I used the Laser 128 twice today. It worked fine. Now, there's no start-up beep and it displays junk text. Help! ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit evan@vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation
and so it begins. b On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 5:12 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
I used the Laser 128 twice today. It worked fine. Now, there's no start-up beep and it displays junk text. Help!
________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit
evan@vcfed.org (646) 546-9999
www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation
and so it begins.
What's that supposed to mean?
My guess: Following temporally from the previous statement ("and"), in the manner exemplified by the utterance of the statement ("so"), a drawn out effort to keep vintage computing equipment in working order, along with discussions of said effort, and of the degree to which the effort was predictable and is worthwhile, accompanied by the provision of occasionally conflicting advice from various people ("it") starts ("begins"). Am I close? :) I don't have any experience with Laser 128s, but this sounds like a pretty general failure, like the ROM is no longer accessible or something. If this were an Apple II, the fact that you have text at all would indicate to me that the processor is running and the video circuits work, but the processor maybe be just hanging trying to run garbage code. ? Or, perhaps RAM is needed in order to get through startup far enough to beep and something's wrong with the RAM (though I think you can probably make it to the startup beep on the Apple II without functional RAM -- never tried). When I've seen a dead 6502 on an Apple II, it's usually not garbage text on the screen but just a kind of checkerboard, but I suppose that's another possibility (that the 6502 is not starting).
When I've seen a dead 6502 on an Apple II, it's usually not garbage text on the screen but just a kind of checkerboard
Here's a picture: http://vcfed.org/evan/laser/screen.jpg
I don't have any experience with Laser 128s, but this sounds like a pretty general failure, like the ROM is no longer accessible or something. If this were an Apple II, the fact that you have text at all would indicate to me that the processor is running and the video circuits work, but the processor maybe be just hanging trying to run garbage code. ? Or, perhaps RAM is needed in order to get through startup far enough to beep and something's wrong with the RAM (though I think you can probably make it to the startup beep on the Apple II without functional RAM -- never tried). When I've seen a dead 6502 on an Apple II, it's usually not garbage text on the screen but just a kind of checkerboard, but I suppose that's another possibility (that the 6502 is not starting).
Adam and I taught ourselves how to open the (and more importantly, reassemble!) this system a few weeks ago when we first pulled both of VCFed's out of storage. I suppose it wouldn't hurt* if I open this one and make sure all its chips are seated. * Degnan, that's your prompt to ask "What could possibly go wrong with that plan?"
On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 5:48 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
and so it begins.
What's that supposed to mean?
quote by King Theoden right before the major battle at Helms in LOTR a phrase anytime something bad happens
taH Pagh taHbe' From: william degnan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> Cc: william degnan <billdegnan@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, March 10, 2017 7:06 PM Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Sick Laser 128 On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 5:48 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
and so it begins.
What's that supposed to mean?
Shakespere
On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 7:06 PM, william degnan <billdegnan@gmail.com> wrote:
On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 5:48 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
and so it begins.
What's that supposed to mean?
Shakespere
Maybe not Shakespeare but in addition to Tolkein, the phrase is used to describe the start of the Shadow / Vorlon war in the tv scifi show babylon 5 Basically the meaning, to undertake a battle or long drawn-out important event ending with a climax
On 03/10/2017 07:10 PM, william degnan via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 7:06 PM, william degnan <billdegnan@gmail.com> wrote:
On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 5:48 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
and so it begins.
What's that supposed to mean?
Shakespere
More likely an infinite number of monkeys typing on an infinite number of Timex Sinclairs ...
Maybe not Shakespeare but in addition to Tolkein, the phrase is used to describe the start of the Shadow / Vorlon war in the tv scifi show babylon 5
Basically the meaning, to undertake a battle or long drawn-out important event ending with a climax
Hey keep it family friendly. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry@linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies
On Mar 10, 2017, at 5:12 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
I used the Laser 128 twice today. It worked fine. Now, there's no start-up beep and it displays junk text. Help!
In the event this turns into a "can't be fixed before VCF" type problem, I do have a clean, working 128 I can bring to VCF. It was part of my attack of the clones exhibit last year. Just so you know it have something to fall back on should that become necessary. Tony
In the event this turns into a "can't be fixed before VCF" type problem, I do have a clean, working 128 I can bring to VCF. It was part of my attack of the clones exhibit last year. Just so you know it have something to fall back on should that become necessary.
Thanks Tony. I can bring my regular //e to Trenton (3/18) but I'll need the Laser working for Southeast (last weekend of April). Plenty of time between now and then. Of course I hope this one can be fixed before Trenton simply because it's a lot easier to bring due to size + no need for a separate drive.
Perhaps it would be best to bring two working systems. Just in case one fails. It would be disheartening to get there and have it fail without being able to demo it. I am bringing two of everything for my Commodore 64 Capsela system. On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 5:14 PM Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
I used the Laser 128 twice today. It worked fine. Now, there's no start-up beep and it displays junk text. Help!
________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit
evan@vcfed.org (646) 546-9999
www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation
-- Jeff Brace - ark72axow@gmail.com Sent from my Commodore 64
participants (9)
-
Christopher Blackmon -
Dan Roganti -
Dave McGuire -
Evan Koblentz -
Hagstrom, Paul -
Jeffrey Brace -
Neil Cherry -
Tony Bogan -
william degnan