Date   : Mon, 07 Feb 2000 08:28:49 -0000 
From   : John Simpson <Simpson.J@...>
Subject: Re: More tiny problems...

On Sunday, February 06, 2000 9:49 PM, Barrie Ellis
[SMTP:dobre@...] wrote:
> Hoping someone can help...I've just been given a BBC Master which switches
> on in *TAPE mode, meaning I have to type *DISK to get the disk filing
system
> going. Is there a simple fix to get it immediately in disk mode?

You need to type *CONFIGURE FILE 9 (I believe). This makes the default
filing system DFS (9 is the number of the ROM which contains the code.
 
> Will the battery dying stop the machine running normally in the future?

No. What will happen is that the machine will forget things. For example, it
will forget which filing system to start up in (see above!) and may even not
start up in BASIC. The time and date settings will also go wrong. This is
annoying but not fatal, because you can reset all the settings by hand when
the machine starts. 

However, I'd recommend getting a new battery pack from Chris Richardson.

> Also - weren't BBC Master's supposed to have 128K? So why, when I type
PRINT
> HIMEM-TOP, do I get the same value of memory space as a 32K BBC B?

The 128k memory is not arranged as one continuous lump. Instead, it is
scattered around the machine approximately as follows:

32k - Normal RAM (contains programs)
32k - Shadow RAM - this is in "parallel" to the normal RAM (contains screen
data, among other things)
4x 16k - Sideways RAM banks - situated above &8000, parallel with sideways
ROMs such as BASIC etc.

The above probably isn't 100% accurate (I've never owned a Master) but it
does give the general idea.
 
> Lastly - why is the colour TV signal so bad from BBC Micro's? Is there any
> fairly simple way of improving it (or does anyone know where there is a
> cheap supply of colour monitors)?

I came across exactly the same problem recently on a BBC B I acquired. I was
advised (via this list) that the quality of the modulated signal does vary
and is never very good at best. The age of the machines cannot help in this
respect either. 

Various possible solutions exist, but the one I adopted (after lots of
advice from here) was to make an RGB to SCART lead. This gives a perfect
picture on my TV at home. 

For cheap monitors, again its Chris Richardson you need to see.

john