I/O Board

INFOFIX?

Andy Barton's Son of Infobits (Antic, May 1985) is a terrific little database with a wide range of practical applications. However, I have a problem. The program lets you store and search several hundred logical lines of data, but any attempt to edit or delete an item causes all but the first 10 logical lines to be lost. Is there a fix for this? R.C. Beckett
Hamilton, OH In the 18 months since we published this program, no one else has brought this problem to our attention. In fact, we literally spent hours trying unsuccessfully to duplicate the problem. Did you check the program with TYPO II (also by Andy Barton)? If not, you should have. Did you use DOS 3.0? If so, shame on you-switch to DOS 2 or 2.5 (available on Antic Monthly Disk or from users groups). -ANTIC ED

NX-10 HELP

Regarding Josh Stark's I/O letter (January 1987), the Star NX-l0 will take downloaded fonts in both draft and NLQ modes. My program Font Maker (Antic, March 1985) should be used in the Epson FX-80 version, since the NX-10 is Epson-compatible. I've also created programs to make and download NLQ character sets for the NX-10 which run on the 8-bit Ataris, as well as a GEM-based NLQ font maker program for the NX-l0 and the ST. Dr. James Duffin
274 Glen Manor Drive
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M4E 2Y2

BUMBLE HIGH SCORES

Eddie Carsten's Bumblbee (Antic, August 1986) stores the high score in Page Six so it's "remembered" between games. Unfortunately, if the previously executed program also used Page Six, Bumblbee might report ridiculously high scores. To clear this up, halt the game and type POKE 1536,0:POKE 1537,0 in the immediate mode. The high score should then be zero. James Hague
Richardson, TX

DEAF MODEM HELP

I have an answer to Lowell. Goldberg's January 1987 I/O request for information about how to use an Atari to communicate with the special telephone machines for the deaf. The newer Terminal Devices for the Deaf (TDD) are switchable to 110 baud ASCII code with proper modem carrier signals. I have used my Atari 800 with the MPP (Supra) 1000C modem which allows changing baud rates between 100 to 450 baud.

When I got an ST, I found that Flash modem software (beginning with version 1.2) includes a 110 baud patch that creates an automatic answering machine for the deaf. My ST not only communicates with TDDs in real time, it can answer the phone, type an acknowledgement, capture any message sent, sign off, hang up and the reset for the next call.

Most Hayes-compatible modems will not respond to commands or send codes below about 150 baud. You must establish a 300 baud connection, change to 110 to talk and then change back to 300 to hang up.

The older deaf teletype stations (TTY) operate at about 40-50 baud speed, use a Baudot code instead of ASCII and have in-compatible carrier tones. Still, I understand there are IBM and Apple programs for communicating with Baudot machines.

Ed Waldorph
CompuServe I.D.
73637,42

ATTRACT MODES

On my Atari 800, if there isn't any input on the keyboard for a couple of minutes, the screen starts changing colors. I have a display program that gets messed up by the screen's color-changing. Is there any way to prevent this? Todd Donovan
Chagrin Falls, OH Oh no.. your Atari is suffering from the rare Chameleon Syndrome. a dreaded computer disease requiring major electro -surgery!
Okay ..sorry about that bit of April Fool silliness. To stabilize the colors in your program, POKE 77,0. When using commercial software, stop the colors by pressing a key that won't change the work you've done.
The automatic color-changing is known as "attract mode"-because (some say) it's similar to the flashing lights with which Atari arcade machines attract players. On your computer, attract mode prevents overheating the video phosphors so an image won't be "burned" into your screen. This problem occurs only in color sets used for many hours on end, such as in store displays. Home users essentially don't need to worry about burning out their picture tubes. -ANTIC ED

DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE

Is there some sort of directory "reorganizer" on the market that will let me alphabetize my disk directories? Stephen Waldorf
Hamilton, GA DISKIO (Antic, January 1985) and DISKIO Plus (December1985) will alphabetize your disk directories-ANTIC ED

HARD DISK HELP

In the January, 1987 I/O Board, Del Jenson wrote that he uses business software and is looking for a database that can run on his 10Mb SupraDrive hard disk. Our Micromod program is a legitimate business database that fully utilizes the SupraDrive. It stores the bulk of files on drive 3 and runs under MYDOS 4.2 and SpartaDOS 2.3 or 3.2. Steve Bolduc
MicroMiser Software
1635-A Holden Avenue
Orlando, FL 32809
(305) 857-6014

Antic welcomes your feedback, but we regret that the large volume of mail makes it impossible for the Editors to reply to everyone. Although we do respond to as much reader correspondence as time permits, our highest priority must be to publish I/O answers to questions that are meaningful to a substantial number of readers.
Send letters to: Antic I/O Board, 544 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107.