Discussion:
102 cassette cable
Rick Hanson
2009-08-26 05:32:19 UTC
Permalink
At 07:32 PM 8/25/2009, Will Harris <ki4pov-***@public.gmane.org> wrote:
>Hi Rick,
>My name is Will. I was at an amateur radio swap meet the other day
>and happened to come across a Tandy 102 for sale and bought it. I
>LOVE it. This is the neatest little laptop I've ever seen. My
>question is: How would you build a "cassette" cable for it i.e.
>which pins are the audio in and out and things like that. I want to
>build a cable to interface to an mp3 recorder that has a microphone
>and a headphone jack. Is this possible? I need a way to transport
>programs besides just storing them in RAM and this seemed like a
>small convenient way to do it not to mention it would be smaller
>than a cassette player. If you can give me any info on this or tell
>me someone who can I would really appreciate it.
>
>Thanks,
>Will
>KI4POV

Hi Will ... thanks for writing and welcome to Club 100 and Model T
computing. As a new Model 102 owner you are experiencing something
special that 6,000,000 others experienced since the introduction of
the Model 100 in March 1983. I highly suggest that you frequent
www.club100.org and learn. While there, please read about the
NADSBox and REX and spend considerable time with the links on the
right hand side for "learning."

To answer your question directly, the pinouts are in the
"Documentation" area of the "Library" in the "Model 100 Manual"--a PDF file.

Take note: I have some cassette cables for sale which you will want
because the DIN is absolutely not conventional or available and you
will need the right one. If interested, ask me. The Cassette Cables
are not in the Club 100 Catalog or Order Form.

Now, more to your desire to build a cable to store files on your MP3
player. It would be best, if you really, really, really want to do
this to join our discussion list and meet fellow HAMs, Model "T"ers
and generally speaking really super guys worldwide. They will be
glad to tell you how to build your cable... they may also tell you
not to bother and to just get a NADSBox and REX.

And last but not least is my personal take on what you intend, having
supported the Model 100 community since 1983 is it sounds like swell
project but it's useless. You would be far better off getting a
NADSBox and a REX and come into the 21st century of Model "T"
computing. Thanks again for writing.

I am CCing this to our discussion list. Join the list immediately
for answers... it's free, of course.

At your service... -Rick-

Richard Hanson, proprietor
Club 100: The Model 100 Users Group (www.Club100.org)
Supporting Tandy/Radio Shack Model 100, 102 and 200 Computer Owners since 1983.

rick-***@public.gmane.org | 925.932.8956 | cell 925.497.1928

For US Mail shipping: P.O. Box 23438, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
For UPS/FedEx shipping: 701 Charlton Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
John R. Hogerhuis
2009-08-26 13:37:17 UTC
Permalink
Here's a good overview page of file transfer:

http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=Model_T_File_Transfer

There's an article there on using an MP3 player, but it's not a route
I would recommend. Too fiddley. It's cool but almost every way is
better than that.

Pinout of cassette recorder:
http://sliderule.mraiow.com/wiki/Tandy_Radio_Shack_TRS-80_Model_100/Cassette_Cable

You're better off just buying a CCR-82 if you want reasonably reliable
cassette storage. In any event, if you buy a cassette recorder it
usually comes with the cable. Make sure it does.

Also note that the cassette cable is the same pinout as for other
trs-80 computers so you can buy cables on ebay with that in mind.

-- John.
Rick Hanson
2009-08-26 14:06:43 UTC
Permalink
Now that's a beautiful and useful reply, John. It's well structured,
well stated and precise. Nice! -Rick-

At 06:37 AM 8/26/2009, John R. Hogerhuis wrote:
>Here's a good overview page of file transfer:
>
>http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=Model_T_File_Transfer
>
>There's an article there on using an MP3 player, but it's not a route
>I would recommend. Too fiddley. It's cool but almost every way is
>better than that.
>
>Pinout of cassette recorder:
>http://sliderule.mraiow.com/wiki/Tandy_Radio_Shack_TRS-80_Model_100/Cassette_Cable
>
>You're better off just buying a CCR-82 if you want reasonably reliable
>cassette storage. In any event, if you buy a cassette recorder it
>usually comes with the cable. Make sure it does.
>
>Also note that the cassette cable is the same pinout as for other
>trs-80 computers so you can buy cables on ebay with that in mind.
>
>-- John.
Ron Wiesen
2009-08-26 13:27:32 UTC
Permalink
Hello Will:

I am corresponding with you via CC to your personal email address, but all the
subscribers to the Model T discussion list receive this as a direct email
reply to the message that Rick Hanson posted on your behalf. Please join our
Model T discussion list [ http://www.club100.org/list.html ]. Until then, you
may send messages to address m100-***@public.gmane.org in order to have them
distributed to all the subscribers to the Model T discussion list. Until you
become a subscriber however, folks must address their replies directly to your
personal email address, or else you will not receive the replies.

As Rick has explained, he does have some Cassette cables but he believes you
are better off acquiring a NADSBox to use for storage of Model T laptop files.
I concur with Rick, but I've done a bit of homework on QRZ.COM [
http://www.qrz.com/db/KI4POV ] and discovered that you are only age 15 (true
as of January 6, 2009). Consequently you might deem the price of a NADSBox to
be out of your financial reach at this time.

There are alternative means of storage for Model T laptop files that involve
file transfer to/from a PC desktop/laptop, and most of those are no-cost
alternatives -- [
http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=Model_T_File_Transfer ]. As it
happens, your specific desire to employ an MP3 recorder is addressed -- [
http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=File_storage_with_mp3_player ]. My
homework also reveals that you prefer Linux operating systems, and two
particular alternatives are specific to that family of operating systems:
DLPlus [ http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=DLPlus ] and TBACK via
WINE on Debian [ http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=TBACK ].

