CoCo~123
Glenside Color Computer Club, Inc. Mebane, North Carolina
Volume 39, Number 1 Spring 2019
CoCo ~ 123 Memory Map
Routines Address
GCCC Officers.1
GCCC Information, Contributions.2
Contributors to this Issue, G.C.C.C Meetings.2
From the President's Platen.2
Trea$ury Note$, Secretary's Scroll, Editor's Clipboard.3
CoCoFEST! Awards Ceremony.3
The Retro Search.4
The 28th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST!.4
CoCo Happenings.10
28th "Last" CoCoFEST! Highlights.11
News on Tony Podraza.16
Calendar of Events.17
The 29th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST!.17
Upcoming Events:
Regular meetings every 2nd Thursday @ Brian Schubring's Home
The 29th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST! April 18-19, 2020
G.C.C.C. OFFICERS
Here is the list of 2018 club officers and how to contact them. If
you have questions about the association, call one of the officers
for the answers.
POSITION NAME PHONE PRIMARY FUNCTION
President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Director
Librarian
Editor
Assistant Editor
John W. Linville
Tony Podraza
Brian Goers
Rich Bair
Tony Podraza
Brian Goers
John Mark Mobley
Salvador Garcia
919-744-8139
847-340-1801
708-805-1888
847-835-1309
847-340-1801
708-805-1888
847-409-8604
708-344-3551
The buck stops here..
Meeting planning, etc
Dues and Purchasing
Records and Reporting
CoCoFEST! Organizer
Club Software Keeper
Newsletter Production
Newsletter Production
John Linville
Copyright ©2019 Glenside Color Computer Club, Inc.
Tony Podraza Rich Bair Brian Goers John Mark Mobley
CoCo~123 - A Glenside Publication Since 1985
Salvador Garcia
Volume 39
Number 1
1
Spring 2019
CoCo~123 INFORMATION _
CoCo~123 is the newsletter of the Glenside Color
Computer Club. Your annual contribution of $15.00 helps
to keep our club going. Send your check to:
Brian Goers, Glenside Treasurer
3312 Miller Avenue
South Chicago Heights, IL 60411
briang0671@sbcglobal.net
Our treasury provides newsletters and good times with
fellow CoCo users at our Annual "Last" Chicago
CoCoFEST! and our Annual Glenside Picnic.
Should you attend the Annual CoCoFEST! your annual
contribution will be covered for that year.
CoCo~123 CONTRIBUTIONS _
If you have any suggestions for the newsletter or would
like to submit an article, please contact the CoCo~123
Newsletter editor:
John Mark Mobley, Editor
4104 Wren Lane
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
johnmarkmelanie@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE _
Rich Bair John Linville
Salvador Garcia John Mark Mobley
Brian Goers
G. C. C. C. MEETINGS _
The Glenside Color Computer Club meets the second
Thursday of each month at Brian Schubring’s home at
7:30 pm. If you need a map, see the following link:
https://qoo.ql/maps/2Mer1bXtTsqT5x2MA
A social get-together we lovingly call “The Meeting After”
always follows the meeting at a nearby restaurant.
Visit our website at:
https://tinyurl.com/y2jlxwha
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S PLATEN _
Time passes, the seasons advance, and once again it's
time for another issue of CoCo~123. I hope that everyone
appreciates the work that John Mark Mobley and others
put into each and every issue of our newsletter. Even
today, with the email list, the Discord server, and more
Facebook groups than we know how to use, there are
some folks that primarily keep-up with on-going
developments in the CoCo community right here in these
pages. We should all be grateful to have this regular
resource.
Not much more than a month ago, over 120 of us met in
person in Lombard, IL for the 28th Annual "Last" Chicago
CoCoFEST! As usual this was a great event and I think it
was enjoyed by all. This was our 7th year at the Heron
Point location, where we have had a number of enjoyable
events and where the affordable rental rates have saved
us a nice sum of money. But as they say, all good things
come to an end. Shortly after CoCoFEST!, the
management at Heron Point informed us that their facility
will no longer be available for our event. They assured us
that this was due to a number of concerns unrelated to us
and not due to any problem with us specifically.
Nevertheless, we need to find a new place...
