Just got a TRS-80 Model III, and I have questions

[Turbo-Torch]

5 hours ago, DistantStar001 said:

But if an 80 track drive will work to write the disk, then maybe I can write the initial disk with my 486, and make a more stable copy with my Model III? Or an I fooling myself, and the new disk will inherit the flaws of the old?

 

An 80 track 720K disk drive (QD or quad density) is rare and not the same as a 1.2mb HD drive.

 

It's also difficult to format a 360K disk on a 1.2mb drive and then use it on another PC with a 360K drive.  The HD head is narrower and you end up with noise on the tracks.

 

Can't hurt to try, but I doubt you'll create a usable M3 disk on a 1.2 drive.  

[DistantStar001]

11 hours ago, Turbo-Torch said:

It's also difficult to format a 360K disk on a 1.2mb drive and then use it on another PC with a 360K drive.  The HD head is narrower and you end up with noise on the tracks.

 

Can't hurt to try, but I doubt you'll create a usable M3 disk on a 1.2 drive.  

So I've requested some floppies from trs-80.com just to be safe.  I figure that if nothing else I can format the floppies in my Model III, then write them on my 486, which might reduce or eliminate the noise issue you mentioned (probably not.  But like you said, can't hurt to try).  However, I still need to know what software I'm going to require on my 486 to write the disk image to a physical floppy.  Is this in DOS already, or do I need to install another program on top?  If so, what is it?

[DistantStar001]

Quick update: Sorry it took me so long, but school and work don't always leave me a whole lot of time.  That, and somehow, school plus quarantine have managed to leave me with even less!?!  Still, I did manage to make some progress, so thanks to everyone who helped me get this far!  

 

 

As everyone can see, the keyboard is now fully functional and complete, as is everything else! (Well, maybe not the cassette port.  I'm still trying to figure that thing out)

I've decided to keep the scuffs and blemishes for now, since their not too intrusive and they add character.

 

I'm still trying to make some good floppies for it.  I did order some from trs80.com, so I'm not totally out of luck.  They were incredibly generous, and sent me way more than I asked for.  

 

That said, I have found that anything on NewDOS/80 is rather unstable, and now one of the game disks won't boot.  At first, it wouldn't launch the menu program but would do a directory.  now it just does a Disk Error on boot.  I was able to access the games by booting from a separate NewDOS/80 boot disk, but now that one is given me a system error?

 

I haven't figured out how to make backups yet (so unfortunate), nor how to make new disks with my 486 (by the way I did get a proper 360k drive installed in that and it does seem to work).  So far the only tutorials I've found for making floppies this way are for the Model I, and they were somewhat incomplete in their instruction.  I did manage to find all of the disk images I need, so if anyone can steer me in the right direction on how to write them to a floppy, it would be appreciated. I might just try to write some disks for the Model I, since, as I understand it, my Model III should be compatible.

 

In any case, I'm very happy now, and have been having a blast blowing tanks away in the few working battle zone clones that are still running, and have discovered that regardless of the platform, I still suck at Sea Dragon and Donkey Kong.  Maybe I can copy the games into LDOS, or MultiDOS or something?  This is all very new! ?

 

On 2/17/2020 at 2:57 PM, Turbo-Torch said:

My avatar pic is an actual photo I took of my screen.

Also to Turbo-Torch: I forgot to mention this earlier. Your avatar is awesome!  I'd love to know what program you used to create it.

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by DistantStar001
grammer

[+D Train]

Man, I wrote a lot of papers  on one of those things...

[DistantStar001]

So I'm really getting close to figuring this out.  

 

I've gotten the emulator working on my Surface for the most part, but I need a copy of the Model I, Level II ROM.  I tried the Level I, but the emulator won't recognize disk images.  I tried the Model III mode, but it won't format the images right.  Everything I'm reading insists that I need the Model I, Level II.  Does anyone know where I can find it?

[Caterpiggle]

Hello to all !

 

I just very frustrating with my TRS-80 Model III without internal disk drives. Just has to used on CCR-81 Tape recorder as the only source to loading into computer.

 

Now, my main question. How the hell I can loading Assembly Language Tutor ??? I did typed "SYSTEM" then enter "ALT" and it NEVER finished loading the magnetic tapes ! Yes, I did enter "H" for cass speed.

 

Still Nothing works. I set the volume to 6 on the tape recorder.

 

Really I am LOST to that tape recorder to computer !! The computer , itself works fine in short BASIC program. It does executed fine.

[DistantStar001]

On 5/7/2020 at 6:28 PM, Caterpiggle said:

Hello to all !

 

I just very frustrating with my TRS-80 Model III without internal disk drives. Just has to used on CCR-81 Tape recorder as the only source to loading into computer.

 

Now, my main question. How the hell I can loading Assembly Language Tutor ??? I did typed "SYSTEM" then enter "ALT" and it NEVER finished loading the magnetic tapes ! Yes, I did enter "H" for cass speed.

 

Still Nothing works. I set the volume to 6 on the tape recorder.

 

Really I am LOST to that tape recorder to computer !! The computer , itself works fine in short BASIC program. It does executed fine.

I really wish I had an answer for you on this.  But unfortunately, I have never managed to load a cassette on my Model III.  

It's my understanding is that the load sequence for Model III cassettes really depend on the particular program being loaded (see Turbo-Torch's quote below).  I was trying to load .wav and .cas files, but the principles are the same.  So far nothing I've tried has worked.  Honestly, it sounds as if you've had far more success than me.  I can't even get my machine to respond to its port.

On 2/15/2020 at 10:50 AM, Turbo-Torch said:

Unless you know that you're converting an original cassette program to a WAV, know how to load that program and that it's at 1500 baud (and probably a million other factors), you're wasting your time trying to use the cassette port.  And if you're trying to load something that was a disk program, it ain't gonna happen.

For example, Dancing Demon is a mix of BASIC and machine language and you have to jump through a bunch of hoops to make it load.  I can't remember the details but I think it involved peeks and maybe changing the Memory Size at startup.  I got that program when it was released and the proper information wasn't in the manual.  Local RS computer center was stumped too as they couldn't load any of their copies.  They called back the next day (after hearing from Fort Worth) and told me how to load it.

 

Furthermore, cassette use was flaky at best even when using the proper cassette deck and commercial software.  The volume had to be just right and if you had the cassette deck too close to the side of the computer, the load would fail due to RF interference.  I can only imagine the added garbage in a WAV file.

Get a good tape deck and buy some commercial RS games off eBay and then give it a try.  All of mine are nearing 40 years old and still load fine.  Or find some sealed data cassettes, write a BASIC program, CSAVE it and then CLOAD it back into the machine.  Of course, finding a good cassette deck may not be easy.  I've had my CTR-80A since new, never stored it in a harsh environment and still had to recap it and replace the belt.

You may want to ask this in a new topic.  I've found that the longer a topic goes, the less attention it tends to generate.  As great as the help I've been getting has been, the truth is that a new topic might generate more views from people with better answers, or at least more tailored to your specific inquiry.  I really hope you figure this out, as it's something that has had me scratching my head since I first got my Model III.  In any case, if I learn anything I'll post it when I do.