m SINCLAIR/TIMEX USERS MAGAZINE Volume Il SEPTEMBER 1984 Number 9

Inside...

Spectrum Emulator Revisited

TMK Color Monitor Expanding UDG’s

ZX/TS Repair Guide —Part |

Horace Goes Skiing!

Vendor Reports Users Group News Classified Ads

...and more!

Spectrum Emulator Revisited

In last month's article, we in- advertently left out the printed circuit board layout, so here it is this month with our apologies. Also I have drawn a side view showing how the chips sit on the board.

When installing the chips, always use great care in positioning the chips in the sockets. Generally, the width between the two rows of pins are wider than the socket spacing. To narrow the spacing, hold the chip with both hands, fingers holding top and bottom and press one of the rows of pins on their side onto a hard surface with the pins still in the protective foam. Carefully bend in both sides slightly until the chip is easier to fit into the socket. The outward bend of the pins help "force" a good connection to the socket, so don't over do it.

The foam is there to protect’ the chip from static discharges. Keep the chip in the foam as long as possible. Remember, the drier your climate, the more chance you have of

Speertrum Capacitor ROM -

resistor Tesistor

Socket

: a Timex ROM PINS to : plug into Original

ROW socket

Front view of completed circuit board with both ROMS mounted.

...continued on next page

+S5v

ag of Socket ROMCS esa. Ee 5 mF Te pind? “= of ROM2Z =

Schematic of Spectrum Emulator

static damage. Don't forget to pro- tect the chips you take out such as the 2068 ROM. Your best bet is to stick it in the other side of the foam your new ROM is in. Also remember that in any work you. do With any of your computers, you are working with static sensitive com-

ponents; so be careful.

More software that we now know to work on the 2068 with the Spectrum ROM enabled include:

Tutankhamun Teradacktil |

SUM

SINCLAIR/TIMEX USERS MAGAZINE c/o 3224 NW 30th Avenue Gainesville, Florida 32605

EDITOR 2.2.3.2scckiere cee i ace oland Joe Williamson PUBLISHERS tecct ated a cs elite d Richard Cravy CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AL -MollitO® ssb% civic sas. ces eae s ..... John Monkus

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Regular Subscription ............... $12.00/year Trial Subscription $6.00/6 months Published once a month

ADVERTISING RATES

FUl ls PAGE asnminat soa cate Et esie eae eeeeaed $50 Half Pag@a x cowed ccc ves nme tae carrelsews eae $30 QUarter Page esse. kes bu de ba eee LaGuhees oa $20 Eighth: Page dicciceaw cide seine sewn bate $12

We do not do artwork or ad layouts. Advertisers must supply their own.

CLASSIFIEDS

$2.00 per line, standard characters only, 35 char- acters per line. Free personal ads for subscribers (no dealers).

Penetrator Advanced Graphics Chopper Rescue Voice Chess

ETX

Code Name Mat Groucho

& FOOTE 1984

+6y 38 !

Printed circuit layout for Spectrum Emulator.

Sometimes the Spectrum ROM has a hard time initializing. You can tell from the start if it will or won't. If the screen BORDER initializes white then no problem should occur. Tf the BORDER initializes black, go ahead and turn off the computer anu try again. For me; -it-has trouble initializing about 20% cf the tine.

--Joe Willjiamson

SUM-WARE

TS 2068 2 fee vaio. tee abe ihweltawese ve $4399 AlphaCom 32 Printer i issick sieve ce ae cee 569% Timex Modem (2050) ............0.0085 $109% Zebra Light Pens soc .dsccrventeewisieaan $27% Timex 2020:'Recorder 22.2 34.0% dieses wna $399 Timex 2090 Command Stick............. $4 495 Cartridges: Flight Simulator or Pinball... . 29%

GasiNO:! xs ceive dcaeies enrages $229

810 Mammott Rd., Alden, NY 14004 Add 5% Shipping C.O.D.OK Catalog—$1.00

716/547-2273

cy)

C)

&

Ge

TMK Color Monitor

The TMK monitor/TV (model #201b) is a low resolution 9" monitor and TV combination. The unit stands 13" by 10" wide and 13" deep. A set of switches on the front allow ad- justments for contrast, brightness, color and tint, as well as auto- color and TV/monitor switching. It contains a turret style tuner for VHF and UHF stations. The rear has inputs for the tuner and _ separate audio/video jacks both in and out.