There is no need to be alarmed! Several of us were
already of the opinion that we needed a larger venue
already, so we were already considering other options. A
venue search committee has been formed, and the likes
of Mike Rowen, John Mark Mobley, and others have
been contacting venues, getting quotes, and
communicating the results back to the rest of us. We may
have to spend a bit more money than what we were
spending at Heron Point, but I think it will be worth the
extra cost. I hope that we will have a new venue secured
soon, with an announcement for the actual dates of the
29th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST! to follow. We
should know soon, so keep the faith and continue to
check the website...
https://tinyurl.com/y2ilxwha
News aside, I have noticed (and even been a part of) a
certain amount of online and social media conflicts within
the community as of late. There seems to be a bit of
friction between certain personalities in the community,
between the cliques that have formed around them, and
even between other groupings like "newcomers" versus
"the old guard" and other such silliness. Some of this is
natural as the overall group changes and expands, but
not all of it is necessary. If you find yourself being quick to
anger, eager to presume the worst about the motives of
others, and unwilling to give the benefit of the doubt to
your fellow CoCo hobbyists, then please take a breath,
relax, and find some time to play with your CoCo,
Dragon, or MC-10. The reputation you save may be your
own!
In any case, I encourage us all to stick together. There
have already been some folks encouraging parts of the
group to splinter off to their own chat servers, their own
Facebook groups, their own online forums, etc. I honestly
believe that this will not be fruitful, and that despite any
irritations or differences we are better off as a unified
group, even as the group spreads across a variety of
communications platforms. So, explore whatever
alternatives you find, but share them as widely as
possible with the rest of us. And if you end-up a bit too
far out on the limb, I promise that the rest of us will
always welcome you back.
As I draw [this column] to a close, the start of summer is
upon us. While dark winter days lend themselves to long
CoCo hacking sessions, not so when the days are long
and the sun shines bright. I understand if you find some
things to do outside and you let your Fahrfall skills get
rusty. Just remember, the CoCo was there for you long
2
ago, the CoCo got you this far, and the CoCo will still be
waiting for you when the dog days are gone. Just be sure
to remember where your heart is -- CoCo Forever!
Q'plah!
John W. Linville, President
Glenside Color Computer Club
Trea$ury Note$ _
Treasure report for May 2019
The beginning balance on May 2019 was $10,985.44.
Withdrawals/Debits $1587.52, Interest of $1.55 and
Deposits $2,948.07
The end of May month balance is $12,345.99
Brian Goers, Trea$urer
Glenside Color Computer Club
Secretary's Scroll _
Rich Bair here with a summary of the last three monthly
membership meetings:
Our April meeting was devoted (no surprise!) to
discussions of procedures that would make the upcoming
test go as smoothly as possible. The registration process
has been a bottleneck for the last few years, and having it
in the same room where presentations are being made
has caused problems. Things were somewhat improved
this year, and I look forward to working out a completely
new arrangement when we move to our new venue next
year.
The May meeting focused on the financial success of the
test. The short answer is, we did very well. The longer
question is, how can we use the money we collected to
benefit the CoCo community? I expect this to be a topic
in several of the upcoming meetings. By luck, we also
formed a subcommittee to investigate alternative venues
for next year. Thus we were well prepared when news
came a couple of weeks later that Heron Point will no
longer be an option for us.
The June meeting concentrated on the findings of the
venue search subcommittee, since it is now vital that we
find a new location. The Holiday Inn in Elgin, where
some FESTS have been staged in the past, was rejected
because its ballroom is smaller than the space at Heron
Point. But the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village looks like
an excellent alternative. VCF Midwest has had their
conventions there for several years. We authorized the
venue subcommittee to work to get a signed contract with
that location, and I hope that is happening as I type these
words!
Happy CoCoing!
Rich Bair, Secretary
Glenside Color Computer Club
The Editor’s Clipboard
We rely on people just like you to help write articles for
the newsletter.
John Mark Mobley, Editor
Glenside Color Computer Club
CoCoFEST! Awards Ceremony
_ By John Mark Mobley _
Diego Barizo is sponsoring the Asimov Awards for the
best BASIC and Machine Language programs of the last
year.
Link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/permalink/10156952539787641/
Isaac Asimov was an American writer of science fiction
and popular science. Isaac Asimov appeared in
advertisements for Radio Shack.
The Asimov Award for best Interpreted program (BASIC,
Color Logo, etc.) goes to Jim Gerrie for Atari Adventure.
Jim Gerrie received a trophy and a $50.00 check.
