POCKET PORTABLE PROGRAMMERS OF MELBOURNE INC. TECNICAL NOTES #21 - June 1987 IT IS OFFICIAL!! PPPM now has its own message and file areas allocated on the local FIDO NET Bulletin Board. Currently, there are some 30 files in our file area (including many very new/never before seen files). Also, there are numerous messages in our message area and the Netmail area. These messages include a number to/from our friends in Sydney. We even had a long distance message from Captain K (Bob Bradley). Thanks Bob. The local bulletin board is: MELBOURNE DATA EXCHANGE FIDO Net 631 Node 321 +61-3-6516556 24 Hours 300, 1200/75, 1200 baud Sysop - Rob Broomhead Other news from the last meeting - Robert Sanderson reported his latest electronic HP71 modification. Rob has constructed a very special HP71 takover ROM. See his articles in this issue. With so much talk of Bulletin Boards, John McG. decided to give a real BBS demo. He brought along his new IBM compatible and set it up as a Bulletin Board. John's PX8 was then used to "logon". Those present were then able to see how the full system worked. The evening continued in the coffee room where the PC was used to logon to the DATAXC for a live demo. The HP71 was also used as a terminal to access the DATAXC. I think Mike Barlow's HP85 was also in "communication" mode during the evening, but I missed that bit. There are a number of bulletin boards coming on-line around the world. A Net Mail facility is available on the DATAXC and SENTRY which allows direct mail to the rest of the world. The following message which appeared on the local bulletin boards provides the latest information. ********************************************************************* To: All CHHU/PPPM Members 08 May 87 1:12:16 Subject: Son of Telemail Yesterday, 6 May, Bob Bradley's AT, the Capn's Cabin, became a private Fido Node in the Michigan Net, 120/52. With the setting-up of the Capn's Cabin Fido Node a direct, free xchhu mail link is soon online between here, Melbourne, and Detroit. In the next few weeks Maynard Riley will be bringing Fido to xchhu in Chicago and over the summer Nigel Davies will, hopefully, be helping extend the xchhu interest net into the southern states (Atlanta CHHU, Lavins, maybe occassional de Arras, Cadwallader, and others). In Europe, Jan Buitenhuis is looking at setting up a Dutch xchhu connection. No news yet of Michael Markov in NY, Tapani Tarvarnein in Finland, John Baker, or others, nor much discernible activity in LA, San Francisco, or from the prodigious Puget sound group, but Vern Lindsay is exploring Fidos in Corvallis, home of the gods. Certainly, by the end of the northern summer many of the technical hotshots, xchhu chronicle columnists, and such, will be back in touch via Fido mail and Echo mail. When offered free access to the chuu Telemail account in 1985, Syd and PPPM both yawned and told them no thanks. Consequently, many members here are still using 10 second 1500 byte BASIC routines that were superceeded by 10 millisecond 100 byte LEXfiles half a computer life time ago, or living with, and grumbling about, bugs that had < 5- day fixes in the United States. Finally becoming available, a second shot at usable and affordable communications with the outside world. Access to the xchhu net outside Australia is via FIDO NET MAIL AREA, at first non Echo. It may take a few days to get the routing out of Dallas (where the Australian mail lands in the USA) into the Capn's Cabin (and thence to Chicago, Atlanta, etc) properly sorted out, but after that messages will be delivered in Detroit, Chicago, etc, almost as quickly as they would reach Melbourne.......... ********************************************************************* LATEST NEWS: FIDO - GERARD Net 500 / Node 203 in Holland is now on-line. ********************************************************************* COMMUNICATION Communication is what PPPM is all about. Communication among members at meetings, via the newsletter and now via the bulletin board. Meetings are reasonably well attended, the newsletter has developed into an informative journal (MANY THANKS to all contributors), and the bulletin board is growing. There is one form of communication with our friends around the world that, unfortunately, has been neglected, and that is the swapdisc programme organised by Mike Markov in New York. A couple of members recently asked me about swapdiscs from the USA, and why we did not get any copies of the latest discs. The important part of the swapdisc programme is the SWAP. SWAP is a two- way word; you should contribute, if you want to receive. Unfortunately, Melbourne has not done much sending lately. Mike Markov recently (April 27) sent me a letter, part of which confirms the SWAP concept. (see below) ********************************************************************* Happy Easter! Also thank you very much for the package of TN's. I did not yet have the last two or three issues, and I did find some rather interesting new material, to include your modification of FILELEX, the excellent information on HP-71 speed-ups by R. Sanderson TFLAGS by J. Elhay and MCOPY by N. Davies. Quite honestly, I was pleasantly surprised, because earlier issues (which I occassionally get from Nick Reid & others) did not have much code to speak of. I am very glad to see that the Melbourne crewe is back in harness, since it tells me that we can now expect a lot more good stuff. Thanks. As you know from Nick Reid, I will continue to be in the Swapdisc business, irregardless of the developments in CHHU Orange County. And, yes, I would be pleased to put Melbourne back on my mailing list. After all, John McGechie and the old TN contributors helped me greatly with my own learning process.... It will be very nice to be in touch with old friends. However, as I told you over the phone, the process HAS to be a two-way deal. The only way that I can make the swapdisc program work is by getting some material on a regular basis, a little from each contributor, so that I can return a lot of stuff to everybody..... Getting printed listings in TN is nice, but I