Using the monitor mode, the pic- ture quality is excellent and even Tasword shows up quite well 64 column mode when you turn down the color. While in the TV mode, the picture is degraded only slightly and still gives sharp characters.

The price is in the $280-S$300 range and available at K-Mart and Skipper Electronics. Better quality color monitors are available at higher prices, but Considering the price and picture quality, I would say that it is an excellent choice. Joe Williamson

in

What To Do With That Computer

A common question asked owners of home computers is, "What can you do with that thing?" Many of us might answer "play games", "word process-— ing", or "keep track of finances". Many of us probably leave the answer at that, purposely vague. The fact is, many home computers gather dust more than they process information.

While I admit that my own Timex 1000 sits idle much of the time, I do have at least one regular use for it. About once a month, after all my bank statements, credit card bills, and other information arrives in the mail, I use the computer to update an approximation of my net worth. To do this I use Vu-Calc. I have set up several columns, each for a type of

asset or liability, "Short-term savings" or liabilities". Each row column is assigned to a savings account, loan, or real property. Each month, have to do is update current or balances. The final used to summarize all columns by instantly calculating "total assets", "total liabilities" and the difference between the two: "net worth" (never as large as one

such as "long-term in each particular item of

ath:

values column is the other

would hope). As soon as I find a_ TS 2040 printer, I will make a hard copy each month to keep track of

long-term trends.

This is just one example of how a Timex computer can be used to make everyday life a little easier and more interesting. It would be in- teresting to hear how other TUG members answer the question: "What do you use that thing for, anyway?"

Al Mollitor

WM $ Dale Systems,

DEDUCT 10% OR PURCHASE OF 2 OR MORE SOFTWARE PACKAGES.

USER GROUP MEMBERS DEDUCT 10%

TS2068 SOFTWARE

The following programs all use a machine code generated Spreadsheet format that makes them fast and reliable. It is suggested that a printer be used with the programs, but one is not required. For complete details on these programs please refer to the TS1000 section of this price list.

TAX RETURN ORGANIZER 2000 $20.0

CHECKREC 2000 $12 06

STOCK WATCH 2000

Ble.

APPOINTMENT WATCH 2000 $12.00

ADDRESS BOOK 2000 $12.00

HOUSEHOLD INVENTORY 200C $12.00

y Re Finverle $18.9

ull color word ¢ program for the

in design to the

ent reviews in

) includes all of the

ating keys, upper and lower case,

text loadin;; ani saving, and text about 450. ~ rds.

computer features audible

capacity oO

TEXTWRITER 2000 PLUS

$24.95

A program similar tu the THATWRITER 2000 program above, but for use with the TS206¢ and the A.xCO Centronics interface.

$24.95 Coffey contains six excellent computer. Programs > Learning Hi-Res Lander, Oscilliscope, cup rated 3 out of & by iroup, 4/84 newsletter.

This p

Computer quality C-20 length (10 minutes per side) with plastic case and blank labels.

10 for $9.50 25 for $18.00

We pay postage.

4 BUTTERFLY DRIVE HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK 11788

ET

ZX/TS Repair Guide Part |

This begins a series of articles on how to repair the problems’ that spring up with your ZX81 and TS1000. Sending off to have your computer repaired can cost as much as--if not more than--the original cost of the

computer. The majority of the pro- blems can be fixed by the average owner.

The first problem that I will

cover is LOADing and SAVEing. If the computer works otherwise, 99% of LOADing/SAVEing problems lie in the cassette recorder you are using. The

ZX/TS machines have one of the poorest (and slowest) ways of load- ing a program. You have no idea whether the program is actually loading or just passing what it

thinks is garbage.

Most problems are caused by not having the proper volume setting while loading. One of the best ways of telling whether the program is loading or not is by watching the TV screen. The proper volume setting can be determined by watching the black and white lines on the screen during the more "steady scenes". The

black lines should be slightly thicker than the white lines in between. On some sets with bad

linearity, the lines may get thinner towards the the screen (the display

be smaller towards the

appear to bottom of appears to bottom as

well). On these sets, try to watch the top few lines to make the black lines thicker than the white ones. That should give you proper volume

for loading (typically around 3/4 of maximum volume).

