What are you getting for Christmas
then? I am hoping for a GSX 1100,
Stainless steel laryngoscope, new
jeans, countless CD's, new rucksack,
sweeties, peace and goodwill.
None of these are likely at all of
course. The editorial will remain
restrained this time as there was
enough waffle in the last one to keep
you all occupied until the millenia.
OK, I know the menu is a bit sluggish
this time, but that is due to the
seasonal snow storm, which is obviously
vital.
I shall stick to the facts this time.
As I write this, issue 38 is complete
but not issued. Today I have put the
finishing touches to TBI-70. This is a
disc of transfer utilities containing
tape to disc and DFS to ADFS programs.
Also included are two text files. One
of which is the Albert Schofield
collection, all those messages from the
last 5 issues or so collected into one
place, a wealth of info.
I have just finished backing up, and
packing all the discs for issue 38. I
have a couple of points that I would
like to mention:
PLEASE verify your discs before sending
them to me.
PLEASE ensure that the return packing
isn't falling apart.
Having said this I must congratulate
you all for, sending the correct
postage, well labelled envelopes and
clearly marked discs. It helps me
considerably.
Issue 38 has been the first issue that
I have not had to grovel around on the
floor to pack all the envelopes, the
new desk worked a treat. I started at
0900 and finished at 1500.
Thanks to Paul Clucas for the proof
reading and check over of 38. Now I can
blame someone else for all the bugs and
crumy speling! <forget this one Paul.
It strikes me that I have not listed
the 8BS hardware for quite some time
and that you are all bursting to know
what there is kicking around 8BS HQ
worth having. Apart from the stuff in
the 8BS loft that has been repeatedly
listed over the last 10,000 8BS issues,
there is:
1 Desk
4ft paperwork
1 Canon BJ-130 inkjet printer (NOW
FAULTY! Using the 120D+ at the moment)
2ft blank paper
1 Dual 3.5 5.25 double sided 40/80 disc
drive
2 Monitors
1 Master 512 < Yes! I Just got a 512
board!
1 Mouse
1 BBC B
1 Master Compact (In the loft)
1 twin 5.25 40/80 double sided disc
drive
1 Single 40/80 double sided drive
Electtronic digital scales/calculator/
clock
Sellotape dispenser
Z88 (containing accounts, Membership
details, pool list and totals)
1 full noticeboard
1 Eprom blower
2 Eprom Erasers
1 Modem
1 Fax
Yes, you can see a fax listed in the
equipment there. So send your orders,
queries etc by fax now for an even
quicker response (is that possible?).
It is now 20.11.94. I am just starting
some days off, a brief respite between
a load of those dreaded 3-11 and call
shifts that I seem to be getting a lot
of recently. I have just spring cleaned
all the 8BS gear and it is sliding all
over the desk. I May have over done the
polish a bit.
This is as good a time as any to
summarise the new entries and updates
that have appeared in the 8BS catalogue
since the last 8BS Mag issue.
The first BIG change of note is that I
have totally re-written the catalogue
handling software. It all started when
I was chatting to Stuart Kempner (bless
his cotton socks) on the phone one day.
He happened to mention that he had
great difficulty reading the catalogue.
Why could it not be done in a similar
way to the magazine? For a long while I
had been aware something needed doing,
but had put it off. This comment
stirred me into action. After 4 days of
planning, sussing out and programming,
I came up with a workable idea. It
required major structural alterations
to the catalogue data itself and many
hours of mind blowing tedious graft.
The result is now on TBI-00 for you all
to see, please update!
Discs into the library since issue 38:
TBI 70 Tape To Disc 1D
TBI-71 Amateur Radio A
TBI-72 Kangaterm And Pagerom 1D
TBI-73 Amateur Radio A
TBI-74 View Professional with support
utilities. A commercial package, not
public domain, 8BS has obtained the
distribution license for this excellent
combined word processor/spreadsheet.
Available as 2DA and on up to 4 eproms.
A photostat of the large well-written
manual is also available.
BBC 42 43 44 65 76
Archimedes Section (ARC)
ARC 1 2 3 (Various in ADFS L)
ARC 4 5 6 7 8 All Amateur Radio on 800K
ADFS
The Disc User.
YES! At long last, after many phone
calls and letters, I have finally
managed to get The Disc User cover
discs into the public domain. You will
find it in the TDU section. 14 single
sided DFS discs or 3 ADFS discs.
Thanks to Janny Looyenga for sending
the mode 7 graphics compilation, a
further disc is available containing
the mode 7 animation screens that were
featured on each of The Disc User
issues.
TDU 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1D
TDU 1-5 A
TDI 6-10 A
TDU 11-14 A
TDU 15 1D (animation compilation)
The next question is, has any one got
the magazines that came with The Disc
User? 8BS would appreciate copies if
you are willing to donate/sell/
photostat for us?
