[Off-Topic / Dumping Thread]

anyone try making one for a buster beagle injector?

[Off-Topic / Dumping Thread]

the short lead is a feature for some circuits


it's weird to see them in the wild when you do tho

[final grom 99 problem]

I just read a couple long posts in other forums about counterfeit SD cards and such

might  be worthy for people to post what brand/models of SD card work and possible ones that did not

[Whats Up With Heatwave now?]

15 hours ago, dhe said:

So.. slightly amazed that parts would go bad with no reason... Even one as slight as powering on and off.

 

Do the dang things go bad just sitting? 😃

OLEDs

had a soldering iron that the oleds burned out while it was turned off/unplugged while sitting in my toolbox

 

[WTB: Aluminum Trim]

On 9/23/2019 at 8:23 AM, wierd_w said:

You have a hydro block press laying around? A 3axis mill to cut the two halves of the press dye?

 

 

 

I got access to two 3 axis mills

one being a leadwell MCV 550D

[Any pictures or info on the TI-994?]

I like how no one talks bout how much noise must have come from having the data recorder that near the TV 

[Myarc cards for sale/repair tips]

17 hours ago, Swim said:

I seem to recall being told by someone who knew way more about ttl logic than I that the TMS9901 is a chip that actually "wears out" over time. Hard for me to understand how something with no "moving parts" can wear out but when I think about cards that use the TMS9901, the CorComp RS232 for instance, I believe it.

light bulbs have no moving parts....

[TI99/4a Lot, ebay, Why So Much?]

2 hours ago, acadiel said:

I think it has to be a US centric thing, because I don't see (or at least have a hard time noticing) this going on in other countries.

 

look at UK for steam engines and you'll see similar

prices high due to rarity, so factory makes current reproductions....but sells them at rarity prices

(shrug)
 

 

[new products at arcadeshopper.com]

14 hours ago, arcadeshopper said:

streaming #TI994A games and demos https://twitch.com/arcadeshopper
starting NOW! 

#RetroComputing #RetroGaming

nice stream, I got to catch a bit of it

need to boost your mic a bit, you was a little quiet compared to game audio

[PC to TI transfers with stock RS232/nanopeb and HDX server]

5 isnt gnd, 7 is, so it should be 7 --7 and then a branch off to 5 cts

 

[TI-99/4A Fire sale]

Opry, keep me informed as a last resort option, I don't NEED it per se, but I'd rather pick it up instead of the garbage truck. I still havent finished playing with the first load of stuff I got from you

 

[TI on Film]

On 9/20/2015 at 7:53 AM, am1933 said:

I notice that not one person on the site has yet to see a 4a in a porn film, very well-I will take it upon myself to systematically go through every porn film of the 1980's to try and find one---------I may be some time.

so you are saying there is still time to make one?

I just gotta find a willing partner

[Hi-Tek 373-70229A Keyboard Disassembly]

quite impresive!

 

[What was the best assembly code you've ever seen?]

1 hour ago, apersson850 said:

Comments should describe what you intend to do, and why. They shall not describe what you are doing, since anybody who knows coding can see that by reading the instructions. Those who don't know coding aren't likely to read your program anyway.

This is true for any language, by the way.

Ideally it should do both, in case you are using some esoteric method that is such spaghetti code that t cannot be unwound easily

assume the next person that maintains your code will be looking at it 20 years later, and is not comfortable in the dialect of the code you are running

(been there, currently doing that, should order the t-shirt)

[Off-Topic / Dumping Thread]

6 hours ago, wierd_w said:

I keep having radical ideas on how to use this 3D printer...

 

Mehridian Sanders recently made a thread about some Legit Allied IC test clips...

 

Looking at them, they are just "Clothespin" style clamps, that appear to contain Brass Head Pins.

(Or just generic .5mm diameter bras rod, cut to length. Should function as IDC male header at the exposed end that way.)

 

Perhaps another design project on the horizon.

this appears to be a good idea

let me know how it progresses

or, as the facebook printer groups would say "stl?"

 

[A question of preference.]

23 hours ago, Mehridian Sanders said:

Well before I read all these messages, last night I just sat down and tried to get a good base from which to start. Here's the proto-mockup. Just for shape and overall size. No hinged doors yet. Hmm maybe sliding doors, like in those nice wooden secretarys.

There's gonna be hinges and doors to allow for access to the cables. The top vents will have fans pulling the heat out. Bottom vents will have a filter to staunch the dust being pulled in. Also the TI will be further on the left to allow room for the data tape.

Given what i've seen for the TIPI SS project .. hinges door for access to the sidecar port will be coming.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
 

but but but

dual casette?