Left screen shows volume too low; right screen shows correct volume.

The type of recorder is very im- portant. Use only a standard type monaural recorder. Don't use stereo portables, home type units or micro- cassettes, they probably will not work. Your best bet is to use a good quality desk-top recorder which in- cludes a tone control, tape counter, and its own power supply (generally in the $35 to $50 range). We have found that Panasonic recorders work with good results. Timex's works well and now Sears has a model out that looks identical to the Timex 2020 recorder.

Don't use a recorder from the closet that has been sitting collecting dust--it probably won't

work. Have the recorder cleaned and belts replaced first before trying it. After sitting so long, the belts develop flat spots and cause an uneven speed, and dust can gum up the mechanism and cause the machine to eat your new tape. A recorder in good condition is a must.

Tone is another important factor to consider. If you have a tone control, be sure and place it in the highest position possible.

If after trying all this and it still won't load, disconnect the earphone jack and turn the volume down to a tolerable level and listen to a pre-recorded professional program. If it sounds dull and muffled, the head azimuth may be off or the heads dirty. Head azimuth is the angle of the tape data track with respect to the pickup on _ the head (should be parallel: zero degrees). For dirty heads, take cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol and gently clean the heads so that they appear shiney. If the heads are not dirty, the head azimuth should be adjusted.

A lot of tape recorders small hole right above the audio head (front center of cassette bas- ket) which reveals a screw while in the play position. Play the tape and use a jeweler's screwdriver to turn the screw. You should hear "muffledness" change. Adjust for the most "Shrill" sound possible

have a

the ,

@

If you adjust center

(produces the most highs). don't have a head azimuth hole, take it to a service and have it done.

You should be able without any problems. tape and see if you wavering or a stop and go type of sound. If you do, have it serviced, or buy another recorder (the motor may be going). If it sounds fine, then check all your connections, try another tape, have only the ear plug connected for loading and the mic plug connected for saving (remember, its ear to ear and mic to mic). If problems still persist, try another recorder on your computer or your recorder on another computer and ascertain which is the problem.

Once you have the loading of a prerecorded tape down, saving should also work. After you save a program, play it back with the mic plug out and make sure that something went onto the tape. If not, check your connections, and/or try another

EI OAWARE

P.O. Box 2036, Del Mar, CA 92014 charge by phone (619) 481-3629

GAMES SAMPLER

MIND VS. MACHINE

MAKING TREKS

1,2,3 GO

MIND BOGGLERS

TURNING THE TRUTH TABLES WORKING MOTHER'S DILEMMA SNAKE EYES

CRAZEY MAZEY

KEYSTROKE MANAGEMENT

GRIDLOCK BASIC BASIC

Runs on TS1000/TS1500 4 GAMES ON EVERY CASSETTE

load play a hear any

to now If not,

NOOnNOOOOOOOO

Name

Address

City. Acct. # © Ck Enclosed O Visa O Mastercard Exp. Date

State Zip

recorder. If playback recorded tape is fine but playback of your recorded tape is muffled, have the heads de-magnetized and cleaned.

Everything in this particular article also pertains to the 2068. Although loading problems do not occur as frequently, they still do occur with the color computer. Head azimuth is a little more critical due to the faster transfer of data. Tapes come to you with varying levels of quality and may have been recorded on a recorder with head azimuth than yours. Some hard to load can be loaded by adjusting head azimuth slightly.