The Asimov Award for best-compiled program (anything
that generates a BIN or similar) goes to Brendan Donahe
for CCVEDIT. Brendan Donahe received a trophy and a
$50.00 check.
An “Excellence in Broadcasting” trophy was given to Neil
Blanchard for his work on the CoCo Crew Podcast.
An “Excellence in Broadcasting” trophy was given to Mike
Rowen for his work on the CoCo Crew Podcast.
Asimov Award
2019 CoCoFEST!
May 4-5, 201 9
Trophy
3
The Retro Search
By John Mark Mobley
There is a new search engine for searching TRS-80 retro
computer information.
Link: http://theretrosearch.com/
Link: http://theretrosearch.com/advanced search.cfm
-> C d © Not secure | theretrosearch.com/default... ☆ EJ 13 @ G* O (S fjr :
Apps Q The Voice of the M... 0 Q chiclassiccomp chic... O YouTube - Broadcas... » Q Other bookmarks
The Retro Search
□
Home Listings Advanced Contact Others
Search Us
Search
Welcome to The new Retro Search
We're on the lookout for more TRS-80 listings
0 Let us know about a new listing II OH Check current site listings
The Retro Search
2019 CoCoFEST!
The 28 th Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST!
by John Mark Mobley
The 28 th Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! was held
May 4-5, 2019. 122 people attended. As our number$
were again in the black we shall have yet another
CoCoFEST! in 2020.
We have secured a larger venue and have selected
dates for 2020 CoCoFEST!
We come to this festival to view and purchase new
hardware and software as well as socialize with others in
the CoCo community. You may be inspired by something
you see. You may be inspired seeing an 8-bit computer
emulate Donkey Kong. You may be inspired seeing a
young person write a program. You may be inspired
seeing the Tandy Color Computer produce more colors in
a higher resolution than would normally be possible. You
may be inspired seeing how many other people are still
interested in the Tandy Color Computer.
Generous people donate items to our auctions thus
keeping items no longer in production out of landfills and
available to others now glad to get them. You may get
caught up in the excitement of the auction. Would you
bid $20.00 on a book about programming in assembly
language? These auctions do keep the CoCoFEST! alive
each year.
What follows are pictures of the 2019 CoCoFEST!
Heron Point Convention Center Lobby
4
Heron Point Convention Center Lobby Paul Fiscarelli from Kingston NH
DINO WARS Dawnne Thayer, Tim Thayer and Paul Thayer
CoCo Brothers
5
I
Morgan & Brendan Donahe’s Booth
Exhibiting CoCoVGA
William Astle, Jeff Teunissen & Jeff’s Son Vince
Evan Wright’s Booth showing “Hunt The Wumpus”
Eric Canales (back)
Exhibitor and Vendor Room
Eric Canales (front)
6
Exhibitor and Vendor Room NitrOS-9 Ease of Use Edition
Dan Keller, Brett Gordon, and Dave Philipsen
Exhibitor and Vendor Room HawkSoft Booth
Ron Klein, and Dan Keller
7
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Henry Rietveld exhibiting RAMPAGE
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Our CoCoTREK Sign in the Lobby
Tandy 1000 Running Cosmic Aliens
8
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Multi-Vue
Cosmic Aliens on the Tandy Color Computer Neil’s Computer Service / The CoCoCrew Podcast
Neil Blanchard’s Booth
9
Ron Klein and Tim Lindner
CoCo Happenings
By Salvador Garcia
2019-06-24 Ron Klein announced that the second part of
his video series about the CoCoiaPi3 is now on YouTube.
https://voutu.be/VPmmhA2Wf5s
2019-06-19 Richard Sorek announced on the Facebook
page that a new version of his 6809-assembly language
document was available. He provided a link to the
document. For those that do not use FB, contact him
directly at his Gmail email account keros6809. He kindly
asks for feedback. Note: This document is in French.
https://tinvurl.com/v3n2x5h7
You must be logged into Facebook for the above link to
take you directly to the post; otherwise it will only take
you to the group.
