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Old 10th Jun 2010, 1:20 pm   #21
repairman 1234
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Many thanks for all your replies,

I did type shift J to get the load command.

Could anyone tell me the procedure to save to tape please, i am going to re adjust the azimuth of the tape player and see what i get.
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Old 10th Jun 2010, 1:44 pm   #22
richrussell
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

So you've got a little program that works? Excellent.

OK, make sure there's a cable from the mic socket on the Spectrum to the mic socket on the tape recorder. Put in a tape and rewind/fast forward it to a blank bit.

Type SAVE "myprogram" and press Enter. The screen will change to 'Start Tape and Press Any Key'. Start your tape recorder recording, then press a key.

Once it's finished you'll be back to the normal prompt - you can now stop the tape. Rewind it and play it back - you should hear the familiar noises of a Spectrum program.
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Old 10th Jun 2010, 2:10 pm   #23
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

To save a BASIC program to tape, the command is
Code:
SAVE "filename"
SAVE is on S, the speech marks are on symbol shift + P, and the filename can be up to 10 characters.

To save a BASIC program and make it autorun,
Code:
SAVE "filename" LINE 10
LINE is extended mode, symbol shift + 3. Change 10 to whatever line number you want the program to start at.

To save a machine code program (or any chunk of binary data, really), the command is
Code:
SAVE "filename" CODE start, length
CODE is extended mode, i; start and length can be predefined variables or numbers. The bit-mapped display begins at 16384 and is 6912 bytes long, so you could save the screen picture with
Code:
SAVE "filename" CODE 16384,6912
but since this is such a common use for SAVE CODE, it has been given an alias; you can just type
Code:
SAVE "filename" SCREEN$
SCREEN$ is extended mode, symbol shift + K. (In general: green text above key = extended mode, red text below key = extended mode + symbol shift.)

To verify a saved file (by reading it and comparing it with what is already there in memory), use
Code:
VERIFY "filename"
for a BASIC program, or
Code:
VERIFY "filename" CODE
for machine code (you can omit the start and length in this case; the values from the header will be used). Note that VERIFY "filename" SCREEN$ will not work, because the filename appears on screen during the verification process -- meaning that the memory contents will no longer match the saved file. VERIFY is extended mode, symbol shift + R.

You can also pass an empty filename to LOAD or VERIFY e.g. LOAD "" or LOAD "" CODE in which case the first file of the correct type will be loaded / verified, irrespective of whatever it is called. You can also specify an address with LOAD CODE and the data will be stored starting from there, as opposed to the address in the header.
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Old 10th Jun 2010, 9:08 pm   #24
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Many thanks for your replies,

I have made a short "hello" program and saved it to tape..it would not load in at all and sounds very low level (started slowing down again too, needs new belt)
Anyway it wouldn't load, so i saved it again to my sound recorder of my laptop, much better sound and i did get the flashing lines but still no program.

I did sort of succeed with a typing program this afternoon (seemed to load and let me type)
A few others have displayed out of memory errors and one kicked me back to the main screen after a couple of seconds.

The tape player is not good enough for the job (did try it out on a cheapo nasty little hi fi mini system but got the same reults as with the proper one)

Is there any way i can download a short program to my laptop to test it out, i have tried some of the progs i can find on the net (my laptop starts flashing screens and i cant stop it without a total reset)
checked out argos new mono cassette players....Sony £35!! thought that was a bit steep
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Old 10th Jun 2010, 9:28 pm   #25
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Try this Chris...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZYuGUCrkoU

If you can connect your PC speakers to the Ear input on the Speccie then you should be able to load the program... Just type the old <J><Shift P><Shift P> and press Enter...
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Old 10th Jun 2010, 10:08 pm   #26
repairman 1234
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the super link, it is exactly what i was after because it cuts the tape player out of the loop altogether.
Sadly it still will not load!
I get some of the flashing data lines, but by no means all of them, it just does not seem to keep pace with the pc screen at all.

Never thought i would think windows was easy....but compared to this......

Where should i go from this?
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Old 10th Jun 2010, 11:07 pm   #27
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Quote:
Originally Posted by richrussell View Post
I would try a different tape deck -or if the one you have has tone controls, try setting them to maximum. Also you may find you need to either increase or decrease the volume to get the best results. Another thing to try is to adjust the tape head alignment to get the clearest signal -
I never had a Spectrum as I was more into the Commodore 64. However I did have a ZX81 at one point and found this was also quite critical of head alignment and I ended up fitting an external device to the head alignment screw so that I could 'tweak' it for optimal results from awkward or critical tapes. I used a fairly basic mono recorder and simply turned the external adjusting screw for maximum volume through it's internal speaker. After a few times, I got the 'feel' of how it should sound and achieved almost 100% loading from almost any tape.

SB
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Old 10th Jun 2010, 11:47 pm   #28
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Thanks for that,

I did adjust the azimuth earlier, and it seems to play ok (for a tape)

The belt needs replaced as it is wowing and even stopping sometimes but i have tried it with shorter tapes that it has played all the way through ok and it still just freezes at the end of the load (usually with the loading screen on) as per the pic .......


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Old 11th Jun 2010, 8:05 am   #29
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Hi Chris.

The volume has to be quite loud into the Ear socket on the Spectrum and Line-Level is way too quiet. I never found it that critical but found that it was always best to adjust the volume and tone so that the "bars" on the initial tone were of equal size. Once that was done then I had no problem with loading stuff in.

I've made that Spectrum program into an MP3 file which I'll upload somewhere later today (if I can find my username and password etc.) and then you can load it into an MP3 player which may be more useful.

