_The Doctor__ Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 (edited) The Learning Phone (Plato) as made by Atari can use direct connect, rs232, and mpp modems... that means SIO connected, 850 connected, or joystick port connected modems.... so, 835, 1030, XM301, SX212, 830, Versmodems, smartmodems, racal vadi, and MPP microbit modems all work another point that needs correction, TLP is not locked at 1200 baud... it can do 300 or 1200 baud... just pres OPTION&1 for 1200 baud or OPTION&3 for 300 baud. also we had a fellow complain he had double letters at one time, the cure for that was to turn echo off OPTION&0 so no- TLP is not locked at 1200 and it is not true that TLP is only able to use an 850 you could use a good number of modems on sio or io ports What is true is that for RS232 modems you must use the 850 as that is the only interface it has supporting code for. I will double check if it will work with the MIO or Black Box, but I think that will fail... Edited April 1, 2019 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchorvat Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Yesterday it was my 1st time on the BBS from Atari 800XL machine. I'm having a blast! going to explore these sites soon... http://sfhqbbs.org/ataribbslist.php and also would like to give plato a try. are there any other tools/games to try? anything that uses telnet/modem connection? ah yes and i recorded also a short video of ICE-T connecting to BBS: https://youtu.be/K1X9LkEKsIg cheers, 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikerbob Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 mchorvat, I watched your video. What is the hardware you are using to connect with? I do not see anything in your signature that would tell me that .. some sort of wifi modem? The AT set comes from the modem I guess then. You are able to store a set of bbs names to dial? On the atari original hardware I have yet to find a terminal program. IceT Bobterm 850express that will allow me to enter a name in the terminal that has characters like /-= etc.. now I am thinking this is an issue of the APE R: handler.. maybe not the term programs.. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 (edited) Yesterday it was my 1st time on the BBS from Atari 800XL machine. I'm having a blast! going to explore these sites soon... http://sfhqbbs.org/ataribbslist.php and also would like to give plato a try. are there any other tools/games to try? anything that uses telnet/modem connection? ah yes and i recorded also a short video of ICE-T connecting to BBS: https://youtu.be/K1X9LkEKsIg cheers, Thanks for making the video of your Basement BBS session. You were able to get a pretty decent screen capture of ICE-T. I usually have a hard time reading the characters when I use ICE-T, but didn't have a problem under your video. Saying that, the BBS looks so much better when you connect using ATASCII. BobTerm 1.2 does a pretty good job showing off the ATASCII on the Basement. -JP Edited April 1, 2019 by JohnPolka 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchorvat Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 mchorvat, I watched your video. What is the hardware you are using to connect with? I do not see anything in your signature that would tell me that .. some sort of wifi modem? The AT set comes from the modem I guess then. You are able to store a set of bbs names to dial? On the atari original hardware I have yet to find a terminal program. IceT Bobterm 850express that will allow me to enter a name in the terminal that has characters like /-= etc.. now I am thinking this is an issue of the APE R: handler.. maybe not the term programs.. James Hey James, i'm using this wifimodem: link ~ 31USD, Atari CX-87 cable: link ~ 20USD and ICD P: R: Connection bought off ebay for ~50 USD (it's similar to Atari 850, providing R: handler). Wifimodem has a firmware that allows to have several addresses stored in phonebook (ATP command): see the complete listing of commands here: https://github.com/bozimmerman/Zimodem so far i tried Bobterm and ICE-T, going to give other programs a try, but i like ICE-T the best so far just because of 80 column support, which is godsend in case browsing on non-atari BBS'es. Also the speed is amazing, you can scroll back and forth through the text with OPTION/SELECT keys. Amazing software. Kudos to Itay Chamiel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchorvat Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Thanks for making the video of your Basement BBS session. You were able to get a pretty decent screen capture of ICE-T. I usually have a hard time reading the characters when I use ICE-T, but didn't have a problem under your video. Saying that, the BBS looks so much better when you connect using ATASCII. BobTerm 1.2 does a pretty good job showing off the ATASCII on the Basement. -JP thanks John, you have a great BBS. Keep it up! I wish more people are using BBSes but well, it's a thing of the past... I am still very curious to explore the world of BBS, since this is something i was not able to do when i was young. I am still struggling to download anything off any BBS, but i guess i am just doing something wrong. thanks for kind words... yes i spent a lot of time (and fortune) to get proper picture for my 800XL (tried several LCDs, upscalers, video cables, etc.), until i settled with this configuration which works the best for me: - UAV built in 800XL: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260267-the-uav-rev-d-video-upgrade-thread/ - Atari to Svideo cable (friend of mine