AMATEUR COMPUTER USERS GROUP NEWSLETTER HOMEBREW COMPUTER CLUB Issue Number Two Fred Moore, Editor, 558 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, Ca
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AMATEUR COMPUTER USERS GROUP NEWSLETTER HOMEBREW COMPUTER CLUB Issue number two Fred Moore, editor, 558 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, Ca. 94025 April 12, 1975 THE CLUB IS ALL OF US Particularly maintain a local resource file with recip- . rocal arrangements with contiguous groups. .. We're growing-about 60 members so far. Meetings have been Exchange information.. .mostly an information and loose which I think is good. Gordon keeps the discussion moving learning center. .. to offer a chance to get together as our chairperson. Do we need more of an agenda? and exchange ideas on software and hardware. .. Last time we had general club business and news first, followed serve as information exchange medium; run technical discussion & education sessions. I would like to by Gordon giving us a good introduction to what the machine does see information exchange on both hardware and soft- with the code we lay on it. I'd like to see this topic continued and ware; volume buying and such would be great to get some specific routines followed thru step-by-step. Amateurs that prices down on electronic equipment. .. regular we are and limited by our small memories, we are going to be talk- exchange of information software or hardware for the ing assembly or machine language if we want our CPU to do more bendit of all. provide exchange of technical data than process what we say. Learning good coding habits can save & access to hardware & software items. .. info source hours and headaches as well. 8080, etc., clearing house software systems & appli- cations; maintain computerized xref abilities, and Then again, since most of us don't have a system up yet, it interests. .. share skills. perform want-ad match- may be too early for software discussions. What topic do we want ing so that people can find what they want to have. for future meetings? Terminals? Memory? 110 interface pro- Assemble indexes and consumer infor about types of blems? What? It would be nice to have a program focus for each things we usually want: CPU chips, CPU boxes, meeting announced in advance in the newsletter. Anyone want modems, terminals, floppydisks, PTR/PTP units, TTL et al chips supply, test equipment available to bring and give a demonstration of herlhis system? for loan or buy or rent, generally-rreeful software, I'm intending to get the newsletter out once a month. As individual specific routines people have written. .. Lee suggested, it will be mostly a pointer to sources, items, news, share ideas and stop trying to have many small business etc. Sort of an identifier of people, places, articles, abstracts, men trying to make a few dollars. Should try to have and general information of interest to club members. It can some standards, but the club will be healthier if every- serve as a link between members: who has what to share or who one has different applications-good ideas for the others. .information exchange, specialized equip needs what. And that includes all of us. We each know some- ment access, group projects. .. information ex- thing or have something-even if it is only time or energy. The change on software & hardware availability. .. assumption is we are all learners and doers. Right? The function obtain and list where current information is avail- of the club and the newsletter is to facilitate our access to each able, identify worthwhile newsletters, publications. other and the micro-world out there. .. get a computer on line. .. .general interchange , on uses & construction, quantity discount, prying You know something of interest to the club: let us all know. info loose from companys not anxious to waste Put it down on paper, scratch paper, anything, and get it to the time talking to individuals.. .. people should demo editor. If it is long, just jot a quick descriptive review (use key- their work to keep club interest high; a good demo words) and tell where it can be had (complete address). Or send can make a very interesting meeting. a copy to me to be kept in the club library (a filing cabinet). Quite a lot of worthwhile goals! Anymore? If there is a high demand for the item, PCC is willing to xerox I have listed our individual plans, needs, wants, copies at cost. By the way, if you have recent or back issues of and offerings on the following pages. electronic magazines and micro-computer stuff, how 'bout Thanks to Dan and Dave for the UART donating them to the library? chips and for the Microprocessor scorecard All those new to the club, please fill out a Surve-y Questionaire included in this issue. Thanks