Msg#: 1152 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/09/86 22:18:07 (Read 135 Times) From: CHAS NOCITA To: ALL Subj: PX-8 AND THE UNIX SYSTEM To any of you who might have access to a UNIX type system, I have a few words of help. I have to contact various UNIX systems daily, and my purchase of the PX-8 was to help me stay in touch wherever I might be. I have the following few hints for those of you who are in the same boat. 1. Most UNIX systems have the "soroc" (px-8) listed in their termcap files. With this, you can use the special UNIX editors like "vi" or "sc". Even the "mailx" command recognizes the screen height and compensates for it. 2. You can use the PX-8 to create source code files, and then upload them to the UNIX machine. I haven't used "mex" yet, but "epx" software will transfer the file easily using the +T option. If anyone has any questions concerning using the PX-8 with a UNIX system, please leave me a message and I'll try to help you out. Charlie Msg#: 1165 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/10/86 02:11:05 (Read 106 Times) From: CHAS NOCITA To: COLIN MARTINDALE (Rcvd) Subj: GETTING IBM MAINFRAMES TO LIST I'm not real familiar with ibm mainframes, but I do access a number of UNIX mainframes frequently. I have been using the epx program and I set mine for 300 baud, 7 data bits and even parity. Until then, all I received was garbage. Hope this helps..... charlie Msg#: 1170 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/10/86 10:26:27 (Read 134 Times) From: BOB KATZ To: SYSOP (Rcvd) Subj: BATTERIES, PX-8 To Sysop and all: I have seen considerable message traffic relating to the PX-8 and battery etiquette recently. In fact, I have learned a few things myself, and am presently starting an experiment to see just to what extent the nicads in the Px-8 are subject to memory. Now, my suggestion is that whatever the literature on proper battery etiquette amounts to be, it can't be more than 3-4 pages. Let's get together the definitive literature, do's and don'ts, such as: "If I discharge my PX-8 to 3/4 full and want to use it tomorrow is it ok to charge it, and how do I do it?" etc. etc. Then the battery messages will not clog up the message board! How about it? Msg#: 1172 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/10/86 10:32:58 (Read 112 Times) From: BOB KATZ To: ALL Subj: RECOMMENDATIONS TO PX-8 PROGRAMMERS ŠHaving worked on writing at least one PX-8 program and now contemplating several other programs, I would like to suggest a small BBS section on PROGRAMMING RECOMMENDATIONS. For example, programmers should try to use Wordstar-like commands (as opposed to even more foreign and cryptic stuff) when text is intered in their programs. Programmers should take advantage of the function keys whenever possible. Why don't we set up a BBS programmers' section, with such programmers' guidelines written in, as well as a section on feedback regarding public domain (and other) programs written for the PX-8 that could be improved ergonomically. Msg#: 1178 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/10/86 13:35:47 (Read 125 Times) From: BOB KATZ To: ALL Subj: THE GENEVA CONNECTION Bought my PX-8 from DAK. Started using the Geneva Connection to communi- cate with my Kaypro II. After a long learning curve (that instruction book is not written for quick reference, and doesn't contain enough exam- ples to be helpful) I got a wonderful script written for Kaypro direct connection. Then I tried Geneva for talking to BBS's, in fact, I am calling from my office using the G.C. The question/comment I have on G.C. is that it is very very very difficult toget it to work in any kind of automatic sign on mode with BBS's, Compuserve, etc. I found a way, rather awkward, where if I hit ESC at each BBS prompt, Geneva Connection will send the text string I want to send. So, has anyone had any more luck with G.C.? Can you get a fully automated signon, or (as I suspect) are you finding the WAIT command and other so-called automatic commands wholly inadequate for the chore? Msg#: 1179 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/10/86 13:40:07 (Read 113 Times) From: BOB KATZ To: ALL Subj: NULL MODEM FROM DAK If