built it for me, but it can be bought from Lotharek's site as well): https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=198. The trick here is to use svideo and not composite video (yellow RCA). I use USB powered speakers for sound - Ambery svideo to VGA converter: https://www.ambery.com/vitoxgacoscs.html - i tried and experimented with many other upscalers/converters from ebay, but this one is the best, hands down. - VGA cable from ambery to LCD - 17" LCD with VGA input oh, and the session was captured by iPhone SE. Not the best video capturing device, but works ok 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle22 Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 (edited) I saw that you logged onto Part-Time and Alcatraz BBSs today. But I didn't see you on the Basement yet. Then again, today was one of the busiest days for the Basement since we returned in 2017. So, if you tried and couldn't get through, that was why. Hmmm...was it just a coicindence that we had a busy day today, or do more people connect now that Tillek includes the IP addresses on his website? I think I was deleted. I have a VERY poor memory, and forget my password, etc. often. I hope to get some BobTerm or JPTerm Macros set up so I don't forget. Sorry. I have so much going on right now, I can hardly think straight. See the "Indian Idiots" base on my board for the whole ugly story that I probably shouldn't type here. Edit: the easiest way to describe it is to consider that I have no DRAM refresh. Things accessed VERY recently are still there, things that are VERY IMPORTANT are saved to the hard disk (but a little difficult to find later). Things that are not very recent or not too important are a victim of the lack of refresh. Picture a C012296 ANTIC with a RAMBO. It makes sense to me, hope it makes sense to others as well. Edited April 3, 2019 by Kyle22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 I wish more people are using BBSes but well, it's a thing of the past... Not to quite a few of us actually. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Not to quite a few of us actually. I don't know if I would say "quite a few of us" still use BBSs unless you're including users of other systems like Commodore and Apple in that assessment. The WiFi modems appear to have attracted some new Atari users recently to BBSing. However, in talking with those that have WiFi modems, it sounds like many of them have trouble handling ATASCII -- at least the ATASCII that's used on the Basement BBS (which uses a little more "cursor magic" compared to the other Atari BBSs that are currently online). Many WiFi modems will lock up when they try to use the Basement with ATASCII. We had a lively discussion about this on our networked message base recently. Most of these WiFi modems are geared towards the Commodore and Apple user. I wonder if one that's well tested/optimized for ATASCII would help bring more Atari users to the hobby. -JP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 I think I was deleted. I have a VERY poor memory, and forget my password, etc. often. I hope to get some BobTerm or JPTerm Macros set up so I don't forget. Sorry. I have so much going on right now, I can hardly think straight. I'm pretty sure you'll need to login as "new" again. I can lock your account once you do that. As for JPTerm.... I should be able to get you another updated version soon. The current version you have is a little clunky, but I gave it to you anyway since it was better than the version that locked up on your system. -JP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikerbob Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Yeah.. I was talking to someone about that the other day. It is amazing how many PC BBSs there are UP.. are they doing anything or getting any calls?? not really. Apple (OLD IIC and older) YES.. popular.. and the Commode group.. they are very active on BBSs as well. Atari - we have a hardcore group.. about a dozen people or so right now.. and 6 of those are sysops.. and we communicate and enjoy. Then others come and go.. I see new user.. guest.. etc..etc.. but not many come back on a regular basis. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 I don't know if I would say "quite a few of us" still use BBSs unless you're including users of other systems like Commodore and Apple in that assessment. -JP I was actually talking about the BBS scene, overall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 It's strange, we get about 40-50 calls a month at DarkForce and that's pretty reliable, month after month. Honestly, that does include users who call multiple times. I do have the software set to where it doesn't count the SysOp accounts in that number. We've got around 550 users currently with accounts. Every couple of years I'll go through that list and delete anyone who hasn't called in a few years. That usually takes us down to 300-400 or so - but it always builds back up. I didn't do that for the longest time but one day we hit a wall. Apparently BBS Express Pro ST has a cap of 1000 users hardwired in, as well as several of the programs that I use with it (for example the Deliver an E-mail bomb app). <shrugs> I do wish there were more of course. In our heyday, before the Internet became available in our area, we got over 30+ calls daily. Good times. Still, we are here, people are still talking about and calling BBS's, so I'm personally not ready to designate it as a "thing of the past" just yet. