Wireless ZX Spectrum :)
8 messages · 2008-01-09 → 2008-01-09 · Yahoo Group era · View archive on archive.org
Participants: Adam Trionfo, Fred, M. Emrah Oral, Timex, Senen Racki
Preserved from the Timex/Sinclair 2068 Yahoo Group (2001–2019), which is no longer online. Text reproduced from the archive.org archive; email addresses masked.
Messages
1. Re: TS 2068 and Business
Adam Trionfo · Tue, 8 Jan 2008 22:37:
>>
Lots of discussion flew around about that too in "those days". Conspiracy theories
abounded
>>
Pick any computer platform and you'll find folks that think there is some conspiracy that has kept the platform from being number one in the market. I've been a member of many user groups for many different platforms, and there are always members of each group that can tell you the inside scoop. A member that knows exactly what/when/how everything went wrong and why it was a plot by some other company to keep "their" computer down. I don't know if I miss the conspiracy stories (although they are almost always amusing), but I DO miss the user-group days.
>>
Will scan a copy of "The Best of the Plotter" for the archives soon.
>>
I'd like to make a suggestion about this. I've noticed that quite a lot of the scans are jpeg or are much larger than they need to be. Here are a few suggestions:
1) Scan text in B&W.
2) Scan images in grayscale.
3) Scan in 300DPI (there is NO need for anything higher).
4) Set the paper against the side of the scanner tray when scanning to keep the image straight.
5) Avoid saving as jpeg. Save as compressed TIFF, PNG or bitmap.
6) Convert the document to PDF.
The trick is converting the files to PDF. Most people don't have the software to do it. If you don't, then send the images to me and I'll do it for you. You'll be surprised how much of a difference these few tips will make to your image scanning.
>>
That is very reassuring. How about a few tips on how to go about that?
>>
Generally it goes like this:
1) Use a gold-plated cable and plug from the Mic jack on the TS 2068 into the input of your sound card. The gold-plated cable makes ALL the difference in the world, so don't settle for anything less.
2) Press play on tape and record in your PC's music program with these settings: 8-bit, mono, at 44,100
3) Save the recording as a WAV file.
4) Convert the recording to a digital file using a TZX utility. The program "MakeTZX" works well.
5) You can now load the TZX file on an emulator.
6) To convert the TZX file to a WAV file for playback from your computer's speakers to your TS 2068 use a conversion program. I like TAPE2WAV.
One warning about the above. When playing a program back from the PC you'll need to use speakers. If you just try to use a laptop's built-in audio, then you are doomed to failure. Also, the volume usually needs to be turned almost all of the way up.
Tape utilities are available here:
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/utilities.html
Does that help?
>>
Also a bit of a tutorial on using TAP(?) or other feeds into my 2068?
>>
The above-mentioned program, TAPE2WAV will work for TAP files too. One cool aspect of the tape software for the TS 2068 is that it is SO easy to get software from the Internet and use it with the TS 2068 since the TS 2068 only expects an audio signal. No fancy cables. No fancy programs (TAPE2WAV is drag and drop).
Adam
_________________________________________________________________
Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live.
http://www.windowslive.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_powerofwindows_012008
2. Re: [ts2068] Re: TS 2068 and Business
Fred · Wed, 9 Jan 2008 18:59:
On 09/01/2008, at 17:37, Adam Trionfo wrote:
> Generally it goes like this:
>
> 1) Use a gold-plated cable and plug from the Mic jack on the TS 2068
> into the input of your sound card. The gold-plated cable makes ALL
> the difference in the world, so don't settle for anything less.
A mono cable makes a big difference here too.
> 6) To convert the TZX file to a WAV file for playback from your
> computer's speakers to your TS 2068 use a conversion program. I
> like TAPE2WAV.
>
> One warning about the above. When playing a program back from the
> PC you'll need to use speakers. If you just try to use a laptop's
> built-in audio, then you are doomed to failure. Also, the volume
> usually needs to be turned almost all of the way up.
I think this varies from sound card to sound card I've had no problem
with a direct connection to several vintages of Apple notebooks.
>>> Also a bit of a tutorial on using TAP(?) or other feeds into my
>>> 2068?
>
> The above-mentioned program, TAPE2WAV will work for TAP files too.
> One cool aspect of the tape software for the TS 2068 is that it is
> SO easy to get software from the Internet and use it with the TS
> 2068 since the TS 2068 only expects an audio signal. No fancy
> cables. No fancy programs (TAPE2WAV is drag and drop).