you're able to read this message, you must either have solved this problem yourself, or you're some kind of a magician. Anyway, the PX-8 as shipped from DAK to me contained a 725 cable anda Null Modem. As you all know, the 725 cable will talk to other computers or printers, but requires a PROPERLY CONFIGURED NULL MODEM CABLE to talk to a modem. (the 725 cable does not need a null modem to talk to a modem, but does need a n.m. to talk to printers and computers). Unfortunately! The n.m. I got from DAK only had Transmit and Receive date (pins 2 & 3) reversed. The handshake lines were not properly nulled! It took me a half an hour with soldering iron, heatshrink tubing, and a bit of cursing to get the n.m. to properly work. So if you have any friends who got their PX8 from DAK WITHOUT THE BUILT-IN MODEM (for example, with the 120 K RAMDISK, the way I got mine), please warn them about this possibility! Msg#: 1217 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/11/86 19:27:31 (Read 102 Times) From: BOB KATZ To: IRIS AILIN-PYZIK (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 1179 (NULL MODEM FROM DAK) The 725 cable talks directly to printers, and does not need a null modem The Š725 cable needs a null modem to talk to modems. The 724 cable works exactly the opposite of the above. A null modem is simply a male to female connector with certain wires reversed inside the connector. Hope this helps.... Msg#: 1236 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/12/86 23:11:12 (Read 104 Times) From: TIMOTHY WIRKUS To: BOB KATZ (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 1217 (NULL MODEM FROM DAK) Bob...Everything you said is right if you use the printer that DAK is now sending with their package, since the receive pin on this printer is pin 3, on the RS232. However, if you were to use a more normal printer, that receives on pin 2, then you would have to not only use the 725 cable, but also a null modem adapter, to switch the pins back again. So what it all boils down to is; read your printer manual to see what pin receive is on, then depending on what cable you are using, use a null modem if necessary. Tim W. Msg#: 1231 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/12/86 21:01:22 (Read 111 Times) From: MARK MILLER To: ALL Subj: PC-PURSUIT Someone asked me about speeding up PC-Pursuit, but I cannot now find that message on the board to answer. Would whoever asked it please do so again so I can direct the information to him? And I suggest to anyone considering deleting a message, please be certain that it has no value to anyone else before doing so. Most of the usefullness of a forum such as this comes from the sharing of information, and that message to you answering your question might just answer 47 other users having the same question. Msg#: 1246 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/13/86 08:50:56 (Read 107 Times) From: SYSOP To: ROGER BERNHARDT (Rcvd) Subj: BATTERIES Roger, let's see if can make some sense out of all that has been said about the PX's batteries. There is a two-fold problem when we talk about 'mischarging'. Either you can do actual physical damage to the battery itself by 'overcharging' or you can cause the Nicad memory effect. First, let's define what we mean by 'overcharging'. If your battery is completely discharged, then when you install the AC adapter you can not overcharge the battery, regardless of how long you leave the adapter in (as long as it is not removed and then reinserted). If your PX is half discharged, and you then charge for any period of 8 hrs up to 2 months (2 months is just am arbitrarily picked time frame), then you will be doing some physical damage to the battery in hours 4-8 of the charging cycle (this is assuming that the relation of charging time to charge level is linear, and not geometric, expotential, or whatever). As long as the adapter is not removed and then reinserted, there will be no appreciable harm Što the battery after 8 hrs to the end of the 2 months. So with the PX, overcharging is that part of the 8 hour charging cycle at which the battery is at full charge. So if you were to have an AC adapter at several locations, and connect the PX up every time