SKIPPER ELECTRONICS SOFTWARE SPECIALS

TIMEX TS2068 CASSETTES Checkbook Manager (Regular 19.95) ....11.95 Math Wizardry (Regular 19.95) ......... 11.95

of a -“pre-

slightly different tapes the

Vu-File (Regular 19.95) 0.01... cee ce eee 11.95 Budgeter (Regular 19.95). 1... 0c ee eee 11.95 Blind Alley (Regular 19.95) ........404. 11.95 Quadra-Chart (Regular 19.95) .......4.. 11.95 TIMEX TS2068 CARTRIDGES Casino I (Regular 29.95) ...... eee eee 11.95 States & Capitals (Regular 29.95) ....... 11.95 Crazybugs (Regular 29.95).......0.504- 11.95 Westridge 2050 Modem ................ 119.95

Timex TS1000/1500 16K Ram Module .. Timex TS1000/1500 Program Tapes ZX Computing Magazine...........-++6+5 3.95 Timex Sinclair 1500/1000 Pocket Book..... 8.00 Fifty 1K/2K Games for the TS1500/1000.... 8.00 Explorer’s Guide to the ZX81/TS1000 ...... 8.00 Gateway Guide to the ZX81 & ZX80........ 5.00

.. 14.95

We also carry Foote Software titles

Add $3.00 shipping for mail orders Supplies limited/call for availability

SKIPPER ELECTRONICS 3708 Newberry Road Gainesville, FL 32607 904/373-6796

Finally, use a good quality tape (not the three for $1 specials). And on the TS1000 make sure you are not trying to load a 16K program into a 2K RAM.

--Joe Williamson

NEXT MONTH: Inside the ZX/TS

Textwriter 2000 Plus A Brief Review

Textwriter 2000+--available for the 2040 printer at $18.95; for the Aerco interface at $24.95.

Bob Fingerle's TW2000+ is a menu driven word processor with word wrap for the TS2068. The menu consists of seven items:

1. initialize colors

2. load a file

3. start a new file

4. save a file

5. display file

6. printing single space

7. printing double space Most of the items are self explana- tory. #1 allows you to set paper and ink colors on your screen. #6 & #7 helps format your text for your printer. The Aerco interface which I am using lets you use either the 2040 or an 80 column printer.

To me the most important is the "Goof" command. If you acci- dentally BREAK, then you type GOTO 9000 and your menu and text returns. Type #5 on the menu, the line number you wish and continue typing as if nothing had happened.

feature

TW2000+ in EDIT mode will center text, add spaces, lines or single characters, move blocks of type,

delete text, or repeat blocks of type as many times as needed.

Here is a shopping list of what I would like to see added to this good program: right justification, im- bedding of printer commands, re- naming (so you can use all or part of a text under a different name), 64 columns on the screen, and a means of adding characters easily without overtyping your text (now

you must add your spaces manually). In conclusion the TW2000+ is’ the

most user-friendly word processor for the money for the TS2068. I have been using mine for six months,

driving a Spirit 80 printer, to pro- duce articles, letters, etc.

-- Bill Woodward Bob Fingerle, 39639 Embarcadero, Fremont, CA 94538.

A FULL TEST OF TW2000+ WILL APPEAR IN THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF S.U.M.

Users Group News

In this column, we will list the regional user groups in Florida. If you have a users group here, please drop us a line so we can include your meeting times and highlights of your last meeting.

TUG: Gainesville, FL. Meets’ the third Wednesday of each month at 3708 Newberry Rd (State Road 26) Gainesville, FL 32607. Call Bill at (904) 373-6796 for details. Facil- ities are provided to bring your system and show it off.

LAST MEETING: On display was the TMK color monitor/TV combination. We compared its picture quality to a BMC green screen monitor which K-Mart was selling for $85.00. Both monitors had very clear displays with the monochrome having the edge. The color made the other more desirable though. We also had an Olivetti ink jet printer connected to a 2068 with an Aerco interface. The printer is lightning fast and

very quiet. A catalog mail order service known as DAK was_- selling these printers off at $200 a_ shot.

A very good deal. Richard Cravy showed off his new program called "Horace Goes Skiing", one of three available in the Horace series. NEXT MEETING: Our next meeting will be the 2nd anniversary of our Timex Users Group. We are all = ex- pecting to have a good time.

ERUNING 44131 22870 3

+5V]1.0 AMP A cag tyr

“USE OF THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS AT USER'S SOLE RISK. WHILE THE INFORMATION WAS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT AT THE TIME IT WAS PREPARED, TIMEX COMPUTER CORPORATION OR ITS

UA78L12 EE 13Z 440 AFFILIATES, ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR THE SAFETY

OR PERFORMANCE OF ANY PRODUCT MANUFACTURED RELYING ON THE

1000, F TECHNICAL DATA CONTAINED HEREIN, OR ANY LIABILITY, LOSS, DAMAGE, CR1 IN5821 SIGNAL OR EXPENSE SUSTAINED BY REASON OF ANY CLAIM THAT SUCH PRODUCTS GND INFRINGE ANY PATENT OR OTHER INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHT.”