The Master 512 Section
Now I have a 512 board, I am collecting
512 software. Already in the library:
512-1-1 Dabs Shareware Vol.1 Disc 1
512-1-2 Dabs Shareware Vol.1 Disc 2
512-1-3 Dabs Shareware Vol.1 Disc 3
512-1-4 Dabs Shareware Vol.1 Disc 4
512-1-5 Dabs Shareware Vol.1 Disc 5
512-2-1 Dabs Shareware Vol.2 Disc 1
512-2-2 Dabs Shareware Vol.2 Disc 2
512-2-3 Dabs Shareware Vol.2 Disc 3
512-2-4 Dabs Shareware Vol.2 Disc 4
512-2-5 Dabs Shareware Vol.2 Disc 5
512-3-1 (BBC 512)
512-3-2 (BBC M12) Miscellaneous
512-3-3 (BBC PR3) Printer Utilities
512-3-4 (BBC WP1) Word Processing
512-3-5 (BBC UT1) Utilities 1
512-3-6 (BBC UT2) Utilities 2
TBI-35 is a football management game
that is Master only. Supplied on ADFS
now for Compact users as it uses SWR.
One member had trouble when the game
wiped out his SWR DFS as it loaded from
DFS.
Rick Sterry has sent me an update of
his programs on BBC 146.
Thanks to Tim Parsons 3SQ, we now have
the rest of the Beebug cover discs in
the library. They are numbered from
BUG-6-1 through to BUG 12-10. There are
ADFS versions available. Please note
that the ADFS versions of volumes 7 to
12 take up 2 ADFS discs each. DFS
versions are 1D. See the catalogue disc
for full details.
Thanks also to Tim Parsons for the
Beebug compilation discs now in the
library as follows:
BUG-13 10th Anniversary Compilation. 1D
BUG-14 Best Board Games. 1D
BUG-15 General Utilities. 1D
BUG 16 Filer. 1D
BUG-17 Best Arcade Games. 1D
BUG-18 Applications 1. 1D
BUG-19 Applications 2. 1D
That leaves the text from the OSBITS
course that was sent out as
Telesoftware, I am still trying to
track down the owner of the copyright
for this text.
There are also a number of leads to
follow with various other single items
of software.
That is around 150 discs into the
library since the last issue. Coo!
The subject of faulty keyboard switches
has cropped up from time.
So I thought you would like my opinions
on the subject. The keys on my Master's
keyboard probably get more hammer than
the average home computer and have
caused me problems occasionally.
As you must already know, the majority
of dust in our houses is actually dead
skin, it's flaking off all the time! It
falls off your hands and into the
keyboard along with all the bits of
fluff from your jumper and crumbs from
your cheese butties.
Gill regularly hoovers the keyboard. Up
to now no keys have gone missing. Now
and again, I pop all the key tops off
and wash them. Whilst the key tops are
off, I use a paintbrush to loosen the
dust and hoover it all out (I also do
this inside the Master). That is the
regular cleaning.
Sometimes a key will stop working. This
is what I do:
1. Blow straight down onto the key a
couple of times and gently tap the key.
This usually works. A particular key
may act up like this a few times and
then settle down.
2. If the problem persists, I will then
pop off the key top and blow straight
down into the key whilst tapping the
peg. Almost always, this cures the
problem.
3. On half a dozen occasions the above
2 methods have failed. The next stage
involves removal of the offending
keyswitch from the circuit board. Do
not attempt this if you are unsure.
Disconnect the computer from the mains
supply. Remove the fixing screws from
the case and lift the lid off. Remove
the fixing screws from the keyboard and
unplug the ribbon cable. Locate the two
soldered pegs that hold the offending
key and desolder them so that the
keyswitch will pull out.
I use a soldering iron and desoldering
pump. This is a simple device
consisting of a rubber bulb with a heat
resistant nozzle. Heat up the solder,
squeeze the bulb, place the nozzle into
the molten solder and release the bulb.
The solder is sucked into the bulb
leaving a nice dry joint.
I then wash the key in alcohol, dry it
out and solder it back onto the
keyboard. Re-assemble the computer and
that's it. Up to now this has worked
every time.
4. I have bought myself a few new
keyswitches (available from Maplins at
only a few pence) for when stage three
fails.
There has been a lot of talk about
subscriptions again in this issue.
Eventually, some sort of a compromise
may have to be reached. My opinion is
that, while the funds are always a bit
thin on the ground, I am not doing this
for profit, the club is doing just fine
as far as I can see.
You will all notice that an increase
has happened this time with the price
of blank discs going up to a nice round
figure of £4 for 10.
By all means, please continue debating
charges. I will then be able to see
what you all think.
Before winding up the editorial for
this issue, I guess I ought to mention
the Acorn User Show at Harrogate.
8BS has been offered a free space at
this show which happens on Saturday and
Sunday the 6th and 7th of May 1995 at
the International Centre in Harrogate.
Volunteers are required to help at this
event. Two members have already pledged
their talents. I fancy that this event
will not be the bone dry one it was in
1994 if you get my drift.
Hopefully, this event will turn into an
8BS "get together". This time, I intend
to spend more time chatting with
members. After the hurly burly of the
1994 show, I realised that I had been
so busy flogging discs to complete
strangers that I had not been able to
speak to visiting members.
That is it. See you all in 1995. Have a
good Christmas and New Year. I'm at
work. So spare a thought as you put
your feet up after your Christmas
dinner, I will probably be jumping up
and down on somebody's chest.