you moved from one local to another (without discharging ), then you will be doing a significant amount of overcharging. I think that if you want to fully charge a 'half charged' battery, it would be quite safe to charge for 4 hours. But this is again assuming the linear relationship mentioned above. You know that with the first option in CONFIG, you can determine the auto shut off time period, if you want to be able to 'deplete' the battery (or you could write a little endless loop BASIC program). Damaged to the battery is determined by charging life. Is it less than 8 -12 hours? There is no cure for a physically damaged battery, but the Msg#: 1247 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/13/86 09:15:52 (Read 83 Times) From: SYSOP To: ROGER BERNHARDT (Rcvd) Subj: THANKS continuing....... the Nicad memeory effect can be 'erased' by several full charge-discharge cycles. Now do the same principles apply to the PF-10 battery? Again as long as you are not continually charging a fully charged battery - applying and removing the adapter, I don't think you are doing any great amount of harm by leaving the adapter applied for more than 8 hours. Taking it from one location to another and using a charger at each location with no use in between would not be a good idea, as mentioned above. To answer your questions about the need for a spare battery, let me relate the treatment that my PX has received. It has been left with tha adapter in for weeks at a time. Microcassette has probably been used more than than the tape drives of the PX's of ALL the people who have called into this board (this is a marked drain on the battery). It probably has been 'overcharged' (the adapter applied without a full battery drain) more often than not. Yet even with all this mistreatment, it still gets a good 6-8 hours per charge. So really you have to try hard to do any significant physical damage to the battery. Bob Msg#: 1269 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/14/86 15:32:50 (Read 101 Times) From: TED DECASTRO To: ALL Subj: ERASE NICAD MEMORY The proper to erase nicad memory is as follows: Short out the battery pack to ensure total discharge! yes some cells will reverse charge but that will happen whether you discharge slow or fast. Leave shorted for 24 hours to be sure. then recharge at 10c rate for 4 to 5 minutes the "c" rate is the 1 hour expression of the 20 hour Šdischarge rate. ie if battery is 500 mAHr then c= 500 mA. And would be recharged at 5000 mA or 5 A. CAREFUL!!!! 4 to 5 min will bring it to 80 to 90% of full charge but at 110% and above there is a danger of exploding at 10c rate. Finish off charge at normal rate. Another hint - use at your own risk - sometime internal shorts develop on these batteries and may be BLASTED away. Some suggest large capacitors but I have never gotten this to work. I use an automotive battery and a quick touch. -- place a voltmeter across the "dead" battery with clip leads connect to the - battery terminal (from the car battery) and the from the + lead for the car battery TAP the + lead of the nicad. Do this with SHORT TAPS until reading on voltmeter of at least 75% of battery rating. This almost always works. BUT IF the you connect for too long you may blast away the internal connection of the battery or blow up the whole thing in your face!! USE A FULL FACE SHIELD!!! GLOVES might be a good idea for the feint hearted. - Memory erase method from G.E. NICAD battery manual. Short Blast method - my own adaptation of less positive procedures I have read about. Msg#: 1291 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/14/86 22:49:09 (Read 96 Times) From: MARK MILLER To: DENNIS VIPOND (Rcvd) Subj: PC PURSUIT Ah, good, glad to find you. Did you also ask me the same question in EpsOnLine? I've played with a series of parameters, like I said before, and I wanted to double check. The single most effective one seems to be 10. Here's what you do: 1. Call you Telenet node and at the @ prompt type SET? 10:0 . The node will reply with a PARM10:0 and another @. Connect to your target city. 2. After issuing the ATZ command, hit @, which gives you the Telenet command mode in the connected city, and the command, yes, is