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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment. |
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10th Jun 2010, 1:20 pm | #21 |
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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. |
10th Jun 2010, 1:44 pm | #22 |
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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. |
10th Jun 2010, 2:10 pm | #23 |
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Re: Sinclair zx spectrum
To save a BASIC program to tape, the command is
Code:
SAVE "filename" To save a BASIC program and make it autorun, Code:
SAVE "filename" LINE 10 To save a machine code program (or any chunk of binary data, really), the command is Code:
SAVE "filename" CODE start, length Code:
SAVE "filename" CODE 16384,6912 Code:
SAVE "filename" SCREEN$ To verify a saved file (by reading it and comparing it with what is already there in memory), use Code:
VERIFY "filename" Code:
VERIFY "filename" CODE 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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10th Jun 2010, 9:08 pm | #24 |
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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 |
10th Jun 2010, 9:28 pm | #25 |
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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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10th Jun 2010, 10:08 pm | #26 |
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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? |
10th Jun 2010, 11:07 pm | #27 | |
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Re: Sinclair zx spectrum
Quote:
SB
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10th Jun 2010, 11:47 pm | #28 |
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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 ....... |
11th Jun 2010, 8:05 am | #29 |
Octode
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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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11th Jun 2010, 11:31 am | #30 |
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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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11th Jun 2010, 12:53 pm | #31 |
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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. |
11th Jun 2010, 1:40 pm | #32 |
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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. From Mike.
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11th Jun 2010, 2:02 pm | #33 |
Heptode
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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' |
11th Jun 2010, 2:11 pm | #34 |
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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 |
11th Jun 2010, 3:20 pm | #35 |
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Re: Sinclair zx spectrum
Hmm. I just fired up FUSE -- a Spectrum emulator -- and entered
Code:
PRINT PEEK 23732 + 256 * PEEK 23733 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 See also http://www.worldofspectrum.org/SpectrumRepairGuide/
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11th Jun 2010, 4:50 pm | #36 |
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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. |
11th Jun 2010, 5:27 pm | #37 |
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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 |
11th Jun 2010, 5:50 pm | #38 |
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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:
Regards, Kat |
11th Jun 2010, 6:12 pm | #39 |
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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"
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11th Jun 2010, 6:24 pm | #40 |
Octode
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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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