It's not a newer version. My TRS-80 Model III also has 48K. It was the
top-of-the-line Model III. When I first got mine, it had been sitting in a
basement for 2 years, and the basement had been flooded when the septic
tank backed up. when I cleaned it all out, and turned it on, I had the
same problem with the screen. I gave it a good, solid whack on the back,
and it's been working fine ever since (not too hard, though - you don't
want to put a hole in the back). I think that the problem may have been
that a couple of the chips got either corroded or slightly unseated, and
smacking the back of it reseated them. That may not be your problem,
though.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: oajones <oajones(a)bright.net>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Tandy 3
> Date: Sunday, September 06, 1998 11:17 PM
>
> I was given an old Tandy 3 microcomputer. The button on the right side
> of the keyboard says "48K." Was this computer a newer version of the
> TRS-80 Model III? I am going to try and restore this computer. Right now
> it has a video problem. The screen lights up and has zig-zags on the
> screen. Also the contrast and brightness knobs are frozen and move just
> a little bit left or right.
>
> --Alan
----------
> From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: WTB: TRS-80 stuff.
> Date: Sunday, September 06, 1998 8:22 PM
>
> http://www.research.digital.com/SRC/personal/Tim_Mann/trs80.html/
>
> I seem to remember that you can't make a bootable LDOS disk by just
> copying the files onto it, and that some of the files have to be in the
> right place (or their directory entries do).
>
Thanks. I'll have to check it out.
> What version of TRS-DOS are you running at the moment?
>
I think it's 1.3. It's on an old Mortgage investment program disk that's
been sitting in my garage loft for three years (temperature ranges from -10
to 120 degrees F). I'm surprised that it even worked.
> > > There used to be a commercial program to do the opposite (allow
TRS-80s
> > > to read/write MS-DOS disks). No idea where you'd get that from now,
> > though.
> > >
> >
> > Do you remember what the name of it is?
>
> TRSCROSS, I think. Maybe HYPERCROSS (I think they were both programs to
> read 'foreign' disks on the TRS-80).
>
O.K. I'll try to see if I can find it or not. Was there a program that
would let you run Apple ][ Programs? I have about 100 program disks
without a working apple (I actually have a Franklin 2000). Or does the
disk controller thing come into play?
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: WTB: TRS-80 stuff.
> Date: Sunday, September 06, 1998 8:03 PM
>
> I believe it's available from Tim Mann's TRS-80 web page. The author has
> allowed it to be copied for personal use. Of course getting it onto a
> disk is another problem.
>
What's the address? I may be able to use Telcom to transfer the files.
> Does anyone in the States on this list have it, and would be prepared to
> copy it, I wonder?
>
> There used to be a commercial program to do the opposite (allow TRS-80s
> to read/write MS-DOS disks). No idea where you'd get that from now,
though.
>
Do you remember what the name of it is?
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
I got a new drive (well, to me at least). It was from an XT clone, and
works great. When I took the fried one apart, I found out that the spindle
bearing was rusted, so I took the heads, motor, and everything else that
looked good out, and junked the rest.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: WTB: TRS-80 stuff.
> Date: Sunday, September 06, 1998 1:27 PM
>
> I have the schematics for that drive (both in the Tandy and IBM tech
> manuals). So I could probably identify the burnt components. What chips
> are they near (either type - like NE592, or circuit reference - like U1).
>
> Burnt traces can be repaired - I do it all the time....
>
>
> > --
> > -Jason
> > (roblwill(a)usaor.net)
> > ICQ#-1730318
> >
>
> -tony
>
Does anyone have any doc's or info on a "Pixel 80"? A nice fellow in
Guelph Ontario was kind enough to pass one on to me and I'd like to get it
running. On quick perusal, it has a 5.25" drive on the front, and at the
back a centronics output, 9- 9pin and 4- 25 pin D shell connectors. The
date says 9/83. Its the size of the bar fridge I had in university and
weighs a bloody ton. It was manufactured by "Instumentation Labratory
Inc." Dominique who gave it to me says that he contacted them but they
say they know nothing about it. There is a web site for IL but its no
help.
Colan
Hello everybody.
I'm in the process of restoring a submerged TRS-80 Model III. It was
sitting in my friend's basement when his septic tank backed up (yuk.), and
it was sitting on the basement floor (double yuk.). However, his solution
to fixing it was to drag it up the steps on sheet of plywood and let it sit
in the rain for three weeks. Then he gave it to me because he was afraid
to plug it in. I started by taking it apart, and hosing the whole thing
down. Then I took all the boards out, and set them in front of heater/fan
to dry (low power). I did the same to the disk drives, the keyboard, and
the picture tube.
