Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Episode 38

These are the show notes for Episode 38 of TRS-80 Trash Talk


Direct Episode Link: https://traffic.libsyn.com/0039a239-f654-4839-9e99-4bbcaed9abb3/34315.mp3

Show Title

Episode 38 -  To Paint Or Not To Paint Your TRS-80 and Tim Mann

Description

In this episode we're joined by guest host Patrick Bureau from Texas Tandy Restorations.  Patrick leads us through the controversial topic of whether or not to repaint your TRS-80.  We also discuss lots of TRS-80 news and several interesting acquisitions, including a TRS-80 voice control device known as the Scott Instruments VET-2.  Finally, in our interview segment, Pete interviews the well known TRS-80 hacker Tim Mann.

Trash Talkers

  • Peter Cetinski
  • Ian Mavric
  • Eric Dittman
  • Aaron Brockbank
  • Patrick Bureau 

News


Recent Acquisitions

Scott Instruments VET-2

The Precedent Timekeeping Portfolio

Cheap Model 1

PMC-80:

Teleterm-EM, Westico ASCOM, XMODEM for LS-DOS 6.2, others in an 8in disk box.

Computers and Programming - Minefield game using a 76477 attached to a Model 1.



Interview

Pete sits down with Tim Mann for an interview.


Saturday, October 17, 2020

TRS-80 Trash Talk Live #8 is Happening October 24th at 9PM EDT

Due to popular demand, we will now be having monthly live shows!  Woo hoo!

Join us for the next show on October 24th, 2020 at 9PM EDT.  We are not publishing the Zoom link going forward for reasons well known if you attended the last show.  :)  Watchers can join the YouTube stream.  If you'd like to join the interactive Zoom meeting, which is much more fun honestly, please get in touch privately.

This time around, we're going to have a presentation by Michael Wessel.  Michael is the creator of the super-cool new TRS-80 accessory, the Talker/80.  The title of the presentation is "The INPs and OUTs of Talker/80, a modern Voice Synthesizer for the TRS-80"



So be sure to join us and find out what it took to create a new TRS-80 accessory.  Maybe it will inspire you to create one of your own!

Sunday, August 30, 2020

TRS-80 Trash Talk Live #7 is Coming on September 26th at 5pm Eastern

Join us on Zoom on September 26th at 5pm Eastern for another live show!  

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86907465958?pwd=a1lLQzFKaGN0dzludU9MWUs2TDhsUT09

In addition to the usual revelry and camaraderie of our typical live show, we'll be having a few special presentations to make up for the lack of Tandy Assembly this year. :(

Arno Puder and Andrew Quinn will be giving a presentation and demonstration of two exciting new TRS-80 projects, TRS-IO-M1 and PocketTRS.   Here are some of the highlights:

TRS-IO-M1:

  • TRS-IO port to the M1
  • Supports all features of TRS-IO (FreHD, RetroStore, trs-nic, etc)
  • Same code base as the TRS-IO MIII
  • Has a 32kB SRAM chip included
  • Auto-boot feature
  • Fully Open Source


PocketTRS:
  • Hardware emulation of a MIII
  • Display via VGA. Color can be set to green, white, or amber
  • Keyboard via PS/2
  • Audio interface can be used for game sound as well as cassette input (500 Baud only)
  • I/O expansion bus emulation: one can connect external cards such as FreHD
  • Has TRS-IO embedded
  • Fully Open Source


Then, Tim Halloran will give us a short demo and progress report on hacking the CHOMRAtrs.

Despite glacial postal service between the US and Australia and chip shortages, a few of the new CHROMAtrs boards from Ian Mavric are working (based on work by Pascal Holdry). You may not know that Robert S French released much of the software (Ira's site) and it is possible to obtain the code and work on it. That's what Tim Halloran has been up to (with help from George Phillips) -- in particular making it easier for cassette-based systems to use the board. 




So mark the date and time and come join us on Zoom.  Everyone is welcome, even fans of other vintage computer platforms.  See you on Zoom!



Friday, August 14, 2020

Episode 37

 These are the show notes for Episode 37 of TRS-80 Trash Talk


Direct Episode Link: https://traffic.libsyn.com/0039a239-f654-4839-9e99-4bbcaed9abb3/34093_1.mp3

Show Title

Episode 37 -  A Plethora of TRS-80 Items and Classical Mosquito

Description

In this episode we discuss a whole bunch of TRS-80 accessories and recent acquisitions.  We then talk about the TRS-80 music album "Classical Mosquito" by Robb Murray.  Then we dive into some interesting eBay sales of rare TRS-80 accessories.  We wrap up with a review of the classic TRS-80 programming book "TRS-80 Assembly Language Programming" by William Barden Jr.

