ABUG Scotland #3 - Thu 18th January 2024 - PICS from the event

[Tosk]

(photography in this poster by Richard Keeble)

This is a gathering for lovers of retro microcomputers, especially those fond of the BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Atom, and Archimedes/RISC OS machines. This event is aimed at bringing together a community of like-minded individuals in a comfortable and modern setting – the Falkirk Business Hub, in central Falkirk, Scotland.

To emphasise this event is open to all with an interest in Acorn computers!

Please Confirm your attendance by Booking with the link below (£6)


https://retrorendezvous.org/jan2024

Thursday 18th January 2024 7:00PM running until 10:00PM

Confirmed and booked List

1. Tosk (Paul)
2. Thecellartroll (Steven)
3. DaveLecky (David)
4. SpicyNikNaks (Dean)
5. gordonDrogon (Gordon)
6. crivett95 (Chris)
7. Spanners (David)
8. Rodrigo Copetti https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/
9. Walkerworks (Derek)


🕹 Event Features:

This is an informal gathering for...

- Show and Tell: Bring your own hardware to display and discuss with others.
- Collaborative Working: Spend time on hardware, programming, or gaming projects.
- Knowledge Exchange: Share ideas, insights, and skills with other enthusiasts.
- Advice on Repair and Upgrade: Reviving poorly Acorn machines.
- Socialize and Enjoy : There's a kitchen for coffee, tea and biscuits. We're in the town centre for bars, pubs and restaurants for potential afterwards gatherings.

January 2024 Focus : ACORN SWAP MEET

Bring your Acorn-related items to swap, sell, offer as a freebie or just showcase.

This could include hardware, software, magazines, and accessories, allowing you to expand your collections or discover rare items

If you want to take part in this, then In the StarDot forum for this event, post a reply stating one or more of these aspects...

• What you're looking for to obtain

• What you are willing to swap

• What you wish to sell

• What you are offering as a freebie

• What you would like to see showcased

• What you may bring to just showcase

We'd encourage you to abide by the StarDot forum rules for trading

🕹 Event Limitation:

Unfortunately we can't allow use of soldering irons at this event due to fire alarm / fire safety constraints.
Please do not bring hardware that has been untested and may have the potential to blow capacitors.

Date & Time:
Thursday 23rd November 7:00PM running until 10:00PM

Location: Falkirk Business Hub

45 Vicar St, Falkirk FK1 1LL





Access : use the side door on Vicar Street. This also has disabled access.

https://falkirkbusinesshub.co.uk/ – a contemporary venue centrally located, just a 2-minute walk from Grahamston Train Station and with seamless access to the M9 motorway between Stirling and Edinburgh. Numerous bars and restaurants are nearby for post-event socializing.

🅿 There are two recommended car parks:-

i) Weir street car park which is next to the venue. Free parking in the evenings
ii) Melville street - one street away - also free in the evenings.

[thecellartroll]

Aha. I was thinking I'd probably miss the January one due to holiday, but that one just fits in!

I'll probably bring the turtle again and I may bring a Beeb camera so that folks can have a selfie taken on a Beeb.

If anyone wants to bring me an A7000 case or a Jessop Ralph turtle I won't complain. Probably have to swap it for boring old cash though.

[Tosk]

If anybody has a Rasberry PI 4/400/5 - I would be interested in seeing RISC OS Direct running on it and being demonstrated.

I'm kind of interested in the Rasberry PI and running RISC OS on that....not sure what kind of projects I would implement, but I like the idea of seeing RISC OS running on a modern hardware platform.

[thecellartroll]

I will be bringing a Pi400 as it will be providing the video signal for the Beeb webcam

[Tosk]

I will be bringing a Pi400 as it will be providing the video signal for the Beeb webcam

Excellent - I'm really curious about the PI 400 and what can be done with it and finding out about it's performance and build quality. It looks to be a great value machine and I'm guessing there are all kind of projects you can implement by connecting it to a retro machine. Look forward to that

[thecellartroll]

If you can bring an HDMI/DVI screen I’ll bring the Pi400 RISC OSd up and I’ll use another pi for the camera. That way you can have a proper play.

