https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/index.htmlHot News!enenRob CraigCopyright 2012 By Rob Craig2014-05-29T23:57:43+02:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Wed, 7 Mar 2012 17:22:18 +0100Rob CraigApple II2014-05-29T23:57:43+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/4821257d09cb1a519d7d684ced6a05db-21.html#unique-entry-id-21https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/4821257d09cb1a519d7d684ced6a05db-21.html#unique-entry-id-21Its all about recalibration. Tweeking and turning those dials... I purchased a while back a Apple II component card from Nishida Radio and seemed on my Apple IIe PAL it was not compatible. After a year of emailing and waiting I saw a YouTube video showing the same card in an Apple IIe PAL, working 100%. So I returned to it, retweeked and Bob my uncle the darn card worked. Its pretty close to the original. The darn dials on the card need tweaking.

Virtual II Emulator (OSX)



Apple IIe with component card. (The top of the image is dark due to the angle I took the photo at)


]]>Rob CraigMusic2014-05-13T21:34:10+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/eb2b7381b4024c218f0bc3e714130232-20.html#unique-entry-id-20https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/eb2b7381b4024c218f0bc3e714130232-20.html#unique-entry-id-20

]]>Rob CraigApple II2014-05-13T21:03:11+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/46c80547cbdf5a5285e3f1b4d23ca998-19.html#unique-entry-id-19https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/46c80547cbdf5a5285e3f1b4d23ca998-19.html#unique-entry-id-19


After buying a secondhand logic board from eBay, I had to return it in the end. No questions asked, but it was faulty as we have seen in the last post. I’ve now got my Apple IIGS cooking with gas. I just need to get some more peripherals. :)

]]>Rob CraigApple II2014-01-22T21:27:43+01:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/48100fa7da0be5f979239daecfa42766-17.html#unique-entry-id-17https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/48100fa7da0be5f979239daecfa42766-17.html#unique-entry-id-17Rob CraigApple II2013-12-02T20:53:10+01:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/dceeb7f2b222707d0e5b8ac173123f70-16.html#unique-entry-id-16https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/dceeb7f2b222707d0e5b8ac173123f70-16.html#unique-entry-id-16


So I located a new box of 10 double Density 5 1/4” floppy disks and fired up ADT-PRO. Errors…..more errors.. And this was on my Apple IIGS which worked a few months ago. arrrggh. I then tried my Apple IIe and the Super Serial card. Strange things are a foot at the Circle K. Looks like I have screwy Super Serial Card too. Darn. I’m sourcing one now. Fingers crossed it works.

*****Update: The problem in the end was with mac Mac Pro. The driver I was using was not installed correctly. I removed it and used the standard Aten one.]]>Rob CraigApple II2013-10-16T21:23:05+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/d0449f38edcfdc369c5d578b80562507-15.html#unique-entry-id-15https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/d0449f38edcfdc369c5d578b80562507-15.html#unique-entry-id-15

To try and resolve my on going video problems with my Apple II PAL editions I located this store in Japan. Hand crafted made to order boards that seemed amazing. Only one catch. Seems they are NTSC only as I’m getting some really strange results. The webpage for the cards is: https://tulip-house.ddo.jp/DIGITAL/english.html]]>Rob CraigMusic2013-04-02T21:59:09+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/1bd696667ff25c19f2c9e5d9ecf34d44-14.html#unique-entry-id-14https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/1bd696667ff25c19f2c9e5d9ecf34d44-14.html#unique-entry-id-14
Thanks to my mate George over in the USA I managed to score this Yamaha Music Interface Midi card for my Apple II. I was using a Synthtech card before which worked quiet well but I could not close the lid of my Apple II due to the midi cables connector not fitting through the hole. ]]>Rob CraigMusic2012-12-08T15:29:58+01:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/7483766fb0f4716bdc8d386d876890c9-13.html#unique-entry-id-13https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/7483766fb0f4716bdc8d386d876890c9-13.html#unique-entry-id-13supported this device allowing the games music to be enhanced using MIDI for the sound track. Something Sierra would do with Roland’s MT32 in the years to come.

The card has midi in/out, thu plus for all your analogic minded people out there, tape sync in/out. Pretty much all you needed back in the days of midi. Do read the manual linked at the bottom of the pages as it goes into further details on connection and using the card. Thanks to Phillip for the scans of the card.

The front side:

]]>Rob CraigApple II2012-09-23T15:24:20+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/0d532ed62a32bb4eaa2ac469d5a6e511-12.html#unique-entry-id-12https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/0d532ed62a32bb4eaa2ac469d5a6e511-12.html#unique-entry-id-12

My original Apple IIe that I purchased off eBay came broken. The video rom was burnt out and displayed garbled graphics. In the end I could not source a replacement chip so I purchased a second Apple IIe to use as spare parts. Last week I found someone of eBay selling the Apple IIe Enhancement kit. Unfortunately it arrived with the US video rom chip which is a lot smaller than my Germany PAL version. You can see the size difference here:]]>Rob CraigApple II2012-09-23T14:57:02+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/2395b5881d7ffde582ab2c1d315191f7-11.html#unique-entry-id-11https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/2395b5881d7ffde582ab2c1d315191f7-11.html#unique-entry-id-11

Finally my CFFA3000 card arrived the other day. For some reason Rich’s email made its way to my spam folder and I did not see it hence the longer delivery time. This card is pretty amazing. I’ve even started to make official backups of my original Apple II software. I’m using a compact flash 1GB card but I find its a lot easier just to have a USB extension cable connected at all times and use a USB pen drive when needed. Makes live a lot easier when your copying from another machine. ]]>Rob CraigGames2012-08-27T22:32:30+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/fbfbd3a5c95960b7dab91bc1e4dd0b33-10.html#unique-entry-id-10https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/fbfbd3a5c95960b7dab91bc1e4dd0b33-10.html#unique-entry-id-10

It's amazing to look back at the quality of products available back in 1989. They really did push the hardware to the limits. While Origin systems was busy releasing Ultima V Sierra Online was releasing Space Quest III, Leisure Suite Larry 2 and many more.


