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CLACKAMAS COUNTY AREA T/S USERS GROUP NEWSLETTER Ht 9 EH VOLUME 4 ee NUMBER 2 2 HE FEBRUARY 1986

ree er ww OO Ew EO EK OO OO OO OE Ow OO wee we eS

EDITED BY:ROD GOWEN/DICK WAGNER

COMPUTING THE FUTURE-- | IN CLACKAMAS COUNT

CHAIRMAN: SIO WYNCOOP V/CHAIRMAN: DICK WAGNER TREASYRER: ROD GOWEN PR OFFICER: BOB EVANS LIBRARIAN: ROD GOWEN CHATRMAN’S RRM KRKRKKKRKMRKKRHEKREKRRHRKEKKKKE CORNER NEXT MEETING Sid WyneRor The FEBRUARY meeting will be: Well, the @lection is done and this if your new chairman speaking, I’m on: FRIDAY, FEB. 18, 1986 not very gure What kind of a mess at: 7:38 P.M. I’ve gotten myself into this time in: COMMUNITY ROOM Ollie, Thank you for your voice of FAR WEST FEDERAL S&L confidence, J only mope to live up OREGON CITY SHOPPING CTR .o 2GUr SUP SCZ OL eee,

OOM HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HAHAH

WHAT YOU WILL Speaking GF expectations, what are

yours? Do you want an active group?

FIND IN THIS R healthy, informative newsletter? Good friends? Or just a night out of ISSUE — tHE HOUEE? YOu Car have them all if

you take an active part in your

MEETINGS---------------- PAGE i Computer User Group,

CHAIRMAN’S CORNER------- PAGE 1

EDITORS DESK------------ PAGE = I ogo home from every meeting with at

C PROGRAM FOR Q@L-------- PAGE 2 least one more piece of information

HARDWARE (CONT, )-------- PAGE 3 @bout or insight into our compurers,

SECRETARY’S SECRETS----- PAGE 3 Your don’t have to wonder about what

SEC. (CONT. )------------ PAGE & you missed if you attend meetings,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR---PAGE ¢

P & R--PLOT WITH TAB?---PAGE & HOw about sending an article to our

BITS & BYTES------------ PAGE «¢ new editor, Dick Wagner? He can’t

BITS & BYTES (CONT.)----PAGE 5 pus fOpether an. eignt Pose

GL QORNER---=-——~-------K PAGE § newsletter by himself, Send him your

GL GORNER {CONT, } ------- PAGE é programe, stomecne else’s programs

COMMENTS ON COMPUSERVE--PRGE 6 {Jive POPE Credits) .Of. Some

COMPUSERVE (CONT. )------ PAGE 7? interesting tidbit you have

P & R--WAFER MENU------- PAGE 7 discovered or read about,

ARTICLE

THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION--PAGE 7 Come to the meetings, Second Friday HG messes oecsec cesses POGE & every month, 7:3@ PM, at the Far

\_D/MEMBERSHIP/SUB RATES-PAGE @ Hest Bank Bis. Oregon City Shopping

DUES -------------------- PRGE 8 Center, See ya there!

HRA RR HRA RRR RH RR RHR HHH HR RRR RRR RRR -1- HH HHHHHHHHH HHH RH HHH HHH HHH RH

FROM THE Sot TOR’ sS Db sk

For the start oF the new year I Ga Fortunate to have an adequate amount cF material eco print in the February issue of THE PLOTTER. I do hore new writers will come forth ta give our Publication a broad range of matceriagl, Please don’t Forget that we have dedicated usere of ZX Bi, i966, and 1888 computere- not everyone has invested in a PSB or

o QL yec,

5 few guide lines on preparing printed material, if followed, ease my task:

i: Dark copy on clean paper is Seecential for clear printing, 2. P@4G printers are fine but use Radia Shack paper,

3, Set large printers for printing Zé columns, 68 TowsS maximum, top to end of page,

&, H@adings Should be expanded dcuble width CAF characters,

&, Set lefe margin for & minimum oF 1/4 inch, I use G@ margin of JF characters,

&, Material must get to me by the L3th of a manth to be coneidered Far Frinting in the coming issue, For mailing use the address on the back Face,