2019-06-16 D Bruce Moore shared the video “The
Answer”:
https://voutu.be/T1zLg R2Dic
2019-06-13 Jeff Vavasour fans rejoice! Allen Huffman
announced that Jeff will be involved in a Star Wars
project with the Arcadel Up:
https://tinvurl.com/v4f2fxab
2019-06-08 Richard Lorbieski of Boyson Technologies
made an important announcement on CoCoTALK! He
basically mentioned that he plans to make some of his
designs open source. Listen to the original
announcement here:
https ://voutu.be/pPFKInOC-Nk?t=1873
2019-06-08 Ron Klein published a video describing the
install process for the CoCo Pi3 software for first time
users.
https://voutu.be/uge-P5NPB2Q
Tony Podraza conducts auction in the
register/sign-in room
2019-05-27 Boisy Pitre published the article “Stepping on
Toes: Addressing Duplication of Hardware in the Vintage
Computing Marketplace” on Vintage Is the New Old
website
https://tinvurl.com/v3lrc3v6
2019-06-03 Pierre Serrat announced the availability of
version 0.1.59 of CMOC, the 6809 cross compiler for the
C language (or at least most of the C language).
http://perso.b2b2c.ca/~sarrazip/dev/cmoc.html
2019-05-31 John W. Linville announced the availability of
episode #48 of the CoCo Crew Podcast.
http://cococrew.org/
2019-05-29 Brock Harrison published the article “One
Step Forward: Encouraging Competition in the Vintage
Computing Marketplace”:
https://www.docdroid.net/cClaOil/one-step-foward.pdf
10
2019-05-15 L. Curtis Boyle announced that the Beta 4,
Release 2 of NitrOS-9 EOU (Ease of Use) has been
released.
2019-05-13 Ciaran Anscomb announced a new release
of his XRoar CoCo emulator for Macs.
http://www.6809.orq.uk/xroar/
2019-04-29 Neil Blanchard announced the Call for paper
for the CoCoFEST 2019. Although this event had passed,
the information page is worthy of a look-see for anyone
interested in this project for next year.
https://tinvurl.com/v5s8er8n
The papers submitted this year can be found at the
following link:
https://tinvurl.com/vxrnb38v
2019-04-18 Henry Rietveld shared the video link of the
second art of the Dragon 32 video that he shared earlier.
https ://voutu. be/7N U h KTe 12v0
2019-04-15 Ron Klein announced the availability of the
most recent version of the CoCo Pi3 software bundle,
CoCoFEST 2019 Release Edition.
2019-04-13 Michael R. Furman announced the latest
release of pyDriveWire v0.5, the DW 4 compatible Python
project. This version now has support for the EmCee
Protocol for use with MCX Basic on the TRS-80 MC-10.
Download at:
https://qithub.com/n6il/pyDriveWire
2019-05-09 Bill Pierce announced that he is posting the
latest version of his NitrOS09/OS9 MShell File manager
application. He also mentions that this might be the last
update. Link to download the app’s ZIP file:
http://vaccs.info/BPIERCECOCO/MShell/MShell 1.0.3w.
m
2019-04-04 Henry Rietveld shared an interesting video
about the Dragon 32:
https ://voutu. be/1 mqeeG 1 qls
2019-04-02 Diego Barizo announced that the Asimov
Awards were returning. As of the date of this newsletter’s
publishing, all programs written for the CoCo after the
2019 CoCoFEST! are eligible for next year’s competition.
On your mark, get set, code! More info here:
http ://vaccs. i nf o/A A/aa. htm I
28 th “Last” CoCoFEST! Highlights
By Salvador Garcia
The Raspberry Pi 3 CoCo project
CoCoPi3 is the implementation of a CoCo 3 emulator on
the Raspberry Pi 3. This movement was initiated years
ago when HawkSoft demonstrated a normal looking
CoCo 3 that had a hidden secret.
At first glance, it looked like a normal CoCo 3; however,
when examined more closely certain aspects stood out.
The first was an HDMI video output port. What? HDMI on
a CoCo? How was this possible? Another oddity was that
the cartridge slot couldn’t accept a cartridge. It just didn’t
look right. “What is going on here?” many asked.
When Chris Hawks, the mind behind this peculiar CoCo,
removed the cover there was no 6809 to be seen.
Instead, there was the ubiquitous Raspberry Pi! A
Raspberry Pi powered CoCo?
Yes. Chris had performed a few tasks to accomplish this:
a. He compiled a special version of MAME (Multi
Arcade Machine Emulator) to include only the
CoCo emulator. This reduced this program in size
to make it more Pi friendly.
b. He used an extra CoCo 3 case to house the R-Pi
and associated electronics.
c. He designed a special interface that connected to
the Pi and a genuine CoCo keyboard so that
MAME could use an original CoCo keyboard
instead of the standard PS/2 USB keyboard.