really do not have the time to key-in every program I see in TN. JPC, DATAFILE, etc. Therefore, would you please give some serious consideration to taking the time to get copies of source code, LEX files, programs AND documentation on magnetic media? This would be greatly appreciated by all of the other folks who contribute material, that will in turn delight the Melbourne folks. ********************************************************************* With Mike's letter, also came three swap discs - MMWORKDISC, SWAPGB, and a GRAPHICS disc from Italy. In return Jack Elhay, Bob Laughton, and myself put together a few of our files onto a disc to be returned to Mike as a contribution to the SWAPDISC programme on behalf of PPPM. This is an interim measure, and other contributions from PPPM would be apreciated. The swapdisc programme is important and Melbourne must contribute if we want to continue receiving swapdiscs. To help meet our contributions to the swapdisc programme, the following might be a way for us continue our overseas links. First, I ask that a member with a disc drive, please bring the drive to each meeting. This will allow members to upload/download files at meetings on either disc or tape (using the club's cassette drive). If contributors to the newsletter could also provide their article/program/code etc on magnetic media, this will also help. On the GIVE side, I will upload all files that I receive from members onto the DATAXC, add the file to a tape of bulletin board files, and add the file to a tape to go to Mike Markov (our contribution to the swapdisc programme). Actually, the OPUS bulletin board system could really help with the SWAP concept. OPUS could be given the capability to automatically, on a regular basis, write a designated file area to disc. These discs could then be sent to other regional nodes around the world. The receiving boards could then upload the disc into their file area and pass the discs onto other local boards. With each regional node sending discs to all other regions would mean that every boards' file area would be receiving the LATEST, MOST UP-TO-DATE files from all around the world. (see TN#17P7 for the first mention of this concept.) Just think about it for a moment; in conjunction with ECHO Mail messages, it would almost be like having everyone accessing the one board. There would be an enormous ammount of information available to everyone. On the RECEIVE side, members without access to the bulletin board will be able to copy files from the bulletin board tapes, and we will continue to receive future swapdiscs. Additionally, I may be able to bring my modem to club meetings, to allow members to logon to the DATAXC with their own HP71 and download any files/messages and enter messages. While I am prepared to start this important project rolling, is there anyone out there who is prepared to continue the co- ordination of this project? With editing/collating/mailing of the newsletter and organising our bulletin board access, my time for additional projects is limited. So is there anyone who can help? Remember, this must be a group activity. I have listed the files currently available on the Melbourne board below. Some of the HP71 files will be new to most Melbourne members. All of these files are on club tapes. There are two very good articles in this newsletter. The first is the BYTBOX01 file. This is a list of miscellaneous interesting tid bits that have appeared on SENTRY (thanks Ken Besley). The other article/program is WRITHEAD. This is a HP71 program by Mike Markov for assembly work. IMPORTANT ITEM - Just remembered - PPC Paris chapter is proceeding with their own HP71 ROM project. They recently asked for contributions. Unfortunately the deadline (12 May) has long passed. Fortunately, the local bulletin board was able to help. When I found out about the Paris project, I contacted Jack Elhay, who with the assistance of David Cameron, put a few files together. These files, along with a few of my own, were then uploaded to SENTRY. The files were then downloaded from SENTRY and sent to Paris. I know that Syd CHHU also contributed several files, so let us hope that there is some Australian representation in the final PPC Paris ROM. I believe that the Paris chapter is working towards having a final image at the end of the year. ********************************************************************* HP71 BUG INFORMATION As indicated in R. Sanderson's article in this issue, HP will not provide HP71 owners with a free upgrade to ROM Version 2. Since many of us will have to continue to live with those bugs (unless we want to spend $$$$$ on a service fee). I thought that if there was no free upgrade, then the least HP could do was provide us with a list of all HP71 Ver. 1 bugs with their workarounds. After a few enquiries from HP Melbourne back to the USA, the reply was that HP will be producing a software update bulletin on the HP71 (and possibly other calcs) which will report bugs and bug fixes as well as other information. This bulletin will be available to HP customers from late June (I think) and issued from time to time as required. So, at least we will know what bugs there are, and how to get around them. Maybe not as good as a ROM upgrade, but at least a help. On the subject of HP71 bugs, I believe that all version 1 bugs except two were fixed in version 2. The bugs which were carried over were: (1) a bug associated with the READ# function. This bug was retained because compatibility with series 80 BASIC was deemed more desirable than fixing it. (2) No details of the specifics of the second bug. It was discovered too late to be fixed. I hope my information is correct. Perhaps someone closer to the 'home of the gods' may be able to give us a bit more info. ********************************************************************* (From SENTRY) HP has announced publication of four more Solutions Books for the HP-28C, part numbers 00028-90041 to 00028-90044, at US $9.95 each: Algebra & College Math Calculus Probability & Statistics Vectors & Matrices Only the last has actually been shipped