In reference to "Rocking ROMS" (Antic, I/O Board, February 1984), I've
had similar problems with ROM cartridges. Before dismantling your
cartridges, try cleaning the contacts on the part of the cartridge that's
inserted into the computer with a swab and alcohol. Often, a little
dirt is the only reason a cartridge won't work. If there is any particularly
stubborn dirt, rub it off with a piece of notebook paper (NEVER sandpaper!),
The contact edge is usually exposed in third-party cartridges,
but it must be uncovered with Atari cartridges. Insert the tip of
an ink pen into either end of the slot in the end of the Atari cartridge
and slide it toward the center to release the spring holding the cartridge
cover closed. Then just push back the end of the cover, and hold
it in place with one hand while you clean the contacts with the other.
Be sure to clean the contacts on both sides of the PC board.
Matthew J. W Ratcliff
St. Louis, MO
LASER DISKS AND ATARI
I own an Atari 800, 1200, an 810 disk drive and a Pioneer LD-1100 laser
disk player. Is it now possible. or will it be possible to use the
computer together with the laser disk player?
Roy L. Dobbs, Jr.
San Diego, CA
We do know that Atari is working on laser disk technology for use
with its computers. However we don't have any details yet (neither does
anyone else!). We'll put inforation in the magazine as it comes to
us. -ANTIC ED
M-L PROGRAMMING
I'm a beginning programmer, and enjoy programming in BASIC. I, and
I'm sure many others, would like to learn to program in machine language.
Would it be possible for you to publish articles about machine language
programming?
Brandon McMullen
San Diego, CA
We have published such articles periodically in the past, and will
continue to do so from time to time. -ANTIC ED
GRAB BAG
I have several questions. First, can you turn Atari's "keyclick"
sound on and off? Second, can you make the cursor blink? Third,
can you refer to the cursor as an ASCII number to edit it?
Brian Woodruff, Age 11
Elverson, PA
The keyclick in the Atari 400/800 is produced by a small speaker
in the computer Programs like LJK's Letter Perfect disable the click by
using a custom keyboard handler completely bypassing the Atari Operating
System's handler For most users, it's easier to disable the click by attaching
a switch to the keyboard speaker XL machines, however, don't have an internal speaker.
They send the keyclick sound to the TV speaker, whose volume can easily
be turned down. Also, a special memory location controls the keyclick.
Use POKE 731,255 to disable the keyclick, and POKE 731,0 to enable it. The cursor can be made to blink with a machine-language
routine executed during the vertical blank interval. If any readers submit
such a routine, we'll publish it. As far as we know, you can't change the cursor's shape
with normal character-set editing techniques. Note that, if you change
the pointer to the character set by POKEing a number other than 224 into
location 756, the cursor's shape remains intact. -ANTIC ED
ATARI SLIDE SHOW?
I'd like to use my Atari PC system to design and execute programmed
slide presentations using multiple projectors and dissolve units.
To date I've been unable to locate such a system for the Atari. It
should be possible to accomplish this with the computer's sound capabilities
or the output of digital information through the joystick ports.
Software would allow you to program "cues" on tape, and to store programs
on disk for future presentations. Any help from your readers would
be greatly appreciated.
David LaComb
1112 Hilton Ave.
Utica, NY 13501
MORE SOUNDS
The monitor I use with my Atari doesn't have a built-in speaker.
Is there any way to install a speaker in the monitor to produce sound?
Masahiro Mori
Taichung, Taiwan
You can connect a small, inexpensive transistor AM radio to the
audio output from the DIN jack on your 800 or 80OXL. Here's a diagram
of the jack: Dismantle the radio, and find where the tuner connects to the volume
knob before the signal enters the amplifier. Disconnect the tuner and attach
the audio output from the Atari to the same place the tuner's audio was
connected. Attach the ground wire similarly and voila! Your
monitor is wired for sound. -ANTIC ED
USING THE 1027
I recently purchased an Atari 1027 letter-quality printer. The
printer is excellent, but the documentation is sparse.