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 (edited) Yeah.. I was talking to someone about that the other day. It is amazing how many PC BBSs there are UP.. are they doing anything or getting any calls?? not really. Apple (OLD IIC and older) YES.. popular.. and the Commode group.. they are very active on BBSs as well. Atari - we have a hardcore group.. about a dozen people or so right now.. and 6 of those are sysops.. and we communicate and enjoy. Then others come and go.. I see new user.. guest.. etc..etc.. but not many come back on a regular basis. James There's also a lot of modern Linux BBSs too... I'm not really sure what they offer that would lead to so many of them. But there's apparently a decent user base for them. I am primarily interested in Atari BBSs because of the nostalgia. Edited April 3, 2019 by JohnPolka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tschak909 Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 This is precisely why I am trying to take a _very_ different approach, to produce a retro-computing community with features not found _ANYWHERE_ else, and in a cross platform manner. It's why I spent a year doing nothing but writing terminals (and will be continuing to do this as on-going as I get more hardware information and toolchains) -Thom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikerbob Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 This is precisely why I am trying to take a _very_ different approach, to produce a retro-computing community with features not found _ANYWHERE_ else, and in a cross platform manner. It's why I spent a year doing nothing but writing terminals (and will be continuing to do this as on-going as I get more hardware information and toolchains) -Thom What I still dont find on your site anywhere .. and I just looked now.. is a simple manual of how to use the terminal.. not saying its not there.. but its not easy to find.. I forget those terminal commands (very different than a 102keyboard) very easy and an easy reference sheet would be nice. James 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tschak909 Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 It's on the release page which you can get to by clicking the name of the computer in the table under REQs.There is also a readme.doc on the disk. The keys themselves are mnemonic, so DATA is CTRL-D, BACK, CTRL-B, etc (with a few small exceptions only because of how the Atari 8-bit's keyboard matrix works, I couldn't work around it.) -Thom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikerbob Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 (edited) It's on the release page which you can get to by clicking the name of the computer in the table under REQs. There is also a readme.doc on the disk. The keys themselves are mnemonic, so DATA is CTRL-D, BACK, CTRL-B, etc (with a few small exceptions only because of how the Atari 8-bit's keyboard matrix works, I couldn't work around it.) -Thom So.. I find no page on your site called release.. I find Requirements? I opened say the atari 8 bit zip file.. no readme.doc in the DOC folder.. I go into the ATARI version.. and the readme.doc there.. has NOTHING in it about the keyboard commands.. of course I am trying to read that doc on a PC. Not sure what table in REQs you are talking about.. you mean the list of computers??? as above.. I found nothing anywhere.. easy that shows me how to operate the terminal. I am trying to be helpful THOM.. if its not easy to pickup.. people will pass. I find this https://cyber1.org/keyboard.asp by clicking on the cyber1 link.. and navigating through their site.. Why not just direct link this to a page on yours? etc..etc.. I had to find it in something that is not clearly pointed out. James Edited April 3, 2019 by Bikerbob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tschak909 Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Which gives you this page: https://github.com/tschak909/platoterm64/releases/tag/PLATOTerm-1.0 I know it's not ideal, I haven't been able to get around to make something better, could really use some help. -Thom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikerbob Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 Thanks Thom.. yes I understand.. it was there in front of me.. but I did not know what I was looking for. I got on last night. Was using the PC program. Alas it is the failing of our society, it is not an easy straight forward thing.. we just ditch it. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 You can just use The Learning Phone's manual as well, it's on the usual sites AtariMania etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikerbob Posted April 5, 2019 Share Posted April 5, 2019 (edited) arrrgh..went to try my UDS100 and altough the ST uses a std cable.. the pr: connection does not..now need to modifty one. hurumph. James Edited April 5, 2019 by Bikerbob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikerbob Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 so going through my bbs list. YYZ 8-bit guild Boot factory (2nd node carina) ST guild All these boards are gone for good? James /s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikerbob Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Sorry ST Guild is still up.. but WOW.. is it slow.. as in no callers.. maybe its having connection issues?? James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Looks like ..... Thats why I removed them from the Atari BBS list. If they return I can restore them quickly. I was just on ST guild this week. Its just slow. It happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.