After everything had dried for about a week, I put it all back together,
and turned it on. The tube came on with a bunch of crazy characters on the
screen. I took the main board out, propped it up behind the computer,
tried it again, and the screen came up with the "Diskette ?" prompt. I put
in a copy of TRS-DOS (unsubmerged), and hit reset. ERROR came up in
40-column letters. I shut it off, and pulled the drives. I stuck (well
more like jammed- it was too wide) a 5.25" 360 half-height drive in it (it
ended up at an angle and upside down to fit), and tried that. That time it
worked, booting to the TRS-DOS screen, asking for a date. I typed
"09/01/98". Nothing. I took a key off the keyboard to try to clean it,
and they are the sealed-switch type. I had to unsolder each switch, take
each one apart, clean it, put it back together, and solder it back to the
board. However, I just cleaned the <1>, the </>, and the <Enter> key-
enough for me to enter the date. It worked.
Now's where I need the help. Here's what I need:
-5.25" full-height 360k disk drives (any type but Apple - doesn't need to
be TRS-80).
-External TRS-80 disk drives.
-Cable to connect external drives to the computer.
-TRS-80 Model III hard drive (can be a clone)
-Internal cable connecting RS-232 adapter to the main board.
-TRS-80 Model III software (can be on tape or disk)
I'm also looking for anything for the CoCo Model I and II - ESPECIALLY disk
drives and a printer.
As always, ThAnX in advance,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
> Stage 1 : LART the cousin....
>
> Stage 2 : It may not have done that much damage. Remove the coin and
> clean up the board. What components did it seem to have come into contact
> with?. There's not a lot on that board that can't be replaced,
actually...
>
I took it off, and it looks as though some resistors (I think) had burned
up (can't recognize the value coding), and some of the traces and also been
cooked (broken, and blackened).
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
> The original Tandy drives were normally made by a company called 'Texas
> Peripherals', and are identical to Tandon drives.
>
They're both actual Tandon drives, dated from 1981.
> Start by taking them apart a little way.
>
> Unplug all the cables going to the PCB on top of the drive, take out the
> 2 screws and slip off the PCB. If there's a separate motor control board
> on the back (old drives have this), then remove that as well.
>
> > -Cable to connect external drives to the computer.
>
> That's easy to make. It's just a length of 34 way ribbon cable with edge
> connectors crimped to it. Most people these days don't pull pins as Tandy
> did, but instead select the drive using the links on the drive PCB.
>
<snip>
I did this to one drive, and got it working, but the other is beyond
repair. A penny was once dropped into the computer by my friends 4 yr. old
cousin. The penny landed on top of the top drive PCB, shorting some stuff
and fusing the penny to a few components. I need at least one drive.
> > -Internal cable connecting RS-232 adapter to the main board.
>
> If you're _really_ stuck for this, remove the connectors from the CPU
> board and RS232 board and solder some 0.1" SIL headers in place. I seem
> to remember it's 20 pins. Then use a 40 pin (or whatever) IDC ribbon
> cable + connectors (like a very short IDE cable) to link them up. Just
> use the same row of holes in the 2 connectors.
>
I may just try making my own cable out of an old piece of ribbon cable,
some clear plastic, and some Super Glue. That's basically what the
original one was, anyway.
ThAnX,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
Maybe I shouldn't post this.... O wot'th'ell, here goes.
I have discovered recently a very dangerous on-line book service,
which, in my *very* humble opinion, just beats the bloody tar out of
the 'major' ones.. (Amazon, Barnes, etc). Some of you Listmembers
may already be aware of these folks.. if not, the URL is;
www.abebooks.com
I'm *definitely* in Big $$$ Trouble. I have a very large library,
around 10K volumes, journals, periodicals, papers... collected over
many years. A lot of it is old, wierd, rare, fringe-science,
technology, engineering, computing, etc.
Now I find ABE (American Book Exchange) and they've got titles
I've been searching for for *ages*... including a book I read in 4th
Grade and never heard of since... oh dear: most of the booksellers
on ABE take credit cards... damn, damn, damn...!
I've already found over $1K of stuff I must have.. NOW!
Anyway, I hereby disclaim and hold myself inurred and harmless
>from anyone who goes bankrupt because I turned them on to ABE.
Just try searching with Van Nostrand or Wiley or Howard Sams
entered in the 'Publisher' slot... or pdp-11 in the 'keywords'
section....
I'm in **trouble** !
Cheers ;}
John
