6;8F››‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’…›’’›’THEATARISPIRITONLINEMAGAZINE’›’’›’FEBRUARY1992’›’’›š’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’ƒ›››New Stuff-February 1992-Atari Spirit›››By Rob Scott Editor››› Great news for all us Atari Telecommunicators this month. Actual colour on Atari BBS's. I recently installed the CGS colour graphics package on my BBS (The Spirit BBS - 613-623-0430) and my Atari users Love It! I have also called other BBS's offering this new system just to see what it looks like on the other end (CGS does not show on the BBS terminal, only on the caller's term.) And it looks just great! Congratulations on a job well done goes out to Tom Hunt, of Closer To Home BBS (419-368-4413) for a job well done!›› The CGS developers package comes complete with font editor so you can make your own fonts. Dave Scott has produced a couple and is working on his third. The entire package is well worth checking out for both users and sysop's alike, this bit of programming has much potential and should soon be tested on more and more systems. So far, this system has been (to my knowledge) tested on Oasis 4.7 and 5.0. Users tests indicate that it works with Bobterm 1.21 and 1.22 (although some things give 1.22 trouble) (Bobterm is a shareware package written by Bob Puff of Computer Software Services in Rochester NY. Also of note in the developer's package is included a modified version of the Shareware program called TextPro.›› All I can say, is if you are an Atari 8-bit owner and you call Oasis BBS's, get this package! It will enhance your BBS experience.››’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’›› Misc. Ramblings› › Dave Scott!›› Well a few new things have happened in the 8-bit community since I last sat here racking my brain at yet another attempt at filling space. The best of the lot by far was the release of CGS graphics! WOW!!!!! Like where did this come from! I haven't seen anything like this before for the 8-bit! "Nice Job" goes to Tom Hunt of CTH Ent. in Ohio who was the author of On-line color graphics for the Atari. I know old DI has been suffering as I endeavor to do up new font sets for the system! (6.9 and 6.8) Also I'm presently and should have completed 6.7 by the time you read this. All of which I use locally on Deset Illusion. (ed:both are also availiable on The Spirit as well.)›› Art Williams has already installed a prompt in 5.0 for a alternate character set. So it was an easy transition to 5.0 for CGS. I guess, and assume Robs editorial was on CGS this month so I'll go off on another tangent so you don't get CGS burn out like I have. But I do indeed love the stuff.›› Well it seems my quest for a better tutor of MAC has finally brought forth fruit! Thanks RJ for the Bootcamp articles. Excellent tutor, although some of the things I have learned have had me bashing my head on the wall saying " OF COURSE!"... which brings me to another topic. I call it looking for VooDoo. Why is it when a new program or person comes around we all sit and look at it like its a Zombie? What I mean to say is, why do we always seem to look for the trick or the trap? Do we never stop to think maybe, just maybe its right there in the Docs? No Hocus Pocus... Just read and run. Seems everyone says; "well that's simple, I must have misunderstood something". Take a tip for free. If it looks easy. It probably is. No VooDoo at all just a straight-forward look at things. 'Cause thats the Atari way.››Well Gotta Ramble!-......Dave Scott!››’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’›› Tid-Bits› ›› Atari Fred›› Here's a few tips to help you get through the night when no one else can help. I'll cover a few quick fixes that plague Atari 8 users and cause unnecessary repair bills....›› Ok one fatal error most of us have seen in our days as an Atari user is the drive suddenly giving off 8b or 8c errors in Sparta DOS. Now the quick tips of the month both pertain to this problem. First, check the drive for excessive heat. An Atari drive, especially a modified one, will on occasion, just up and say "NO MORE, I NEED AIR!!!" and most of us are guilty of stacking drives in poorly ventilated areas. Cures: One, get the drive out on the desk in a clean air flow! Too many users are guilty of stuffing the drive in a cubbyhole of the desk and expecting it to preform flawlessly, then BANG! No drive. Off to the shop and a $25.00 service bill for the look to tell ya its running too hot. If you are cramped for space, (as most of us are) make sure ya