1st June 1996You haven't heard from 'down under' for a while but that is not to say that the disk-based newsletter is not appreciated. It is eagerly awaited and welcomed. It's now the Queen's Birthday Weekend in New Zealand and I have put aside some time for making a contribution to our great newsletter. I have also written an article on my attempts to connect my Elk to a Z88. If anyone else has had a go at this, I'd love to hear from them.
My intention to continue my membership is confirmed by the enclosed payment.
I have had a problem when trying to print the whole newsletter (so I can read it in bed and be considered a little more sociable). So far my efforts have been thwarted. The One Pass Print option on the Configuration Menu just seems to print to the screen.
Can I obtain a copy of the example program that goes with the AUTOSTEREOGRAM generator (EUG #18)? In my keenness to try this out I was not prudent in that I did not transfer the relevant programs to a new disk and have overwritten the original.
I believe Gerry Emson was asking about connecting a Commodore 1541 disk drive to an Electron. I'd say no go unless one guts the unit and knows a fair bit about electronics etc. The Commodore drives (I have three) are standalone units with their own 6502 processors. In other words, full computer within the drive unit that is connected to the keyboard unit via a serial link. Also, if it's a 1540 or 1541 it is single-sided and single density.
I have written to two addresses recently that have appeared in EUG for spares for a Roland monitor. These were a popular, good quality RGB monitor used with BBC's and Elks in New Zealand. The only problem that seemed to beset them, and then only occasionally, was failure of the flyback transformer. The model in question is a CC-121. Can anyone advise a possible source? The Transformer has not been available here (or from Japan) for over two years.
Do we have any readers who can help with screen dumps for the Okimate 20 printer? I am interested in both black & white and colour. I believe machine code programs are essential else it takes almost forever to do a colour dump.
Can anyone refer me to an accounting package and a genealogical package for the Elk? I have expanded RAM with the MRB. I am also interested in disk copies of early Electron User tapes if these are available (and permitted under copyright law). I may have missed it but can I have the address for 8 Bit Software?
I have an original tape of Boffin from Addictive Games. I have managed to corrupt the first program file and have been unsuccessful in my attempts to revive it. Can anyone help? It looks rather tricky in that it is locked and also has control characters in the title? I have written to Addictive but without response. I presume they are unable to help me for whatever reason. I must say that where a software company still exists, I have always had good service with replacement of faulty tapes or disks.
I am using my Electron daily for all my correspondence: faxes for business etc are done in View, I keep my cashbook in Viewsheet, and my customer list, names on calling cards list and Elk catalogue all in databases managed by Viewstore. I recently printed out over 700 labels for a mailout and Viewstore does it nicely. One area in which I have a query is in Viewsheet where I want to summarise the month's expenses. At present I enter each expense category number one at a time (the numbers are sequential) as I have not found a way of getting Viewsheet to be programmable or carry out multiple recalculations until a certain value is met. Has anyone experience or advice on this? Are Electron User magazine programs on tape now in the public domain or am I thinking of something else? If they are please tell me where they are available from.
Many thanks for continuing the newsletter at a high standard, Gus. I look forward to many more.
Alan Richardson
It sounds as though your printer is not being switched on (by the computer) if the text is actually appearing on screen. Richard Dimond's PRINT program is very versatile and only requires that the correct directories are within its code but I have to admit I do occasionally forget to update it when I copy it from disk to disk. This has caused problems for readers in the past.
You can always load PRINT and list it, adding appropriate commands as detailed in your specific printer manual. Otherwise, another option is to simply type VDU2:OSCLI"TYPE filename":VDU3 (RETURN) or simply to load the files into View and print them.
I have put the autostereogram programs onto your copy of this disk. No problem doing this for any reader who subscribed to the original one.
Hopefully someone can help you with the programs you asked for. 8 Bit Software has the whole library of Electron User programs available for sale or download. I can't confirm or deny whether they're in the Public Domain though. I have heard from someone that they are. Problem is that I can't say for definite because it might make me liable for any possible copyright infringement.
I am sure someone should able be able to help you with Viewsheet. I don't use it myself but there are a number of readers who I know do.
Gus Donnachaidh, EUG #26