Chris’ marvel has been a centerpiece at his booth for a
few years.
Others have taken his design a step further. Ron Klein
assembled a software package that includes Raspbian,
the CoCo edition of MAME, and other software bundles.
This build is available as a downloadable ZIP file from
three sites. Although it is a heavy download at just over
8GB, it contains all the necessary components to just
plug and go. We just need to transfer the image file to an
SD card (32GB preferred) using the recommended
software. A detailed how-to introductory video, also by
Ron, is available at the following URL:
https://voutu.be/uqe-P5NPB2Q
11
RETRO Innovations
RETRO Innovations’ Jim Brain and his daughter have
been regular exhibitors/vendors for a good number of
years. While Jim has satisfied our techie appetite with an
ever-growing number of CoCo accessories, his daughter
Belle has been satisfying our sweet tooth with her
delicious cookies and pastries, not to mention her hi-tech
jewelry.
Among other products, the following were visibly featured
at the RETRO Innovation booth:
ChameleonCart. This is a device that plugs into the
cartridge port and has a passthrough connector so that
another cartridge can be plugged into it. The Chameleon
includes 512K of flash memory and another 512K of
static RAM, a real time clock and a stereo sound device
based on the Yamaha YM-262.
CoCoQuadLink. This is a cartridge whose main feature
is 4 serial ports, 2 based on the 65C51A ACIA chip and
the other two on the ST16C550 UART. Additionally, the
cart also includes 512KB of programmable FLASH
memory and a connector for an ESP-8266 WiFi module.
CoCoProc. This cartridge contains two 63C09Es that
can be used as coprocessors to enhance the functionality
of the Color Computer. Turn your CoCo into a
multiprocessor machine! 1MB of RAM is onboard. Each
processor can access 512KB of this resource and the
main processor can access it all. As with the other cart
boards, the CoCo Proc includes 512KB of flash memory.
What is needed now is the right software to take
advantage of the three processors. Hopefully, sometime
in the future, will see OS-9 or NitrOS9 updated to support
this new hardware expansion.
CoCoDunio. Another cartridge that provides the glue
logic needed to interface the CoCo with an Arduino,
permitting bidirectional communication. To boot, the cart
also includes 512KB of flash memory.
GIMEX
Covertly, without fanfare, Gary Becker demonstrated the
fabled GIMEX at his booth. The GIMEX is a drop-in
replacement for the GIMME chip and is currently being
developed by Gary and Ed Snider. The project is close to
completion. Stay tuned for more information about this
product. The excitement is high for this product!
What this means to the community is that possibly dead
CoCo 3s can be brought back to life. If a GIME fails, the
CoCo becomes a brick. Out of all the components inside
the CoCo 3, the GIMME is one that is hard to find, if at
all. Talking to Mark (of Cloud-9), he mentioned that he
bought a tube of GIMME chips back in the last century
and each had a cost of roughly $80 USD. Contact Mark if
you need a GIMME, but even these are in limited supply.
Once they’re gone, they’re gone!
Enter the GIMEX. This is a faithful reproduction of the
GIMME chip that can drop into the GIMME’s socket.
12
Although development is still underway, the project is far
enough along to be able to have a demonstration of its
capabilities. We all hope to hear good news from Gary
and Ed soon.
Call For Papers
Boisy Pitre started a new tradition at the 2018
CoCoFEST! He made an announcement motivating
innovators to create written articles about their
adventures in CoCoing. The objective was to get more
information in the hands of the community. The paper
should describe the project, make comments on why it is
important, and provide notes on how the project can be
improved or a direction that further development could
follow. As Boisy mentioned, there was about double the
number of papers compared to last year. If you are
tinkering with a technology, have a good idea for the
community or just want to share works in progress,
consider doing a write-up for next year’s call for papers.
DwTerm by Michael R. Furman
pyDriveWire History and Motivation by Michael R.
