Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Kagus]

I'm... Not even sure what to say about today/past few days. I sent a couple pretty goddamn risky texts, got some rather encouraging answers back... Was out with a friend of mine, she was lamenting and stressing over a fairly obvious invitation from someone, I nudged her a bit towards taking the dive and going for it... Now she's sitting on a pile of nudes and a threesome date this weekend.

I haven't heard anything substantial back from the gals I've been talking to, but just the fact that they'd even considered funny business made me feel all bouncy inside...  Time will tell!

[King Zultan]

I found a TI-99/4A computer at thrift store, the only downside is I have no way to test it as I couldn't find any of the cords for it. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it but I wanted it.


Also 6,666th post!

[wierd]

You can probably get pinouts for everything, or even order the cables from people who make them.

Take for instance, this "Make a composite cable" page.
https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-TI-994a-Composite-Video-Cable/

What you might not realize, is that the big bulky connector with 5 pins in it, is an industry standard form factor called DIN-5.  You could take ANY DIN-5 cable, lop the end off, and use this tutorial to make a suitable video cable.

Such as, this midi cable for ~3$ USD.
https://www.amazon.com/SuperEcable-Connect-Cable-5-Pin-Black/dp/B00D6YRJWE


AND-

Say, this simple pinout for the external cassette port---
http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/hardware/cables/cassette.html

Which is just 3 monaural headphone jacks, wired to a DB9 female plug.


Power is going to be tricky.  It uses AC power that has been converted to phase synced (because the original power pack uses a dual wind transformer block) AC at 8v and 16v.  You could make one yourself, but you are probably not gonna like the idea of plugging that into a mains outlet.  You might be happier using a beefy DC source, running through a suitable flipflop, then putting a transformer on the end of that, because that would have a professionally made product at the mains power end, and the highest voltage you would be dealing with is ~18v. Just be sure your source has enough amps.

http://oldcomputer.info/8bit/ti99/index.htm

This resource suggests that a standard PC power supply can be used. (IN PLACE OF THE INTERNAL POWER TRANSFORMER! This would be a computer modification so it could run off a 12v DC wall wart source!)

http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/hardware/power_supply.html

In which case, a pico ATX should be doable.

Just situate it inside the case, and attach the power switch so it is plugged into the correct atx motherboard end connector pins, and route a 12v DC barrel connector on the back someplace.
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-power-up-an-ATX-Power-Supply-without-a-PC/

[King Zultan]

Thanks for the info, now the only thing I need it the power cord, and maybe a manual.

[wierd]

Manuals?
 

[King Zultan]

I haven't even started looking into this stuff and you already found everything, thanks again for all the info.

[wierd]

My pleasure.

[wierd]

For external cassette systems...

I have noticed that walmart has been carrying a rather unusual product.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cassette-Player-2-Station-1-Watt/41225173

(I have actually seen these in stores!)

Note the rear panel photo:

Spoiler: big photo (click to show/hide)

It has headphone (large version, but adapters are cheap), mic, and remote inputs.  Just the things that are on the cable.

I'd bet a small bill that it would totally work. Note-- it totally has a USB port on it too. If it supports PCM format WAV files, then dubbing your own tapes from files off the internet should be a snap.

[wierd]

So--

I decided to order one of these TI 99/4A systems as well.  I have fond memories programming in qbasic when I was younger, and I kinda want to play with a vintage old clunker too.

There was one (with cords!) on ebay for ~40$, which is cheap enough.  I should get it between the 11th and 19th, according to Ebay.  Maybe I will actually write a game. (I am fairly good with pixel art, and the reduced capacities of the system interest me as challenging.)

I am kinda curious what the tape drive's signal modulator is actually able to write on the tape, and if that walmart el-cheapo tape deck would work as an external tape system or not.  Floppies are kinda out of the question, since you can't get them anymore, but cassettes have a retro comeback lately, and those are available.

[King Zultan]

Which one did you get, the silver or the white one?

Also how easy is it to learn basic, because I've only ever messed around with it and I barely remember any of it.

[Reelya]

It's very easy to learn 1980s type Basic languages. The stuff was called Basic for a reason.

However, if you want to make more complex programs, it's actually easier to do them in "harder" languages, since there's support for user-defined data types, and more advanced program flow. To jury-rig that stuff up in BASIC would be very messy*.

EDIT: Note I'm talking about the original Basic-type languages, not later variants such as Microsoft's Visual Basic, which has a lot of non-standard stuff added to it.

[wierd]

Mine appears to be the silver one.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Texas-Instruments-TI-99-4A-home-computer-in-original-packaging/193078555922?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

I also grabbed a cassette cable..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TI-99-4A-TI99-Home-Computer-Black-Single-CASSETTE-CABLE-PHA-2622-NEW-SEALED/372638207335?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

and a small selection of carts including enhanced basic
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Terminal-Emulator-II-TI-99-4a-1980-Ti-Extended-Basic-Speech-Editor-Hustle/193074903679?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649


As for TI's basic--
Its a bit clunky...  The TI version has some unique operators for dealing with custom character faces, and the enhanced basic (via cartridge) has support for easy sprite programming. (movement, collision, etc.) The data formats are also a little odd from what I got from a glance through the manual.

I picked up an ONN (walmart store brand) cassette player that looks like it might be a suitable stand-in for the program recorder.

Reelya is correct-- You will likely need to learn TMS9900 assembler, and use the built-in basic's POKE command to jab it into memory, then call INIT. Otherwise getting proper sound and such out of the device is gonna be no fun at all. BASIC has basic tone generation, but cannot, for instance-- push out PCM audio.

The enhanced basic looks like it could do quite a lot though, graphics wise-- since it has built-in assembler driven sprite manipulation routines that are easy to call from a basic program.
It looks like you can do sprite compositing though!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vcveXKJzKg

[Frumple]

Aannndd... we're back? Maybe?

[methylatedspirit]

After being down for 20 hours and 40 minutes (straight?), I certainly hope so.

[TD1]

Yaaaaaay.

We give this day our daily post, and forgive those who report against us. Lead us not into forumgames, but deliver us from griefers. For thine is the forum, the banhammer and the modlog, for ever and ever, Bay12.