==============================›    MINUTES OF AUGUST 1992 MEETING›    ==============================››NEW MEMBERS:››     WILLIAM R. FORBES from  PA  joins›our  club.  Bill  is  a  professor  of›Biology  at  the University of Indiana›in PA. He is a devoted and  lonely  8-›BIT'er,in his neck of the woods. He is›also   a   SYSOP  on  two  IBM  (ugh!)›bulletin boards, THE  ELECTRONIC  ZONE›412-349-3504, and THE WIGGLE WORM 412-›357-4062. Call him and  tell  him  you›are an OL'HACKER too. He would like to›hear from you!››     FRANK   M.   FERRELL   JR.   from›Wilmington  DE  also  joined our club.›Frank has also been working by himself›without  much  (read   "none")   8-bit›support. Welcome guys. I know you will›enjoy the club, and he SUPPORT.››ITEM:››     We saw BILL ROTH'S name,  one  of›our  members  from  California, in the›FRANTIC   newsletter  (a  very  active›Texas 8-Bit club.) It  seems  BILL  is›also  a member of the their club. JOHN›JOHNSON our member from Oregon is also›a  member  of  FRANTIC. Many of us are›multiple members of 8-Bit clubs. I  am›also   a member of the ACE OF SYRACUSE›club as well as the WESTCHESTER  ATARI›USERS  CLUB.  The  FRANTIC  newsletter›complimented    us    for    a   great›newsletter.››      HAROLD  PEGLER  passed  out  the›updated version  2.0  of  the  LIBRARY›DISK  to  the  members.  The  disk has›PRNTSTAR.BAS on it on the  back  side.›You  can  call  up a file and print it›with   this   program.  A  great  idea›HAROLD!›› CORRESPONDENCE:››     From   the  JACG  of  New  Jersey›newsletter,   of   Aug.   '92.    They›commented  on   the   continued   very›vigorous  growth  of  the  OL' HACKERS›while   most  other  8-Bit  clubs  are›losing members.››     JOHN KASUPSKI V.P. and the editor›of the WEST NEW YORK ATARI USERS GROUP›newsletter the POKEY April 1992  issue›discusses how an IBM users saw EXPRESS›PRO on a BBS and this IBM  users  said›"perhaps  someday  we  (IBM's  boards)›will  have  something  like it for the›IBM." This just shows you that we have›many  great  programs  that  are   not›available to the IBM.›     JOHN  in  that  issue  said  that›"their  (referring  to  OL'   HACKERS)›newsletter is the best disk newsletter›that I  have  seen  to  date".  Thanks›John.›     A  letter   to   MAGIC   (another›terrific  8  BIT  disk  newsletter) by›ALEX.  ALEX  asked  why  we  have  not›received their newsletter for  a  long›time.  We  received a reply from BRUCE›WILLIS,  8  BIT  Librarian  of  MAGIC,›saying that they had some trouble with›equipment  but  that  they will resume›sending it to us. THANK YOU FELLOWS!.›     ALEX wrote to  MARK  BENSLEY  our›new  member.   ALEX   wrote   for   an›evaluation of our newsletter disk from›MARK. MARK is a super  programmer  and›has  written commercial software. ALEX›reminded MARK if he has  any  material›that he wants to have published in the›premiere   issue   of   ATARI  CLASSIC›MAGAZINE he can send it to us  and  we›will forward it to BEN POEHLAND.›     A  letter  from  our  member JOHN›JOHNSON in Oregon. JOHN felt that  our›Data  Base  for mailing the newsletter›does not like him. QUITE ACONTRAIRE  -› John  we  do not forget you. its just›that the newsletter does not get  sent›out  the  same  time  for every issue.›Sometimes it  is  sent  later  in  the›month.  So  John - we love you and the›Data   Base   has   you  listed.  Your›newsletter will come to you,  and  all›our  other  non  local  members, every›issue. Now to your suggestion that  to›come  to  the  meetings seems a little›hard. We understand that -  after  all›there is no shuttle flight from OREGON›CITY, OREGON to  PLAINVIEW,  N.Y.,  is›there?›     DANE  STEGMAN  our  member   from›upstate  New  York  writes  us that he›enjoys reading  the  newsletter  every›other  month.  He  thanked   RON   for›helping  him  with a hardware problem.›We think that DANE is also a secretary›of another club, right DANE?›     A  letter from LARRY TISHBEIN our›LIAUG Newsletter  Editor  member  from›QUAKERTOWN  PA.  He  tells  us that he›will write a  small  article  for  the›newsletter.  He  sent  it to us. If it›gets a PULIZER  PRIZE  LARRY  said  he›will  split  it  with us. Oh boy! Lets›plan on how we will spend it, send  in›suggestions!››     By  the way all correspondance is›read at meetings, so if you want to be›heard, just write!››DOOR PRIZES:››JACK GEDALIUS›BOB ULSCHMID›HAROLD PEGLER›HARRY TUTHILL›JIM HARRIS››DEMOES:››     RON  for  his demo, described how›to change a pressure pad on your  disk›drive. This is the most cost effective›improvement you can do  to  your  disk›drive.  In  order   to   protect   the›read/write  head  use a disk and put a›piece of masking tape on  the  top  of›the disk opening. Put this disk in the›drive.  This  will  protect  the  read›write head.›     Over the read write head  is  the›pressure  pad. It is a round plug with›a felt pad in it. Look at it.  If  the›felt  pad is worn then you must change›it.