Furman
Benchmarking CF83 Forth by M. David Johnson
Made in the U.S.A. - Are American CoCo 3s Quality
Challenged? by Boisy G. Pitre
The home page for 2019 is at the following link:
https://tinvurl.com/vxrnb38v
CoCoVid
Another staple at this and past shows is John Linville’s
CoCoVid. This is a hardware and software solution to
allow the CoCo to display videos. John proudly showed
Star Wars (1977) on the CoCo. Granted, its definition
was not as great as Eric Canales’ laser disc version,
which was also showing, but still is an impressive feat.
John has mentioned that he hopes others take an interest
in this project and move it to the next level. Word about
was that there was someone interested in enhancing this
video player. We can only hope that this is the case.
CoCo Arcade 1 Up
Another attraction at the fest was Henry Rietveld’s
Arcade lUp machine. He gave the console a serious
makeover by installing a modern computer and using the
VCC emulator as its heart. He added an interface to an
arcade control panel consisting of buttons and a joystick.
Along with a menu system and a bunch of games he was
able to give this CoCo emulator the look and feel of a real
arcade game.
The finishing touch was using an image of the CM-8
monitor bezel created by Tim Lindner.
This year, the papers submitted were the following:
The Micro:bit as a Color Computer Accessory by
Brendan Donahe
13
Switch-A-Roo
Cocoman was on hand with his flagship product the
Switch-A-Roo. Jason Reighard, the man behind
Cocoman, took an idea by Barry Nelson and produced
the Switch-A-Roo, a cable that connects the Color
Computer 3 to a SCART device. One such device is a
SCART to HDMI converter. Having this chain of
components, the CoCo 3 can display its awesomeness
on a modern HDMI monitor or TV. This design, using the
Switch-A-Roo and an extra off-the-shelf component, is an
economical way to display the CoCo 3’s screen on a
modern display.
Also being featured at Cocoman’s booth was the WallabY
cable. This cable, simply put, allows us to have two RGB
display devices attached to the CoCo 3. And yes, one of
those devices can be the Switch-A-Roo.
Triad+
Cloud-9 was present at the event with its ever-diverse
selection of CoCo related products. From CPU
protectors, PS/2 keyboard adapters, tools, cartridges and
RAM expansion cards. The main RA expansion card is
the Triad, a 512KB expansion board for the CoCo 3.
Using modern RAM chips, the Triad uses only a fraction
of the power required of the original 512KB expansion
board.
This year, Cloud-9 had a new product, the Triad+. Like its
predecessor, this product is a RAM expansion card;
however, the difference being that it was a 2MB
expansion. This was an impossibility back when the
original 512KB RAM card debuted.
Along with the myriad of products, Cloud-9’s Mark
Marlette was also on hand to repair ailing CoCos. He
spent most of his days (and some nights before security
would escort him out of the exhibition area) repairing as
many CoCos as he possibly could.
Boomerang
Boyson Technologies was also present. Just like Mark,
Richard Lorbieski is usually on hand to help us all with
the repair of our CoCos. Alas, he was under the weather
this year and was not able to personally attend; however,
his booth was present and well staffed by community
members.
Richard is also a vendor of RAM expansion cards. His
product the Boomerang, is a 512KB RAM expansion card
14
for the CoCo 3. This year he came out with a new model.
He renamed the original model to “Boomerang Classic”
and named the new model Boomerang E2. The new
model boasts 2MB of RAM.
CoCoVGA
Brendan Donahe was also present showcasing his
CoCoVGA product. This product, for Cocos 1 and 2,
allows the CoCo to display its screen on a VGA monitor.
Note that this product is not for the CoCo 3. A huge plus
of CoCoVGA is that it fits inside the CoCo. There is no
external component. Brendan was kindly installing the
CoCoVGA for people who bought his product.
Brendan’s contribution to Call for Papers discusses this in
much more technical detail, including a pinout for the
serial port and plenty of source code. Let’s make the
CoCo sound like Colossus!
Epilog
Also on display was this oddly interesting looking thing. It
looked like a micro:bit card connected to a red spherical
speaker. Brendan tells me that this is a speech
synthesizer using the micro:bit card. It connects using the
CoCo’s serial port, lovingly (or unlovingly) called the bit
banger port. The software running on the CoCo can send
either ASCII codes or allophones that the micro:bit
processes and reproduces as speech through the
speaker.