(still working on mine)

[Off-Topic / Dumping Thread]

15 hours ago, xabin said:

The amount of sirens going by our apartment (we live near a major highway that's notorious for accidents) is staggering, this couple of weeks. It's really making me nervous...

I live next to a firetruck factory
https://www.piercemfg.com/

[Has the COVID-19 hysteria increased your TI-99/4A time?]

I work from home, so my lifestyle has literally not changed

[PEB Disk emulator - current best choice?]

my PEB had a floppy drive, but it isn't working correctly, 

I was thinking of getting a disk emulator anyway
 

Lotherek  and Gotek are the choices in the FAQ, any updates, comments, recommendations?

[3D Printed Objects]

19 hours ago, FarmerPotato said:

 

You could do it with a battery. A coin cell will run an LED for about a day. (no resistor needed to limit current). Two AAs will also do it.

 

 

 

I've gotten over a month, depends on the LED

just fyi

[TI-99 Photos Thread! Post your systems here!]

cable management/control was the plan this morning

 

set up so now it *should* be able to run two TI 99 4A's, two Raspberry Pi's, the peripheral expansion box and two tape drives

 

all at once.

 

need to add to it to get three more TI 99 4A's, maybe another Pi, and a second monitor, and bluetooth keyboards and mice for the Pi's

 

then decide WHAT to do with all that slow, decrepit hardware

 

[TI-99 Photos Thread! Post your systems here!]

23 hours ago, TI-Terry said:

I am in the Kansas City area, I have tried swap meets in the area but TBH, they are trash. I also tried the (now closed) famous retro computer store in Dallas when I was there, but there was basically nothing TI related (either at all or perhaps already picked through). @bandit - that under monitor power switch was a staple in the 90s computer revolution, I saw them EVERYWHERE. Wish I still had mine.

I saw it too, had to find the right search term (computer power controller), find the one with the switches i liked, and then search AGAIN for the proper model, then picked on up on ebay

installing/cable management today, as I have 5 TI's a couple PI's, a PEB, and two tape drives to set up.
might need to get a second one.
need to get a shopping list for all 5 TI's as i think I am short power supplies/video cables/monitors
maybe another AV switch too

[Decisions, Decisions - Extremely Tough Choices (Hardware)]

5 hours ago, --- Ω --- said:

Okay, but how about a decent, feature ridden, 80-column multi-color GUI?  Were talking F18A Mk2 exploitative with built in handling of the SAMS card and capable of at least 2 to 3 windows.  Yeah, I know it'll probably never happen, but I can dream big.

 

Honestly, right now I'm getting by just fine with the Force Command DOS.

like HDM IV?

 

[looking for best/cost effective new-ish LCD monitor recommendations]

over Xmas I dragged my monitor that I use for my TI to my parents house (has both rca and HDMI) for some Raspberry Pi work, and forgot to bring it back. while I'll get it back next time I visit (when snow melts), I really should find a replacement/backup monitor. 

my original monitor was an element 19" pawnshop find that worked with the TI, currently the only ones I can find cheap-ish are security cam monitors that go for about $70. anyone know of anything cheaper?

I am also scouring our thrift shops regularly, but so far the only one I liked was $50 and had corrosion on the screws, meaning storage in a damp space.

Ideally i'd need about 5 of them, but I might just end up running 4 TI's off a RCA AV switch
 

[Should I trade my 2600 for a TI99/4a?]

13 hours ago, bluejay said:

My local store has a TI 99/4a that is in pretty good shape, but is untested. Since I don't need 3 2600s(technically 2 since the 3rd is the ColecoVision EM1), might as well trade one for another system. After trying to figure out what I should trade it for, I decided to try the TI 99/4a. Is this a good trade? What's worth more? If it's a good trade, I could probably test it at the store before trading.

Thanks!

I had this argument in with myself in '92 when I first chose the TI
I had compared the consoles and the personal computers at the time and decided that having a device with a keyboard was the equivalent of a game console with 36+ buttons on it.
a tape drive allowed you to store stuff, while cartridges did not(except a few)
the reason why I didn't go with an atari 400/800 was that the cartridges were not backward compatible(and I think title count was low)
the C64 didn't appear to have a cheap storage setup, and the unit looked like it was "just a keyboard" (this might be my only regret)
TI had cartridges sold at nearby stores (kmart and shopko had them  in larger amounts than C64/apple selections)
TI had 16 colors and used a common TV
apple cost too much, needed a dedicated monitor
IBM cost waaaaaay too much, needed a dedicated monitor instead of a  TV


I got the 99/4a
my neighbors got a NES(and thought getting a job pushing button was completely absurd)

I have a job in IT now