7. PLEASE check your copy for typo erelling, $c ERSY to correce while in the computer memory,

&. The less I have ta re-do the better J like it, My time is limited cca, IT am adverse ta retyping long Listing,

will

otid

is need your experience with large raiantere, Taw that there are more oF hem Out there, More on this Subset later,

~~ p +

HHHAHHHHHHRHRRHAR A

HHHHHHHHHHHHHRH

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE APPEARED IN OUR JANUARY ISSUE AND WE FAILED TO

INCLUDE CREDIT TO THE NEWSLETTER FROM WHICH WE REPRINTED IT! WE NOW RUN IT AGAIN, WITH PROPER CREDIT AS WELL AS PROPER SPELLING OF THE AUTHORS’ NAME. WE ALSO WANT TO CLARIFY THAT IT IS FOR THE QL, NOT THE 2868. WE APOLOGISE. HKKKEKKKKKKKEKKRKEKKRRKKEER C PROGRAM FOR SINCLAIR G@L &ND IBM FC

by:COLIN GOLDBERG (Reprinted from the newsletter of THE PC USERS GROUP of NEW YORE)

Sets are a feature provided in the Pascal language but absent in C. The following routines allow a calling program to set or clear the nth "element" in a "set" (which is act— ually a bit vector in which each bit is either on or off, and represents the membership or otherwise of the element).

Thus when the nth bit is off, the

nth element is mot a member or oth— erwise of the set (bit vector), and when the nth bit is on, the nth el—

ement is a member of the set. (

The following example first defines a "character" array (used for the bit map that is to hold the "set"), and passes the address of that array to the routines which set and clear the bit associated with "el- ement" of the array. Note that the first (leftmost) bit in the array is reserved for element zero, 45 a zero-relative scheme is used.

main ()

/defines the area

to be used/

/sets the bit for

element i3/ /Clears the bit for element S/

char bitmap 18@ ; bitset (bitmap,i3)s bitclear (bitmap,5); bitset (bitmap,element) char *bitmap

int element; int byte_offset

element 7? 33 (byte_offset

byte_offset bit_offset = element — % 8) oe Ls

bit_offset, @ |

HARDWARE Esc Key(cont’d from pec.)

By Dick Wagner

(Me system For an ESCAPE (ESC) key for our 2@68 computers was reprinted From the Jjuly/Aug issue of SINC-LINC,; Toronto Timex-Sinclair Users Club (Canada), authored by member Larry Crawford, London T/5 Club,

ESC is a special key on many com- puters, Jt is used to address certain operating codes to a large printer, These control or ocperating codes usually are given in the printer manuals, For lack of this Key , we can Substitute CHS$ 27; and then the desired code number(s), A single key stroke saves § strokes,

There exists a standard USA ASCII ISO code table that defines in HEX and binary, certain codes in the numerical range @-3i and 127d. are used for printer control, Our computers use some of these same numbers For computer control but arting with CHS$ 27; tells the inmnceer it if @ printer code, Some Printers have a CONTROL key used in congjuntion with @ letter that accesses these codes from @-27d,

Essentially, the explanation in the NOV, issue gives the essence for producing, in proper order, the key strokes that produce CHS$ 27; or ESC;. The ";" if G@ SeP- aratar that says there is something followings, The pin cutputs Of 4917 Must bE in the order show, The Following schematic explains how the outputs connect to the 26468 circuit board, The 4966 (4816) IC if a set OF § SOlid state switches, The outputs oF 4817 tceggle these switches (6) tO produce the same results as pressing the associated keyboard keys, The KB lines are from IC US (Computer) ane can be accessed at the keyboard ribbon connector as noted, The A linee are From the keyboard and can (M: accessed at the ribbon connector ut the key- board Sidé& of the computer diodes, The schematic shows the outputs of the 2 4864 IC’S

These.

connecting at the keyboard A lines and the diodes,

AS CR13 B : _l2 LBs 3A crRil é KBd 435 ee 8 CRIO 6] y— 4017 > = KB3 > 9a¢ Ail CRO 5 ea | S 0. KB! | Ale cro Stam > Tada 4017 3 PIN 2 = $S 3 CRIO 23 ¢s s \: Bi > noes ; *4B D.FW. Seo IiC3# ic4: 4066 92 j PIN 14= 412V Pin 7 = GND

Note: C4 PINS 12 € 13 GND

WoTE: AEKB lines ¢CR'S on Computer ciratt board af wey board Connector

SECRETARY?’ S SECRETS (Abridged?

