Site News (2024-)

Marcel Erz has put up a GitHub with assorted Model I parts which can be 3-D Printed!

Currently present are:

• Main Enclosure Panel
• PCB Stand-Off
• Keyboard Stem (ALPS)
• Keyboard Spacebar Clip
• Keyboard Clip
• Keyboard Button Placeholder (Enter)
• Keyboard Shield
• Extension Interface Cover (Medium)

You check it all out at [Hotlinks Removed From Old News Pages] https://github.com/RetroStack/TRS-80-Model-I-3D-Objects.

Lawrence Kesteloot has updated his TRS80TOOL to v2.6.0. Release Notes:

• Better handling of double-sided disks.
• Assembler:
  • Full expression support: All the operators in C, with their same precedence.
  • Assembles about 10 times faster.
  • Allow nv and v for po and pe flags.
  • Various compatibility improvements with zmac.
  • Breaking change: No longer permit % as binary prefix. Instead of writing %1010, use 1010b or 0b1010.
• Disassembler: Add –upper flag.

You can download it at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/

Shawn Sijnstra has updated his Infocom Executors … Model I and III to version 7 and Model 4 to version 17.

Full list of credits, features and issues as well as the source and compiled code are in the Gitlab page:

• https://gitlab.com/sijnstra1/m1zvm for Model I
• https://gitlab.com/sijnstra1/m3zvm for Model III
• https://gitlab.com/sijnstra1/m4zvm for Model 4

A site visitor has a working Model 4 (or at least drive :0 does) for sale for $300 for local pickup. Unit does have a loose connection in the plug at the power supply that powers the CRT filament, although most of the time the connection is good as is. Probably an easy fix. Drive 1 works when in Drive 0 position, so perhaps there is an issue with the controller or cable for the :1 position.

Seller is located about 100 miles NW of San Antonio, TX a few miles off of I-10; and could meet in or around Kerrville, Texas if that’s better.

Marcel Erz has reverse engineered the Model I ALPS keyboard PCB. He says

This project is a faithful reimplementation of the ALPS keyboard PCB of the iconic TRS-80 Model 1 computer. My revision, the E1, is designed to replicate the PCB design 1-to-1 of the original down to the traces. The entire project is available under the MIT license.

Visit the https://github.com/RetroStack/TRS-80-Model-I-Keyboard-ALPS GITHub Page for gerber files, Bill of Materials (CSV and PDF formats), layers exported in PDF and SVG formats, and full schematics of the E1 replica which is 1:1 to the original G board.

Jeff Birt was kind enough to bid, and then scan, the missing Portable Disk Drive 2 Service Manual. Thank you Jeff!

Title: Portable Disk Drive 2 Service Manual
Publisher: Tandy
Year: 1987
Size: 84,173,485
Pages: 108
Notes: [26-3814]

I have stumbled upon another disk format which TRSTools does not properly handle. I have tried to go through my old emails to find all the old reports, but many of them just sent disk images of which I no longer have records.

So … to those who use TRSTools and TRSREAD, please tread carefully on the following DOS image types:

• MultiDOS double sided disks. TRSTools/TRSREAD will sometimes insert the side 2 data in the middle of side 1 files. I confirmed this by batch reading each disk double sided and then again as single sided, extracting the files, and comparing them. VDISK (by Miguel Dutra) extraction resulted in 100% identical crc’s between those sets. TRSREAD had multiple differences, where the Double Sided disk read was corrupt.
• TRSDOS v2.3b disks.
• DosPlus 3.4A for the Model III.
• NEWDOS/80 images with damage on Track 1.
• TRSDOS v2.77D, particularly deleting files, as they may corrupt the image.
• TRSDOS 1.3 disks with extra data in a reserved area of the directory.

Right now, I have a slew of MultiDOS double sided disks (and CP/M double sided disks) where side 2 is inaccessible. The CP/M disks are entirely unusable; and that may be because they were made on a Model III with a Shuffleboard or because no tool exists to identify the geometry needed to mount them. The MultiDOS disks read (on a catweasel) as double-sided disks, but only Side 1 shows up in an emulator, and side 2 cannot be separately read as its own image.

Brick Parrish, who is still looking to sell a Model (See January 9th news item), sent over two manuals for scanning. Thank you, Brick!