›     To change the pressure pad  close›the  disk  drive  door and lift up the›holder press the pad together and  pop›it out of the holder.›     To  insert a new pad put the plug›under the holder and gently  press  on›it until it pops into the hole.›     New  pads are available from BEST›ELECTRONICS. For INDUS and 1050 drives›they  are  $2.00.  For 810 drives they›are $.75. If you are  going  to  order›something  from  them you are urged to›also  order  yourself  a  spare  drive›belt. They are very hard  to  get  and›this  is  the  only  source.  They are›$4.50.›      In   a   recent   issue  of  AIM›MAGAZINE, there was a  description  on›how to use the top end of a BIC PEN as›a pressure pad. DO NOT USE IT. It fits›O.K.  but  it  ruins  the back of your›disk and you cannot use it as a FLIPPY›DISK. It most likely will also deposit›plastic on your READ/WRITE HEAD.›     A tip from HARRY TUTHILL. If your›rubber roller (platen) on your printer›is hard and dried out] Here is a quick›fix  you  can do. Put a little acetone›on a rag (so it is almost  dry  -  not›too  much) and rub the roller with it.›Be careful not to get the  acetone  on›the  plastic  parts.   Use   it   very›sparingly on the roller.››     ALAN  SHARKIS did a demo on SUPER›ARC, SUPER UNARC  and  DISK.COM.  ALAN›gave  out  printed screen dumps of the›menu sections  of  the  programs.  The›reason we arc or compress a file is to›send it over a modem, or to save space›on  a  disk, or to keep it secret. BOB›PUF'S   ARC   and   UNARC  are  pretty›universal in the 8 BIT computer world.›The  SPARTA  DOS  X ARC/UNARC does not›work   properly  with  BOB  PUF'S  ARC›UNARC.›     ALAN showed us how to arc several›files.  He  showed  us the menu and he›explained all the menu selections.  He›started  with  files  that equaled 480›sectors. After arcing they  were  only›half of the previous sectors.›     ALAN  then  showed  how  to UNARC›files.   He  explained  all  the  menu›selections and how they work.›     ALAN then demoed  DISK.COM.  With›this    program    you   compress   or›uncompress a WHOLE DISK including DOS.›DISK.COM  does  not compress that much›but it makes the disk one  file.  THEN›you  can arc this file and compress it›further. ALAN  uses  DISK.COM  with  a›SPARTA  DOS  X  cartridge.  ALAN  then›showed  and  explained  all  the  menu›functions  of  DISK.COM.  On  option H›"MAXIMUM SECTORS" the default is  720.›If your disk is bigger you must change›it   so  the  program  reads  all  the›sectors. The extender for  a  DISK.COM›file  should always be .DCM. This is a›universal notation.  ALAN  received  a›standing    ovation   for   the   fine›presentation.››      JIM   HARRIS   showed   us  some›fantastic new product from Germany. It›is  a  special  disk  drive controller›completely finished on a PC board.  It›is for 3.5 inch disks drive. It uses a›standard   1.44  meg  3.5  inch  drive›mechanism. It  creates  essentially  a›small  removable hard drive. The speed›of the drive is absolutely  fantastic.›It  is fully compatible with the 8 BIT›and plugs into the  serial  chain,  it›supports  US  DOUBLER,   HAPPY,   WARP›SPEED.  This  drive  is  about 1/3 the›speed of a hard drive with  an  MIO  -› very,  very  fast.  It  can  read and›configure itself to the type of drives›you  are  using.  It  is technically a›masterpiece.   The   price   is  about›$200.00. JIM said he is trying to  buy›the rights from the guy in Germany and›produce it here. In addition, to  this›controller,  you  need  a power supply›and a 1.44meg 3.5 disk drive. It was a›great presentation by JIM HARRIS››     ALEX  demoed  EASY FIND a catalog›of all ATARI MATERIALS  and  articles.›It  is a 6 disk set (7 if you want the›TURBO BASIC modified MASTER DISK also)›and it will be found in our library.›      ALEX   showed   us   the   POKEY›NEWSLETTER disk.  A  great  newsletter›disk.  The  POKEY NEWSLETTER DISK uses›our newsletter format, but uses SPARTA›DOS.  All  the  POKEY NEWSLETTER disks›are in the  library.  These  are  well›worth  getting.  A ton of info on each›one. The ddemoed ones are #201 to  203›in the library.››     ALEX  showed the FEB 92 MAGIC DOM›(DISK OF THE  MONTH).  It  is  another›fabulous    disk   with   many   great›programs. You can also get it from our›library.  We  have  most  of the MAGIC›disks. It is produced by  the  MIDWEST›ATARI  GROUP  FORM  IOWA. On this disk›they give you a menu that you can read›or  print out with a short description›of  the  files.  It  is  #211  in  the›library.›     #212 is MAGIC DOM April 1991.  It›has  among  other  things how to go on›GENIE. It also has a hardware mod. for›1200XL for video improvement.››Another  great  meeting is now a thing›of the past. Darn it, I hate  to  wait›another month for the next one!››Submitted by›                         Ron Fetzer››>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>END<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<››