have a fan cooling the drives, especially if you plan on a marathon session on the computer. Now ok, so you do all this and it's still NAK... Test your power supply and check it for airflow. Mind you overheating the power supply is costly as you can expect it to first have minor dips, then die altogether in a very short space of time. Thus costing you the price of a new power supply. Once damaged a power supply is junk! Next the I/O Cable, is it getting frayed? Are the contacts starting to sag? If either, open the cable by removing the small hex nut on the head. VERY CAREFULLY reset the pins to make a tighter contact, be careful not to bend them! Reset the cable that has pulled out and tighten it back up. Then taking a ohm meter, check for contunuity of the cable, a cracked or damaged line will cause power drains and loss of data! Replace damaged cables, there are lots at CSS for 5 bucks, so there is no real excuse for using cables that have died! Nothing worse than lost data on a LD download. Well I hope these tips help you or a frient out. Next month I'll return with a few more tips if Rj will have me. Happy CPU!›› Fred.››’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’››Jogger's corner - Not for health nuts.››› This month I would like to ask you all this question - "Does your computer meet all your needs?" Last month I spoke of having to make a decision between upgrading my 8-bit to add a hard drive or to spend the money towards a higher end computer system. After some careful thinking it came down to one question. Why do I want a more powerful computer? Is it because that seems to be the way the majority of users are heading? Was it because my needs are not being met by my present system? Well before I go on any further I should let you know that I decided to upgrade the 8-bit, even though there was a local dealer selling a complete system, including a 20mg harddrive and color monitor for $568.00 cdn. My reasons were that I feel that for the present at least the atari 8-bit meets the majority of my needs, and through it I have met some great people - like you, and that if I continue to support the system, then perhaps you will too.›› My sole reason at this time to go to a high end computer would be to go with the flow, and while it might be cheaper for me to just go 386 now, chances are that the present systems will (as has shown in the past), drop in price and hence I will make up the loss in continued use and fun with the 8-bit and a higher end system at a lower price down the road. Though it may just be a matter of time before we all go 386 or so. But I don't think we should ring the death kneel just yet for the Atari 8-bit. Not as long as there are good users like you and I around to keep it alive.› › Until next month I bid you Good Health and Happy Computing.› ›Jogger›Desert Illusion BBS›1-519-457-3998›London, Ontario› Canada››’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’››Atari Spirit Newsletter is published at least 6 times per year by HomeWORK! Enterprises. 47 Russell St. N. Arnprior, Ontario CANADA K7S 2J2.››No portion of AS may be altered or reproduced at all by anyone without permission of the author and AS. AS may only be reproduced as a whole and not altered in any way. No fees are to be charged for AS, it is a public document, free to all for the entertainment and interest of all.››Please send all enquiries, articles, and letters to;AS c/o Rob Scott, 47 Russell St. N. Arnprior, Ontario, Canada K7S 2J2.››Our contact phone numbers are:››The Spirit BBS - (613)623-0430 1200b.›Voice (Tape) - (613)623-0117 anytime.››The Spirit BBS operates Monday through Friday 6pm to 8am. Saturday and Sunday 24hour operation.››’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’›› ATARI 1992 BBS SURVEY› ››Do you run an Atari 8-bit BBS? If so, we'd like to know about it. Possibly for publication. Unfortuantely, we're sure that some of the numbers users give us might be out of date. To beat this, we hope to update the list on a monthly basis. All you have to do is answer all the questions we ask and either upload your response to the Spirit BBS or you can mail it to us at the Spirit. Mail all responses to:››The Spirit - BBS List.›c/o Rob Scott›47 Russell Street North.›Arnprior, Ontario Canada›K7S 2J2››On with the survey!››Remember - Atari 8-bit BBS's ONLY!››BBS name:››Phone number:››Hi baud:››Software:››How long in operation:››Last called date:››Sysop Name:››Comments:››That's it! Thank you for your input!››’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’›