Train&Hobby Show now has Retro Computers

[ChickenMan]

The Train & Hobby Show this year includes Retro Computers.  As a result I (and many others) will be there for the 2 days showing off a few Microbees, my System 80 and Amust Executive. Its on March 16 & 17th and  held at the Sandown Racecourse, Springvale, Victoria. They get 8 to 12 thousand visitors each year so a significant event.  Hope to see you all there

More info at https://www.facebook.com/trainandhobby[url=https://www.facebook.com/trainandhobby][/url]

[someone]

Excellent stuff!
Why didn't anyone think of combining vintage computers and model trains in exhibitions idea sooner?
Adding vintage electronic music equipment such as the Fairlight CMI, Moog Lindrumm &Roland TR808 would also be a boon.

[ChickenMan]

Well they added Consoles last year and saw they were a success, so decided to extend to Retro Computers as they saw what we were presenting at the bi-monthly Tech Swap Meets we have regularly here in Melbourne.

   

[ChickenMan]

All setup today ready for the onslaught tomorrow.

   

[MbeeTech]

Great job with setting up the stand for the show Chickenman.

For those of you that have been thinking of going, there is lots to see. It's on tomorrow as well 10 - 4pm.
Quite a large section for retro-computing, but it is a little tricky to find. It's upstairs - follow the signs to 'Exhibits' - then once upstairs
it is in the right wing (craft section in the left wing).
There are also amazing displays of model trains, model aircraft, Lego, racing drones and much more.
A small number of food trucks are on site as well.

[RetroMal]

Greetings All,

Alan's display has prompted me to investigate Microbee emulation and try and run some of the games. I must admit I'm having problems - I don't seem to be able to find the correct combination of options. I have found a number of scripts specifically designed to launch the games but they all require the ubee512_script.ds40 image which appears to have fallen off the MSPP repository. Can someone help me with a copy of this image ?

Thanks

Mal

[ChickenMan]

Hi Mal and welcome to the forum

We dont appear to have that file in the Repository, but I do have many yearly backups of the site. By any chance do you know roughly when it was available by any chance ? then I can look it up.

EDIT-
Found it, it was released in 2011 and written in 2008. I've put it in the repository in the MbeeTech Repo in the Microbee\Software\Utilities folder as it contains some copyrighted files. It boots running SuperSUB but errors out as it contains no SUB.xxx file. So I have no idea how to use it, if you work it out please let us know

[RetroMal]

Good Morning,

I didn't even know you had a repository here. I've been looking at the MSPP one. I have applied for access.

I saw you have converted some TRS-80 games to the Microbee and have .bee files. How can I run a .bee file in ubee512 without using the games.sh script provided ?

Thanks

Mal

[ChickenMan]

The mspp hasnt put anything in their repository for many years now since I departed. 99% of the TRS-80 converted games are all on one disk, arcade_3_ss80.dsk. Just use

ubee512 -a arcade_3_ss80.dsk

and it boots to a Menu and just select what you want from there.

[RetroMal]

I've worked it out and I'm kicking myself for not solving it sooner.

I needed that ubee512_script.ds40 disk image in my .ubee512/disks folder.  I haven't access to your repository yet but realised there was a tech log in to the MSPP one and the file was there.

ubee512 also installed a config/games.ini.sample file which I copied to .ubee512/games.ini.  This file contains a number of configurations for many games - both .bee and .mwb files - which need to be put in your .ubee512/files/games directory.  Then you can run a game with:

ubee512 --config=games.ini game.ext

From what I understand a temporary disk image is created, the game copied to it and then run.

The games.ini file includes many parameters including joystick mapping to keys so I was able to configure Donut Dilemma to be played completely from joystick.

I was a TRS-80 guy back in the day.  I have my physical Microbee in the garage and I haven't turned it on in over 40 years !  Should I be worried about capacitors ?  I'll have to get it out to see exactly what I have.  From memory I bought it second hand at a sale at Applied Technology on a Saturday morning.  I know I have a video cable and a friend built a power supply for it at the time.  I think I have a board fitted with a few ROMs on it - but that's all from memory.

Thanks for your help

Mal