15V AT 1.0 AMP

~~ HH sv

NOTES: (untess OTHERWISE SPECIFIED) 1) ALL RESISTORS ARE 1/4 W, 5%, RATED IN OHMS.

335870500

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REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

J4 CARTRIDGE

ra COMPONENT SIDE a: 12. 5 J 1 oa, o n ! ; [x1 {2 { ° wo ju) a | o| -} ic| = oO] elon x} af 2} xt lel st ysl @] of] H] =) (2) ix) 3) +| <| a} <] a] a} <] & ie} | ie] 2} ec! og} <| z| (a) al VV VV Vv VV¥V¥VY Y 204 6 8B 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 1 3°95 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 A | A A AKAAAA A ol} ow c}oal of a) of gl] ge a) el ol sl lw Z} gs} a} a} 9} ao ao} a of 9 fe lal «og a) aj Io | =| «| | | i] | ic | = H | a i I 4 io ep on oO S ie NONCOMPONENT SIDE TS 1000 COMPATIBLE (TIMING IS DIFFERENT) | o COMPONENT SIDE om ] = ay iO io 22 8 2 25) | | | see bee es Be JE Ee wl go ef al -| | | |! H 2 3| _ 4 bl eee eas dee ea ale GGG GE ait EE ele 9 8 = Vv v VVVVVVVVVVVVVV¥VV¥V¥ VY 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11:12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13:14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 KAAAKAAAAA AN AANARAAAAR A ANAANA | lig el | al -} ol} al af a} oe ae | | as sz Vu yasea sed sae fase sg ee 2! 21 9] gd 2] 2 2} ] 5 5 | a | 4 al & 5 a s| el. . Pb Sb ae SL Sh 1 | wot bt gl 4 2 2| ce 6 z = NONCOMPONENT SIDE oO 3 z Zz

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

SPEC

SIZE

OWN N PARSONS

yATS

FEB 84

SALE

NONE

Pl EXPANSION

COMPUTER CORPORATION WATERBURY CONN * 06720

NAME TS2000 SYSTEM

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

OWG NO

335-870500

a

G@ppettera

t 23675 and 23676.

Expanding UDG’s

Have you thought that when you wanted to print a pattern using user defined graphics on the screen that you were limited to placing that pattern on the screen in multiples of the pixel dimensions (8x8) of the character? True in the horizontal,

but in the vertical dimension, the tyranny of the character can be overcome as illustrated by this

little program called "EXP II".

EXP II pokes the value of the UDG start address for the user defined graphics table. The program scrolls the pixel patterns of the USR graphics. By printing characters that are next to each other in the character set on top of each other on the screen, the graphic character changes position a pixel at a time. This allows smoother movement of graphics on the screen.

The graphic character can be any number of characters high. For a that is more than one character in width, a puffer or blank character is placed between the Series of -Characthers that -aAre printed on top of each other. Notice

the setup of the characters in EXP Il. The small duplicate listing is to show which UDG characters are used in the print statements. This was MaGge by listing line 8200 and then in direct mode, print to the screen and then COPY.

I hope that you find EXP's

principle useful in developing your own moving graphics programs. This one had me scratching my head for days, but every time I thought about it, it became more beautiful.

One other thing this opens up is that you can also have more than one user defined character set. The UDG's initialize at memory location 65368 and occupy 168 bytes (21x8). Another set could be stored 168 bytes below this starting at 65201. These starting addresses are stored Initially 23675 holds 88 and 23676 holds 255 (255* 256+88=65368) for starting address

65201, POKE 23675 with 177 and 23676 With 254 (254*256+177=65201). To utilize this, all you have to do is keep track of which UDG set you are working with when defining the sets and when you print them. You can make as many UDG sets as you have

FOr.

memory --John Monkus

These lines are to be entered first since they identify which characters are UDGs in their graphics mode.

