Re: Trackstar 128 Problems - Please Help

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

Rubywand wrote:

> Mike writes ...
> >
>  ....
>
> > 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.
>
>      First, my experience is with a Trackstar E card; but, it probably applies pretty
> well to other versions.

I was hoping so as well.  I tried the Trackstar E software on my Trackstar 128 card last
night with mixed results :

1.  The Trackstar E STAR program wouldn't run and gave a "This Trakstar E utility is not
compatible with your Trackstar 128 card" type message.

2.  The Trackstar E TSUTILIT worked with my card and did allow me to create disk images -
but without the rest working, I cannot really tell if these disk images are good or not.

Is there a way to convert these TRACKSTAR disk images to .dsk or .nib format for use with
an emulator ?


>      Trackstar requires either a cable to patch PC video to the board or a separate
> composite monitor connected to the usual RCA-type video output plug on the Trackstar.
>
>      The patch cable sends PC video output to the Trackstar and the PC monitor
> connects to the Trackstar. This lets Trackstar use the monitor for displaying its
> output; or, the board can just pass through regular PC video when Trackstar is not
> active. A notable catch in all this is that, according to another user, the monitor
> needs to be an old digital type.
>
>      My Trackstar E is in a 33MHz '486. The PC uses a VGA monitor; so, I have a
> composite monitor connected to the Trackstar.

OK, I do have a CGA monitor at home - so I will have to try this hooked directly up to
the Trackstar card.

>      In order to get a clear, stable display on the composite monitor, it was
> necessary to do a minor mod to the Trackstar to adjust video output level. This mod
> is described in one of the Q&A I listed. Depending upon your particular composite
> monitor, you may not need to do the mod.
>
>      Regarding the "Please Wait" message-- this may be something that gets left on
> the PC display when the Trackstar starts up its display. Since, at present, you have
> no Trackstar display, it's hard to know whether Trackstar is waiting for you to press
> some key.

I only get the "Please Wait" message when the Trackstar 128 card is installed on my
Pentium 100.

On my old 486-DX 33 (where I installed the Trackstar 128 last night), the program gets
further - but still doesn't fully load.  I get an error message :

    "Unable to load system - please insert Trackstar Utility Disk"

This may not be quiote the correct wording, but it is the general gist of the message.
None of the 3 original Trackstar v6.2 Utility disks can get me past this message.

Has anyone got / solved this error ?

Any ideas ?


> > 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 ?
>
>      There is a way to connect your PC 5.25" drives to Trackstar using a weird cable
> and plug setup. Not all PC drives will work-- your manual probably talks about this.
>
>      Evidently, the 5.25" PC drives connected to Trackstar can still function okay
> with your PC.

OK.  But I think I will avoid this for now and just stick to my Apple ][ drive hooked
direct the the Trackstar 128.

>      As for A2 compatibility; I'm fairly sure the drives simply function as PC drives
> which Trackstar is able to use with PC diskettes-- i.e. it can save and load files to
> diskettes in the drives. The PC drives can not read or write standard Apple II
> diskettes.
>
>      Whatever, like you, I did not get any cables with my Trackstar and have not
> tried to connect a PC 5.25" drive to the board. There seems to be no good reason to
> mess with the PC's 5.25" drive(s).

OK.

>      You can do very nicely with an Apple Disk ][ drive connected to your Trackstar.
> This drive plus a couple virtual 5.25" "Trackstore" drives (which are simulated on
> your PC hard disk) plus a 10MB virtual hard disk (also simulated on your PC hard
> disk) gives you access to your Apple II diskettes and plenty of disk space and
> flexibility.

This sounds good - I did manage to make a couple of disk images - with the Trackstar E
TSUTILIT - but have been unable to load / run Trackstar enough to see if they work.

Is there a way to convert these TRACKSTAR disk images to .dsk or .nib format for use with
an emulator ?


> >
> > 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.
>
>      Yes, I know. This is why mention of the site was deleted from the updated Text
> version of the FAQs resource file. (Now, the html version of the file on my site has
> been updated, too.)
>
> > 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
> >
>
>      No. As far as I know, all of the Trackstar stuff available to users is on
> USA2WUG. If you could upload the files from your Trackstar disk to, say, Asimov, it
> would help to expand the collection of Trackstar materials. It would, also, make it
> easier for other users to help you get started.

I will definitely do this.

The trouble is that I suspect that the disk split format - half IBM and half Apple ][ so
I am not sure if Teledisk or similar can make a complete disk image of the disk.  The IBM
part is 180 KB, so perhaps it is just single sided, or else the other side might be Apple
][.

It should be easy enough to backup the IBM part of the disk, but there might be useful
stuff on the Apple ][ part of the disk - without being able to run Trackstar fully, I
cannot tell how true this is.

Do you know about this ?

Mike O'Malley