Title: DOSPlus v3.4-4.0 vA.2
Publisher: Micro-Systems Software
Year: 1982
Size: 523,279,115
Pages: 248

Title: Fortran
Publisher: Tandy
Year: 1981
Size: 664,512,098
Pages: 273
Notes: [M3][26-2200]

Brick Parrish, who is still looking to sell a Model 4 (See January 9th news item), sent over another manuals for scanning. Thank you, Brick!

Title: Modem I
Publisher: Tandy
Year: 1981
Size: 18,992,572
Pages: 15
Notes: [26-1172][v8749285-SP-281]

Dusty was kind enough to pass on the manual for Decision Master. Thank you Dusty!

Title: Decision Maker
Publisher: Syntonic Software Corporation
Year: 1981
Size: 114,458,177
Pages: 88

Bill Allen has sent over a bunch of manuals for me to scan. The first set is below. Thank you, Bill!

Title: UltraDOS and SuperBASIC Reference Manual
Publisher: Vernon B Hester-Level IV Products
Year: 1980
Size: 205,822,671
Pages: 89
Notes: [2nd Printing]

Title: LDOS v5.1.x 1st Ed
Publisher: Logical Systems Inc
Year: 1982
Size: 751,777,287
Pages: 292
Notes: [Combined Model I and III]

More manuals, courtesy of Bill Allen and Brick Parrish

Title: BASCOM Basic Compiler v5.11
Publisher: Tandy
Year: 19xx
Size: 516,702,297
Pages: 274

Title: NEWDOS v2.1 Changes
Publisher: Apparat
Year: 19xx
Size: 188,988,633
Pages: 48

Title: CPM-TRS-PC File Interchange Program v1.0
Publisher: Hypersoft
Year: 1984
Size: 30,192,468
Pages: 15

More manuals, Brick Parrish

Title: MVB-3 80 x 24 Video Board Installation and User Guide
Publisher: Memory Merchant
Year: 1983
Size: 154,889,241
Pages: 60

Title: ShuffleBoard III Users Manual v1.0 and Addendums
Publisher: Memory Merchant
Year: 1981
Size: 1,218,545,583
Pages: 110

Title: M3CBI Model Model III Communications Board Manual
Publisher: Computex
Year: 1982
Size: 133,853,141
Pages: 50

Title: Trendex Stock Market Trend Analysis
Publisher: Tandy
Year: 19xx
Size: 145,908,901
Pages: 51
Notes: [26-1509]

Title: Trilogy Drive Controller Kit for Model III User Manual
Publisher: World Wide Data Systems Inc
Year: 1983
Size: 254,676,097
Pages: 42

William Bares was kind enough to scan the missing Alien Armada manual. Thank you, William!

Title: Alien Armada
Publisher: Waldron P Hodsdon
Year: 1981
Size: 630,356
Pages: 4

Amardeep was kind enough to provide the articles he had collected regarding installing 4164 RAM chips in a Model I.

• Article by Errol Rosser
• Article by McCoy and Treasure
• Article by Don Kelly

More manuals, Brick Parrish

Title: Talker v2.0 Users Manual
Publisher: Alpha Products
Year: 1979
Size: 44,107,158
Pages: 17
Notes: [Set 1]

Title: VS-100 Voice Synthesizer User Manual
Publisher: Alpha Products
Year: 1983
Size: 80,191,508
Pages: 40

William Bares was kind enough to lend me some tapes to read!

Title: Alien Armada
NOTE: None of the existing WAV to CAS programs properly converted this to CAS. To run this, you will need to use TRS32 or other emulator which can process WAV files.

Title: Iago

Title: Scarfman

Since my test auction for the 1983 year of 80-US actually sold, I am willing to brave the dangers of eBay and try to list a bunch of stuff.

Right now the following auctions are live.

• 80-US Magazine – Full Year 1979
• 80-US Magazine – Full Year 1980
• 80-US Magazine – Full Year 1981
• 80-US Magazine – Full Year 1982
• BASIC Computing – Jan-Mar 1984

Eddie, of https://tandyshowcase.com/ has scanned some Sacramento Tandy Users Group newsletters!

Title: SACTUG
Issue: Vol 1 No 1
Publisher: Sacramento Tandy Users Group
Year: 1986
Size: 41,896,038
Pages: 8

Title: SACTUG
Issue: Vol 2 No 1
Publisher: Sacramento Tandy Users Group
Year: 1987
Size: 73,312,238
Pages: 10

Title: SACTUG
Issue: Vol 2 No 3
Publisher: Sacramento Tandy Users Group
Year: 1987
Size: 59,664,335
Pages: 10

William Bares had also lent some disks …

Title: Super Script (Model 3)

Title: Alien Armada

Title: MyChess

Jay Crutti has designed a full Model 4 keyboard replacement.

