you mr_me and carlsson, I'll get something to complete this situation

Oh, I thought a previous post mentioned that my composite cable did carry stereo sound? I thought it was equivalent to the standard video cable from c64 connecting to RF switch on an old tv which always had sound?

*** oops, above should have been... the yellow video RCA port at the back, not the side, of the adapter box. But still, is all my information otherwise correct about the unused red and white audio RCA plugs?

ok, so I ordered the VGA adapter like we said in post #5, and not any additional RCA adapter cable. So this means that the red and white audio jacks of my composite cable will not be plugged in anywhere at all, just sitting on the table unused, since the "fake" stereo audio is accounted for in the composite cable? [Isn't this the situation here since the 5 pin DIN of my composite cable connects to the back of the c64, its yellow video RCA goes into the VGA adapter's "IN" port located at the side of the VGA adapter box, and a VGA cable runs from the VGA "OUT" port of the VGA adapter into the VGA "IN" port on the monitor?] Can you just verify if everything I mentioned in this post is correct?

excellent, and thank you for all your help on this journey!

And would I still need the NEORTX in post #2's link?

When you mention VGA adapter, you are referring to the first link in post #5 above, or which exactly?

I found the composite cable's package. I bought it in february 2015 and is a 5 pin DIN

And is there a relatively inexpensive, simple, direct way to do so?

Wow, thank you for the explanation. This is both depressing and discouraging. Simple question: what is the way many people today hook up all the computers I have: C64, Atari 800 XL, TI99 4/A .... if it is this confusing? I have some old small tv's which I am about to trash because they are barely viewable. What do people today often use as monitors with these computers???

Ok, since I am not familiar with this, what occurred to me is that there is a difference between a splitter type concept, like a pass through box and an actual signal converter. That was the preliminary concept I was missing. Your analogy of baking ingredients crystallized that for me, so thank you first off. 1. Ok, so to begin with, I need a converter. Would the one I found below be the equivalent of the one in your first link above? (found it for a few bucks cheaper, not sure why it didn't provide a link, but copy and paste always works) 😞 RCA to VGA Adapter, Composite AV S-Video RCA VGA Female Input to VGA Female Output Converter, Transfer Video Graphic Signal from CCTV PC Laptop DVD DVR VCR TVBox to VGA Monitor Projector Computer 2. The item in your second link above is needed to handle the red and white audio and the yellow video for the converter box So... is the setup connection I need to do a combination of 1. and 2. above, which is: my composite cable connected to back of c64, its ends connecting into the NEORTX S-Video (4 Pin) to 3 RCA AV Female Cable Audio Video Adapter Conversion Laptop PC Computer Connector, with the 4 pin S video part of that cable connecting to the converter box, then finally out of the blue output port on the side of the converter box connecting via the monitor's blue VGA cable to the back of the monitor? Whew... I hope that is it. Please advise, thanks!

Hello all. I recently acquired a few semi-recent flat screen monitors, with the typical blue 15 pin VGA female connectors on the back. I also have the c64 composite cable which has the 5 din on one end connecting to the c64 and the red, white and yellow rca jacks at the other end. So my question: would buying a simple adapter such as this: VGA to S-Video 3 RCA Composite AV Out Converter Adapter Cable For Laptop Pr R8H0 , work or do I need a more fancy converter type box? Keep in mind that I am not looking for gaming quality, just a nice quality so I can view the monitors for basic typing purposes. Thanks!

I went to check my threading of the ribbon. I have it right in front of the small metal piece. Thus the ribbon sits after that nozzle-type black end, and in front of the small metal piece, I believe which is correct, yes? The last self test I tried actually made the printer cycle back and forth, back and forth, incesssantly, so not only was it not printing the test characters any longer, but it just kept on running, like a runaway train! Now what to do?

I might have typed it incorrectly above. I do have the ribbon sitting right behind that piece, it is in like a small gap space, not near the print head.

Ok, so here we have 5 photos of the ridiculous journey my printer takes as it starts from being properly threaded in the gap between the metal piece and the print head. I believe I have the ribbon loaded properly, per its diagram inside, but as the printer moves in action, you can see how the ribbon comes undone. (Hopefully the photos will load in the sequence in which I took and labelled them: starfirst, starsecond, etc.) Don't know if this is an alignment issues, since line 1 prints ok and then it, well, doesn't... see what you think.