One week before the deadline and the
issue is full! Many messages have been
held over until the next issue. Here
are a mixed bunch that I managed to
squeeze in:
To 999 (All)
From K29 (D.Loveys)
Subject 8BS Bulletin Board
I am going to set up a bulletin board
dedicated to 8-Bit Software. I need to
assess whether the interest is great
enough for me to continue with the
idea. I need a great deal of help and
advice to do this. Please send your
offers of info/help/software/hardware
to me at 20 Links Field Grove,
Stafford, ST16 1TG Tel. 01785 213050
To: 999 (all members)
From: 20G (Roy Dickens)
Subject: Bits that may help.
If any time that you find a key has
packed up just when you most need it.
Why not program an fKEY to take its
place. If it was say the A key then
type in OSCLI("KEY0 A") or if say
it was also the F key then type
OSCLI("KEY1 F") Then when you need
these two keys just press the fKEY.
Another powerful VDU command (have you
noticed that most utilities are
described as powerful?). Have a go at
typing VDU 7,65,80,82,73,76,46,49,33
You will wonder how you managed
without it.
From: 20G (Roy Dickens)
Subject: Our poetry corner! (Issue47)
Who is this Mr, Mrs or Ms Mouse?
Worried about the ozone with words
so humorous.
With a fancy first name (yes) Anon.
Submitting poems with words Anglo-
Saxon.
Suggesting we 'think green' in our
public house.
What IS your ID Mr, Mrs or Ms Mouse?
Who is this poet with with the name
Anon?
Do they use a Master, Beeb or a
Electron?
With this extraordinary state of
affairs.
Do we have in our group a naughty
Pam Ayres?
With readings like a script from a
film 'Carry On'.
Who IS this person with the name
Anon?
Who is this with a middle name
initial E?
Reckons that we think twice before
ordering curry.
I can understand you being a shade
of green.
But its that food I like so I am
going to be mean.
Because where'er I be I shall let
wind go free.
But thanks for the advice, friend,
with the middle name beginning
with E.
Roy.
To: 999 (all members)
From: FWJ Dryell
Subject: FOR SALE
BBC Master 128 Complete. Including:
Twin. Double sided 40/80 Disc Drive.
Cub 16 Colour Monitor.
Centronics GLPII Printer. Word
Processor. Viewsheet. Mouse and Mat.
Many Games. New Discs. Disc Boxes.
Manuals. Printer Driver Generator.
Magazines, key switches, etc etc.
£200
Telephone 01162 848661
To: 999 (all members)
From: K4F (Brian Dunn)
Subject: WANTED
Can Anyone please help Me with a
Wordwise Plus Program Disk also wanted
Manual and Disk containing sample PCB
layouts for Pineapple Softwares PCB
Program
Tel 01254-391682
To: 999 (all members)
From: K3H (ALBERT SCHOFIELD)
Subject: REPLAY DISC UTILITY
Some games have special screen
formats and when saved with REPLAY the
screen may appear broken up. To
correct this, the REPLAY edit utility
will have to be used.
Some versions of REPLAY have the
necessary data built in for certain
games to correct this but the data
will only be recognised if the game
name is spelt correctly in upper case
letters.
To enter data, first transfer the
program as normal from tape to disc.
Get into the main REPLAY menu, then
enter the 'Edit file' menu by pressing
number '4', followed by the letter
corresponding to the program to be
edited. If the Mode needs changing,
then press the letter 'M', and enter
first the screen mode (the first
number, ie. a number from 0 to
7),followed by pressing the <RETURN>
key, and then enter the screen size
(the second number ie. either 1, 8,
10, 16, or 20 - do not enter the
letter k), followed by <RETURN>.
To enter the video data, press the
letter 'V' from the edit file menu.
You will then be asked 'Register ?',
to which you should respond with the
first number of the video data (eg.
the '6' in '6,16', followed by
pressing <RETURN>, and then respond to
the 'Data ?' prompt by typing the
second number (eg. the '16' in '6,16',
followed by <RETURN>.
Video data is listed as multiple
groups of two numbers. The first
number in each group is the video
register number, and the second is the
video data value. To exit the video
data entering stage, simply press
<RETURN> by itself (ie. without
entering any data) when the 'Register
?' prompt appears.
Colours are entered by pressing the
letter 'C' from the edit file menu.
You will then be asked the 'Logical
colour ?' value, which is the first
number in the group of two numbers
(ie. the '1' in '1,7') which should be
typed in, followed by <RETURN>. Then
the 'Actual colour ?' value should be
typed in, which is the second number
in the group (ie. '7' in '1,7'
followed by <RETURN>, To exit the
colour altering mode simply press
<RETURN> by itself (without entering
any data). To exit the edit file menu,
press the letter 'E'.
The most common alterations needed
are Mode/Screen size, Colours, and
alterations to video registers 6 and
7. The values of these can easily be
worked out by the average user who
knows something about how the screen
displays its data, or simply try
different values until it comes right.
The first thing to get right is the
MODE, so try different values until
you can actually see something on the
screen that looks at least vaguely
correct. If the screen is 'broken up'
and you have tried all the different
modes available (0 to 7) then you will
need to try different values for video
registers 1 and 2. Assuming that the
screen looks reasonably okay, the next
step is to alter video register number
6 until the full number of lines is
displayed. Then try different values
of register 7 until it is centred
correctly.
Vine Micros issued sheets of data
values for various games already
worked out. I have most of these
sheets so if you have problems with
any games, I may be able to help with
the data values. More next month.
EDITOR..... Thanks again Albert. Please
note that all of the tape to disc
articles from Albert are on the tape to
disc utility disc, TBI-70.
To: 999 (all members)
From: D6U (Syd Hetherington)
Subject: New Boy
Hello. As a new entrant into the 8BS
world, I thought a few words in
addition to those in my questionnaire
answer might be appropriate. I am a
young 76 years old recycled teenager.
Some of you know me from another
group. I have a BBC-B with STL SWR and
twin 5-1/2 disk drives. I also have a
Panasonic PC, several Sirius
computers, Epson, Amstrad, Quendata
and Brother printers. I have not yet
succeeded in linking the computers
in spite of 'Kermit'.
I am the President of the local
Residents Association, Press officer
for the Sussex Music Hall Society and
Chairman of a small limited Company so
I have plenty of uses for my
Word-processing skills(?)
Although a Mechanical Engineer by
profession, I am also well versed in
electronics and not afraid to use a
soldering iron when necessary.
And finally, I live in Sunny
Eastbourne, sun-trap of the South
Coast although I do occasionally
visit my native Birmingham of which I
am equally proud.
To: 999 (all members)
From: 4WL (MARTIN R WILSON)
Subject: Support
In support of Jon Ripley's proposed and
hopefully established Elite section,
I'd like to say I read anything going
on Elite; stories, events, sightings
but never use cheats. It kills the
game.
EDITOR.... Seconded! I am trying to
find time to have a go at the co-pro
version.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K2B (C.Culpitt-Smith)
Subject: Wanted
WANTED. A 386 or 486 PC motherboard in
GWO. Ring CWCS on 01738 812186
PRESS SPACE