Right now, you can build it yourself, although Jay is contemplating selling them in the future.

A site visitor has a working Model 4 (or at least drive :0 does) for sale for $300 for local pickup. Unit does have a loose connection in the plug at the power supply that powers the CRT filament, although most of the time the connection is good as is. Probably an easy fix. Drive 1 works when in Drive 0 position, so perhaps there is an issue with the controller or cable for the :1 position.

Seller is located about 100 miles NW of San Antonio, TX a few miles off of I-10; and could meet in or around Kerrville, Texas if that’s better.

Ian Mavric was kind enough to provide the Model 4 Service Manual Addendum. Thank you, Ian!

Title: Model 4 and Model 4 Gate Array Service Manual Addendum
Publisher: Tandy
Year: 1985
Size: 6,420,877

Two sets of auctions sold … So I will keep going …

Right now the following auctions are live.

• Disk Editor Assembler (26-2202)
• Disk Payroll (26-1556)
• Disk Accounts Receivable (26-1555)
• Disk General Ledger I (26-1552)
• Tape Budget Management (26-1603)
• Tape Assembly Language Tutor (26-2017)
• Disk Accounts Payable (26-1554)
• Tape In Memory Information System (26-1502)
• Tape Videotex/Compuserve Information Service
• Knights of the Desert: North African Campaign 1941-43 by Strategic Simulations Inc. (Tape)

Right now the following auctions are live.

• TRS-80 Software: Cosmic Patrol (c) Instant Software
• TRS-80 Software: Dancing Demon (c) Tandy
• TRS-80 Software: Easy Calc (c) Instant Software
• TRS-80 Software: Invasion Force (c) Tandy
• TRS-80 Software: Keyboard Debounce / Real Time Clock (c) Tandy
• TRS-80 Software: T-Bug (c) Tandy
• TRS-80 Software: Visicalc Model I (c) Personal Software / Tandy
• TRS-80 Software: Model I Double Density Disk Systems DOS and Owner’s Manual (c) Tandy
• TRS-80 Software: Defense Command / Stellar Escort (c) Big Five / Tandy
• TRS-80 Software: Editor/Assembler (c) Tandy

TRS8BIT – Vol 18, No. 1

Click to Enlarge

We have the first news of the 2024 competition from George Phillips. There are articles from Ian Mavric on replacing Co-Co 2 keyboard membranes, a very detailed account of the FB series of disk drives and looks forward to the 2024 T.A. Jim Adams hunts down the start of BASIC making, what is a ‘must go to’ guide. E.T. Fonehume creates a BASIC one-liner to print a 5×5 magic square using consecutive numbers. Juergen Buessert explains how to create a ‘WAV’ file from a DMK image. Vince Otten continues his series ‘Software Tools in BASIC’ with episode 3, ‘Open For Business’ and an article using ROM calls from TRSDOS. Tony G sends details of various pieces of hardware he created, ‘back in the day’. And, of course, there’s the regular features of ‘The Way We Were’, U.K. Ebay bargains, various finds from ‘Surfin the Net’ and finally, there’s a BASIC one-liner game for all you M2 fans. (Is this a first I wonder?)

Issue Information:

Table of Contents:

Quentin Barnes has updated the Catweasel Utilities to v4.10

New to this release are:

• Add -S option. This option allows the user to specify a minimum number of sectors per track and side. If that minimum is not reached during a read, it’ll trigger a retry.
• Extend the -x and -X option argument syntax when specifying a track range to also allow giving sides.
• Add partial support for RX02 in dmk2jv3.

The -S is a feature that I find to be a necessary evil. Many disks with issues can erroneously report an end of track data before all the retries are finished, and CW2DMK would then decide “Oh, OK – then this track is 7 good sectors” when it really is “7 good, 11 bad” that was just mishandled. With this, you can make a second pass that FORCES CW2DMK to keep re-reading until it either gets 18 good sectors or the retry count expires.

The main GITHUB can found at https://github.com/qbarnes/cw2dmk/

After a LOT of work (including an entire new pass over the entire Level II ROM disassembly), I have completed a commented disassembly of BASIC/CMD as was packaged with TRSDOS v2.3

The disassembly of BASIC/CMD can be found on this site.

