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Author Topic: New Owner Questions (Read 27713 times)

Offline Womble

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New Owner Questions
« on: 2008.November.06. 01:06:26 »
Hi All

I am thinking about buying an Enterprise 64 machine I have found locally, but I have a couple of questions.

1) It doesn't come with the BASIC cartridge, can I do anything with this machine without that cartridge, is it possible to load games from tape without it?

2) I can easily program an eprom with the contents of the BASIC cartridge, and can probably make my own cartridge PCB. Is the ROM file available anywhere for download, and is it possible to find out the circuit diagram of the cartridge itself?

3) Am very very keen on getting this to run ZX Spectrum games, how easy is that to do? I have seen pictures of external PCBs, but also talk of ROMs, do these go inside the EP64 or do they need an external PCB.

Thanks for any help.

All the best

Womble.

PS - Hiya from sunny Australia!
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Offline MrPrise

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #1 on: 2008.November.06. 03:01:17 »
Hello and welcome!

1) Yes, you can load the games without any cartridge. Actually there are games which only work if you don't have  any cartridge plugged in.

2) Yes, you can find ROM files here too. Check the EP128emu! The emulator installs a lots of ROMs to your pc. As far as I know these .rom files can be burn into EPROMs.

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Offline Womble

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #2 on: 2008.November.06. 03:06:45 »
Superb - that was my main concern, I had a Sega SC1000 a few years back and that had no cartridges, to tell it to load you needed the BASIC cartridge to issue the load command, so it was basically a door stop.

Can you shed some light on the spectrum emulator board, is that an external PCB or an internal ROM swap. Am not averse to etching an external PCB if need be.
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Offline MrPrise

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #3 on: 2008.November.06. 03:15:30 »
The Enterprise has a builtin ROM which contains the EXOS and the WP. If you don't have any external cartridge, you still have the WP (the Word Processor. It is a text editor). The trick is to press F1 in it, then Enter and you can load anything you want from the tape (except BASIC programs, of course)
Sorry, I can not help you with the emulator, but I'm sure Zozo can help you tomorrow.
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Offline Zozosoft

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #4 on: 2008.November.06. 08:24:48 »
The most easy way to solve the missing Basic problem: upgrade the machine ROM to EXOS 2.31, this version have a BASIC inside. Only problem: needed to dismantle the machine, and solder one wire for the higher capacity EPROM.
But also recommended the ROM upgarde, because the most of programs are compatible with the EXOS 2.1 or higher ROM. The EP64 originaly come with the 2.0 version.

Another way: you can purchase a original cartridge from me :-)
But if you can easy to produce PCB lets do it! There is the schematics.
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Offline Zozosoft

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #5 on: 2008.November.06. 08:39:49 »
Quote from: Womble on 2008.November.06. 01:06:26
3) Am very very keen on getting this to run ZX Spectrum games, how easy is that to do? I have seen pictures of external PCBs, but also talk of ROMs, do these go inside the EP64 or do they need an external PCB.
Yes it is a external card, which is also have a own ROM extension.
At this topic I writed lot of about the emulator.

I you want to make own: there is the schematics of the latest version.

But if you want to use the emulator, then needed to have 64K RAM extension, what the EP128 have internaly. If you can make own emulator card then I think you can extend it with some RAM :-)
The memory extension is also good idea, because the most of Enterprise programs run only 128K machine. There is the list of the EP64 compatible games.

An the EXOS ROM upgrade is also needed for the emulator.
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Offline szipucsu

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #6 on: 2008.November.06. 09:18:47 »
Quote from: Zozosoft on 2008.November.06. 08:39:49
There is the list of the EP64 compatible games.
By the way some of them (about five) run only with the basic cartridge (e.g. Beatcha, Steve Davis Snooker) as they are fully or partly written in IS-Basic.
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Offline Womble

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #7 on: 2008.November.25. 04:29:25 »
Quote from: Zozosoft on 2008.November.06. 08:24:48
Another way: you can purchase a original cartridge from me :-)
How much would you want for a basic cartridge? Am after one with the cover sticker in good condition.
« Last Edit: 2008.November.25. 09:08:26 by MrPrise »
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Offline Gryzor

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #8 on: 2009.February.26. 14:46:40 »
Hello!

I'm Gryzor, active in the CPC scene (and maintainer of cpcwiki.com), and I just bought an E64 mint and boxed off ebay! Yay!

Only downside: it's missing the top of the joystick. It only has the internal stick... So the question is, is there someplace I could find a replacement? I know chances are slim, but still...