The micro:bit product is not an Arduino. You can’t fire up
the Arduino IDE and use it to program the micro:bit. The
concept is similar in that the program is created on your
Windows/Linux/Mac OS computer (it also supports
Chrome Book) and then downloaded to the micro:bit. For
those interested or just curious, here is a 6 minute video
on how to get started with micro:bit:
Next year will be an epic, as we celebrate 40 years of the
Color Computer. See you all next year!
https://voutu.be/ZIW 6rxYNBq
I recall talking to him about this product years ago when
he was finalizing the design. I got to see the product fully
functional. This is a practical alternative to display the
CoCo screen on a VGA monitor since there is no need to
carry any other stuff.
A noteworthy event that was a highlight of the show was
the visit of a special guest, George Schneeweiss. He
celebrated his 98th birthday on May 24th. He has been
an active member of the Glenside Color Computer Club
for over three decades recently serving as its treasurer.
Everyone took a moment to celebrate him and hoping
that he will be in good health to join us again next year.
15
News on Tony Podraza
By John Mark Mobley
Tony is having heart problems. Send prayers and/or nice
thoughts his way.
You can also check out the following Facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/linda.podraza
1 w * m Mm m
Tony’s walkin’ in Texas
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Calendar of Events
_ by John Mark Mobley and Salvador Garcia _
See our website’s Calendar of Events:
http://www.glensideccc.com/calendar/index.shtml
Glenside Color Computer Club, Inc. Business Meetings
July 11, August 8, September 12, 2019
Thursdays, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM Central Time
Brian Schubring’s Home
2131 Mallard Ln
Hanover Park, IL 60133
Blue Jeans teleconferencing access is available via John
Mark Mobley or John Linville. You can call in.
Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo
July 12-14, 2019
Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center
Atlanta, GA, USA
Link: http://southernfriedqameroomexpo.com/
KansasFest 2019 (Apple II Forever)
July 16-21,2019
Rockhurst University
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Link: https://www.kansasfest.org/
Cleveland's Classic Console & Arcade Gaming Show
July 20, 2019
North Olmsted Soccer Sportsplex
31515 Lorain Rd.
North Olmsted, Ohio, USA
Link: https://www.ccaqshow.com/
Vintage Computer Festival West
August 3-4, 2019
Computer History Museum
1401 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Mountain View, California, USA
Link: http://vcfed.org/wp/
Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 14
September 14-15, 2019
Waterford Banquets/Clarion Inn
933 S. Riverside Drive
Elmhurst, IL, USA
Link: http://vcfmw.org/
Milwaukee Maker Faire
September 13-15, 2019
Wisconsin Center
400 W. Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, Wl, USA
Link: https://milwaukee.makerfaire.com/
What is a Maker Faire? Go here:
https://makerfaire.com/
Tandy Assembly
September 27-29, 2019
Courtyard by Marriott
100 S. Fountain Ave
Springfield, OH, USA
Link: http://www.tandvassembly.com/
The 29 th Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST!
V
Make The Trek!
Here are the 5 "W's"
WHO? 1) Glenside Color Computer Club, Inc.
PRESENTS
WHAT? 2) The 29th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST!
WHEN? 3) April 18-19, 2020
Registration & sign-in: (Sat.8 am-9 am)
Show: (Sat. 9 am to midnight - Sun. 9 am-3 pm)
WHERE? 4) Holiday Inn Elk Grove Village
1000 Busse Rd
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
(New location from 2019!)
Overnight room rate:
$99 plus 13% tax ($111.87 Total)
Call 1 847- 437- 6010 for reservations.
You must ask for the "CoCoFEST!" rate or
Group Code: CCF.
»> YOU MUST REGISTER UNDER "CoCoFEST!" «<
»> TO GET THIS RATE «<
WHY? 5)
A. To provide vendor support to the CoCo Community
B. To provide Community support for our CoCo Vendors
C. To provide educational support to new users.
D. TO HAVE AN OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD TIME!!!
And now, the "H" word.
HOW MUCH? All Attendees - General Admission
Both days: $TBD 1st - $TBD 2nd & more
Sunday Only: $TBD 1st - $TBD 2nd & more
******* Children 12 and under - FREE *******
*** Students 21 and under with valid Student ID - FREE ***
For further information, general or exhibitor, contact:
Tony Podraza, GCCCI Robert Swoger, GCCCI
847-428-3576, VOICE 630-589-4692, VOICE
tonypodraza@gmail.com rswoger@aol.com
17
Be sure to visit our Website to see up-to-date information
on upcoming events, https://tinyurl.com/y2ilxwha
