Train&Hobby Show now has Retro Computers

[ChickenMan]

Glad you got it sorted out how you wanted it.

As for your old bee, you will probably find the key switches mostly have died and the power supply will definitely need its capacitors/rifas(if any) replaced before you attempt to power it up.

[RetroMal]

I rescued my Microbee from the garage.  What's the best way for me to work out what I actually have ?  Excuse me if I ask stupid questions - I'm not as familiar with the Microbee as I should bee  .

   

It says Microbee Model II - 1982 - No. 87034 on the bottom and has Glenroy High School burnt into the side.  I also have a 56K CP/M Core Board

Thanks

Mal

[CheshireNoir]

Hi Mal,
That core board looks to be a 32K model, so cassette based. It's a pre "PC-85" model. It's a standard base board, (No arrow keys) so black and white.
I'm sure others here will have a better idea of the exact model.

BTW, I recently got my first TRS-80 Model 1. Still working out how to use the Expansion Adapter and disk drives :-D

John

[RetroMal]

BTW, I recently got my first TRS-80 Model 1. Still working out how to use the Expansion Adapter and disk drives :-D

OK I lied - or misinformed.  I actually had a Dick Smith System 80 but ran (and still do) ESEUG - the Eastern Suburbs (of Melbourne) Eighty Users Group. I understand how the TRS-80 plugged together - the System 80 was similar.  A short cable from keyboard unit to Expansion Interface and then cables from there to  floppy drives and printer, etc.

What do you need to know ?

[ChickenMan]

So the ESEUG group still running ? We have a number of ESEUG Newsletters in the repo, but not all. Do you have any by any chance still, particularly the early ones from the 80's and 90's ?

[RetroMal]

So the ESEUG group still running ? We have a number of ESEUG Newsletters in the repo, but not all.  Do you have any by any chance still ?

ESEUG lives but it's not as it used to be.  Currently it's about a half dozen guys - 40-80 years of age - who swap content, chat about technology and occasionally I get them playing a game.

I have four PDFs of ESEUG Newsletters provided by Rob Jorgensen.  August 1983, August 1984, January & February 1985.  You're welcome to all of them if you tell me how to get them to you.

[ChickenMan]

Sorry, yes your Microbee is a very early 32k Plus model. Those patch wires were put there by Microbee to patch some pcb design problems, fixed in the next model. The Wordbee rom could be replaced with a game, edasm or other 8k rom.

I've sent you an email re ESEUG Newsletters Thanks.

[RetroMal]

Can I ask stupid questions here or is there another place for that ?

I have three ROMs fitted - one says Wordbee, the others are D7541 and AB (I think). Are these three applications I can jump to some how or are they all part of Wordbee ? Are they 2764 EPROMs ? Aren't they 64KB each ? Isn't 64KB as much memory as the Z80 can address without bank selecting ?

Mal (the confused)

[Snuffytime]

2764 EPROMs have 64K bits organised as 8K x 8 bit words. It's the difference between "KB" and "Kb".

[RetroMal]

Of course - Kb not KB ! That all makes sense - I think what confused me was I looked at a specification sheet for a 2764 and it said 64K and I assumed.

Is it as easy as picking up some 2764s from eBay and programming them with ROM images from the repository and popping them in the socket ? How do I select them ? Is there an easier option to get software on my 32K beast ? I think I saw Chickenman had a board with dual CF cards he could access as A: and B:. I assume a ROM would be required with CP/M or at least a boot ROM to boot from the CFs ?