to date, with the others to follow over the northern summer. Also during the northern summer an issue of the HP Journal will be devoted to the HP-18C and HP-28C. Bill Wickes is currently writing a book on the HP-28C for publication either by HP or his own 'Larken Publications' later this year. The Grapevine Press is also thinking of commissioning a book on the HP-28C, as is Keith Jarret of Synthetix Inc, who has asked Wlodek Meir-Jedrzejowicz to consider writing something. ********************************************************************* A final note re bulletin boards. Most of this issue of TN is associated with bulletin board activity. Almost all of this issue was received or now available on SENTRY or DATAXC. Even Syd CHHU's newsletter arrived on the DATAXC as a series of netmail messages. Part of the fun of being an HP handheld user is being in touch with the latest information. If you want the most and latest, consider the bulletin board. If you note the date/time of origin of some of the articles/messages in this issue (ie. probably 2 months old by the time you read this in print.). Also, many articles never make it into the newsletter purely because of the space limitations on the newsletter. This is highlighted by this note which appeared in a recent DATAFILE: ..... Among the HP28C items that CHHU have, is a description by W. Wickes, its product manager. Written last November, it still has not been published! However, HP gave a copy to PPC Paris who published a French translation in the Jan/Feb issue. ...... So far, an English copy has not been seen in print. If a copy of this paper had been put up on a bulletin board when CHHU first received it, then most enthusiastic handheld users around the world would have seen it ages ago. It would also probably have been published in TN (in English). ********************************************************************* PPPM MEETING DATES 16 June, 21 July, 18 August Note: The July meeting is the Annual General Meeting (Time to elect a new committee) ********************************************************************* ********************************************************************* ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY / CATCH 22 While scanning the message areas on SENTRY, I came across the following message. I felt that the local members may be interested in some of the issues of this letter, and so have included it in this newsletter. ********************************************************************* From: Nick Reid To: Maynard Riley 15 May 87 14:33:15 Dest: North Parks TBBS (115/478), Chicago IL Subject: checkin out da mole hole Dat Tarrypin da darndest critter ta ketch up wid, yessa. Dis wun OK? Hardwired had a total disc crash a while ago, possibly the problem. Hope this one gets through, because I'd like to tell xchuucago: Brian tells me he's made an honorary <2> of da Bigwang, so I've told Brian that either I get his magazine as an un-numbered buyer, as off a news-stand, or I don't get it at all (or more exactly I'll be reading someone else's copy when it goes by). Latest letter from dumb Mikey points out that he can't pull the ROM project together without contacting all the authors and re-getting copyright waivers. Which says, in other words, that da Bigwang weren't runnin' no club, 'cept mebbe a fan club, but I've got half a forest of squawks from rjn on my bookshelf claiming that the big difference between his way of doing things and Emmett's was precisely that of the difference between a Byte-like corp and a member-driven club. You ever belong to a club where the officer(s) gather inputs on their own account, rather than on behalf of the members? Where, when the an officer is unable to continue, all the club stuff he has possession of is not immediately handed over to the rest of the membership? And such? So, not only do I find that immutable member number stuff a pretty nasty piece of elitist bull.... anyway, at least as soon as it gets even one inch off the mailing label and subscription list and onto bylines and so on, but additionally, in this case, there's ^those^ other considerationS. So I'll go for a when someone shows me how its [predecessor] wasn't just another (ripoff). ********************************************************************* The issues mentioned in this letter and in Mike Markov's letter (TN#19) regarding RJN and CHHU are important. There has been very little interest in HPX in Melbourne. Who could blame local members for their scepticism and lack of faith in US journals - PPC and CHHU journals have been virtually non- existant for the last year and we have learned to live without a regular journal from the USA. Because of past experiences, many locals are also very wary about handing over their hard-earned $$$ for journals - many Australian CHHU members have only ONE journal to show for their $60 sub ie. $2 per page. With the offer of the trial subscription to HPX, Brian may overcome some of the scepticism and wariness of locals, but the news above that RJN has been made honorary [2] could reverse all of that. I have no idea to what RJN's involvement in HPX is, or will be. But, if RJN had continued with a regular CHHU Chronicle, there would be no need for HPX. I am sure that most local members really hope that Brian Walsh can get HPX up and running succesfully. A regular journal from the USA will fill an important gap in the world-wide newsletter network. Considering, past experiences and the issues noted in Nick's and Mike's letters regarding RJN/CHHU, Brian will have an uphill battle overcoming the wariness, scepticism and lack of faith in US journals of Australian HP Handheld users. Once HPX starts to appear, maybe local attitudes will change, but that is Catch 22 - HPX needs support to get going, but until it gets going, it may be hard to get the needed support. The postal address for HPX is: HPx Journal, P.O. Box 566727, Atlanta, Georgia 30355, USA. Ed. - Graham Fraser ********************************************************************* *********************************************************************