This should appear on your screen when the program begins to run. This also allows you to see that, when entering the program, Graphic A/Graphic D/Graphic G yields the little design reproduced on line 8040 of the program.

Horace... At Last!

A common complaint in the microcom- puter field is that those who make the hardware don't know how to write the software. This adage has largely been confirmed by Timex, whose software for the 1000/1500 series seldom came up to the same quality level as packages from independent suppliers. This same problem has also been evident with the 2068 software.

But at last I have gotten my hands on three programs that really can make you glad you left your Atari 2600 behind. They are the "Horace" games Timex made available for the 2068 shortly before they left the market but which many dealers never stocked. I was able to purchase mine from Games To Learn By (address at end of article) at very reasonable prices.

Horace, long popular with trum owners in England, is unknown here. Horace resembles one of the ghosts in Pac-Man game with legs. But the programmers have done far more with him than the ghosts have ever done.

HUNGRY HORACE apparently is the oldest of the three games and is the simplest. It operates much like Pac- Man but has more challenge than the other 2068 maze type games I've

Spec almost somewhat the

will break his skis

seen. It's entertaining but is not my favorite. However, my 3 children (ages 13, 11, & 9) play it the most.

HORACE GOES SKIING opens with a screen in which Horace must cross an 8 lane busy freeway to rent his skis and then return. This is similar to part of the popular Frogger arcade game. After procuring his skis, he begins to ski, avoiding trees which (requiring an- other trip across the freeway) and trying to slalom back and forth through the flags to score points.

If he

can banner at the bottom he scores addi-

the

pass under finish tional points. Finishing one _ slope means crossing the freeway again to get to the next slope. This is my favorite. The sound, movement, graphics detail and sheer challenge

are great. I brought this one along

to our last users group meeting and everyone was taken with it! HORACE AND THE SPIDERS is_ the

most complicated and most challeng- ing. Three screens are presented. In

the first Horace must cross a_ large open space while jumping over a spider and then climbing a_ small hill. This immediately switches Horace to a scene in which he must cross a canyon by swinging from one

spider web rope to another while the spiders overhead are busily pulling

the ropes up (here's where I fail). Crossing the canyon he enters a black forest with spiders and webs everywhere. Horace is to set about stomping holes in the webs and then pouncing on the spiders which come to repair them. They are destroyed

if he can step on them and make them fall through the holes to the ground below. Since I have never gotte

past this part, I'm not’ sure what comes next. Again, great graphics

O™their

@active: 1050 "I" East Duane

and sound with a refreshing change in theme from the Pac-Man and Space Invaders fare.

Though I primarily use my 2068 for its educational value and for word processing, Horace does have his place at my home. Buy at least one and see if you don't agree.

-- Richard Cravy

VENDOR REPORTS

There are a number of reasons’ for the existence of magazines and news- letters supporting specific computer brands such as the Timex/Sinclair machines. One of the major reasons, from my point of view, is the inter- face such publications provide between users of the computers and those companies which produce hard- ware or software for the machines. We want to provide such a= service through the pages of SUM by provid- ing space for advertisers to promote products and by providing columns which review products. In addition we are instituting this column, GOTO, as a place where brief mention can be made of products’ and suppliers which you, as readers, may contact for more information.

Be considerate and try to enclose at least a stamp or two when requesting a catalog. Some suppliers are reporting sending out up to 100 catalogs or fliers for each 1. sale

they make. Let's help them out by paying our own way.

FAST LOADING FOR TS1000 and _ =*17TS1500 is provided by the stringy floppy drive available from A & J Micro-

drive. Designed just for the smaller Timex computers, the unit loads up to 30 times faster than a _ regular cassette tape recorder, is highly reliable and stores up to 127 files and 70K per tape. A starter kit is $169.50 + shipping. A & J Micro- Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. 408/732-9292.

ORIGINAL TIMEX HARDWARE/SOFTWARE is available at discount prices from

GAMES TO LEARN BY. lists Timex computers, games, and other Timex software as well as various utilities and other products available for the Timex machines. Marty Warner-Dubay is a former em- ployee of Timex's software develop- ment department; she received her pink slip the same day Timex got out of the business. Games To Learn By, P.O. Box 78, Collinsville, CT 06022. 203/673-7089.

