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+--- Thread: hi from FNQ (/thread-967.html)
hi from FNQ - apple2 - 12-11-2025
g'day all,
I've been into retro 8-bit computers since the late 70's. Apple II, Dream 6800, Souther Cross Z80, TEC-1D/F, uComp Z80, Heathkit ET-3400, SYM-1, IMSAI 8080 (clone).
Although I don't yet own any type of Microbee, I do have a lot of other 8 bit SBCs, Apple II and Mac 68K computers.
I'm mainly a hardware guy, but over the last few years I consider myself a Software guy too. My latest project was adding a Compact Flash Hard drive to my ET-3400 and write the disk drivers so that I could have 126 disk drives up to 16MB in size. I also ported FLEX 6800 OS so I could boot FLEX directly off the CF card.
Back around 2014ish there was a new kit being made for the Microbee by the original company at around $400 IIRC, and at the time I was going to put my name on the list for one but decided to research a bit more first. I was mainly concerned that I wouldn't have any media to run on it or any way to load or save files. I think there was some kind of SD storage solution but I can't recall if that was ever available and this is the main reason why I didn't order one. Apparently you could connect up some original vintage hardware, but this isn't how I wanted to use the Microbee. An SD card solution for a hard drive/floppy drive emulator would be nice.
I was a member of the MSPP and posted stuff and documentation relating to the Dream 6800. hi Chicken Man! Recently, as I'm now retired, I tried to log into my original MSPP account but was bounced. Unable to RESET my password I'm joining here to see what the latest is on the Microbee kit (if any), and maybe get some help with MSPP which still seems to exist.
regards,
Mark C
Townsville QLD, in Oz.
RE: hi from FNQ - ChickenMan - 12-11-2025
Hi Mark and welcome to the forum
Yes I remember the name from the old days.The Microbee your talking about was the 128k Premium Plus. We have an enormous amount of software for it, you just copy the *.DSK file to the SD card using your PC and then select it on the Microbee. Its floppy based, not HD, but you can also attach a 3.5" floppy to it also and exchange files. A CF can be easily added to a Microbee 128k that simulates up to a 4 x 5mb hard drives plus 2 floppy drives. We have all the info in the Repository, just ask for access here https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/thread-15.html
All your old Dream 6800 material is here plus heaps more.
RE: hi from FNQ - CheshireNoir - 12-11-2025
Hi Mark,
While I do have one of my Microbees upgraded with a CF Coreboard, for the longest time I "made do" with a Gotek Floppy Drive emulator. They're super cheap and well supported on the Microbee. (I think last count I had 8 of them connected to various 8 and 16 bit systems.)
In fact I recently built a custom enclosure for a Gotek to make it look like the old "CiaB" cases, paired with an original "CiaB" FDD / PSU.
If you need any help or advice if you do go down the Gotek path, reach out! I'm happy to help where I can, and I'm sure the "usual suspects" here will also be more than willing to help.
Cheers!
John
RE: hi from FNQ - apple2 - 14-11-2025
(12-11-2025, 05:00 PM)ChickenMan Wrote: Hi Mark and welcome to the forum
The Microbee your talking about was the 128k Premium Plus. We have an enormous amount of software for it, you just copy the *.DSK file to the SD card using your PC and then select it on the Microbee. Its floppy based, not HD, but you can also attach a 3.5" floppy to it also and exchange files. A CF can be easily added to a Microbee 128k that simulates up to a 4 x 5mb hard drives plus 2 floppy drives. We have all the info in the Repository, just ask for access here https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/thread-15.html
All your old Dream 6800 material is here plus heaps more.
hi again ChickenMan & Chesh,
That's good to know about the SD and CF card options. That would suit me fine. Unless the Premium Plus kit or similar becomes available again it looks like I'll just have to keep my eyes out for a Microbee on the used market. In hindsight I could have taken a gamble on getting one back then and just hoping for the best on software or floppy drive/hard drive options later on. I have plenty of other in-progress projects on retro computers that I'm not really deprived of any retro goodness to keep me busy.
I was able to access MSPP repository. Access has seemingly changed since I last used it. No longer using my own logon, just the two public login options. I was able to find the repository and info I was after (mostly). Maybe I need my own login for posting materiel?