The first meeting of 1786 was called tG order at 7:45 PM by acting emairman Dick Wagner, Guests were imteroduced: Ql Miller and Ken Lute (New Member), The Treasurer’s report WOE Given, indicating membership ist now About 66, The Secretary’s report wae OKEd as Printed it THRE FLOTTER.

New business ancluded settiing the Yice Chairman tie vote by & coin toss. Dick Wagner won, It was voted that Rod Gowan wae to be reimbursed $#25.@8@G for out of pocket expenses while he wat Editor, Members were informed that there will be a new column in the newsletter called QL Qorner, edited by Vince Lyon,

Question and answer cession covered Problems surfacing with the Reomswitch, announcement of a new Emulator by Zebra, problems aesociated with using the Radic Shack DMP-1@5 printer, and a question about a data program For the TS 1886.

Comments were offered by Members Cemnis Jurries, Rod Gowan, Sid Wyncoop, Jack Armstrong, and Dick Wagner concerning their displays. Dennis is making good fFrogress on his welded joint program. HE is alse working On a LIGHT PEN ml program, Rod had a wealth of products that he is distributor for, including the Q@L. Sid had His FJ inch disk drive working with AERCO IF. Jack proudly displayed hie RS printer, and Hick had his Olivetti jet printer with OQliger IF. Meeting was adjourned at 8:45 sO members could look over the displays,

&.TTreERS: 7.0 uf RE EDITOR

Dear Ed:

I have just Finished typing and correcting "POOQJAN" and giving it ¢c the library, I find it a most entertaining game, It consists oF Wolves, Pigs and a Man in a cage with a bow and arrow,

The wolves (an endless number of them) are after the pigs (ten oF them), The man in the cage is abies to shoct down the wolves and if he shoots down enough you are able to replace the last pigs, But the wolves also gO after the man in the cage and you only have two aF them and when they are gone the game is GoVer,

Tre score is kept for you and you are able to enter the Players names at the end of each round. The Farther you get into the game the more wolves you have to shoot down each time until the number cf wolves becomes insurmountable at the higher levels of play,

The more ability you mave in shooting dawn the ballconse the wOlves use the Higher score you can aeeain,

I found it an entertaining game that did net require G lot of agility on the keyboard, You use only three keys, Q For UF. Z For BN and SPACE BAR for SHOOT.

Bob Evans

PLOT WITH TAB? 16 REM---TABGRAFPH--- 26 REM Dick Wagner 38 FOR A = @ TO 9.5 STEP .2 46 LET ¥Y = COS¢( 2A >) + SIN (€ A) 5G LPRINT TAB ( 16 ® ¥Y + 26 ): *.” 6@ NEXT A 76 REM 166G@ - 2866 COMPUTERS 8G REM 2646 OR LARGE FRINTERS

Bits = BYTES

This is one column that a person has very little trouble filling these days! It seems as though there are at least a couple of new items in the news each and every week. If you are like me, yeu have trouble teep-—

ing up with all the mews! FT les

around so much and so fast I get dizzy! Here are just a few of the items that I came across in the last 4 weeks or so:

SINCLAIR-has announced its new line of computers to be released in the U.K. later this year. The PANDORA, a 128K computer (possibly the Spectrum 128 that we've been hearing about?), and the new ENIGMA, reportedly hav- ing 1 MEGABYTE of built in RAM!! It also sports 2-3.5" DD, a color’ mon- itor, a printer, all four of the current PSION packages built in on ROM and other bundled software. All that for a price to be somewhere in the range of #5@0@-#1000!''! Sir Clive must be going after the big boys!

T-S HORIZONS-#16 is now in the club library, as reported in the last is- sue, and is disappointing in a few ways. At least in my opinion. I can empathize with the effort to cut the cost of publishing the magazine, but if the quality of the print = and Paper gets much worse, I think that they will lose some support.