As to your specific question about a plug connector to mate with the CASSETTE
port 8-pin jack of the Model T laptop, two suitable DIN plugs are available.
An exact mating 8-pin DIN plug (Radio Shack part number 274-026) is one
possibility. The preferred possiblity is a physically compatible 5-pin DIN
plug (Radio Shack part number 274-023A) that will mate, and it is preferred
because it is the very same DIN plug that Tandy used for their general purpose
"recorder-to-computer cable" (Radio Shack part number 26-1207).

You might be able to order the preferred 5-pin DIN plug, or the 8-pin DIN
plug, from Radio Shack. However, note that Radio Shack (recently renamed as
as "The Shack") no longer is a reliable supplier of electronic parts. So the
information below might be of interest.

===== 5-pin DIN plug manufacturer =====

CUI Incorporated (a subsidiary of Waytronx Incorporated)
20050 SW 112th Avenue
Tualatin, Oregon 97062

=======================================

===== four suppliers of the 5-pin DIN plug =====

#1 -- Consolidated Electronics in the United States
[ http://www.ceitron.com/comm/micplug.html ] part# 4P5-100, price $0.54
http://www.ceitron.com/images/4/4p5-100.jpg

#2 -- All Electronics Corporation in the United States
[
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/DIN-5/5-PIN-MALE-DIN-PLUG/-/1.html ]
price $0.75
http://www.allelectronics.com/mas_assets/image_cache/height.500_width.500_modified.1237373195.1397.DIN-5.jpg

#3 -- Digi-Key Corporation in the United States
[
http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/264908-conn-circular-din-5-pin-male-sd-50.html ]
price $1.23
http://media.digikey.com/photos/CUI%20Photos/SD-30-40-50-60-70-80-130.jpg


#4 -- Maplin Company in the United Kingdom
[ http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=24516 ] price £1.69
kq39n http://images.maplin.co.uk/full/kq39n.jpg

================================================

Be aware that there are many Radio Amateurs who are subscribers to the Model T
discussion list. Also be aware that I maintain the current "Model T Radio
Amateur List" [ http://www.club100.org/mtralist.html ], which is found at the
Club 100 website. There are Model 100/102/200 based application software for
sundry Amateur Radio purposes, such as Morse code (both receive & transmit
applications), contest dupe-check/logging application, satellite orbital pass
prediction & Altitude/Azimuth antenna aiming application, sunrise/sunset &
Grey-line propagation time prediction applications.

At the Club 100 Member Upload Library [ http://www.club100.org/memfiles/ ],
take a look at contributions submitted by: Randall Shreve (an Army MARS
member) and myself (a clinically diagnosed Morse-maniac).

73 to KI4POV de WD8PNL [ http://www.qrz.com/db/WD8PNL ], -= Ron Wiesen =-

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Hanson" <rick-***@public.gmane.org>
To: "Will Harris" <ki4pov-***@public.gmane.org>
Cc: <m100-***@public.gmane.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 6:32 AM
Subject: Re: 102 cassette cable


> At 07:32 PM 8/25/2009, Will Harris <ki4pov-***@public.gmane.org> wrote:
> >Hi Rick,
> >My name is Will. I was at an amateur radio swap meet the other day
> >and happened to come across a Tandy 102 for sale and bought it. I
> >LOVE it. This is the neatest little laptop I've ever seen. My
> >question is: How would you build a "cassette" cable for it i.e.
> >which pins are the audio in and out and things like that. I want to
> >build a cable to interface to an mp3 recorder that has a microphone
> >and a headphone jack. Is this possible? I need a way to transport
> >programs besides just storing them in RAM and this seemed like a
> >small convenient way to do it not to mention it would be smaller
> >than a cassette player. If you can give me any info on this or tell
> >me someone who can I would really appreciate it.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Will
> >KI4POV
>
> Hi Will ... thanks for writing and welcome to Club 100 and Model T
> computing. As a new Model 102 owner you are experiencing something
> special that 6,000,000 others experienced since the introduction of
> the Model 100 in March 1983. I highly suggest that you frequent
> www.club100.org and learn. While there, please read about the
> NADSBox and REX and spend considerable time with the links on the
> right hand side for "learning."
>
> To answer your question directly, the pinouts are in the
> "Documentation" area of the "Library" in the "Model 100 Manual"--a PDF file.
>
> Take note: I have some cassette cables for sale which you will want
> because the DIN is absolutely not conventional or available and you
> will need the right one. If interested, ask me. The Cassette Cables
> are not in the Club 100 Catalog or Order Form.
>
> Now, more to your desire to build a cable to store files on your MP3
> player. It would be best, if you really, really, really want to do
> this to join our discussion list and meet fellow HAMs, Model "T"ers
> and generally speaking really super guys worldwide. They will be
> glad to tell you how to build your cable... they may also tell you
> not to bother and to just get a NADSBox and REX.
>
> And last but not least is my personal take on what you intend, having
> supported the Model 100 community since 1983 is it sounds like swell
> project but it's useless. You would be far better off getting a
> NADSBox and a REX and come into the 21st century of Model "T"
> computing. Thanks again for writing.
>
> I am CCing this to our discussion list. Join the list immediately
> for answers... it's free, of course.
>
> At your service... -Rick-
>
> Richard Hanson, proprietor
> Club 100: The Model 100 Users Group (www.Club100.org)
> Supporting Tandy/Radio Shack Model 100, 102 and 200 Computer Owners since
1983.
>
> rick-***@public.gmane.org | 925.932.8956 | cell 925.497.1928
>
> For US Mail shipping: P.O. Box 23438, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
> For UPS/FedEx shipping: 701 Charlton Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
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