Also see the Tape Utilities chapter of the following book:
<ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/books/ZXSpectrumOnYourPCThe.pdf
>
Fred
3. Re: [ts2068] Re: TS 2068 and Business
Timex · Wed, 9 Jan 2008 12:17:
On Jan 9, 2008, at 6:37 AM, Adam Trionfo wrote:
> Also a bit of a tutorial on using TAP(?) or other feeds into my 2068?
>>>
>
> The above-mentioned program, TAPE2WAV will work for TAP files too.
> One cool aspect of the tape software for the TS 2068 is that it is
> SO easy to get software from the Internet and use it with the TS
> 2068 since the TS 2068 only expects an audio signal. No fancy
> cables. No fancy programs (TAPE2WAV is drag and drop).
Not exactly. Spectrum EAR and MIC ports are very basic serial ports.
EAR is Rx, Mic is Tx. No sync signals as it only expecs one speed.
The signal wave is square (digital) not sinusoidal. Both ports works
at 2400 bits-per-second with the turbo loaders raising it to 4800bps
and more.
The computer is not expecting an audio signal, it expects a stream of
data. The only thing that makes you to say that the computer expects
an audio signal is because you can ear it.
More like trapping a modem with a tape recorder :)
Je
4. Re: [ts2068] Re: TS 2068 and Business?
Senen Racki · Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:55
Interesting thing about the mic/ear ports of the Timex is that they were
quite tolerant. A friend and I wired up some old telephones directly
into the mic/ear ports of the Timex and with a separate phone notified
each other when to press Enter/Play at each end. To our amazement it
worked! We were able to transfer programs across the telephone line
without the use of the Timex modem (300 baud) and at full tape speed
(2400bps). Once we proved it could work, we permanently mounted mini
jacks on our phones so that we could plug the computers in whenever we
needed to transfer stuff back and forth. It was the coolest thing back
then, but my sister and parents didn't appreciate the use of the phone
for that purpose!
Senen.
Johnny Red (Timex) wrote:
>
>
> On Jan 9, 2008, at 6:37 AM, Adam Trionfo wrote:
>
> > Also a bit of a tutorial on using TAP(?) or other feeds into my 2068?
> >>>
> >
> > The above-mentioned program, TAPE2WAV will work for TAP files too.
> > One cool aspect of the tape software for the TS 2068 is that it is
> > SO easy to get software from the Internet and use it with the TS
> > 2068 since the TS 2068 only expects an audio signal. No fancy
> > cables. No fancy programs (TAPE2WAV is drag and drop).
>
> Not exactly. Spectrum EAR and MIC ports are very basic serial ports.
> EAR is Rx, Mic is Tx. No sync signals as it only expecs one speed.
> The signal wave is square (digital) not sinusoidal. Both ports works
> at 2400 bits-per-second with the turbo loaders raising it to 4800bps
> and more.
> The computer is not expecting an audio signal, it expects a stream of
> data. The only thing that makes you to say that the computer expects
> an audio signal is because you can ear it.
> More like trapping a modem with a tape recorder :)
>
> Je
>
>
5. Wireless ZX Spectrum :)
M. Emrah Oral · Wed, 9 Jan 2008 07:18:
Wow! We were experimenting with program transfers at the time, with a friend who lived in the same apartment complex. We both had ZX Spectrums and I had an FM transmitter, rather similar to the FM transmitters you can buy today to listen to your MP3 player on your FM radio, and yes you guessed it right. I used to hook it up to my cassette recorder, and broadcast programs to the 500meter perimeter and my friend could hookup his FM radio to his ZX Spectrum and load them from his apartment. We then got him a transmitter too and hooked up our transmitters to our speccies directly, and hooked up FM radios to the EAR sockets. At the time the FM band wasn't as heavily occupied with radio stations either. Great times. The only problem was as the batteries that we were using to power up the transitters got weaker their frequency drifted and we had to re-finetune our radios if we saw r Tape loading error 0:0
Senen Racki <[email]> wrote: Interesting thing about the mic/ear ports of the Timex is that they were
quite tolerant. A friend and I wired up some old telephones directly
into the mic/ear ports of the Timex and with a separate phone notified
each other when to press Enter/Play at each end. To our amazement it
worked! We were able to transfer programs across the telephone line
without the use of the Timex modem (300 baud) and at full tape speed
(2400bps). Once we proved it could work, we permanently mounted mini
jacks on our phones so that we could plug the computers in whenever we
needed to transfer stuff back and forth. It was the coolest thing back
then, but my sister and parents didn't appreciate the use of the phone
for that purpose!
Senen.
Johnny Red (Timex) wrote:
>
>
> On Jan 9, 2008, at 6:37 AM, Adam Trionfo wrote:
>
> > Also a bit of a tutorial on using TAP(?) or other feeds into my 2068?