Steve H. has sent in a bunch of scans … Thank you, Steve!

Catalogs

Title: CLOAD Magazine
Publisher: CLOAD Magazine
Year: 19xx
Size: 709,924
Pages: 2

Title: Computer TEXTile Catalog
Publisher: Computer TEXTile
Year: 19xx
Size: 2,888,502
Pages: 6

Title: TRS Yellow Page
Publisher: Micro Architect
Year: 1978
Size: 2,581,055
Pages: 8
Notes: [78-11]

Magazines

Title: CLOAD Magazine 1978-08
Publisher: CLOAD Magazine Inc
Year: 1978
Size: 1,493,333
Pages: 4
Notes: [Set 2]

Title: Level One Magazine
Publisher: Level One Magazine
Year: 19xx
Size: 1,359,518
Pages: 4

Title: TRS-80 Computing
Issue: Vol 1 No 1
Publisher: Computer Information Exchange Inc
Year: 1978
Size: 16,654,542
Pages: 32

Service Manuals

Title: 16K RAM Expansion Service Manual Addendum
Publisher: Tandy
Year: 1978
Size: 758,978
Pages: 4
Notes: [26-1101]

Hardware Manuals

Title: Important Notice Regarding Model I Mini-Disk Drives
Publisher: Radio Shack
Year: 19xx
Size: 240,607
Pages: 1

Title: Model I Double Density System Start-Up
Publisher: Tandy
Year: 19xx
Size: 2,445,499
Pages: 2

Title: Oasis Systems Light Pen Users Manual
Publisher: Oasis Systems
Year: 1980
Size: 2,269,574
Pages: 11

Thanks to eagle eyed David S, I am told that Jens Guenther has updated his Windows/Linux fork of the SDLTRS Emulator to v1.2.29

Changelog:

• Added 1024 KB memory support for TCS Genie IIIs.
• Added 512 KB memory support for TRS-80 Model I Selector.
• Added 2nd printer MMIO for TRS-80 Model III/4/4P.
• Added more shortcuts for command line options.
• Added SDL2 aspect ratio option in GUI.
• Added debugger command to change Z80 HALT action.
• Fixed TRS-80 Model 4 MMIO in map 0.
• Fixed redraw of HRG1B screen.
• Fixed IMPORT.COM utility for CP/M 3.0.
• Fixed debugger alternate register set assignment by Nick Andrew.

You check it all out at https://gitlab.com/jengun/sdltrs/-/releases

Lawrence Kesteloot has updated his TRS80TOOL to v2.7.0. Release Notes:

• In the run command, if the mounted floppy is modified, the changes will be written to the underlying virtual floppy file. Specify the –write-protected option to mount the floppy write-protected.
• The dir command has a new –system option to show system files.

You can download it from https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/

George and Peter Phillips have updated their awesome TRS80GP emulator to v2.5.3. Changes are:

New Features:

• Model I/III/4 now accept .wav files as cassette input.
• Add -pp/-ppx options to control printer window pop-up.
• Model I RS-232 sense switches (thanks to Tuc for hardware tests).
• Add loopback device to RS-232 choices (-r :loop on command line)
• Add -rx option to disable RS-232 on Model I,2,III,4,12,16.
• Semigraphics 6 modes will display alternate palette (Electric Crayon, MC-10, CoCo).
• Add “-im disksummary” and disksummary on drive exports to output a summary of drive structure just like the Disk Viewer window.

Bug Fixes:

• $37EA and $37EB are now memory mapped printer port alises on Model I.
• Model I/III/4 RS-232 receive bug fixed.
• CoCo BASIC ROM 1.0 printer output fixed.
• Text pasting works for CoCo 1.0 and 1.1 ROMs.
• Printer auto-turbo works for all models now.
• Model 4 software keyboard no longer missing ‘+’ character on keycap.
• trs80gp -m1 -dx no longer loads lower case driver by default; use -lld to do so.

You can download it at http://48k.ca/trs80gp.html

The next TRS-80 Trash Talk live show is Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 2:00PM Pacific Daylight Time / 5:00PM Eastern Daylight Time!

You can watch on the TRS-80 Trash Talk channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXkGugvdCkpkMDylVQb9gfg

If you want to participate in the live zoom session, reach out to trs80trashtalk at gmail dot com for information.