Trash Talkers

  • Peter Cetinski
  • Ian Mavric
  • Eric Dittman
  • Aaron Brockbank
  • George Phillips

Main Topics


Tandy Assembly Cancelled for 2020
http://www.tandyassembly.com

Basque Tournament of TRS-80

New Lobo MAX-80 Archive


trs80gp Emulator Updates

Talker/80 now available for the Model III & 4

Tim Halloran’s Haunted House Hacking


Bob Snapp 2MB Boards for the Model 16B/6000


Recent Acquisitions

PT-210 Portable Data Terminal

26-1191 Multipen Plotter


TRS-80 Model 4D Service Manual Addendum

Sealed LS-DOS 6.3.1 upgrade

Apparat Programmer

Original Infocom Witness for the Model 2000

TRS-80 Printer Plotter

Complete VOXBOX



Interesting eBay sales

Monday, June 15, 2020

Episode 36

These are the show notes for Episode 36 of TRS-80 Trash Talk

Direct Episode Link: https://traffic.libsyn.com/0039a239-f654-4839-9e99-4bbcaed9abb3/33980.mp3

Show Title

Episode 36 - New TRS-80 Accessories and John Elliott IV 

Description

In this episode we discuss a bunch of new add-on accessories for the TRS-80, including new versions of the classic CHROMAtrs and XLR8er boards as well as the new Talker/80 voice synthesizer. We also talk about some big Tandy XENIX news as well as the new z80unit assembly language testing framework.  We review the popular TRS-80 hardware hacking book "Hardware Interfacing with the TRS-80".  Finally, Pete interviews former Tandy software engineer John Elliott IV.

Trash Talkers

  • Peter Cetinski
  • Ian Mavric
  • Eric Dittman
  • Aaron Brockbank

Main Topics

TRS-80 Trash Talk has passed 150,000 Downloads!

Tandy Assembly 2020 Plans
http://www.tandyassembly.com

The XENIX 3.2 Development System and XENIX 3.3 Operating System have been recovered
https://github.com/pski/model2archive/tree/master/Software/Xenix/700-3039%20-%20XENIX%20Multi-User%20Operating%20System/v03.03.00

XLR8er is coming back as 4Cellerator for only $USD149.99! 
http://www.trs-80.org/xlr8er/
http://net.pski.retro.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/TRS80TrashTalk/Episode36/XLR8er.png

ChromaTRS is also coming back!

http://www.trs-80.org/chromatrs/
http://net.pski.retro.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/TRS80TrashTalk/Episode36/CHROMAtrs.png 

Tim Halloran's z80unit
https://github.com/hallorant/bigmit/tree/master/z80unit

Talker/80
https://github.com/lambdamikel/Talker-80

The RCA TV monitor used for the Model I Video Display.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/444560212348840/permalink/1689957987809050/
http://net.pski.retro.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/TRS80TrashTalk/Episode36/rca1.jpg
http://net.pski.retro.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/TRS80TrashTalk/Episode36/rca2.png

Interesting eBay sales

4GA or 4D? 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/WORKING-Radio-shack-Tandy-TRS-80-MODEL-4-IIII-microcomputer-with-dustcover/402270071861?hash=item5da92a2c35:g:F1UAAOSw1d5exwyA

Expensive Cassette?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Radio-Shack-TRS-80-Computer-Cassette-With-Installed-Program-Original-Owner/173798700486?hash=item287735b5c6:g:8GMAAOSwFstcaZ2o

Book Review

"Hardware Interfacing with the TRS-80" by John E. Uffenbeck
https://archive.org/details/Hardware_Interfacing_with_the_TRS-80_1983_Prentice-Hall

Interview

Pete talks to former Tandy software engineer John Elliott IV








Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Episode 35

These are the show notes for Episode 35 of TRS-80 Trash Talk

Direct Episode Link: https://traffic.libsyn.com/0039a239-f654-4839-9e99-4bbcaed9abb3/33844.mp3

Show Title

Episode 35 - Surviving the Pandemic with Your TRS-80

Description

In this episode the Trash Talkers discuss the greatest TRS-80 rescue mission of all time as they head to Fort Worth to recover a significant TRS-80 collection. Then, we give you all sorts of ideas on what you can do with your TRS-80 while sequestered away in your home during the current global pandemic.

Trash Talkers

  • Peter Cetinski
  • Ian Mavric
  • Eric Dittman
  • Aaron Brockbank
  • George Phillips

Main Topics

CocoFest is Cancelled :(
http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml

Updates to George Phillip's trs80gp Emulator
http://48k.ca/trs80gp.html

New Orchestra-80 and Orchestra-85 Replicas by Ian Mavric
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ianmav/trs80/


Recent Acquisitions

Pete and Eric's Great Tandy Rescue

Mav's Coco Rescue from Newcastle, Australia

Aaron's "The Precedent" Legal Accounting System for the Model II


Book Review

"Basic Faster and Better and Other Mysteries" by Lewis Rosenfelder

https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/system-80/books/books_Basic-Faster-and-Better-and-Other-Mysteries-(1981).pdf



Things To Do with Your TRS-80 While at Home

Work on TRS-IO
https://github.com/apuder/TRS-IO
https://github.com/pski/trsnic

Enter the TRS8BIT game competition
http://www.trs-80.org.uk

Build your Tandy Assembly 2020 exhibit
http://www.tandyassembly.com

Watch TRS-80 Videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPyGtUzQU0Vf7CiSiJLySUg

Write a blog post

Build a CHROMAtrs kit
http://www.trs-80.org/chromatrs/
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ianmav/trs80/

Read old VCF Forum posts
http://www.vcfed.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?46-Tandy-Radio-Shack

Read TRS-80 Books
https://archive.org/search.php?query=TRS-80