ZX81 / Timex 1000 tape loading

[Lardo Boffin]

I have just received a copy of 3D Monster Maze and am struggling to load it. I have had a few goes on hardware I know to be working with various 1k games.

I believe the cassette to be working - I have bought from this supplier before without issue.

Do I need to type in the full file name to load the game? Or can I just get away with LOAD ""?

If I need to the full name does anyone know what it is? It's not mentioned anywhere I can find in the inlay! It takes 4 minutes to try to load and I don't the extra variable of an ambiguous file name to add to general fun of getting the volume and tone right.

I have tried with both my ZXpand and a memotech 16k RAM pack.

Thanks for any advice!

Lardo

[PokeMon]

In general file names are not needed by LOAD instruction. An empty string loads simply any file. And is the memory is overwritten nearly completely (address $4009 and above) there is no chance to read for a loaded program if a specific filename was used or not.

[Lardo Boffin]

In general file names are not needed by LOAD instruction. An empty string loads simply any file. And is the memory is overwritten nearly completely (address $4009 and above) there is no chance to read for a loaded program if a specific filename was used or not.

Thanks for that.

I wonder why the instructions always say to use the file name if it is not required?

[gammaray]

Use tape scrape to get a copy off tape with the name onto ZXPAND if you have one.

http://sinclairzxworld.com/viewtopic.ph ... RAPE#p4023

Check your volume too...?

[1024MAK]

In general file names are not needed by LOAD instruction. An empty string loads simply any file. And is the memory is overwritten nearly completely (address $4009 and above) there is no chance to read for a loaded program if a specific filename was used or not.

Thanks for that.

I wonder why the instructions always say to use the file name if it is not required?

Which instructions?

Mark

[XavSnap]

Which instructions?

???

By the way, if the file name is unused in the "P" format... this feature was used to load a basic block in case of multi-files programs.

If there is 10 files on a tape, you can load the 10th file at the end of tape!
All other files will be ignored...
But, you had to wait many minutes to reach this file.

We had to note each tape counter index, to reach the good program block, and type LOAD""...
The name is given by the SAVE"game" command, but if the name is a null string, the basic monitor return an error!

10 PRINT
20 END
30 SAVE""
40 GOTO 10
RUN
F/30

SAVE""
F/0

[RetroTechie]

Filename is useful when there are multiple programs on a tape. Or a program consisting of several parts (somehow). But... nothing that couldn't be handled using a tape counter. If not using an MP3 player...

Outside that, LOAD "" works just as well.

[XavSnap]

Outside that, LOAD "" works just as well.

Yes, but in case of "P" files... the name is in the basic command!

For example:
MYgame.P
10 PRINT"HELLO"
20 LOAD "PRG2"
30 SAVE"THISISMYGAME"
40 GOTO 10

MYgame2.P
10 PRINT"wold"
20 LOAD "THISISMYGAME"
30 SAVE "PRG2"
40 GOTO 10

In EO...VB81... the "P" files are named MYgame.P and MYgame2.P in DOS mode!
Not,"THISISMYGAME.P" and "PRG2.P"...

You had to change the wav header to the right name...
It's due to the wav "P" converter, how rename the wav header.
The best way to get right name, is to save the file in EO directly in a wav file... using the goto->SAVE command.

A header will be added:
THISISMYGAMe+"P" file
Where "e" is in reversed mode.

Note: the "81" format is a "P" file, including the name header.(as is tape datas!)

[Lardo Boffin]

In general file names are not needed by LOAD instruction. An empty string loads simply any file. And is the memory is overwritten nearly completely (address $4009 and above) there is no chance to read for a loaded program if a specific filename was used or not.

Thanks for that.

I wonder why the instructions always say to use the file name if it is not required?

Which instructions?

Mark

Generally speaking the cassette inlays of games etc. tell you to load the specific file name.

In the case of 3D Monster Maze it tells you to try using LOAD "" first in order to get the volume level correct and then LOAD "(file name)" to actually load the game. Unfortunately it doesn't say what the file name is...

IMG_5628.PNG

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[XavSnap]

nameofgame.jpg (10 KiB) Viewed 4149 times

Oooops!
Yes, it's clear... the name of your game is : "(name of game)"
Just try LOAD "(name of game)" (minus in reversed chars!)