I've discovered how to use the 1027's special printing
features with AtariWriter, and would like to pass this information on to
your readers. Before using a character from the International Character
set, you must type [CTRL O] 27 [CTRL O] 23. Next, type [CTRL O],
and then the decimal number of the character you wish to use (from the
chart in the 1027 manual).
To use the 1027's underline feature, first turn off the
International Character set, if you've been using it, with [CTRL O] 27
[CTRL O] 24. To start underlining, type [CTRL O] 15; to end, type
[CTRL O] 14. Please note that the control character is the letter
O, not the number zero.
Also, when using the 1027 with AtariWriter, select printer
3 (820) when using the print-preview or print-file commands.
Mike B. Stanger
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
INTERFACE LANGUAGE
I've been using the printer interface I built from your article "Make
A Face" (Antic, October 1983) with no problems. However, I recently
bought Atari Microsoft BASIC II, and find that the printer interface doesn't
work with this language. Apparently, Microsoft BASIC uses the locations
normally inhabited by the printer interface routine.
Andy Hardy
Kaukauna, WI
The only solution, which requires the use of an assembler is to
find an area of memory tbat Microsoft BASIC doesn't use, and reassemble
the program to the new location. In the assembler listing, change
'*=$6oo'to '* = $???'in line 320. You must also change the pointer
to the printer handler device. If you're not familiar with assembly
language, perhaps someone in your local users' group can help you.
-ALAN MACY
SORRY, WRONG NUMBER
In our July 1984 Antic, one of the Bulletin Board System numbers was
incorrect: the NOCOAST system in Ohio. Please do not try calling
NOCOAST at the number printed. That is the number of a private residence.
LISTENING TO ERROR MESSAGES
I am the owner of an Atari 60OXL, and my problem is that I'm blind,
and so have difficulty telling when an error message appears when I'm typing
in a program. I'd like to be able to have the machine sound a tone
through the monitor or TV speaker when an error occurs.
Name withheld
by request
What you need is a machine-language vertical-blank routine that
would monitor important memory locations for an immediate-mode error Since
Atari BASIC doesn't use memory location 195 for immediate mode errors,
as it does for run-time errors, it wouldn't do any good to monitor this
location. If any readers come up with a solution, please send it
to Antic and we'll pass it along to the interested party, -ANTIC ED
XL COMPATIBILITY
I plan to purchase an Atari 80OXL soon. I've heard that some
game cartridges don't work properly on the XL series. Is this true,
and if so, is there any way I can make them compatible?
Tony Brum
Jacksonville, NC
When the 12OOXL was introduced, some third-party cartridges wouldn't
fit into the cartridge slot, requiting modification of the cartridge shell.
This problem has been eliminated with the cartridge slot on the 6OOXL and
80OXL. We've beard reports of cartridge-based software being incompatible,
but have been unable to verify these. A product called The XL "Fix," advertised
in these pages by Computer Software 5ervices, PO. Box 17660, Rochester,
NY 14617, purports to allow incompatible software in any form, including
cartridge, to run on an XL machine. We haven't had a chance to test
this product yet. -ANTIC ED
ALPHACOM GRAPHICS
I recently bought an Alphacom 81 80-column printer. I'm pleased
with its performance, but cannot figure out how to do graphics with the
printer. Can you please help?
Justin Billen
Denver, CO
Alphacom informs us they now have expanded instructions for using
the graphics features with Atari PCs, and two screen dump programs-one
in BASIC, and one in machine language. Contact Alphacom at: 2323
S. Bascom Ave, Campbell, CA 95008. -ANTIC ED
NIGHTMARES
We at Safeware (computer insurance) appreciate David and Sandy Small's
story of our role in replacing their computer in "Nightmare Come True"
(Antic, March 1984). Readers may wish to contact us at our new address,
or call us at (800) 848-3469.
David K. Johnston
Safeware
2929 North High St.
Columbus, OH 43202
Dave Johnston is a longtime Atari owner and hacker Nice to have
a professional on our side. -ANTIC ED
ANTIC VOL. 3, NO. 4 / AUGUST 1984 / PAGE 6