Marcel Erz has just release a schematic to enable the connection of an original TRS-80 keyboard to a modern computer via USB which supports multiple TRS-80 models and various development boards for interfacing the keyboard with a system over USB.

You can find the GIT at https://github.com/RetroStack/TRS-80-USB-Keyboard

Quentin Barnes has updated the Catweasel Utilities to v4.10.1

New to this release are:

• Fix indefinite looping while guessing head stepping rate when encountering unusually formatted disks, often from copy protection.
• Fix bug with wraparound detection when the duplicate ID block gets cut off by the DMK buffer filling up. The fix is to stop decoding when the buffer fills up, so that we don’t detect such a header in the first place.

The main GITHUB can found at https://github.com/qbarnes/cw2dmk/

Ian has kindly provided a scan of the LS-LED manual!

Title: LS-LED
Year: 1983
Company/Author: Logical Systems Inc
Size: 6,678,177
Pages: 15

L Curtis Boyle let me know that Canadian Retro Things posted a two part interview with Robert Kilgus. They write:

While at the 32nd Annual ‘Last’ Chicago CoCoFest I took a little side trip with L Curtis Boyle. We visited Robert Kilgus, a name you may recognize from a number of TRS-80 Model 1 and CoCo programs. We sat down with Robert, here is part one of the interview covering his early days, before doing anything for Tandy.

You can watch Part 1, entitled “The Early Years” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQAq5wNLcCo and Part 2, entitled “The TRS 80 Model 1 Years” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAqG0lSyuLs

While they were it, they secured permission from Robert to post his sofware and books, so you can download his book, Inside Microfiles and all of Robert’s files have now been made downloadable via the Software Seach Page.

Ian has kindly provided a scan of the Quizmaster Manual!

Title: QuizMaster
Publisher: Logical Systems
Year: 1982
Size: 7,362,857
Pages: 18

Ian has kindly provided a scan of the LDOS 5.3 Model 4 Interface Kit Manual!

Title: LDOS 5.3 Model 4 Interface Kit
Publisher: Misosys Inc
Year: 1987
Size: 11,218,690
Pages: 14
Notes: [Blue Cover]

L Curtis Boyle let me know that Canadian Retro Things posted two more parts of his interview with Robert Kilgus.

Part 3 covers the main part of his career with the Coco from 1979-1984, including selected as one of the few to get the earliest prototypes of the TRS-80 Color Computer, the cross development system he used for the earliest Coco programs, and developing his Coco specific programs and games. You can watch that at https://youtu.be/kJT9T2apvvs?si=6kYwYM_p10q57jtR

Part 4 (the final part) finishes covering the Coco (including the unreleased OS-9 Scripsit from 1984) and his final home computer (multi-platform) project – and what went wrong there. And a bit of what he is following these days. You can watch that at https://youtu.be/uwuS4dFg93o?si=T3RAXmxPugyQuTsb

Arno, Sascha, and Lawrence Kesteloot will be running the second Bay Area Tandy Meetup on June 15, 2024!

If you are interested in the meet-up, please visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9ZDlEGBrd6okI9xIoKPjwLb4kHmdVFPvNog4lOUPEe5NaLQ/viewform

Marcel Erz’s TRS-80 RetroStack projects continue to be completed.

Read about the recently finished Model 1 case replication project at https://www.patreon.com/posts/trs-80-model-1-104571852

And peruse his other finished projects including a ‘Fake Keyboard Bezel’ case that works with a Raspberry Pi and modern USB or wireless keyboards, a mini case, and about many others at https://www.patreon.com/posts/summary-update-105541104

Sign up for his Patreon and encourage him to complete the many special projects such as a TRS-80 Model 1 Japanese Replica, an improved version of the Model 1, or for the Norcom TC-III replica – A Model 3 in the form factor of a Model I.

Marcel Erz’s RetroStack is also hosting a noteworthy project by Ven Reddy: the Model 1 Test Harness. This device utilizes the *TEST signal on the edge card connector for system testing without needing to swap ROMs. The project is still in progress, so follow it at https://www.patreon.com/collection/298425

Click to Enlarge

Issue Information:

Table of Contents:

If you need a replacement keyboard for your TRS-80, Jay Crutti has developed a few models

You can visit Jay’s web site at https://www.jaycrutti.com/hardware-projects/tandy-trs-80-replacement-keyboards

The next TRS-80 Trash Talk live show is Saturday, July 6, 2024 at 6:00PM Pacific Daylight Time / 9:00PM Eastern Daylight Time!