UO

ZEBRA SYSTEMS-says that they currently working on several software and hardware projects. of the software items in the works is a new telecommunications package be used with the 2850 modem. It ‘ems that the writers of MTERM II wanted too much for the rights the that program. There is new software for the OS-64 coming out. The GREET-— ING CARD DESIGNER that they released a couple weeks before Christmas is one program or I should say package that is not too well known yet, but,

are new One

it should be noted that it includes a fantastic Graphics Design Utility that allows you to design your own

pictures for the cards you want to print or for other uses.

(NOTE: Most Zebra products can be purchased through our local dealer,

RMG ENTERPRISES--see ad on Page 8)

LARKEN ELECTRONICS-in Canada was contacted by ROD GOWEN and is’ going to build a prototype of his disk I/F for us to assess. It sounds like a good value at only #95 plus shipping for an interface that supports one double-sided double-density drive and formats up to 16@K per side. It ed LDOS, an operating system that

““aRRY KENNY wrote himself. The sys- tem is the only one that is fully compatible with any 2868, with or

without a Spectrum chip of any sort. We will keep you posted as to the outcome of the tryout.

TIME DESIGNS MAGAZINE-announced our last meeting that they had = suc- cessfully finalized a deal with TIMEX that gives them exclusive rights to the 2@68 TECH MANUAL. TIM WOODS, Editor of TDM, said that the new manual would include quite a bit of info that was omitted from the first version. It will be bound very much like your 2@68 User Guide but in an 8 1/2 x 11" format. It will be typset and should therefore be a very nice publication. The best I saved for last, THE PRICE: #25 PP!

at

EXECUTIVE WORKSHOP-has been working hard on a new line of software for abe QL. Actually, VINCE LYON has

nh rewriting most of his 20868 software for the QL. He has made a

deal with RMG ENTERPRISES to be the exclusive distributor of his line. There will be several titles avail-—

On

able soon. EXECUTIVE QLUE and EXEC- UTIVE BOP (BUSINESS OWNERS PACKAGE) are both ready now. ACCOUNTS REC/PAY and INCOME STATEMENT should be ready soon.

Thats all the room I have- for this time! See you all next month.

THE AL

CORNER by: VINCE LYON

Since this is a new column, I would like to start off in a new way. I would like to tell you about the

feelings I had in the pit of my stomach when I began playing with my @L for the very first time. The OL

is so radically different from the 2068 and TSi@@@, I was sure that old Sir Clive was trying to give me ul-

cers, he already knew he had given

me headaches.

After unpacking the box, I was im- pressed. The QL was a neat looking unit with a keyboard that I thought was heaven (only four years before I thought that the keyboard on my

ZX81 kit was acceptable only for an hour or two). However, the very next

things I noticed were the things that were NOT THERE. no more single keystroke entry. No more simple to

use user defined graphics. And also, thank God, no more five minute waits for a simple program to load (oh well, two out of four ain’t bad).

Then I started spending the major portion of my life playing with this new toy. I was staying awake until 3 AM or later cussin’, Swearin’ and

what not. And Loving every minute of it. I was spending so much time at the keyboard that all my _ regular work fell behind, my wife accused me of having a new lover, and dinner was a snack I ate just before I passed out.

exploring superBasic, hooking up monitors, modems, print-— ers, testing the packaged software, writing new programs, pushing the microdrives to their limit, and Playing with all those new commands that Clive put in just for me.

I spent time

In all those red-eyed hours there is only one truly important lesson that I learned: THE QL LACKS NOTHING!!! That ‘s what this small column is all about. Never mind the lack of single keystroke entry - the 28068 now seems more difficult when I try to find my way around the keyboard (It’s amaz— ing how often the screen has mes- sages like "PRINT rint" displayed). Never mind the supposed lack of user defined graphics - those are avail- able in a great toolkit and from a ZX Computing Program I recently mod- ified.

All in all, I agreed to write this column because I believe that, in it’s price range (and with those

that cost several times it’s price), the QL is the most versatile and delightful computer on todays’ mar— ket.

In future colums, I will be into SUPERBASIC and it’s many new, fantastic commands, looking at a- Vailable software and the applica- tions for it, explaining some basic

Machine Language, playing with gra- phics and other concepts.

delving

Hope you can join me here.