> >>>
> >
> > The above-mentioned program, TAPE2WAV will work for TAP files too.
> > One cool aspect of the tape software for the TS 2068 is that it is
> > SO easy to get software from the Internet and use it with the TS
> > 2068 since the TS 2068 only expects an audio signal. No fancy
> > cables. No fancy programs (TAPE2WAV is drag and drop).
>
> Not exactly. Spectrum EAR and MIC ports are very basic serial ports.
> EAR is Rx, Mic is Tx. No sync signals as it only expecs one speed.
> The signal wave is square (digital) not sinusoidal. Both ports works
> at 2400 bits-per-second with the turbo loaders raising it to 4800bps
> and more.
> The computer is not expecting an audio signal, it expects a stream of
> data. The only thing that makes you to say that the computer expects
> an audio signal is because you can ear it.
> More like trapping a modem with a tape recorder :)
>
> Je
>
>
Yahoo! Groups Links
---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
6. RE: Wireless ZX Spectrum :)
Adam Trionfo · Wed, 9 Jan 2008 08:16:
M. Emrah Oral, on Wed 1/09/08 at 7:18 AM, wrote:
>>
We both had ZX Spectrums and I had an FM transmitter, [...] I used to hook it up to my cassette recorder, and broadcast programs to the 500meter perimeter
>>
That's pretty neat. I remember reading someplace about radio shows in Europe (I THINK, certainly not in the U.S.) during the 1980's that would broadcast Spectrum programs once a week. I wish that I could remember where I read this. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? It sounds like a crazy dream, but I know I read it. This also reminds me of an aborted project for the Atari 2600 that would transfer programs to a cartridge that had an antenna. Again, I can't remember the details of this.
Adam
_________________________________________________________________
Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live.
http://www.windowslive.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_powerofwindows_012008
7. Re: [ts2068] RE: Wireless ZX Spectrum :)
M. Emrah Oral · Wed, 9 Jan 2008 08:31:
Yes it did happen. I think not only in one country either. I remember seeing the same article too. I think it was Poland or the Czech Republic or something. Did you know that Spectrum programs also came on Vinyl records! Yes. See the thompson twins game they released on vinyl as one crazy example :)
Adam Trionfo <[email]> wrote:
M. Emrah Oral, on Wed 1/09/08 at 7:18 AM, wrote:
>>
We both had ZX Spectrums and I had an FM transmitter, [...] I used to hook it up to my cassette recorder, and broadcast programs to the 500meter perimeter
>>
That's pretty neat. I remember reading someplace about radio shows in Europe (I THINK, certainly not in the U.S.) during the 1980's that would broadcast Spectrum programs once a week. I wish that I could remember where I read this. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? It sounds like a crazy dream, but I know I read it. This also reminds me of an aborted project for the Atari 2600 that would transfer programs to a cartridge that had an antenna. Again, I can't remember the details of this.
Adam
__________________________________________________________
Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live.
http://www.windowslive.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_powerofwindows_012008
---------------------------------
Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
8. Re: [ts2068] RE: Wireless ZX Spectrum :)
Fred · Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:40
Spectrum programs were transmitted through the radio in the UK as
well, also over the closing credits of a computer TV show as a
flashing dot in a corner of the screen. You needed a special adaptor
to stick in place to decode them.
Fred
On 10/01/2008, at 3:31, M. Emrah Oral wrote:
> Yes it did happen. I think not only in one country either. I
> remember seeing the same article too. I think it was Poland or the
> Czech Republic or something. Did you know that Spectrum programs
> also came on Vinyl records! Yes. See the thompson twins game they
> released on vinyl as one crazy example :)
>
> Adam Trionfo <[email]> wrote:
>
> M. Emrah Oral, on Wed 1/09/08 at 7:18 AM, wrote:
> > We both had ZX Spectrums and I had an FM transmitter, [...] I used
> to hook it up to my > cassette recorder, and broadcast programs to
> the 500meter perimeter
>
> That's pretty neat. I remember reading someplace about radio shows
> in Europe (I THINK, certainly not in the U.S.) during the 1980's
> that would broadcast Spectrum programs once a week. I wish that I
> could remember where I read this. Does anybody know what I'm talking
> about? It sounds like a crazy dream, but I know I read it. This also
> reminds me of an aborted project for the Atari 2600 that would
> transfer programs to a cartridge that had an antenna. Again, I can't
> remember the details of this.
>
> Adam
Indexed under
TS2068 / TC2068 · ZX Spectrum · Pico / modern interfaces (UnoDos, etc.)