My Dream 6800 hasn't had much done in ages. More recently (a few years ago), I got into GAL programming and used it for a couple of projects already, one for memory map decoding (as it is often used for) on the ET-3400. I designed it in a way that the original RAM chips didn't need to be removed for my memory expansion unit, as it was for the original design. This meant not having to pull RAM in or out of socket repeatedly if you wanted to reconfigure your machine risking breaking rarer RAM chip legs.
Years ago I designed a RAM expansion for the DREAM 6800. This was going to be 8K or 16K and include the video RAM, meaning you'd have to pull the RAM chips out of the DREAM with the expansion installed. I never made that board and now with more knowledge I would start over again using a GAL for memory decoding and if possible map RAM around the onboard RAM on the main DREAM PCB. I am considering doing this for my next RetroChallenge entry. Skipped this years RetroChallenge due to other higher priority home projects. Meanwhile my DREAM still only has the original 1K of on-board RAM
cheers, Mark C.
(12-11-2025, 06:31 PM)CheshireNoir Wrote: Hi Mark,hi Chesh,
While I do have one of my Microbees upgraded with a CF Coreboard, for the longest time I "made do" with a Gotek Floppy Drive emulator. They're super cheap and well supported on the Microbee. (I think last count I had 8 of them connected to various 8 and 16 bit systems.)
In fact I recently built a custom enclosure for a Gotek to make it look like the old "CiaB" cases, paired with an original "CiaB" FDD / PSU.
If you need any help or advice if you do go down the Gotek path, reach out! I'm happy to help where I can, and I'm sure the "usual suspects" here will also be more than willing to help.
Cheers!
John
I'm pretty sure we've chatted on several occasions on the Apple II mail list and A2c.chat in the past. IIRC you are over in WA and I'm in Townsville, QLD, so we couldn't be further apart physically while still living in the same country. Good to see you've got you finger in several retro computer pies
For the last ~3 years I've been working on ET-3400 projects such as a full ROM/RAM memory expansion unit, ROM replacement and the CF hard drive and FLEX 6800 projects. The CF card hard drive was by far the most rewarding and still has some work to go (PCBs and printer interface and drivers).
I'm on the FLEX User Group mail list. Not really participating much as they all seem to be always talking about OS9 and FLEX 6809 and GOTEC drives, none of which I have and interest in or have any desire to own. I get 10's of emails daily from that group, and honestly it's overwhelming with so many emails, 99% of which are of no interest to me, and I'm considering unsubscribing. I joined primarily due the FLEX 6800 port I did for my CF card hard drive project on the ET-3400 and access to their repository for needed FLEX files and manuals when I was writing drivers and patching installation files for my project. I did try to convince the only admin to setup a FLEX group on groups.io or similar so that posts would go onto a web site forum (like this one), and if you wanted you could block threads you were not interested in. This is how the ET-3400 groups.io and Altair Computer user group.io work. Its much less annoying, not having to wade though tons of emails and cull them out of you email app. Also if you do accidentally delete an email reply from the group, you can simply go onto the forum and search for it from its original thread. I'd be lucky to get 1/2 doz emails a week on that forum. Instead of taking up my suggestion, the mail list owner setup his own PHP forum on his own computer without any of those nice to have features and nobody is using it anyway.
Even though the Oz Apple II mails is setup in a similar way (using just email), we don't get 100's of emails a week because the users are more sensible and don't reply to every single email. Can you imagine what would happen if Andrew posted 5-10 emails per day on that group, and had 1/2 dozen people answer that daily too?
I had two major computer crashing issues for the last couple of years but now have a replacement MacBook so that I can now get back into my projects without having to worry about crashing 5 times a day. Still not completely out of the woods though as I don't have a Working PC and my Windows 7 install got corrupted during a reboot after a crash and no way to restore it so far. I'm considering a new PC early next year, however a Parallel Port supporting ECP/EPP in DOS is essential, otherwise I can't use my Glen Pure designed EPROM programmer and I need it because it can do 21-25V Vpp where most modern USB based ones (including one I won) don't have any Vpp higher that 12.5V !
regards,
Mark C.