You can watch on the TRS-80 Trash Talk channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXkGugvdCkpkMDylVQb9gfg

If you want to participate in the live zoom session, reach out to trs80trashtalk at gmail dot com for information.

George Philips to the rescue AGAIN! The diskette request page has been fixed.

If you had a request in and never heard back, please re-submit!

Pete Cetinski has provided the report which Tandy got back when it tested the Model I for RFI. The Model I was discontinued based on these findings.

Jim McGinley has start up a GAMES I USED TO PLAY webpage.

The site uses TRS80GP to highlight 30 of his favourite TRS-80 games (6 so far are posted). A snapshot feature is present which allows the games to be saved and loaded, so people can start at higher levels.

You can check out the site at http://www.bigpants.ca/gamesiusedtoplay

The Model 4 ROMs have been disassembled. The same single page houses v1, v2, and the Network Student Edition ROM.

You can check out the page here.

Jens Guenther has updated his Windows/Linux fork of the SDLTRS Emulator to v1.2.30

Changelog:

• Added LNW80 Model II banking and 80×24 text mode support.
• Added 1024 KB memory support for Alpha Technology SuperMem.
• Added Alpha Technology SuperMem for TRS-80 Model 4/4P.
• Added Real Time Clock/Calendar Card (RTCC) for TRS-80 Model I.
• Added TRS-80 Model I printer address aliases.
• Added maskable interrupt in IM0 and IM2.
• Added turbo mode deactivation while any keys are pressed.
• Fixed scaling of block graphic characters for Model 4/4P.
• Fixed Z80 HALT action to run debugger.
• Fixed bugs and internal improvements.

You check it all out at https://gitlab.com/jengun/sdltrs

I have listed some items for sale in support of the site.

• TRS-80 – Book – TRS-80 Micro Computer Technical Reference Handbook (1st Ed)
• TRS-80 – Magazines – 32 Issues of LSI Journal/LDOS Quarterly/Misosys Journal
• TRS-80 – Manual – Level I Users Manual
• TRS-80 – Software – Galactic Mail File System (Original)
• TRS-80 – Software – Videotex / Compuserve Information Package (Original)
• TRS-80 PC-2 – Software – Business Finance (Shrinkwrapped)
• TRS-80 PC-2 – Software – Games (Shrinkwrapped)
• TRS-80 PC-2 – Software – Personal Finance

Dennis Brent, Kim Watt’s partner at PowerSoft, has passed away.

You can read the obituary at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/dallas-tx/dennis-brent-11935900.

I have listed some items for sale in support of the site.

• TRS-80 – Software – Model 4/4P Disk Systems Owner’s Manual/Disks/Binder
• TRS-80 – Software – Model I/III Series-I Editor Assembler Manual/Disks/Binder
• TRS-80 – Software – Model III SuperScripsit and Proofread Manual/Disks/Binder
• TRS-80 – Software – Videotex / Compuserve Information Package (Original)
• TRS-80 PC-2 – Software – Business Finance (Shrinkwrapped)
• TRS-80 PC-2 – Software – Personal Finance

TRS8BIT – Vol 18, No. 3

Click to Enlarge

In this 100 page edition of all things Tandy, Ian Mavric updates us with the latest news of TA24, he details information on Type2 HDA’s for the Model 2 family and reviews the Tandy model 1200. TRS-80 BASIC floating points are described in another detailed article by Jim Adams. Pascal Holdry shows his latest work for the 68000 computer boards. ‘At The Ready Prompt’ is back with 2 very neat ways of checking for odd or even. George Phillips ‘Tunes-up’ the Co-Co randomising ability. ‘The Way We Were’ looks at the Exatron Stringy Floppy for the TRS-80. There’s details of some of the recent U.K. Ebay bargains. ‘Where Are They Now’ highlights a prolific contributor to Tandy section of Softside magazine, James Garon. (Sorry about the photo though!). There’s time for a bit of fun, checking a maze. E.T. Fonehume checks-out check digits, using a one-liner of course! There’s a quick surf around the net. Mark Casteleijn steps through his adventures with the FreHD and TRSVID. Vince Otten explains how to error trap ROM calls from TRSDOS 2.3 And finally, just a reminder, time is running fast to get you competition entries in.