Cheers
Themis
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Offline Zozosoft

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #9 on: 2009.February.26. 15:34:07 »
Welcome here!
Quote from: Gryzor on 2009.February.26. 14:46:40
I'm Gryzor, active in the CPC scene (and maintainer of cpcwiki.com), and I just bought an E64 mint and boxed off ebay! Yay!
We see it :-) nice good looking machine!
Quote
Only downside: it's missing the top of the joystick. It only has the internal stick... So the question is, is there someplace I could find a replacement? I know chances are slim, but still...
The main problem: the EP64 have a green joystick cap, and the EP128 have a grey. It is possible to found grey cap sometimes on Hungarian auction sites (few weeks ago I bought one for Mika73).
But found a green, I think near to impossible :-(
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Offline Gryzor

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #10 on: 2009.February.26. 18:43:12 »
Quote from: Zozosoft on 2009.February.26. 15:34:07
Welcome here!We see it :-) nice good looking machine!

Heheh, yes, I guess when such a rare machine shows up the whole community sits up and watches... thanks for the welcome! Btw, I paid £220 for it, what do you think of the price?

It's such a lovely, lovely machine...

Quote from: Zozosoft on 2009.February.26. 15:34:07
The main problem: the EP64 have a green joystick cap, and the EP128 have a grey. It is possible to found grey cap sometimes on Hungarian auction sites (few weeks ago I bought one for Mika73).
But found a green, I think near to impossible :-(

Thanks for the tip! I guess a grey one is better than no cap at all, right? But, Hungarian sites, eh? Hmmm... why couldn't they export it to some country whose language I understand? :D Just kidding of course. Would it be possible for you to give me some pointers to those sites, and maybe tell me what search terms to use?

Thanks again - you'll be seeing more of me here!

Cheers
Themis

PS Anyone's got any games they wanna sell? :)
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Offline Zozosoft

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #11 on: 2009.February.26. 19:15:24 »
Quote from: Gryzor on 2009.February.26. 18:43:12
Btw, I paid £220 for it, what do you think of the price?
I observed the auctions in the past years and see about five boxed EP64 machines, the average price is about 200 GBP.[/quote]
My boxed machine came from Spanish eBay shop, for a 200 euros.
Quote
It's such a lovely, lovely machine...
Yes!!!  :ds_icon_cheesygrin:
Quote
Thanks for the tip! I guess a grey one is better than no cap at all, right? But, Hungarian sites, eh? Hmmm... why couldn't they export it to some country whose language I understand? :D Just kidding of course. Would it be possible for you to give me some pointers to those sites, and maybe tell me what search terms to use?
The easier solution: when I see one, I can bid for you.

Quote
PS Anyone's got any games they wanna sell? :)
I have lot of original tapes :-)
Many times needed to bought a full collections for I get one which are missing my collection :-) , and now I have lot of duplicates.
If you interesting, I will send a list with prices.
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Offline Gryzor

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #12 on: 2009.February.26. 20:01:33 »
Quote from: Zozosoft on 2009.February.26. 19:15:24
I observed the auctions in the past years and see about five boxed EP64 machines, the average price is about 200 GBP.

Ah, so I was close to the mark. I'm a bit surprised it's cheaper than the Sam Coupe though (of which I also have one!)!

Quote from: Zozosoft on 2009.February.26. 19:15:24
My boxed machine came from Spanish eBay shop, for a 200 euros.Yes!!!  :ds_icon_cheesygrin:

Do you have any photos? :)

Quote from: Zozosoft on 2009.February.26. 19:15:24
The easier solution: when I see one, I can bid for you.

That would be superb, really, but I'd hesitate to put you into trouble... I will send you my email address just in case, and I'd be eternally grateful, but I'd have no problem looking for one myself, too, if I knew these sites!

Quote from: Zozosoft on 2009.February.26. 19:15:24
I have lot of original tapes :-)
Many times needed to bought a full collections for I get one which are missing my collection :-) , and now I have lot of duplicates.
If you interesting, I will send a list with prices.

Ahhhh yes please do, that'd be nice indeed... Something to play with except for the demo tape!
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Offline Zozosoft

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #13 on: 2009.February.26. 21:30:02 »
Quote from: Gryzor on 2009.February.26. 20:01:33
Sam Coupe though (of which I also have one!)!
Wow!
Quote
Do you have any photos? :)
I linked it in my previous post :-)
Quote
I'd have no problem looking for one myself, too, if I knew these sites!
Enterprise items on the Vatera
Currently no joy cap :-(
Quote
Ahhhh yes please do, that'd be nice indeed... Something to play with except for the demo tape!
Ok, I will send the list of available tapes.
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Offline Zozosoft

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Re: New Owner Questions
« Reply #14 on: 2009.February.28. 11:24:04 »
Quote from: Gryzor on 2009.February.26. 20:01:33
Ahhhh yes please do, that'd be nice indeed... Something to play with except for the demo tape!
I sent the list to you!
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