the familiar @. Enter the same SET? 10:0 and receive the same response. To get back to the modem, enter CONT, and dial away. You have to do that with each target city connected to each time, and I won't say it speeds PC-P up, but it helps with the sluggisness. (Same thing, maybe?) Let me know how it works. Msg#: 1349 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/17/86 03:51:49 (Read 107 Times) From: KENJI NAKADEGAWA To: ALL PROGRAMMER TYPES Subj: PX-8/TERMINAL I don't know if this is too obvious to mention but I have had great success when I wanted to do some programming on the PX-8 with using the stat command to change the CON: to UC1: and then plugging an external terminal or computer into the serial port and then enjoying the 9600 baud speed. One problem is that you have to remember to change CON: back to CRT: when you stop. Of course it helps that my computer uses most of the same screen control codes as the PX-8 (Soroc ŠIQ-120). Msg#: 1361 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/18/86 02:09:56 (Read 97 Times) From: SYSOP To: NORMAN KUNC (Rcvd) Subj: 278K -> 312K? Norman, the disk 'expanding' program is the "Help" part of the programmers section. Called PXNSTALL, you'll need it and LOCKDISK (plus their data files) to expand disk capacity from 278K to 320K. You'll also be able to use this for a couple of other purposes. Bob Msg#: 1366 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/18/86 02:33:54 (Read 100 Times) From: SYSOP To: BJ SEGEL (Rcvd) Subj: PRINTERS BJ, there is a new portable laser jet printer called the Diconix which is supposed to be worth looking into. It comes in either serial or parallel versions, so it could be used directly with the PX. Other than that, Axionix is really the only company I know of that has any good portable printers. Then again, if you don't really need a portable printer, the Seikosha ain't too bad. Bob Msg#: 1382 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/19/86 02:15:07 (Read 98 Times) From: SYSOP To: NORM BARRETT (Rcvd) Subj: PRINTERS Norm, the bulletin explained the problem with DAKCOMM and CIS - its nothing you are doing wrong, DAKCOMM seems not to able to be configured to 7 bits, something that is really necessary to be able to connect with CIS. As for your downloading problems, you should be using 8 bits, even parity, and 1 stop bit when calling in. Then after telling the system which file you wish to download, the procedure you related should work to download the file. Bob Msg#: 1408 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/20/86 05:18:36 (Read 87 Times) From: DAN SHAFER To: STAN TURBYFILL (Rcvd) Subj: PX8 TO MAC AND BACK I have often used my PX-8 to store Mac text files and vice versa with no interconnect problems at all. COMM on the PX-8 side and MacTerminal or FreeTerm on the Mac side at 9600 baud is slick as a whistle. :-dan-> Msg#: 1450 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/22/86 18:13:44 (Read 91 Times) From: THOMAS HOLMES To: ALL USERS OF RTX Subj: SYSTEM REINITIALIZATION RTX causes a SYSTEM REINITIALIZATION if you use the Porta Scheduler After you make all your appointments in the scheduler and press CTRL ESC to check the battery voltage or whatever you will get the SYSTEM REINITIALIZATION message and you will have to start from scratch again. I found RTX very useful, but it is incompatible with the scheduler. Msg#: 1461 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/23/86 01:53:43 (Read 86 Times) From: SYSOP To: STEVE JACOBS (Rcvd) Subj: TURBO PASCAL The price for Turbo on PF-10 disk is $85.00, Steve. You'll have to allow 2 to five weeks for delivery. Bob Msg#: 1495 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/23/86 22:36:03 (Read 93 Times) From: JOHN WALTON To: MARK MATTHEWS (Rcvd) Subj: MICROCASSETTE PROBLEM I'M NOT AN EXPERT BUT I HAD THE SAME QUESTION. I DON'T THINK THAT EVERY THING THAT GOES TO THE MICROCASETTE TAKES ABOUT 15K. I BELIEVE THAT STAT IS ONLY VALID RUN AGAINST DISK DRIVES AND RAMDISC. THERE IS A LOT OF MIS- INFORMATION AROUND TOO. I USE 60 MINUTE CASETTES AND, CONTRARY TO WHAT DAK BROCHURE SAID, PUT A 54K FILE ON ONE SIDE, USING UP ABOUT 4/5 OF ONE SIDE. THERE IS NO BASIS FOR STAT OR ANY OTHER