[Coco] Introduction, cartridge slot proto boards, J&M controllers, and EDTASM pak.

[Mark J. Blair]

Hi there. Let me introduce myself first, because this is my first post to this list. My first computer was an original silver CoCo, back around 8th grade or so. I think it started off with 16k, but my Dad upgraded it to 64k as I recall. I got by with just a cassette recorder for quite a while, until my Dad bought a J&M floppy system. I started learning how to program by teaching myself from the Color Basic and Extended Color Basic books that came with the CoCo. One thing led to another, and now I'm an electrical engineer.

I quit using the old CoCo around 1986 when I got an Amiga 1000 before I headed off to college, but I've felt nostalgic lately and have decided to play with some computers from my youth again. My original CoCo is long gone (Dad says it finally went to the electronics recycling center a couple years or so ago), but I've been filling the gap with a surge of eBay activity.

So, I recently picked up a CoCo 2. Actually, I believe it's a KoKo 2B with the improved graphic chip, and I may do the minor mod to enable lower case display. I also picked up a 128k CoCo 3 along with a CM-8 monitor, single-drive floppy systems for both of them, and a pile of other assorted cartridges and accessories. I even just got an MPI (the larger one, with white plastic) which I'll probably mod to work with the CoCo3. I also picked up an Apple IIe (I loved playing Wizardry on a friend's II+ back then), but that's a story for another mailing list.

Anyway, I'm really happy to see that there's still plenty of CoCo activity all these decades later!

I seem to recall that back in the day, Radio Shack carried a bare PCB with card edge fingers at both ends which match the CoCo's cartridge slot, and it could be used as-is or cut in half for CoCo hardware projects. Is any similar sort of proto board still available? Vector still makes their expensive plugboards with 44 pin edge fingers, but I don't recall whether they have the right pitch. I can check when I get home from work this evening. If there is not an off-the-shelf solution, then I guess I'll just need to lay out my own and have it made!

Also, I'd be interested in getting my hands on a J&M controller. I think that I had a JFD-COCO originally, but the JFD-CP looks more interesting to me now. I'll use one of the Radio Shack systems I got on eBay for the CoCo 2, but it'd be nice to use a fancier controller on the CoCo 3 with DSDD drives. I don't suppose anybody has an extra JFD-CP that's looking for a new home?

Last but not least, would any of y'all have an EDTASM program pak to dispose of?

-- 
Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net>
http://www.nf6x.net/