Their catalog

FILING SYSTEM and database manage- ment is available from Thomas Woods. ZX Pro/file (for 1000/1500) and Pro/file 2068 are considered by many

FOOTE <& SOFTWARE

NEW! BADGAMMON 2068 Full color and

sound. 2068 version of the popular Backgammon game. $19.95

2068 1000/1500 USA S15-395 $11.95

(Presidents and States & Caps.)

Calorie Counter 16.95 12495

Advanced Math 14.95 9.95 (Calculus)

Fun & Games n.a. 7.95

(Tic-Tac-Toe & Hangman)

Note: 2068 versions are more than just "uploads", but are remakes containing full color and _ sound.

SPECTRUM ROM.........- vesOnly $2000 Lets your TS2068 run Spectrum soft- ware. Just swap out ROMS or build the "Spectremulator" as described in the August issue of SUM.

Add $1 for shipping and handling.

FOOTE SOFTWARE PO BOX 14655 GAINESVILLE, FL 32604-4655 (904) 462-1086 6-9PM EST

LOOK FOR OUR PRODUCTS AT SKIPPER ELECTRONICS.

to be the premier filing systems for the Timex machines and come with extensive manuals. Prices are cur- rently $16.95 & $29.95 respectively.

The following programs all use a machine code generated Thomas B . Woods , Pp O ‘é Box 6 4 1, spreadsheet format that makes them fast and reliable.

It is suggested that a printer be used with the programs,

Jefferson , NH 03583 . 603/ 58 66-7734 put one is not required. All programs require 16K.

TAX RETURN ORGANLZER $18.00

This package of four programs helps the individual tax payer organize his or her tax records. This package can

$18.88 ZX81s -- BNF Enterprises have rhatine lad (eran. TUMe Sromeane aah questicnn, wists tal . . . be answered by referring to W-2 forms, interest statements, operational and functioning 7ZX81s etc. Hardcopy should be kept as tax records. for $18.88 each or 6 for $89.88. No CHEOKHEC #108 ee 1 ower su 1 cab : es at this Bede remesceiGane’ Tae ceaeran Bok aigrmnsiccLiy , P PP v4 , reconcile the account to the bank statement. This program price e Contact them at 119 Foster can also be used for savings accounts.

Street, Peabody, MA 01961; 617/ a nis

This program keeps track of all stock transactions

5 3 1 _ 5 +, 7 4 e including broker's fees.

APPOINTMENT WATCH $10.00

This program keeps track of all your appointments.

ADDRESS BOOK $10.00 CLASSIFIED ADS Keep track of all your important names, addresses, and telephone numbers, Mailing labels may be cut out of printout. HOUSEHOLD INVENTORY $10.00 Maintain a listing of all your personal belongings. Two TS 1000's, Memotech 64K & HRG, eee Se Sey ec at aes EZ Key keyboard, 2040 printer with * TEXTWRITER 1000 by Robert Fingerle , 811695 paper ' 12 inch B/W TV cassette Rated A+ in S¥NC Jan/Feb 1984 teeues aime vest Word ; ssin ackage we have r the with a recorder with spare tapes. Complete Se column printers : System for only $200. Dr. Charles $1000 SUPER TAPE by J. R. Coffey 4 824.95 Lambert 904-372-5215. orti 1984 aeeudi "45 programe on one tapes **all programs recorded on cassette with full Snstructions. All prices include nos tage» NE a era tare Wanted: TS 2040 printer. Bring to Gaecks ‘opt money “endeE Payahyeut : next meeting or contact Al Mollitor Oe nS oer DEDUCT 10% . . AGES. at 3814 NW 9 Ave Gainesville, FL | “™™ 4 BUTTERFLY DRIVE 32601. Also interested in swapping HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK 11788

or selling software. Bring to next meeting.

SINCLAIR/TIMEX USERS MAGAZINE c/o 3224 NW 30th Avenue Gainesville, Florida 32605

CLACKAMAS rs USE! Log RS

C/O ROBERT EVANS ie

2615 SE COURTNEY RD #19 ol

MILWAUKEE, OR 98222