ABUG Scotland #5 - Thu 28th March 2024

[Tosk]

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/mar2024

Thursday 28th March 2024 - 7:00PM running until 10:00PM

Confirmed and booked List

1. Tosk (Paul)
2. Thecellartroll (Steven)
3. Walkerworks (Derek)
4. KenLowe (Ken)
5. DaveLecky (Dave)
6. GordonDragon (Gordon)
7. Crivett95 (Chris)
8. Spanners (Dave)
9. Robert Morrison (via the Spectrum Computing forum)
10. Ramtop (Gary)
11. AndyMc1280 (Andy)
12. Rodrigo

🕹 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.

March 2024 Special Focus : Rare Machines

Bring in a machine that you consider is the rarest in your collection, or alternatively at the event talk about a particular rare retro machine you''ve got your sights on!

I'll be hopefully bringing along a ZX Spectrum 128K toastrack and (fingers crossed) have it up and running.

Why Join Us?

Discover and Share: Beyond the joy of showcasing your own rare equipment, you’ll have the chance to see and learn about others’ unique items. It’s a fantastic opportunity to deepen your knowledge and appreciation for the rich history of Acorn computing and other retro makes.

Connect and Converse: Our event is the perfect ground for meeting like-minded enthusiasts. Whether you’re a veteran collector, a hobbyist, or someone curious about the evolution of computers, you’ll find friendly faces eager to share stories, insights, and a few laughs.

Inspire and Get Inspired: Witnessing the passion behind preserving and celebrating these machines can be incredibly inspiring. You might just leave with new ideas, a wish list of tech to seek out, or even the beginnings of a new project.

🕹 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 you think may have the potential to blow capacitors.

Date & Time:
Thursday 29th February 2024 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.

[KenLowe]

I'll be there! I'm not sure I've got many rare machines, but I've got plenty that rarely work, if that counts .

Now that I know what went wrong last time round, I'm going to try once again to get a number of different machines hooked up to my Econet network. So, once again, I'll bring along my Atom, A4 a beeb and my laptop, and hopefully get them all talking on the network (the laptop via Piconet). Others should then also be able to join, if they've got the necessary Econet hardware.

[Ramtop]

Hmm, my rarest machine is the Olivetti PC128S, but I've already brought that. May try to get my Commodore Plus/4 or C16 dusted off and bring that, or possibly my Atari 4160STe.

[walkerworks]

I don't know how rare this is but I could bring along a DKtronics Spectrum (full travel keyboard). I've had this for many years and never switched it on!

I could also bring my Franklin Spellmaster QE-95 which is based on the 65C02.

Derek

[thecellartroll]

I'm in!

But rare... I think all my retro is ebay "R@re" rather than actually rare. I will have a think.

[Tosk]

I don't know how rare this is but I could bring along a DKtronics Spectrum (full travel keyboard). I've had this for many years and never switched it on!

I could also bring my Franklin Spellmaster QE-95 which is based on the 65C02.

Derek

That'll be interesting to see (the DKtronics keyboard). I heard that they caused a bit of a challenge with being able to connect devices to the back.

[gordonDrogon]

Put me down.
I'll bring a relatively rare computer (non-acorn) and a relatively rare something else (not a computer but related...)

And an Acorn + something oddity ...

Cheers,

-Gordon

[crivett95]

I've just registered. The rarest machine I own is probably my Altair 8800b Turnkey computer. I'll likely be in a position where I can drive instead of coming via train this time, so I could possibly bring that with my DEC VT220 terminal (I'll bring something Acorn eventually!). I can talk a bit about how I restored the machine if anyone is interested as I built up a custom modern power supply solution and got an FDC+ card to solve the issue of not having the original 8 inch floppy drive.

I'll be hopefully bringing along a ZX Spectrum 128K toastrack and (fingers crossed) have it up and running.

I've had my 128K Toastrack out recently as I made up a midi cable for the RS232 port which I connected to a mt32pi and had running a couple simple demos. I don't think any commercial games used it, but there is a brief mention of driving midi synths and instruments from 128 basic in the back of the manual.

[Tosk]

I've had my 128K Toastrack out recently as I made up a midi cable for the RS232 port which I connected to a mt32pi and had running a couple simple demos. I don't think any commercial games used it, but there is a brief mention of driving midi synths and instruments from 128 basic in the back of the manual.

Sounds good Chris - I've heard about the Spec 128K driving midi synths as well (probably from the same source).The sound chip is certainly better than the original Spectrum.

I will shortly be testing a ZXuitape (a digital tape) device allowing you to experience that original nostalgic loading sound but without the "Russian Roulette" of never quite knowing if something would load or not.

https://youtu.be/ZZGVHvSXPq0?si=cKcj2J-7NCYziv_H

[Tosk]

Random thought - what did the BBC tape loader sound like?

Was it similar to the ZX Spectrum....or just silent, or something else?

I can't remember the time before I had an Opus disk drive when I originally had a BBC Micro back in the 1980s. This could be a senior moment or perhaps I never used a tape player with the Beeb.