[DaveLecky]

I’ll bring my Elk-Pi if I get it finished.

I’ll also be bringing me Master Compact bought recently as a non-runner.
It’s in pristine condition inside and out and came with its original box.

Hopefully someone will be able to help with faultfinding on this…..pleeeeze….
I’ll bring my multimeter and logic probes, the only test equipment I have, and a blurry copy of the schematic.
I’ve already socketed and replaced the ram but still no go.

EDIT….. It’s now fixed…..YIPEEEEEEE….. I’ll still be bringing it along…..

Dave

[scruss]

If anybody has a Raspberry PI 4/400/5 - I would be interested in seeing RISC OS Direct running on it and being demonstrated.

It's going to get very, very hot. Running a single core at 100% (which is basically what RISC OS does) all the time on a Raspberry Pi 4 will make it overheat, so it'll go into thermal throttling and slow down within a couple of minutes. I don't think there's a RISC OS Direct for the Raspberry Pi 5 yet: very few OSs apart from the official one boot on that hardware so far.

I'm a bit far away for this meeting, but have fun. Though I did once walk to Falkirk along the canal towpath from our home in Kirkintilloch …

[BigEd]

(Hmm, PiTubeDirect can occupy one core non-stop, and I've not had an overheating problem on a Pi 4 running that.)

[thecellartroll]

It's going to get very, very hot.

Nah. Not even noticeably warm

[spanners]

Might be worth listing the event on https://retro.directory/browse/events/c ... ng-meeting

D.

[IanJeffray]

It's going to get very, very hot. Running a single core at 100% (which is basically what RISC OS does) all the time on a Raspberry Pi 4 will make it overheat, so it'll go into thermal throttling and slow down within a couple of minutes.

Nope. It’s fine.

I don't think there's a RISC OS Direct for the Raspberry Pi 5 yet

Nor ever. The 5 has no 32bit mode.

[scruss]

I'm delighted to be proved wrong on this. Busy-waiting a single core on an uncooled Raspberry Pi 4 under 32-bit Linux hits thermal problems for me.

[BigEd]

Have you updated the on board firmware? The early boards as shipped were unnecessarily power hungry

[gordonDrogon]

I've decided to come up although best part of a 2-hour drive for me, but have camper, will travel!

Might being some non-acorn 6502 stuff and maybe a couple of re-capped PSUs for sale/exchange if anyones interested.

Cheers

-Gordon

[Tosk]

I've decided to come up although best part of a 2-hour drive for me, but have camper, will travel!

Might being some non-acorn 6502 stuff and maybe a couple of re-capped PSUs for sale/exchange if anyones interested.

Cheers

-Gordon

Excellent- you would be most welcome Gordon. You would also be able to visit the nearby Kelpies, the Falkirk wheel and have easy access to Edinburgh and Stirling.

My own BBC B PSU is (supposed to be) recapped but seems to be running hotter than it should - so may consider a new PSU or at least gain your insights on that.

[gordonDrogon]

I've decided to come up although best part of a 2-hour drive for me, but have camper, will travel!

Might being some non-acorn 6502 stuff and maybe a couple of re-capped PSUs for sale/exchange if anyones interested.

Cheers

-Gordon

Excellent- you would be most welcome Gordon. You would also be able to visit the nearby Kelpies, the Falkirk wheel and have easy access to Edinburgh and Stirling.

Been there, done that, lived there, etc.

Cheers,

-Gordon

[crivett95]

I've just registered, looking forward to seeing everyone again!

