June 6, 2025 – New Manuals

Mloewen has provided some missing manuals!

Title: Micro-Courier v1.00.00
Publisher: Microcom Inc-Radio Shack
Year: 1982
Size: 7,021,857
Pages: 104
Notes: [M3][26-1589]
Title: Orchestra-80
Publisher: Jon Bokelman-Software Affair
Year: 1980
Size: 2186295
Pages: 44
Title: Teleterm Terminal Emulator System
Publisher: Telexpress Inc
Year: 1983
Size: 7436278
Pages: 198

June 4, 2026 – TRS80GP Updated to v2.5.5

George and Peter Phillips have updated their awesome TRS80GP emulator to v2.5.5. TRS-80 Model I/III/4-related changes are:

New Functions/Updates

  • Debug -> File Utility window to examine and manipulate disk files.
  • Scripting commands to control TRS-80 and UI. http://48k.ca/trs80gp.html#script
  • Add your own commands to Custom menu with -menu
  • Run commands at boot with -cmd
  • Run commands along with with automatic input using -icmd
  • Can pass arguments to endpoints: -p [ :mx70 -mute ]
  • Motorola S-record file loading.
  • Paste modes for injecting text on unsupported operating systems + programs.
  • Added “-ib file” to run trs80gp script commands from a file.
  • Added “-ifr file” to paste in a file with no line ending translation.
  • Direct loaded BASIC programs can have multiple-line lines.
  • Bus tracing can be limited to address ranges with -tr low:high,l2:h2
  • Output registers to bus trace with -trpr A,HL or similar
  • -cix option to turn off warning when cassette I/O seen and interrupts enabled.
  • MX-70 can automatically pause at the end of every page.
  • MX-70 tractor feed and perforations can be turned off.
  • Add “save image” to printer window in Windows.
  • Add Cassette to Device Viewer.

Bug Fixes

  • Keyboard auto de-turbo now works on linux and mac.
  • Serial port, printer and other dialogs have explicit enable checkbox.
  • Fix linux crash when resizing window in turbo mode.
  • Fix linux crash when media key like “pause” or “next track” pressed.
  • Fix crash/emulation errors when examining active HFE disk images in Disk Viewer.
  • Fix crash formatting single-density only DMK files as double density.
  • “Typing” keyboard layout (-kl typ) better for Level 1, TRSDOS 2.3, CP/M input.
  • Keyboard layout and ghosting now remembered as user preferences.
  • Input system (-i flags) timing more consistent and useful.
  • Loading symbols with -ls still allows boot into DOS.
  • Symbols now appear in profiler output.
  • Copy screen to clipboard sometimes failed in graphics-only mode under Windows.
  • Trim trailing spaces and blank lines when copying text screen.
  • Pasting to Tandy 10 faster and more reliable.
  • MX-70 reset puts printer into default mode; cold restart drops pages.
  • MX-70 no longer gets bad line height if high bit set in size.
  • Stop -turbo from skipping renders; it was triggering legacy code.
  • On Windows sub-processes like from -p :mx70 don’t steal the focus.
  • IMD/JV3 with CRC errors now report those errors to the FDC.
  • Blank double-sided diskette images moved to Other submenu to reduce clutter.

You can download the emulator here or from their site at http://48k.ca/trs80gp.html.

June 1, 2025 – New TRS8BIT Newsletter

TRS8BIT – Vol 19, No. 2

Click to Enlarge

You can download it from https://www.fabsitesuk.com/tandy/trs8bit1902.pdf

Issue Information:

Date:
June 2025
Pages:
92

Table of Contents:

03
2025 Competition – Impossipuzzel25: Once Again Great Prize So Get Your Entries in Quick” by Unattributed
05
TA25 News: Planning the 2025 Tandy Assembly” by Ian Mavric
11
Disk Files (Part 2): A Rare Find Amongst a Batch Of Old Tandy Papers” by Jim Norris
23
Star Trek: Upgrade” by Alan Wallace
25
April Basque Tournament: Results from the Latest TRS-80 Basque Competition” by Egoitz Campo
28
Power Of the ROM: Part 2 Of His Series” by Vince Otten
49
In Mav’s History Workshop:: What Was the Second Color Computer 1?” by Ian Mavric
60
I-Ching: Ever Wondered If It Works? Now’s Your Chance!” by E.T. Fonehume
80
Our 2nd Competition: Have You Any Ideas What Would You Like to See? Get Your Suggestions Off to George ASAP” by Unattributed
85
The Way We Were: Just a Quick Look Back to How Some Of the Things Were in the Day. Did Anyone Have a Go with the ‘Tiny Pascal’? by Unattributed
89
Amazed: Have a Break and Have a Go – Try for 10 Seconds!” by Unattributed
91
Surfin’ the Net: An Updated CP/M Option for a Model I” by Unattributed

June 1, 2025 – Model I RS-232 Reproduction

Roger Murley / BYTESHiFT has a developed a recreation of the 26-1145 RS-232 interface board for the Model I

They are available for sale to those who wish to purchase one, or for those who like to build, the Gerbers, schematics, BOM, and KiCAD source files are available on GitHub.

Roger’s design replicates the operation of the original board, ensuring compatibility with existing Model I software. Hardware-wise, he reports a few differences:

  • SMT components are used wherever possible, to minimize cost
  • Sense switch (DIP switch configuration) functionality is removed, so that the interface must be configured via software
  • The TERM/COMM switch has been removed. The unit is configured in TERM (DTE) mode, and an external null-modem adapter must be used if operation as a DCE device is required.
  • IC selection eliminated the need for +12/-12/-5 supply rails. +5V is the only supply needed

More info can be found at: https://byteshiftmusic.com/trs-80-model-i-rs-232-interface-re-creation/

April 14, 2025 – Model III’s for Free in the UK

Alistair MacMillan has 4 Model III’s available for free for local pickup in Norwich, Norfolk.

He advises that were in a garage for a very long time and are as-is. From looking at them, he sees a couple of keys missing and there is a crack in one casing but other than that they seem to look ok. He has NOT powered them on.

If interested, and you can do local pickup, please contact me.

UPDATE: Claimed

March 20, 2025 – ROM Bugs

Vernon Hester had previously written up (twice now, actually) a breakdown of ROM bugs he found while developing SuperBASIC. I had reached out to him for clarity on a few, and he got back to me on all but one. While I was holding off until I heard back on the last one, recent Facebook activity (actually 2 posts) about ROM Bugs led me to conclude I should probably announce and add the page.

So … if you would like to see the bugs he found, head on over to the ROM Errors page, with all but 1 duplicated.

March 11, 2025 – Some CINTUG Newsletters

I found some random CINTUG newsletters in a binder while cleaning out some TRS-80 stuff.

Title: CINTUG Basic IO Newsletter
Publisher: CINTUG
Year: 1979
Size: 11,340,563
Pages: 4
Notes: [1979-09]
Title: CINTUG Basic IO Newsletter
Publisher: CINTUG
Year: 1979
Size: 8,950,291
Pages: 5
Notes: [1979-11]
Title: CINTUG Basic IO Newsletter
Publisher: CINTUG
Year: 1979
Size: 6,883,555
Pages: 4
Notes: [1979-12]