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I think I sold about 400 kits Fritz, which wasn't too bad for pre-internet days.

Most of my input was software, as the hardware for me, was fairly straight forward Z80 micro technology for 22 years ago. Article was spread over 4 monthly issues, as it covered a lot of ground.

XT keyboards were cheap, and the most common type used at that time, so I went with that. However I had concerns that some types were a little temperamental, as they lacked some of the critical timing, that an XT motherboard required.

Leo Simpson tried half a dozen different XT types he was running in the SC office, and all worked, so he figured it wasn't of any real concern.

If I was doing the same thing today, I would simply squirt a serial USB stream from any old PC at it, for editing messages.

It was one of my first electronics projects, where I could say to my wife, look at this, and she understood what it was I was working on. I made up the first one for my youngest daughters 21st birday party, just for a bit of fun.

Best part was doing the software to produce not only the scrolling, rolling, etc., text, but graphics such as jumping phones, crocodiles, space creatures, I had sheets of graph paper mapped out, with what seemed to be hundreds of different critters jumping about.

Eventually, I revamped it from a single colour moving message board, to a tri-colour unit, however we never printed an article about the changes. Basically, we had to change the displays from one to two colour LEDs, movement produced the tri-colour, and the rest was done in software.

I must have made all of about 5 cents an hour for the amount of time I put into this one, but as I say, it was great fun producing something that you could actually show ***anyone***, and they understood what it was you were working on.

Cheers Don...

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--
Don McKenzie

Dontronics Blog:     http://www.dontronics.com/blog	
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Reply to
Don McKenzie
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Don't worry - take it as an initiation into aus.electronics ;)

Reply to
kreed

"kreed" "Gagi-9a6aag"

Don't worry - take it as an initiation into aus.electronics ;)

** How about I call you and idiot for no reason then ??

How do you like that ?

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

))

Point taken Phil.

Reply to
kreed

Don,

You forgot the beer you paid your trusty `man friday'

mik

Reply to
Mik DaDik

Sorry Mick.

So I got paid 5 cents an hour, but had to shell out a beer an hour to my trusted man servant Egor (Eyegor?), er Mick, so I actually made a small fortune.

I also found out that the quickest way to make a small fortune is to start off in the share market with a large fortune.

Cheers Don...

============================

--
Don McKenzie

Dontronics Blog:     http://www.dontronics.com/blog	
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Reply to
Don McKenzie

WELL PHIL ** YOU ABUSE ** PEOPLE ** FOR NO **** REASON.

Reply to
no one

Good one...

I always said I can guarantee leaving the races with a million dollars in your pocket...... You have to go with two million Dollars

Mik

Reply to
Mik DaDik

Haha, I've had a few of those! Sent the last one back to the agency.

Reply to
Dennis #1

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