Archiving & Indexing
David Anderson reported on the cataloging effort behind TimexSinclair.com: roughly 1,753 issues processed, 15,731 articles indexed across about 170 periodicals — 92 of them Sinclair-specific.
Tape & Disk Recovery
Joe Vandezande described his cassette restoration technique using Audacity to inspect waveforms, Excel to analyze bit-width measurements across an entire recording, and manual patching to reconstruct garbled sections. Several previously unreadable Synchro Set tapes and BBS 2068 dumps were successfully recovered this way.
Emulators & Development Tooling
The group discussed Zesarux and Fuse, with Fuse preferred for its simpler interface. David used Claude to help compile and fix build errors in the Mac port of Fuse, successfully integrating TS-Pico functionality.
John Mark Mobley demonstrated his Z80 assembly workflow using z88dk, producing .p files and using the classic technique of embedding machine code in a REM statement at address 16514.
Lloyd Dreger
We chatted about Lloyd Dreger’s efforts, including machine-language programming books and games, with a side conversation about the table-top wargames that inspired Lloyd’s Conquest game.
Software Rescues
Adam Trionfo described using an LLM to reconstruct dungeon maps from a scarce Astrocade RPG dump, enabling preliminary verification of a rare program with almost no surviving documentation.
Hardware & Diagnostics
Carl Miles talked about a Spectrum diagnostic cartridge he tested on a 2068, showing partial compatibility. Members discussed building a 2068-specific adapter.
Estate Planning & Long-Term Preservation
A recurring theme was collections lost when owners died and families didn’t recognize the value of hardware and software. Members shared practical approaches: designating a knowledgeable contact, donating to libraries or museums, and posting local pickup offers to avoid disposal.