COririernTts or COoOMmruUSsSEeERVE Rod Gowen CIS# 70436,1542

That stands for COMPUSERVE IN- The definition not familiar

CIs: FORMATION SERVICE. is for those of

with the service.

you

This month I am going to print an item that appeared on the SIG after a few people announced their intent— ions to quit the service. I think that Mr. Casby says a lot that needs to be said and I hope that he does not mind my reprinting his letter here. I am going to send him a copy of this newsletter. I hope that you enjoy his views and I will be back next month.

#: 31299 s4/Timex/Sinclair 3O-Nov-85 13:48:53 Stick Around

Kurt Casby 72676,2544 All Timexers

sb: fms to:

hardware!

Fellow Timexers!

I have noticed lately some people dropping off CIS, or, like Chris, indicating that their user

group is in trouble. I cannot under- stand this! ;

Timex users have never had it so good! I stay on Compurserve because I cannot afford to be calling BBS systems all over the country all the time! Here on CIS, we have a group of users from all over the country! Yet for most of us, it is a local call, and a low hourly charge = (com- pared to long distance rates!). When I found this group (it was in a dif- ferent place then!) I was so re- leived to learn that I was not the only one in the world who respected the lowly TS line of computers. I had just lost my subscription to Sync, and was afraid to send money to the ‘new’ magazines that started to appear! Here, at last, was a source of information on Timex Com- puters that I could access whenever I wished! Asking and answering ques-— tions. I was, and am very happy with this SIG!

I wish I had a user’s group, trouble or not! we used to have group, but it fell apart when Timex dropped out. I do have several friends with TS2@68, or TS1880 Com- puters, and I guess you could call us a group. But I would pay for a ‘real’ user’s group in my area!

How, Chris, can your group be in trouble now, when things are just picking up’ in the Timex world? In the last several months I have seen not one, but three (that I know of) very viable disk systems become available. I have seen a cartridge which allows the use of the 64 column mode! I have seen dealers acting like they still care about us Timexers! I have seen reports of magazines catering the TS line sur- viving and growing! In short, I have seen the best times for us since Timex pulled out!

I came close to ‘pulling out’ also! I was sorely tempted by a lady named Amiga. I had decided not to put any more money in this system. But then the disk came out! I mea honest to God came out! Not promises but in stock! Not vaporware, but After some lengthy soul

in.

a

searching, I decided that with the addition of a disk, there was nothing I needed to do that the TS2068 wouldn’t do! The oniy thing some of the ‘big guns‘ can do that I can’t do is "multi-tasking". While t & would be nice, I can live with-— out it.

Perhaps some of those who are considering jumping ship do not really know what they have. I have a Commodore 64 computer, my kids use it and I use the printer on it by sending information the the 64 via modem. Unless you have used both systems a lot you cannot beleive how superior, no, make that SUPERIOR the TS20868 is! I have also used Apples and Ataris extensively, and occas- ionally an IBM. I repeat, until you use these others, you can’t apprec— iate the Timex!

I did not mean for this to become s0 lengthy, but I wanted to get this off my chest. I also wanted to ask each of you to not leave CIS. I con- sider this SIG my user’s group and I need you! We need each other!

Stick around, OK?! Best regards, Kurt Casby 72676,2544

ie

Ea eK cc a

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Bed ent pnt tye

ter

Wr Wh "0 "|

THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION!

Od Md rs m

From: Prank Gehmuck, 75iz24 To: Timex Grousp

I have solved all the problems J] was having with my TS2828. The seluticn is cheap and can be Found in almost any hardware store, Now, I’m noe a Physicist $0 I can’t explain HOW it works, but here gces the procedure, You go down to the local hardware store and buy a § LB sledge hammer, You suspend the sledge approx 6 FT above the TS 282@ and then Gliaw the gravitational field of the earth sclve your problems, Worked just fine for me!

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THESE MEDIUM RESOLUTION + COLOR MONITORS W/AUDIO $ AMPLIFIER BUILT-IN HAVE A #% SUGGESTED LIST PRICE OF & OVER #200! PLUG A CABLE $ INTO THE MIC PORT OF YOUR # 2868 AND INTO AUDIO INPUT # ON MONITOR AND YOU WILL $ NOT BELIEVE THE SOUND! $ LIMITED SUPPLY! DON’T WAIT # +

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