Moving a game from a PET cassette to a modern computer

[Wargaming Scribe]

Hello,

 

I was looking for the 1979 version of Legionnaire by Chris Crawford, and I found a version... Chris Crawford himself has one.

The problem is that neither him nor me know how to transfer from Commodore PET to a support that lasts (aka : upload on Internet, ultimaly).

Do any of you know how to do this, or know someone who do this ? Let's beat data degradation!

[+Bruce-Robert Pocock]

The easiest way by far would be to just do a transfer on a Commodore machine to something like an SD2IEC.

 

If you don't have a real machine with a Datassette of some kind, though, maybe something like https://wav-prg.sourceforge.io/ could be useful, or one of the alternatives listed on that site?

[carlsson]

That would be SD2PET if the original hardware still exists. Assuming we have a minor plethora of vintage hardware to choose from, an IEEE-488 disk drive like the 3040, 4040, 2031 is read compatible with 1541 meaning you could load the program off tape on the PET, save it to a floppy disk and then either load it on e.g. a C64 or even better, use a ZoomFloppy or X-series cable to transfer the program to a PC. But I realize I'm making a ton of assumptions now.

 

Theoretically one might use cbmlink and solder up an interface like prlink but it is a bit fiddly and hit and miss. I agree that WAV-PRG probably is your best bet, whether you can configure it to PET at exactly 1.0 MHz.

[bluejay]

I've found that WAVPRG doesn't work and I don't recall it supporting PET tapes, but I suppose it's worth a try. You could also just put the tape in a regular tape recorder and record a simple WAV of the entire tape and upload it here. One of us could record that WAV file back onto a tape and load it into a PET, then use an SD card device to save the program.

 

Or if you have a PET, you could do that yourself. Bitfixer's PETdisk MAX is a cheaper alternative to the SD2PET, coming in at $45, and although I don't have an SD2PET, my PETdisk MAX has been excellent so far.

[+Rick Reynolds]

I've done this with a C64, a datasette drive, an SD2IEC drive, and the COPY190 program.  At that point you have the .prg file saved to the SD card and can do whatever.

 

** DARN!  I mean to enter the above as part of a reply quoting brpocock@star-hope.org's reply above.  Basically it's what he suggests.  Just wanted to chime in that I've had good success with that method.

Edited September 24, 2021 by Rick Reynolds

[carlsson]

Hm, yes. A NTSC C64 probably can load a PET program to its original address and save it to another device. A PAL C64 definitely is too slow for that.

[bluejay]

Aha, found this guide that has a section for transferring PET tapes to disk on a C64. 
https://portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=larry:comp:commodore:pet:pet_faq-cross-platform_emulation#how_can_i_get_pet_tape_programs_onto_disk

[Wargaming Scribe]

Thanks for your answers. Definitely possible. It needs some significant material, not sure if Chris has it.

 

Do you know someone who does it else, like Ira Goldklang does for TRS-80 ?

Edited September 25, 2021 by Wargaming Scribe

[.mad.]

The PET program is probably 100% BASIC.

 

The cheapest way to copy it without buying cables and custom hardware,

is to make an audio recording of the tape (WAV file).

this can be done with a cable from Hi-Fi to PC.

i use stereo mix in sound card options.

*windows 7-10 has this setting disabled by default, and you need to enable it from control panel.

 

https://www.howtogeek.com/217348/how-to-record-the-sound-coming-from-your-pc-even-without-stereo-mix/

 

Depending on the sound quality, audiotap (Win32) will convert that into a TAP file.

 

This can then be loaded into VICE emulator where you can save the BASIC as a PRG file.

 

if you can upload the audio i will have a go at converting it.

i have already done this for a few Avalon Hill PET games.