The Sinclair QL Forum

Chr$ wrote:

Pr0f wrote:
As far as I know, there is no speech ROM on board

I was under the impression that there was a speech ROM installed.

I think there is speech in ROM, but it is in the ROMS that the CPU has access to and is not mapped directly to the speech chip, which the data sheet does say is possible.

RalfR wrote:

tofro wrote:They're listed in the famous "ZX Microdrive Book"

Is that the book from Jochen Merz? I remember that he has written a book of that.

Seems to be the book from A.Pennel. Jochen has written a similar one.

RalfR wrote:

tofro wrote:They're listed in the famous "ZX Microdrive Book"

Is that the book from Jochen Merz? I remember that he has written a book of that.

Nope. "The "Spectrum Microdrive Book" is by Dr. Ian Logan, the guy who developed the Microdrive at Sinclair. So, from the bird's mouth.
I think there was a German edition, rather a bit big-in-the-boots called "Das Microdrive-Universum".

tofro wrote: Nope. "The "Spectrum Microdrive Book" is by Dr. Ian Logan, the guy who developed the Microdrive at Sinclair. So, from the bird's mouth.

I used to have this book but sold it along with my Spectrum stuff
From a disassembly of the IF1 ROM I found that hook code $27 reads a random record of a PRINT file (specified by CHREC).
So this is a somewhat crude way to set the file pointer.

I have been contacted by someone looking for a spare case for the monochrome monitor if anyone has one!

A long shot I know - but a fire destroyed the plastics, the monitor itself is still working

RWAP wrote:I have been contacted by someone looking for a spare case for the monochrome monitor if anyone has one!

A long shot I know - but a fire destroyed the plastics, the monitor itself is still working

I have a monochrome monitor that isn't working and has been in for repair with an old school CRT man for about the last 8 months! Apparently the 12v is missing and/or something else isn't right with the voltages for the tube. I found a schematic for him that is a copy of a copy of a 1980s fax - not great quality and hard to follow.

So between us at least a complete and working monitor would exist again. I will at some stage go and visit it and if it's terminal I'll have to decide what to do. I like the idea of having an original working monitor but I do already have the scart solution and CRTs take up so much space.

If anyone is interested, I think this is the Interface 1 ROM disassembly:

https://www.tablix.org/~avian/spectrum/rom/if1_2.htm

Cheers,
Norm.

janbredenbeek wrote:

tofro wrote: Nope. "The "Spectrum Microdrive Book" is by Dr. Ian Logan, the guy who developed the Microdrive at Sinclair. So, from the bird's mouth.

I used to have this book but sold it along with my Spectrum stuff
From a disassembly of the IF1 ROM I found that hook code $27 reads a random record of a PRINT file (specified by CHREC).
So this is a somewhat crude way to set the file pointer.

Agreed. A very limited way to be able to read a 512-byte-chunk from a file. That's about it.

RalfR wrote:

Chr$ wrote:But you could use the CUB with the OPD to test it out? That's 2 OPD's in Germany then at least, there can't be many.

When Tony Firshman has sent the OPD with a monitor to me, the monitor was totally destroyed, a slightly bad package. So I had to modify my CUB to test the OPD. All work as expected but I just used it for a few hours, then back in the cellar.

In retrospect it wasn't a good idea to modify the CUB.

Hi,

From my quick research I think the Cub in a different case is one of the 2 options for the OPD.
I have modified my OPD Microvitec monitor to accept QL input and fitted a switch.

Although the concept is the opposite to your probem the details may help you restore the Cub you have.



Dave

Thank you. But I remember, I have made a few other changes to make the CUB work with the OPD. Unfortunately, I can't remember them.

So I have a CUB working with OPD but no longer for QL. What can I do?