[Diminished]

what did the BBC tape loader sound like?

Endless recordings of original tapes here

[spanners]

Booked in. I could drag the Iyonix along this time.

D.

[thecellartroll]

Booked in. I could drag the Iyonix along this time.

D.

Nice! I’ve never seen a living Iyonix.

[tricky]

Have a great weekend.

[Tosk]

what did the BBC tape loader sound like?

Endless recordings of original tapes here

Thanks - that's triggered some memories.

[Tosk]

I'll be demonstrating a ZX Spectrum digital tape loader during the evening (ZXuiTape) on a 128K toastrack. It's an interesting bit of kit having been crafted with some 3D printing.

The same company (You Make Robots) provide a digital tape loader for the BBC Micro/Electron https://www.youmakerobots.com/12-acornbbc-micro

[Tosk]

Here's our equipment list and activities for the forthcoming session this Thursday the 28th March

- Econet networking : Acorn Atom, A4 and BBC Micro (Ken Lowe)

- Commodore Plus/4 or C16 , or possibly my Atari 4160STe. (Ramtop)

- DKtronics Spectrum - full travel keyboard for the ZX Spectrum (Walkerworks)

- Relatively rare computer (non-acorn), a relatively rare something else (not a computer but related...) and an Acorn + something oddity ...(GordonDragon)

- ZX Spectrum 128K Toastrack with digital tape demonstration (Tosk)

- Altair 8800b Turnkey computer + DEC VT220 terminal (Crivett95)

- Iyonix - Acorn clone RISC OS (Spanners)

[AndyMc1280]

Nearly forgot!

Well if we're talking "Rare" and there's an Iyonix, I guess I better bring my almost vapourware Macrodigital Omega.

This will be dependent on three things:

1) I can persuade it to work and not give me a showing up
2) I can get help getting it to and from car as well as myself (usual)
3) Some kind soul packs a monitor I can borrow (again usual)

The MD Omega is a Strongarm 300 based "Big Risc PC" with lots of stuff done in FPGA - From what I've read, it was MD's post Acorn stab at what Phoebe could have been. It was however very "unfinished" and therefore quite flakey. I'm lucky that most of mine works most of the time

[thecellartroll]

3) Some kind soul packs a monitor I can borrow (again usual)

Happy to bring you a monitor again, Andy.

[Tosk]

My wife is making some Roscos de Naranja, traditionally made for Easter in Spain and I will happily be bringing along a batch for tomorrow night.

[AndyMc1280]

3) Some kind soul packs a monitor I can borrow (again usual)

Happy to bring you a monitor again, Andy.

Tyty

[thecellartroll]

If anyone wanted to sell me a 5pin C64 to SCART or A/V cable this evening I’d definitely be up for buying it. I am a disaster at making cables and I seem to have “filed” my cable somewhere

[gebes]

Bit last minute, but able to attend tonight. I'd be interested and appreciative if anyone has some roms spare /for sale to install internally to a BBC with new ROM board please?

[KenLowe]

I can take along a programmer and some blank ROMs, if you wish.

[gebes]

That would be most appreciated yes, I don't have anything with me to burn to roms, would love suggestions though, thank you

[gordonDrogon]

As well as some other "stuff" I'll be bringing along "a number" of Electrons for sale... If anyone wants one or more, then no reasonable offer will be refused. (Bank xfer, Starling "nearby" or cash or leave an email and we can settle later) I only have one with a PSU though. 2 are in original polys with manuals. I have tested a couple, one is half working but the others I tested seem to at least boot up with a working keyboard. There is one Plus 1 unit too, but when I plugged it into an Elk to test it, it booted up, but the keyboard behaved like the return key was permanently pressed...

Cheers,

-Gordon

[Ramtop]

I may be interested in one of the Elks, I always need more of them

Just finished packing up the 4160STe. Plans to bring a Plus/4 didn't pan out, the PSU on one of them started making alarming fizzing noises yesterday! The other appears to have blown its PLA, and sods law, I can't just use the good PSU on the working Plus/4 as they have incompatible power connectors.

[Tosk]

Photos from ABUG Scotland #5 show a great variety of machines and activity, with some quite rare examples.

Thanks to all who made the effort to bring, demonstrate, reminisce and teach about their various projects

Sinclair MK14 brought by Gordon



Altair 8800b Turnkey computer brought by Chris running Star Trek





Master Compact brought by David running demo software



SAM Coupé brought by Robert demonstrating his sprite based game



Ken's fix-it corner



Atari 4160STe brought by Gary



Gordon brought a whole batch of Electrons



One of the last RISC PCs



DKTronics keyboard for the ZX Spectrum brought by Dave

[thecellartroll]

It was a properly good session!

I wonder whether an Iyonix and an Omega have ever sat together on the same desk before?

[DaveLecky]

Great night, Thanks again Paul for organising and the tasty Spanish donuts…..

Dave