I'll bring something along with me this time, not sure what yet though as it'll depend on if I end up coming by train again or not. I was thinking about my Cambridge Z88 as it would be easy to bring along regardless and not worry about a monitor or anything. Even though it's not Acorn, it at least runs BBC Basic! Ideally I'd bring my Model B with ATS ROM and my recently revived teletext wedge, but I don't think I could carry all that on the train with a monitor

Chris

[Tosk]

I've just registered, looking forward to seeing everyone again!.. I was thinking about my Cambridge Z88 as it would be easy to bring along regardless and not worry about a monitor or anything. Even though it's not Acorn, it at least runs BBC Basic!
Chris

Sounds good Chris - the Z88 will be interesting to see. I wonder how the MODE statement copes with it's limited sized screen?

[walkerworks]

That's me registered..I'm not sure what I'll bring along..maybe my Electron with the 4 line dot matrix display.

Derek

[Tosk]

That's me registered..I'm not sure what I'll bring along..maybe my Electron with the 4 line dot matrix display.

Derek

Great Derek - look forward to seeing your Electron corner once again.

[scruss]

Sounds good Chris - the Z88 will be interesting to see. I wonder how the MODE statement copes with it's limited sized screen?

Incompatibly, but it still does something:

MODE n: MODE statement

The MODE statement allows selection of the normal text-only mode (MODE 0) or a text-and-graphics mode (MODE 1). In MODE 1 the display is split into two parts: a text-window on the left and a graphics-window on the right. The text window consists of 8 rows of 50 characters, and the graphics window is 64 pixels high by 256 pixels wide; you cannot (normally) mix text and graphics in the same window.

Points in the graphics window are addressed as x,y coordinates from 0,0 (the bottom-left corner) to 255,63 (the top-right corner), although the origin can be moved using the PLOT -1 statement (q.v.).

Although MODE 1 sets up the window positions and sizes as described, it is possible to change these using the VDU statement. However the method of doing this is outside the scope of this document. It is not advisable to cause the text and graphics windows to overlap, although this may occasionally be useful.

MODE clears the display (both text and graphics windows), moves the text cursor to 0,0 (the top left of the text window), resets the
graphics origin and moves the graphics cursor to 0,0 (the bottom left of the graphics window).

In MODE 0 (the normal 94-column text mode) the other graphics statements have no effect.

[walkerworks]

I was thinking about my Cambridge Z88 as it would be easy to bring along regardless and not worry about a monitor or anything. Even though it's not Acorn, it at least runs BBC Basic!

I've not seen a Cambridge Z88 and would be very interested in seeing it too. I have an Amstrad NC100 which looks similar to the Z88 and it would be interesting to see how they compare (if at all). I could bring the NC100 along if anyone is interested.

Derek

[Tosk]

Look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow! I'll be opening the building up a little earlier at 6:45pm

[Ramtop]

Won't be able to attend this month unfortunately

But I hope to see you all again in February.

[thecellartroll]

Sorry folks, it’s been a brutal week of trying to get work finished so that I can go on holiday. I’m still coming tomorrow but I’ll only be bringing the Pi400 with RISC OS.

[crivett95]

Unfortunately I'll no longer be able to attend this evening Train and car issues have spoiled my travel plans.

Apologies to those who were looking forward to seeing the Z88. Hopefully I'll make the next one and be able to demo it then.

Chris

[spanners]

My wife's car is out of action meaning I can't make it tonight either.

D.

EDIT: I was also giving Rodrigo a lift so he won't be able to attend.

[AndyMc1280]

I'm going to cry off as well I'm afraid Been out today already and it is just too cold for me. Quite icy/slippy under foot and I have to think about conditions for actually getting home. hopefully I'll manage to the February meet.

Meh sorry about that.

[Tosk]

I'm going to cry off as well I'm afraid Been out today already and it is just too cold for me. Quite icy/slippy under foot and I have to think about conditions for actually getting home. hopefully I'll manage to the February meet.

Meh sorry about that.

No worries - we'll see you in Feb. Keep us apprised of your current projects.