MiniSport Laptop Hacker - Vol 4 28 Nov 92 A few more folks checked in since the last issue. It was good to hear from KI6PL, N8OWM, N8PJP, KU8H. These volumes come out pretty spuratically. That's why they're labelled Volumes rather than Parts. Each is put out on the network as I have info to fill it. Be sure to send me *your* informa- tion! The rumor mill suggests a large pool of these machines is becoming available in the Michigan area at reasonable prices. That should provide a much bigger pool of users to swap information. Good! One of the best purchases I've made recently is a CD-ROM. I survive with one Ham radio related disk and one shareware distribution disk. Any of the programs I refer to are likely sourced by these two CD-ROMs. I would love to share them with you, and it's encouraged by the program authors. Make it painless for me (disk SASE, clear request, etc) and I'll make copies for you. If you're a "want it now" type of person, we can do a phone data transfer. >>> FLOPPY DISK SOURCE The strange 2" floppy disks problem seems to be a perennial concern. Here's all the non-rumor info I have. Rex Television Service Co (7030 W. 111th Street, Worth, IL 60482-1827) sells a 10cnt box for $45.00, but then tacks on another $10 for freight. They also tried to get me for sales tax, but refunded it later. Phone 708-448-5558. The box I have indicates a lifetime warantee from FUJI, with the following Point of Contact: Fuji Photo Film USA, Inc., 555 Taxter Rd, Elmsford, NY 10523. >>> FILE TRANSFERS I found COMMO and DSZ will work together on the MiniS- port for what I need in less space than PROCOMM takes. This allows packet (or modem comm) with ZMODEM, YMODEM, and XMODEM protocols. I tried using DSZ with a hardwire between computers, using a null modem cable (FWL, which is on your disk C:, is faster. Don't ask why I do these things!). DSZ did not like the 3-wire null cable I described in MLH Vol3 that works with FWL. It needed to "hear" the CD (Carrier Detect) on the serial port. Try- ing to stay as globally portable as possible, here's a full blown null mo- dem cable that lets you plug into almost any IBM/PC/XT/AT/'286/'386/'486/? that you may come across. {9fem}--------4' 7cond cable------({9fem}----- 5" 7cond cable----{25male}) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 (0 1) DB-25 Frame Ground is not used 1-6 (1-6 8-6) Each feeds it's received DSR into CD, also 2-(3-2) Data to loner 3-(2-3) Data from loner 4-(6-6) DTR from loner goes to others' DSR 5-(5-7) Signal Ground 6-(4-20) DSR to loner from others' DTR 7-(8-5) RTS from loner to others' CTS 8-(7-4) CTS to loner from others' RTS 9 (9 22) Ring Indicator not used The numbers to the left are pin numbers. Wires are represented by "-". In the text description, "loner" refers to the computer at the lone connector end. DSZ supports much more widely-known protocols. For that reason, it has been important for me to get running. It's still in an evaluation stage at this QTH. If you have any experience with this program, I'd be interested. But be assured that Zenith did you well by providing FWL. It is an order of magnitude faster for local hard-line transfers. I've not tested FWL over the phone line. SWAPPING THE SECOND MEGABYTE I had two MiniSports. The 2M one had a power supply problem. It would work work for a week or so and then no longer power up. Each time, I took it apart, wiggled all the connectors, put it back together and it worked. The fourth time around I decided "enough!" I unsoldered the single-inline-pins of the add-in memory package (8 bits by 1 Mbyte). I resoldered into the same position in a second machine that was working reliably as a 1M system. The memory package's pins are not actual- ly the pins of the ICs, so I wasn't too worried about heat damage. I used an alligator clip between the soldering iron and the computer ground. No jumpers, solder traces, etc needed to be modified. I reran the SETUP option (hold ESC on power up), specified new memory sizes in both, and, voila!, they both have worked fine now. I'm still waiting for the old 2M to fail again. If you have any supply information on 1Mbyte x 8bit SIP (or SIMMs, I'll add the pins), please let me know! I'm confident that I and other hams can successfully double the memory in a 1Mbyte version of the MiniSport. Next time, DISASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS, POWER SUPPLY PINOUT, MINIMUM BOOT FILES, and discussion of BOARD REVISIONS. 73, Brian, ka9snf@wb7nnf,#spokn.wa.usa or Internet ka9snf@jupiter.spk.wa.us