Tandy Professional Forum   Section: Model 4 / 4P
Subject: It's OUT of the CLOSET!   Total messages: 8
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#62583   4 Replies   10/27/96   23:55:08
From: RICHARD ROSS, 72066,2476
To:   ALL

Hello all! I have an old Model 4 (not DS drives-old!!!) that I've
stored, along with it's 300 baud modem and DMP 120 printer for
several years. I recently pulled it from the closet, dusted it
off, and fired it up. WOW! Pentiums are cool, but I actually like
this thing! I was wondering if anyone knows where I can get a
ribbon for the DMP-120? No luck anywhere around here. Also, how
much memory can the Z-80A (or motherboard) address?? I have 64K,
can I go above 128K? Also, are there any controllers out there
for 360K or 720K drives? (Still got my disks with the hand cut
notches in them...before the double sided drives, just notch 'em
and flip 'em for another disk!)

All help appreciated!
Rich


#62584   Reply to #62583   10/28/96   00:36:28
From: Bernie Skoch, 75376,12
To:   RICHARD ROSS, 72066,2476

Rich,
  There are several places for ribbons in the back of Computer
Shopper.  Many office supply houses have a goodly supply, too.
  You don't need a new controller to use DSDD drives.  LDOS (or
LSDOS) will allow you to configure your Model 4 to use them
without any hardware  changes (depending on what your cable looks
like inside).
  Your Model 4 will handle 128K of RAM, but about the only thing
the upper 64K is good for is a virtual drive (volatile storage).
 One or two applications could access it, but not contiguously.

  They are neat machines, aren't they!
Regards,
bernie


#62595   Reply to #62583   1 Reply   10/30/96   22:46:12
From: Robert  F. Runyan, 104217,3377
To:   RICHARD ROSS, 72066,2476

Richard,
    The 120 printer takes the same ribbon as the DMP-200 which is
available from any Radio Shack or RS Dealer.  If none are close
the ribbon is the same as one from the older Epson printers.
Have to take it out and go to a office store or someplace that
sells the ribbons for the FX, RX , MX series of printers and you
can match it up.
    If I can find in my files the ribbon to get I will message
you back in the next couple of days.
             Good luck on your new "Find"             BobR out
here in the high desert country!!


#62596   Reply to #62595   1 Reply   10/31/96   02:36:04
From: Frank Slinkman, 72411,650
To:   Robert  F. Runyan, 104217,3377

I have a DMP-200 (pretty good printer for what it is).  You can
get ribbons for it from Lyben a *lot* cheaper than from Tandy.


#62599   Reply to #62596   1 Reply   10/31/96   23:36:24
From: Robert  F. Runyan, 104217,3377
To:   Frank Slinkman, 72411,650

Frank,
   You are 100% correct and I have ordered from them in the past.
 Most of us when we need a ribbon for a printer we haven't used
for awhile need it now and don't want to have to mail order it.
Although Lyben has good products and fairly quick delivery
service it still isn't the same as picking one up locally.  In
this case I don't believe the savings justify ordering through
the mail as shipping would eat you up for one ribbon.

            BobR


#62600   Reply to #62583   11/01/96   02:25:14
From: Frank Slinkman, 72411,650
To:   RICHARD ROSS, 72066,2476

If you can get your hands on an XLR8er board, it carries 256K on
top of the 128K you can have on the motherboard.  The XLR8er uses
the Z180 or HD64180, clocked at 6MHz.  But since most of the
slower instructions are optimized (fewer T-states), this is the
equivalent of ~8 MHz.

This chip also features DMA access to RAM and ports (physical or
mem mapped); so can do neat things with hi-res graphics, access
higher density disk drives.  The extra RAM is easily used for
*very* fast RAM drives.

There were other memory expansion and speedup kits (from MegaMem,
if memory serves), which can take you to from 1 to 8 meg of RAM,
and clock the Z180a up to ~6 MHz.  These, too, may be available
on the used market.


#62601   Reply to #62599   11/01/96   02:26:16
From: Frank Slinkman, 72411,650
To:   Robert  F. Runyan, 104217,3377

> Lyben ribbons <

True, but I always ordered at least 6 -- especially for a ribbon
as normally expensive as the one we're talking about.


#62629   Reply to #62583   11/11/96   02:13:05
From: Frank Gottschalk, 72623,40
To:   RICHARD ROSS, 72066,2476

Hi Richard, glad the M4 is out of the closet and dusted off!
They're still great machines. Among the other suggestions you've
rec'd, all Tandy Printer ribbons are still available from CN-80
Magazine in Casper, Wyoming.
 Yes, RAM can go up to 8Meg, but I use my 1 Meg RAM expansion for
a really FAST RAMDrive :0. Use the upper 64K for DDUTY, to make
it like two computers in one, with two keystroke switching
between them. As previously mentioned, your  controller will work
fine for 360 or 720K drives, but pin 32 of the controller cable
must be present. Several ways to get it there. Give a yell if I
can help you more.   Frank G.
 Frank Gottschalk (TRS-80 RECYCLER).... Reply here, or E-Mail to
72623.40@compuserve.com, or phone (510)-651-2313 8A-11PM PST.