to Ed for a which T'll take to mean you are an active member. Also be sure donation of some EDN's for the library. to put a dollar in the hat at the next meeting-our expenses are Thanks to Keith for really spreading the word increasing. Larger donations welcome. about the club. Thanks to Fritz for the cover Looking ovel the Questionaires that have been turned in, I sketch. And a special thanks to Gordon far . I I see we have a lot of talented, skilled, and imaginative people. Part I of his software presentation and doing 1 The club names suggested are: Infinitesmal Computer Club, a fine job of chairing the meetings. I Midget Brains, Steam Beer Computer Group, computer Users T7/L$ I Group, People's Computer Club, Eight-Bit Byte Bangers, Micro- Club Treasury Report: Processors, Bay Area Computer Experimentors Group, and INCOME: From Gordon's suggestion that each member Amateur Computer Club of America. donate a dollar, we collected $23.63 at the first meeting, $22.00 at the second, and $7.00 at the third gathering, The question "What would you like the club to do? Goals?" for a total of $52.63. brought these responses: Perhaps the club can be a central REPRO & EXPENSES: The initial post card announcement cost disemenation point for hard-to-otherwise-get listings & schematics, paper $8.00. First newsletter cost $10.90 for xeroxing and tape sources and binaries AS WELL AS a place where software written in $4.00 postage. Second meeting card cost 2.29 xerox- PL/M be compiled, simulated, etc., for creating working or usable binaries. and $5.20 postage. Total spent $30.39. .. info exchange on line systems, standardization of info exchange. BALANCE: As of April 2, 1975, the club has S22.24. meet to exchange ideas, share skills, problems and solutions. Maintain a The copying and mailing of this newsletter will cost work bench somewhere with a scope, VTVM, etc. Circulate a local news- most if not more than this amount-leaving the cup letter and contribute to a wider circulation newspaper when appropriate. board bare. Suggestions? I Dear Fred, F'ublications: 1 ma1 Supply Sources: Sounds like you had a fun meeting. We got a local group meeting together Latest The Computer Hobbyist (Feb.'75) James Electronics last night and had 18 people show. Four has a good evaluation of microprocessors P.O. Box 822 Belmont, Ca. 94002 from Santa Barbara, one from Paso Robles by Hal Chamberlin. (tel. 415-592-8097) and the rest from Lompoc & Santa Maria. (has 1 C's, components, mail order Thanks for the copy of the Bay Area Latest People's Computer Company issue and phone orders) Ne wsletrer. Lets continue to trade copies has a lot of good info on home computing. Bill Godbout Electronics Sincerely, , Box 2673 Oakland Airport, Ca. 94614 Hal Singer, Micro8 What To Do After You Hit Return or (has I C's, components, memoties, etc., R C C 's First Book of Computer Games, mail order) Computer Indexing System now available for $6.95 from People's This is the very crude beginning of a ham- Computer Company P.O. Box 3 10 International Electronics Unlimited radio-based information service, but it is a be- hlenlo Park, Ca. 94025 (tel. 415-323- P.O. Box 1708 Monterey, Ca. 93940 ginning. Mitt Sodacker, WA7TFE, feels that 61 17). This 157 page oversize book has RTTY is the logical mode to use in an infor- (tel. 408-659-317 1) 1 mation transfer system, and is working with descriptions and sample runs of 48 games (components, etc., mail order) j a number of other hams and computer enthusi- with listings in HP 2000F BASIC. asts to set up such a network. Mark Barker, Mike Ouinn Electronics K3RZG/2, has suggested in considerable-detail : Building 727 a computer indexing system which would allow ~VicrocomputerDesign by Donald P. Martin, Oakland Airport large numbers of hams to register their inter- president of Martin Research Ltd. ests ard areas of competence in a computer (IC's, components, etc.) 1825 South Halsted St, Chicago, Ill. memory. An individual wanting information on (tel. 569-1539) a particular subject could query the computer 60608 (tel. 312-829-6932). This book (by RTTY perhaps) and find out who to con- covers the basic design applications of Solid State Music tact. Since there are IC chips available which the 8008. Book available for $75. permit conversion from 5-bit/start/stop Baudot 2102 A Walsh .' (RTTY) code to 8-bit ASCII fcomputer) code Sunnyvale, Ca. and vice versa, computer-RTTY tie-ins are (IC's, components, etc.) quite possible. liitt is coordinating the activities SIGMICRO %ACM, P.O. Box 3 55 Sunnyvale, of the RTTY Technical Group and if you'd like Ca. 94088 (tel. 415-325-2962) Subscription to get invol;ed in this end of things, write to Haltek Electronics (Announcements of meetings about micro- him at Box 8557, Pocatello, Idaho 83209.