PROGRAM I KNOW OF TO KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE A 30 MIN UTE OR 60 MINUTE TAPE IN THE DRIVE SO NO UTILITY WILL GIVE YOU VALID CAPACITY LEFT. NSWP DOES EVERYTHING PIP AND STAT DO PLUS A WHOLE LOT MORE AND I THINK IT DOES INDICATE CORRECTLY ON WHAT THE CONTENT IF A CASETTE IS. CASETTES CAN ONLY HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF FILE ENTRIES (15 MAYBE) BUT I HAVE FOUND NO ARBITRARY LIMIT EXCEPT THE LENGTH OF THE TAPE FOR THE DATA CAPACITY. JOHN WALTON OF PHILA. Msg#: 1502 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/24/86 19:35:48 (Read 94 Times) From: MARK MILLER To: JOHN WALTON (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 1495 (MICROCASSETTE PROBLEM) The tape drive will normally claim a maximum 32K capacity, but in fact will hold as much as the tape length allows, which is about 64K for a 60 minute tape. The OS defaults to 32K as that is the approximate capacity for a 30 minute tape, which Epson recommended originally due to the time factor involved with sequential access, i.e., the shorter the tape, the shorter the time for access. Check out the HSIZE utility avaiable on the board. It modifies the OS image to display a H: maximum capacity to 64K, or anything less. STAT does not give correct file sizes on H:, but there are many other directory utilities which will, as does NSWEEP, the single best utility around. All are available here or through Bob. Msg#: 1506 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/24/86 22:48:33 (Read 90 Times) From: JOHN WALTON To: MARK MATTHEWS (Rcvd) Subj: MICROCASETTES MARK - BOB REPLIED TO SUBJECT TO ME. THE MESSAGE IS QUANTITATIVE AND SPECIFIC ABOUT UTILITIES TO GET ACCURATE STATUS OF THE TAPE DRIVE. I THINK THE BBS MAY NOT HAVE AIMED THAT MESSAGE AT YOU. IT IS ABOUT HALF A DOZEN MESSAGES BEFORE THIS ONE. JW OF PHILA Msg#: 1514 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/25/86 23:12:32 (Read 89 Times) From: THOMAS HOLMES To: MARK MATTHEWS (Rcvd) Subj: MICROCASSETTE PROBLEM Get HSIZE to set the available space to 64K for 60 minute microcassette. Use zx3 to get the correct size of the files on the tape. The tape directory is limited to 12 files. Don't know a fix to that except to use NULU151 to make a library and put the library on the tape. Msg#: 1525 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/26/86 09:19:05 (Read 87 Times) From: SYSOP To: THOMAS HOLMES (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 1514 (MICROCASSETTE PROBLEM) If you do put a library on tape, please be aware that you will have to transfer it to another drive to delibrary - you can not delibrary from the tape drive, since it is not true random access. BH Msg#: 1522 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/26/86 08:57:17 (Read 86 Times) From: SYSOP To: ALL Subj: PROCOMM If you are using ProComm to log onto the PX DOCK and find that you are having difficulty downloading files, try the WXMODEM protocol for downloading. Bond Shanes reports success with this as opposed to regular XMODEM protocol. BH Msg#: 1523 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/26/86 09:09:03 (Read 83 Times) From: SYSOP To: JOHN WALTON (Rcvd) Subj: CONFIG MIGRATION WordStar and PortaCalc will reset screen sizes when loaded - the other programs shouldn't affect this. WS will also reset the PF keys. There's not too much that can be done about this, unless you want to patch WS to prevent this and then burn the patched version to rom. Not a small project, at all. The other mysterious happenings you cite should not be a result of any of the programs that accompany the PX. Bob Msg#: 1527 *BULLETIN BOARD* 11/26/86 09:32:06 (Read 87 Times) From: SYSOP To: MIKE MYERS (Rcvd) Subj: USING EPSON 3.5" DRIVE ON OTHER SYSTEMS Because of the way Epson configures their hardware, I doubt if you would have much success trying to use the PF-10 with another computer. The OS is on a rom inside the disk drive (instead of on system tracks on disk), for one thing. Another is the fact that I have never seen any technical information of the type that would be required to make such a modifacation - the Hardware Technical manual has info on all the extra's except the disk drives. Bob