A new upgrade to George and Peter Phillips’s TRS-80 emulator. trs80gp (version 2.5.4) will be available shortly. Full details of all the options are available from their website. This really is THE best TRS-80 emulator on the planet. It even has, just for the U.K., Aculab Floppy Tape emulation. Just as ‘in the day’ but, of course, without any media problems! You can also use the upgraded version of Level 2 BASIC, “TWOHAF” (Level 2.5), using the AFT as well as ordinary cassette BASIC.

I have listed some items for sale in support of the site.

• TRS-80 – Magazine – Full Run of TRSTimes Magazine
• TRS-80 – Software – Level II BASIC Instruction Course Part 1 (Original)
• TRS-80 – Software – Model III SuperScripsit and Proofread Manual/Disks/Binder
• TRS-80 – Model I Tape Editor/Assembler – Manual/Tapes/Binder
• TRS-80 – Model I Fortran – Manual/Disks/Binder
• TRS-80 – Software – Model III SuperScripsit and Proofread Manual/Disks/Binder
• TRS-80 PC-2 – Software – Business Finance (Shrinkwrapped)
• TRS-80 PC-2 – Software – Personal Finance
• TRS-80 – Software – Videotex / Compuserve Information Pack

Tandy Assembly is happening September 27th – 29th, 2024 in Springfield, Ohio

The big news this year is that TRS-80 creator team of Don French and Steve Leininger will be joining us for the first time and Steve will be giving a keynote speech with Q&A.
All the usual events will be back, like the Friday Tech Track classes, the Saturday afternoon auction and the Saturday evening trivia contest hosted by none other than Ian Mavric!

You can get more information at https://www.tandyassembly.com/

The next TRS-80 Trash Talk live show is Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 6 PM PST

You can watch on the TRS-80 Trash Talk channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXkGugvdCkpkMDylVQb9gfg

If you want to participate in the live zoom session, reach out to trs80trashtalk at gmail dot com for information.

If you have a collection of TRS-80 software, please consider visiting the Missing TRS-80 Software Page and seeing if you have anything which is missing.

George and Peter Phillips have updated their awesome TRS80GP emulator to v2.5.4. TRS-80 Model I/III/4-related changes are:

New Features:

• Event stream (-event endpoint) allowing external programs to blink LEDs, etc.
• FreHD emulation supports DSK/DCT LDOS driver to mount read-only disk images.
• Hardware serial port access on linux and mac via -r /dev/tty/USB0 or such.

Bug Fixes:

• Cassette now starts if inserted while CLOAD or SYSTEM in progress.
• Control of delay before cassette auto-save via -csd or Cassette -> Save menu.
• Correct Model 3 and 4 memory mapped printer port to be read-only.
• Less awkward breakpoint GUI with a single window and addr1:addr2 for ranges.
• Minor .wav output correction as .wav files should be an even number of bytes.
• Printer window auto scrolls to bottom again on output.
• Printing on LDOS no longer reboots; emulator ignored printer interrupt disable.
• Replaced patched TRSDOS with proper Japanese TRSDOS.
• Show .wav files in cassette open dialog by default if supported.
• Stop quadradic slowdown as printer output grows.

If you have a collection of actual, hard copy, TRS-80 magazines or newsletters, please consider visiting the Missing TRS-80 Magazines Page and seeing if you have anything which is missing.

Quentin Barnes has updated his GreaseWeasel software to Alpha 8. Please do not be concerned with the “Alpha” designation – he is being cautious. This software is FAR superior to the software which comes with the Greaseweasel for reading TRS-80 Model I/III/4 disks.

You can download the software at https://github.com/qbarnes/gw2dmk/releases/tag/v0.0.1.alpha.8

Jens Guenther has updated his Windows/Linux fork of the SDLTRS Emulator to v1.2.31

Changelog:

• Added TRS-80 Model III/4/4P NMI bug fix by Joshua Arnold
• Added Model III/4/4P memory mapped printer port to be read-only
• Added filter for supported file types in GUI file browser
• Added window border in fullscreen mode
• Added more shortcuts for command line options
• Fixed command line options for memory expansion cards
• Fixed TCS EG-64 Memory-Banking Adaptor
• Fixed TCS Genie IIs/SpeedMaster RAM 192 B memory card
• Fixed current date in LS-DOS for TRS-80 Model 4/4P
• Fixed Hard Disk Activity LED for SDL2
• Fixed Mouse cursor for selection in scaled SDL2 window
• Fixed some bugs and other improvements

You check it all out at https://gitlab.com/jengun/sdltrs