************ Cat 3 Top 15 ************ Topic 15 Mon May 14, 1990 H.HERMAN1 at 04:08 EDT Sub: Hints and Tips! RUN will be publishing readers "hints and tips" for getting more from productivity oftware and hardware. So that GEnie users will not have to wait, post your "hints and tips" here, as well as sending them to RUN. ------------ Category 3, Topic 15 Message 1 Mon May 14, 1990 H.HERMAN1 at 04:10 EDT I'll start out with a few items to get things started. More to follow: QBB and the C128: ================= For those using the QBB's file boot option, use the following one line program as your "boot program" in drive #8. Whenever you exit a program with a soft reset, or do a hard reset, this routine will call the selected boot program from the QBB: 10 poke2560,110:poke2561,10:poke768,123:poke769,10:poke56832,0 :poke2756,17:slow:sys63591:end Running multi-programs on the C128, without having to do a re-set: ================================================================== Often after exiting a program, the C128 will not properly load another for running, without first doing a hard re-set. This often happens with CS/DOS, Basic8, and other popular programs. The hard re-set is, in fact, not necessary! Just run the following routine. Have it end up calling a menu selection, or just call another program, and it will load and run properly. Depending upon what the routine finds, it will do any number of required soft re-sets. This routine is used as the booting program on a QBB, but it can also be run as the boot routine from a disk drive, although it may be somewhat slower. It is fascinating to watch this run from a QBB. It may take 2-4 seconds as it cycles. It is certainly a nicer way than doing a hard re-set. Especially, when the user runs a lot of different programs, one after the other, on the 128: 5 ifpeek(2744)+peek(2742)+peek(2757)=765goto10:else7 7 gosub40:poke2744,255:poke2742,255:poke2757,255:sys57344 10 ifpeek(6000)=0goto20:elsegosub40:poke6000,0:poke7,1:sys16390:sys16384 20 ifpeek(6)+peek(7)+peek(8)=255orpeek(6)+peek(7)+peek(8)=0thengoto30 :else gosub40:sys65341 30 poke2560,110:poke2561,10:poke768,123:poke769,10:poke56832,0: poke2756,17 :slow:*h1:end 40 printchr$(14)chr$(31)chr$(18)"resetting HAL...":printchr$(159):return Curing the "HOT" disk drive problem: ==================================== Here's an idea that works! Just purchase any one of the standard stereo "boxer" style 4" to 5" square rotor fans. They are silent, and will run just about forever. They come with pre-drilled screw holes that can be used for hooks to attach an air conditioner's foam sponge type filter. Just aim the air, from the rear, at about 20-30 degrees from the side alignment of the drives. I've had this set-up keeping a very hot running Avatex2400, on top of two stacked fairly warm running #1571's, for a few years. Seems to keep them all cool to the touch. Since the air is blowing from the rear/side, no air is entering the area where the drive heads and mechanism are located, keeping the mechanics dust free. Just like an A/C filter, be sure to peridically clean the filter for better air flow, and more frequently for those of us who still may be smokers, such as myself... As an aside, it seems that there is no limit to stacking #1581's, one atop the other, and no need for any cooling, other than a comfortable room temperature. [I like that idea of seperated hot running power supplies!] ============================================== Well, that's it for now. Anyone else with some tips? As soon as some others have a chance to post their ideas, I'll post a few more describing how Pocket Writer3 can do unattended macros of 1,000 keystrokes (250 for the 64 version), before requiring one more keypress to do 1,000 more. [PW2, as released will accept up to 255 keystrokes per single macro.] And, how to format a buffer download full of data (current stock prices, for example), into a format that Pocket Filer2 will accept with one keystroke, using its "update" command. Depending upon how often, and how many records are updated, this can save a lot of keyboard entries. Later! Howie ------------ Category 3, Topic 15 Message 4 Mon Jul 02, 1990 K.CARROLL1 [Will Carroll] at 20:50 CDT Heres some pokes and sys calls I use a lot. Peek(65408) will give you Kernal Ver. poke 56325 0-255 change the cursor blink speed poke 53265 w/ 11 blanks the screen poke 808 w/ 239 disable stop key poke 808 w/ 237 to restore it sys 64738 for a basic cold start sys 65126 for a warm start poke 649 w/ 0 to disable keyboard poke 649 w/ 10 to restore it from with in a program of course. I'll see what else I can add later on. ------------