]]>Rob CraigApple II2012-07-17T22:39:42+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/900849b6e8e8ddba38765b8689502cdf-9.html#unique-entry-id-9https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/900849b6e8e8ddba38765b8689502cdf-9.html#unique-entry-id-9


]]>Rob CraigApple II2012-07-08T15:07:58+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/9fa58c10f90faf3496599edeadf5b292-8.html#unique-entry-id-8https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/9fa58c10f90faf3496599edeadf5b292-8.html#unique-entry-id-8

I stumbled apon this magazine a while back and instantly subscribed. These days there are very few printed magazines about the Apple II left in circulation. I’m all for saving tree’s but I just can’t bring myself to purchase a pdf or electronic copy. Its just not the same as thumbing through the pages. Don’t get my wrong I poses an iPad and use it everyday.

Memories float back of the old days and Phrack magazine, underground press. This months issue even includes a 5 1/4” floppy disk with demo music from David Kruszyna. The same stuff as from the assembly parties back in the early 90’s.
]]>Rob CraigMusic2012-05-13T01:11:39+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/midicard.html#unique-entry-id-7https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/midicard.html#unique-entry-id-7
The Syntech midi interface card, from what little information available on the internet is 100% Passport Designs compatible. It has midi in, midi out connectors plus tape in tape out. It came with no documentation so I don’t really know too much about it. I don’t even know how it was originally sold. Any information most appreciated.

]]>Rob CraigGames2012-05-05T22:13:09+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/c64659f99fb1a7da63e82793b5fd78e7-6.html#unique-entry-id-6https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/c64659f99fb1a7da63e82793b5fd78e7-6.html#unique-entry-id-6


I managed to get a second hand copy for the Apple II off eBay for €20. So you can imagine I was well chuffed. I’ve seen it selling for around €150 which is just crazy. I’m using my new TFT monitor but not too happy with the resolution. From what I’ve read when you go down the TV road the text is quiet blurry and there is really nothing you can do about it. I was temped to use my monochrome composite Apple II monitor. I will keep looking for a colour composite monitor and see if this improves the quality of display. ]]>Rob CraigGames2012-04-23T22:46:17+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/18300dcd21d99414ffd607fb6bbc486a-5.html#unique-entry-id-5https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/18300dcd21d99414ffd607fb6bbc486a-5.html#unique-entry-id-5download the PDF version.

]]>Rob CraigMusic2012-03-30T21:09:33+02:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/0a1c13e793431658fb7365103230087c-4.html#unique-entry-id-4https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/0a1c13e793431658fb7365103230087c-4.html#unique-entry-id-4

Passport Design’s famous Sound Chaser. This only just pre-dates midi. Midi was introduced just a little later but then started dominating the market and these types of products slowly disappeared and midi rapidly took over. It took me a while to get this all up and running. At first I tried to get it running on an Apple IIgs but had no luck. I think there are too many changes with the Apple IIgs’s hardware and the Mountain Music System cards seems to just roll over and die. Makes a sort of humming sound and thats about it.

With my Apple IIe I have had no problems. Even the light pens seems to work. Amazing technology for the early 1980’s.]]>Rob CraigApple II2012-03-23T17:05:21+01:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/8648facc788b7b1371d30bbd9a99d478-3.html#unique-entry-id-3https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/8648facc788b7b1371d30bbd9a99d478-3.html#unique-entry-id-3
]]>Rob CraigApple II2012-03-22T14:46:00+01:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/bf074c8f6caed722a09e9fc9814f330e-2.html#unique-entry-id-2https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/bf074c8f6caed722a09e9fc9814f330e-2.html#unique-entry-id-2

Darn video rom was faulty. I assumed that these could not be easily located so I found a cheap auction on eBay for another Apple IIe PAL. Lucky, as last night I was testing the new Apple IIe with a midi interface card and suddenly a pop, then a strong smell of burnt electronics. Arrggghh. I could have died. The darn mini interface card shorted something out. I then tried to boot and I have this screen. Arrgghhh!!!
]]>Rob CraigApple II2012-03-09T04:06:48+01:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/7ddc686bcbaf68eacfe33ab93d90a043-1.html#unique-entry-id-1https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/7ddc686bcbaf68eacfe33ab93d90a043-1.html#unique-entry-id-1Last night I spend quiet a few hours carefully removing every ROM on the main board, cleaning and reseating. Still no luck. Whistle looking for rom references in google I stumbled across a French forum and one of the users seemed to have the same problem as me: https://forum.system-cfg.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3418



The resolution was to change the video rom. hmmm. I’m not sure if these rome are available these days. That is my next mission. Meanwhile I’m bidding on a UK Apple IIe PAL just in case. I can then use one of these Apple IIe’s as spare parts.

BTW: Here is my posting on Applefritter.com: https://www.applefritter.com/content/text-not-appearing-correctly-apple-iie

]]>Rob CraigApple II2012-03-07T17:33:37+01:00https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/d55272d3545aaebf5343d63f5ae5a76d-0.html#unique-entry-id-0https://www.apple2.robcraig.com/files/d55272d3545aaebf5343d63f5ae5a76d-0.html#unique-entry-id-0I decided to start this blog solely for the purpose of remembering the changes and reparation Im doing on my Apple IIe (PAL). Here is the photo from the ebay listing. The description was a working Apple IIe. Little did I know ZeeGermans can’t be trusted….

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