MODEM Time! 1st MTERM II

When I see a computer setup without a modem, I am reminded of a story about a man at a wake remarking to the man standing next to the casket “Now he’s with his LORD”. But the man said “I’m afraid not, he didn’t believe the HIM”. “Oh! so he’s going to the other place?” the visitor asked? “No, he didn’t believe in that either. The man was an atheist!” was the reply. ” Oh, too Bad,” said the visitor, “all dressed up and no where to go!”

In this age of computers, I am amazed to see this situation so often, computers “all dressed up and no where to go!” I type something for a manual and print it out on paper. I give it to the publication department and they have someone else type it into another computer. I could have uploaded it to them and saved all that typing time and the ensuing typing errors.

Someone writes wanting the latest version of LogiCall. It is always on the T/SNUG and CATUG BBS. With a TS2050 modem they could download it in four minutes. Someone wants to put an ad on the BBS, they give it to me printed on an 8 X 11 piece of paper or a person submits an article for a the newsletter printed on paper wanting me to type it into the computer! I’ve got better things to do with my life!

If these people would just invest in a modem and terminal software, the data could be transferred from one machine to another in no time at all and the two machines wouldn’t even have to be of the same brand name! They all speak ASCII!

One of the reasons the BBS’s were invented was for the exchange of information. I have seen good computer programs written and articles written in magazines or periodicals that just don’t get around enough because they were on paper and not made available on a BBS. What a loss to the community! I have friends that work during other parts of the day than me and we still stay in touch through the BBS Electronic Mail service. Less interruption by telephone calls is also a result of E-MAIL. You don’t have to be on the other end when someone calls.

I have seen modems now starting at $5. Most machines can get free terminal software so what excuse have you got now?

If you are a TS2068 LarKen/LogiCall owner with a WESTRIDGE 2050 modem by Anchor, (also labeled TS2050), you will want to have at least three terminal software packages. They are MTERM II, LOADER V and MAXCOM. You will be limited to 300 baud but you will have the ability to communicate with any board supporting that speed. You will be able to transfer new software from the host system to yours and much more.

We shall start with an article for the WESTRIDGE 2050 Modem, made by Anchor, using MTERM II software from Micro-Systems Software Inc., the company which also wrote MSCRIPT and presently develops software for AMIGA computers. T/SNUG asked the author, Steve Pagliarulo, if he would release the program to the public domain but he stated that he still uses portions of the code elsewhere.

The most outstanding terminal program I have seen for the TS2068 is MTERM II. Steve Pagliarulo, also the author of MSCRIPT, fully understood how host computers operated and what we would need to communicate with them. To fully understand MTERM II, one needs the MTERM Software manual from WESTRIDGE, E. ARTHUR BROWN Company’s notes for printer drivers, Barry Carter’s SMART TERMINAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS manual and the VIDTEX portion of the GETERM manual from Greg Miller to explain the screen control portion of the software. Hopefully, I can provide that information in a future article.

The LOADER V manual from Kurt Casby will make the package complete. More on that next time.

Below is a driver for the MTERM machine code to be used with the LarKen/LogiCall system inspired by the original Mterm sent out with the first Anchor modems. Note that Steve’s present address and phone number is given in case he changes his mind about releasing to the public domain. If this loader is still in memory after exiting to BASIC from MTERM II, just key in RUN and <ENTER> to get back to LogiCall, otherwise RAND USR 100: NEW.

MTERM2.B1

   1 GO TO VAL "9998"
  10 REM   Version 1.021 1983
 MICRO-SYSTEMS SOFTWARE INC.
 By Steve Pagliarulo Suite 201A
 12798 W FOREST HILL BLVD
 WEST PALM BEACH  FL  33414
        407-790-0772
  20 CLEAR VAL "54015": LET A=SG
N PI: LET B=VAL "7": LET C=VAL "
4": PAPER A: INK B: BORDER A: CL
S
  30 BEEP VAL ".15",VAL "5"
  40 PRINT AT VAL "2",VAL "5";"R
EACH MORE OF THE WORLD";AT C,VAL
 "14";"With"
  50 PRINT AT B,PI; FLASH A;"Mic
ro-Systems Software Inc."
  60 PRINT AT VAL "12",VAL "8";"
SMART TERMINAL II"
  70 PRINT AT VAL "15",VAL "3";"
TELECOMMUNICATION SOFTWARE"
  80 PRINT AT VAL "20",VAL "9";
FLASH A;"PROGRAM LOADING"
  90 RANDOMIZE USR CODE "d": LOA
D "mterm2.CV"CODE : BEEP VAL ".0
42",CODE "2": PAUSE VAL "2.8": B
EEP VAL ".042",CODE "2": RANDOMI
ZE USR VAL "54016"
9992 RANDOMIZE USR CODE "d": SAV
E "MTERM2.B1" LINE PI: RANDOMIZE
 USR CODE "d": SAVE "mterm2.CV"C
ODE VAL "54016",VAL "9216"
9994 REM RANDOMIZE USR CODE "d":
 SAVE "phnmbr.Cu"CODE VAL "61373
",VAL "1495"
9998 RANDOMIZE USR CODE "d": LOA
D "L.B1"

Certainly this is the time to acquire a TS2050 modem for your TS2068 if you don’t already have one. Frank Davis will give them away to schools if he can’t sell them. Call him at Mechanical Affinity and be sure to have yours when you are ready for it or they will be ‘ALL GONE’ when you really need one!