Dick Smith System 80 - What do I do next with it?

[RedskullDC]

Hi John,

Yep, standard Blue Label expansion ROM.

Gives lower case driver, flashing cursor, auto-repeat keys, screen-print, BASIC line renumber, primitive ML monitor.

Instructions can be found in the V2 System 80 user manual: https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/sys...manual.pdf

Cheers,
Leslie

[CheshireNoir]

Thanks Leslie,
BTW noticed something both amusing and amazing: All the foil badges still have the plastic film on them :-D
MUST! RESIST! PEELING!

John

[ChickenMan]

Narr, just rip'em off !!! dare yu ...

[CheshireNoir]

Stupid question: How do people play back software on the System 80? I tried using one of those CD adapters with a mobile phone but the volume level didn't even get to halfway up the VU meter on maximum volume.

John

[ChickenMan]

I use the cassette when not using the Gotek. Dick Smith Space Invaders loads off cassette in 59 seconds.

[CheshireNoir]

Reading the manual, the "correct" level should have the VU meter in the middle yellow section, correct? If so I might need a small preamp to bring up my volume levels the System 80 is expecting. It's not getting anywhere near that.
(I'm using a cassette tape adapter to do line in from the mobile straight into the built in cassette drive.)

Cheers!

John

[ChickenMan]

Are you trying to load a Basic or Binary tape ? Loading a Binary tape via the built in deck, the level meter is about 12 o'clock or near 4 on my Sys80 and they load perfectly every time. Suggest you start with the Space Invaders file from the Repo as I know it absolutely loads fine, its Binary and only takes 59 sec to load.

[CheshireNoir]

Are you trying to load a Basic or Binary tape ?  Loading a Binary tape via the built in deck, the level meter is about 12 o'clock or near 4 on my Sys80 and they load perfectly every time.  Suggest you start with the Space Invaders file from the Repo as I know it absolutely loads fine, its Binary and only takes 59 sec to load.

Hi Chickenman,
Thanks for the info.

I was trying to load Space Invaders, so that's a good start :-)
Unfortunately, even with the volume cranked on both my input device (An old Samsung Galaxy S4) and on the volume dial on the System 80, I'm barely getting up to the 2 mark.
   

Now I seem to remember some jiggery pokery around getting sound into some of these older systems. I'll need to see if I can find a small pre-amp.

Mind you, is DES Space invaders 'SYSTEM' then D, S or I? (I just realised I tried D and S but not I.)

John

[ChickenMan]

Arr, sorry, its more like 3 I get to for success loads. Maybe there is a resistor in line that could be lowered, check the schematics.

DSE Space Invader is a System disk, so when you turn on the Sys80 and press Linefeed with READY at the bottom of the screen, type in SYSTEM and hit LineFeed. Then type in INV and hit LineFeed and then start the Tape deck or in your case the Samsung. 2 * should appear top right corner of the screen with one always on and the other turning on and off a few times. You get your cursor back if successfully loaded, then hit the / key and LineFeed.

[CheshireNoir]

Ah cheers! I am learning more and more about this system every day :-)

John