[Coco] msg from John Turner this morning

[RETRO Innovations]

On 8/26/2017 6:21 PM, Steve Strowbridge wrote:
> A few things came from this, first, the amount of work needed to "process"
> the files, Jim said there was a quicker/easier way to do it, but I'd screw
> up trying to explain it.
It appears John Turner Sr. is

  * loading each project into EAGLE,
  * Running the CAM process to create gerbers
  * Running the scrpits in EAGLE to create BOMs and VALUE txt files
  * Zipping up the gerber files
  * Zipping them up inot a 7z file

It's all fine, but:

  * There's no need for John to do all that

I am suggesting someone let him know one of us can do it.  In hist last 
TEXT file, he notes:

"25th August 2017:
*****************
Well, I  have to admit - this is turning out  to  be  FAR  more 
TEDIOUS,  TIME-
CONSUMING,  and FLAT-OUT BORING than I had expected. I have absolutely  
NO  idea
why  my Son was so fascinated  with  this  stuff.  I  shall still  
endeavor  to
persevere  and do my best to get around to uploading and releasing 
every  single
one  of his files, designs and what-not... but it  is  probably going  
to  take
months  to accomplish this. I thought I'd be able to do it in weeks... 
not going
to  happen. Loading up,  resaving,  generating  gerbers  and boms.  I  
was  NOT
prepared  for the amount of work this entails, but I promise to keep at 
it until
everything  has been uploaded and shared far and wide.  "

He's going to burn out, if there are hundreds of projects, as John Jr. 
noted:

1) Several Multi-Pak replacements.
2) Several Static RAM upgrades for ALL CoCo Models.
3) Multiple Cartridge and EEPROM Paks.
4) A Universal MIDI Interface.
5) An HD Floppy Controller fully compatible with the original Tandy  
controller.
6) A Serial ATA Interface for hard drives.
7) MFM and SASI/SCSI Interfaces, including  Drive  Emulators  via FLASH  
cards.
8) Universal Stereo Interfaces and recorders.
9) A 512K CoCo 1 and 2 upgrade, compatible  with  the  Jr  & Jr  Banker  
Board.
10) A flash and an SRAM based clone of the LowerKit (the fonts can  be  
changed
     from the CoCo during operation).
11) A 2-Megabyte DAT for Dynamic and Static Ram.
12) RamZilla Replicas.
13) NoCan Replicas.
14) And hundreds of other designs.

As well, I think we should ask JOhn Sr. to prioritize:

Interesting and very useful:

5) An HD Floppy Controller fully compatible with the original Tandy 
controller.
6) A Serial ATA Interface for hard drives.
7) MFM and SASI/SCSI Interfaces, including  Drive  Emulators  via FLASH  
cards.
8) Universal Stereo Interfaces and recorders.
9) A 512K CoCo 1 and 2 upgrade, compatible  with  the  Jr  & Jr  Banker  
Board.
10) A flash and an SRAM based clone of the LowerKit (the fonts  can be  
changed
     from the CoCo during operation).
11) A 2-Megabyte DAT for Dynamic and Static Ram.
12) RamZilla Replicas.
13) NoCan Replicas.
2) Several Static RAM upgrades for ALL CoCo Models.

Less interesting and/or less useful:

1) Several Multi-Pak replacements.
3) Multiple Cartridge and EEPROM Paks.
4) A Universal MIDI Interface.

Who knows? :-)

14) And hundreds of other designs.

> Also, there may be some missing interpretation on John Turner Jr? Did he
> just leave home, or has he left us completely as in passed away?
Yeah, in 2012, Jr said:

"Who knows, maybe someday she will dump me and I'll return. "

But, then John Sr. says:

"So, here  I  sit,  missing  my  son,  and  deciding  to
look through these files for nostalgia. His wishes  returned  to the  
forefront
of my mind, and thus I've done my best to prepare these files in a 
manner  that
may make them useful to the CoCo and  Dragon  Communities.  "

It's possible he's just not talked to his Dad in a while, but it sounds 
a bit more concerning.
>
> Here is a link to the video replay, this segment was at the very end, where
> Jim showed the current designs and kind of went through them, Barry Nelson
> also added to the discussion and interpretation.
> https://youtu.be/Ni9HNcLc7kI
>
> The audio podcast version of this episode will be published tomorrow, but
> it's not as interesting to listen to as it is to look at.
>
>

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