Thanks Chris.

From Mike.
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 11:31 am   #30
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Hi Chris.

I've uploaded 2 audio files - one for "ManicMiner" which you can load into your MP3 player to see if you can get it to load from that, and the other one which is called "SpectrumInitialTone" which you can use to set the volume and tone to get equally-spaced bars on the loading screen.

http://www.oldtechnology.net/misc/ManicMiner.mp3
http://www.oldtechnology.net/misc/Sp...nitialTone.mp3

Hope it helps Chris.

Kind regards.

From Mike.
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 12:53 pm   #31
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Thanks very much indeed Mike, What should i expect when i double click on your links? (i get a blank window)

This sounds like the perfect solution to rule out the tape player altogether.

I did a memory test and got 33002 (print peek)
then when adding 85 it came back 85 and adding 170 it came back with 170

Hope when i get a BBC it is less touchy.

Many thanks for your trouble Mike.
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 1:40 pm   #32
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Hi Chris.

No problem.

You could right-click on the link and choose "Save Target As" (or something similar) and then save the files to the desktop or wherever you want. Then you can load them up or copy the files to your MP3 player.

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Old 11th Jun 2010, 2:02 pm   #33
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

I think the problem more probably lies with your tape recorder more than the Spectrum. Back in the 1980s there were loads of mono tape recorders which worked superbly with the tape based computers of the day. But these days they're not so easy to come by.

The key is to get the volume right (usually about three quarters on a headphone socket), and get rid of any treble or bass boost/cuts.

If you can play the mp3s above on a PC, you have a good chance to rule out the tape deck. As a guide to the volume, try to get the light blue/red colour bars equal in width in the first bit of the loading -the 'boo' in 'boo-bip boo-bwlwlwllwlw'
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 2:11 pm   #34
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Thanks Mike,

I got it downloaded to i Tunes as per your directions


I am so good with computers

Will give it a go!

Thanks again Mike
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 3:20 pm   #35
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Hmm. I just fired up FUSE -- a Spectrum emulator -- and entered
Code:
PRINT PEEK 23732 + 256 * PEEK 23733
I got 65535 for the default 48K Spectrum, or 32767 when I selected a 16K machine. (This value is the last memory address that tested correctly when the machine was powered up. If there is a fault, then it lies in the next address.)

If you typed the command correctly, then you may have a memory fault. But then, I would have expected that tape loading would crash with the dreaded R Tape loading error, 0:1 or an ignominious hard reset.

What do you get if you type
Code:
POKE 33003, 85
PRINT PEEK 33003
POKE 33003, 170
PRINT PEEK 33003
? (You should see a number appear at the top of the screen after each PRINT. Ignore the 0 OK 0:1 reports which you will get after entering each command.)

See also http://www.worldofspectrum.org/SpectrumRepairGuide/
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 4:50 pm   #36
repairman 1234
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Hi,
Thanks for that,

I did this test already and got 85 and 170 back.

It may be telling that it did sort of load a very short typing program from tape. I say sort of as the screen was filled with exclamation marks and the letters i typed did not all correspond with the letters that i pressed, ie it typed jumbled gobbledegook (good word for this time of day!)


Many thanks,
Chris.
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 5:27 pm   #37
Lucien Nunes
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

IIRC not all Spectrums were created equal with respect to the tape port. There were a couple of tweaks done over the different versions to improve operation, depending on the type of ULA fitted and also in the light of experience. So whilst it sounds like Chris may still need to get improved performance from the tape deck, it is quite possible that his Spec does not work as well as another under the same conditions. If it continues to be a headache, might be worth checking the version and ULA type numbers, and see whether a quick mod to the port circuit will help.

It is not unknown for a ULA to fail in such a way as to make the tape port inoperable, whilst working in other regards. IIRC the early ULAs were distinctly unreliable.

Lucien
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 5:50 pm   #38
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

Hi,

I had a Spectrum "first time round" (and a ZX81 before that.)

IME, reliable loading (well, as reliable as it ever got) required:
  • Unworn head.
  • Demagnetised head.
  • Clean head.
  • Azimuth adjusted for the brightest sound, for each cassette.
  • Volume around three-quarters (and some trial-and-error. I soon got to know what was 'right' on the speaker, before trying to load it.)
  • Tone-control (I had a 'posh' cheap mono cassette recorder) on max. treble.
  • Stable tape speed.
  • No drop-outs on the cassette. (Play it through and listen to it.)
  • The tape itself not damaged at all.
  • Ditching the cassette player and using a half-track Tandberg open-reel machine at 7.5 i.p.s.

Regards, Kat
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 6:12 pm   #39
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

I'm a bit worried about that typing program not working properly. It looks like a memory or ULA fault.

Try another quick memory test: What do you get for
Code:
PRINT USR "A"
(USR is extended mode, unshifted L) ? (This is the address where the user defined characters start, and so is 167 bytes shy of the last writeable address -- there are 21 user defined characters, and each requires 8 bytes. A freshly-reset 48K Spectrum should give 65368, because the last writeable address should be 65535.)
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Old 11th Jun 2010, 6:24 pm   #40
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Default Re: Sinclair zx spectrum

I may be well off hear as it's a very long time since i had a spectrum hooked up but are you sure you have a 48K spectrum and not an early 16K unit it would explain why most of your softwhere wont load as most was written for the 48K version.
As for the tape issue i remember haveing lots of issues back in the day finding a tape player that was happy working with my spectrum.
If you get realy stuck i may have a spare tape player up in my attic.

I may even have a spare spectrum less acsesories.

Jay
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