Re: Trackstar 128 Problems - Please Help

[Mike <moose@rocknet.net.au>]

Rubywand wrote:

> Mike writes ...
> >
> > I finally got around to having a proper go at installing my Trackstar
> > 128.
> >
> > I read the 52 page manual thoroughly (which raises more questions than
> > it answers), connected up my Apple ][ drive to the Trackstar 128 card,
> > and inserted my bootable Trackstar v6.2 5.25 inch disk into my PC's
> > floppy drive, and switched on my PC.
> >
> > When I run the Trackstar program STAR, all I see is the following :
> >
> > *****************************************************
> > Trackstar 128   Program Version V6.2
> > (C) Diamond Computer Systems, Inc., 1986
> >
> > Please Wait !!
> >
> > *****************************************************
>
>  ....
>
>      A lot of Trackstar Plus stuff seems to work pretty well on the Trackstar
> E; so, it seems like a good bet that much of the following will apply to your
> 128 version.
>
> Information- See ...
>
> http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2HDWHACK.html  Q&A 018 and 024
> http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2APPLICS.html  Q&A 024 and 025
>
> http://www.grin.net/~cturley/USA2WUG/TrackStar/ ...
>   TrackStarInfo.txt and MoreTrackStarInfo.txt
>
> Stuff- Check ...
>
> http://www.grin.net/~cturley/USA2WUG/TrackStar/TrackstoreImages/
>   Trackstore image disks- DOS 3.3 and ProDOS image disks with utils
>
> http://www.grin.net/~cturley/USA2WUG/TrackStar/
>   Trackstar drivers, etc. in TrackStarE.zip .
>
> Rubywand

Thanks for your help Rubywand !

I have actually seen you post these links before, and I have read all of the
information - and while they contain lots of useful information - there doesn't
seem to be help on my specific "Please Wait !!" problem.

A question I should probably ask - as I have a nagging suspicion - is do I need
an Apple Monitor or some other monitor hooked up to the Trackstar card ?  This
isn't clear in the manual.

At the moment, I have a Pentium 100 (with HDD, CD, Floppies, etc), PC SVGA
Monitor, PC keyboard / mouse, Trackstar 128 card, Trackstar v6.2 software disks
(3 of them !), Trackstar 128 Manual, and my old slimline Apple ][ disk drive and
ribbon cable - I don't have any other cables or anything else.  Like others seem
to report, I got my Trackstar card and disks but nothing else - luckily I had
kept my old Apple ][ drive and a big box of my favourite disks - long (10+ years
!) after my much beloved Apple ][ ceased to function.

So, I don't know if my PC's SVGA monitor hooked up to my PC's video card is
sufficient.  Does a monitor need to be connected to the Trackstar card ?

I also don't know about the role of my PC drives.  Do these need to be also
connected to the Trackstar ?  If they are connected to the Trackstar, do they
function exactly like an Apple ][ floppy drive or are there some
incompatibilities ?

I checked out the FTP site mentioned in one of the Trackstar help files (on the
links you mentioned) at
140.142.225.27 in /pub/trackstar - but this no longer exists.  Do you know where
else these files might be located :

TS128.621.zip           TrackStar 128 drivers v6.2.1
TS128.622.zip           TrackStar 128 drivers v6.2.2
TS128.623.zip           TrackStar 128 drivers v6.2.3
TS128.overlay.zip       TrackStar 128 keyboard overlay
TS128.manual.zip        TrackStar 128 manual for in .pdf

At home, I have an old 486-DX-33 as well, which I will try the Trackstar card in
tonight as well.

I will also try the Trackstar E software as well as the Trackstar v6.2 software.

I really hope someone can help - particularly with the "Please Wait !!" problem
above.

Mike O'Malley