💾 Archived View for uscoffings.net › retro-computing › systems › Tandy › oldskool › pcspnt.txt captured on 2023-07-10 at 15:11:41.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Date:13-Aug-88 17:04:37
Fm: Bob Kaputa 76701,300
To update the PC-Sprint review....
1.) The Mod is available for the 1000A.
2.) EXEC-PC no longer handles sales of PC-Sprint. They will cheerfully give
you the number of the company who does:
DAS Technologies, Inc.
340 W. University Dr. Suite 17
Mesa, AZ 85201
(602) 844-1777
PC-SPRINT 1000
by Charles Robertson
PC-SPRINT is a hardware speed-up modification kit for the "original"
series of the T1K's. It is noted several times through the documentation that
it WILL not work on the "A" series.
PC-SPRINT comes complete with two processors, a V20 and a 8088-2, two
crystals, a "chip remover", and a small circuit board. The instructions are
clear and concise for the step by step conversion including eight drawings to
clarify some of the steps.
The first step is quite easy, finding out which of the two new processors
you can use. (One or the other must be used for the speed-up to work at all)
Starting with the V20, you swap your current 8088 and reboot. This is to test
if your T1K will run with the V20. I ran several of my usual programs and
everything checked out. The V20 will provide the fastest speed-up if your T1K
can handle it.
The second step is also simple. First you decide, which "speed" crystal
you want to try. (The two crystals give your T1K an effective speed of 6.67mH
or 7.37mH depending on which one your T1k can handle...swapping the crystals
is a simple task later) You plug the crystal selected into the PC-SPRINT
board, pull the clock chip from your motherboard, plug it into the small PC-
SPRINT board, and plug the jumper from the PC-SPRINT board back into the
former clock chip socket. The small PC-SPRINT board has two foam "feet" on the
bottom and just sits on top of the motherboard.
If you have a memory board the last step can be a bit taxing. Hanging off
the PC-SPRINT board are two sets of wires. One set is connected to a switch
which you mount somewhere on your T1K's case and is used to switch from the
normal speed of 4.77mH to the boost speed. The other wire has a small plunger-
clip attached to it and SHOULD be connected to your expanded memory board. If
you have Radio Shack's 25-1004 memory board, the instructions give you the
proper connecting point.
For this final step you must pull out the card which contains your DMA
chip and cover one of the connection points with a small piece of tape
(supplied). The most difficult part for some maybe the next step of tracing
the connection, you just covered, to the first leg of the first chip it hits.
I suggest that you do several "tracings" and see if you keep coming up with
the same point. I FINALLY did and was right. (I understand that you can call
and get very good tech support if you feel you need help during any of these
steps.)
I have been running at (advertised) 7.37mH now for several weeks with no
major problems. One minor glitch, for those of you who turn off your computers
when not in use, a power-up boot fills the screen with garbage and give a
message of "Memory Error"...however hitting the red RESET button moves my T1K
right along through it's paces. When exiting PC-PAINTBRUSH at high speed my
T1K sometimes gives the message "Invalid COMMAND.COM...System Halted". I have
yet to find any program that chokes on "boost", at that...you just flip the
speed switch if one does...even while the program is running!
Unfortunately I don't have the Norton Utilities to give a standard
reference number. However a set of speed test programs gave the following
results as referenced to a standard IBM-PC/XT. With the switch at NORMAL, the
speed rating was 95%-97%; with the switch at BOOST, the speed rating was 245%-
252%.
PC-SPRINT cost is $99 and can be ordered through EXEC-PC Inc., Post Office
Box 11268, Shorewood, WI, 53211 ... or ... by calling 414/242-2173.
PC-SPRINT also comes with a "free trial offer" (week's membership) to
EXEC-PC BBS. This is NOT just another BBS, EXEC-PC has 16 phone lines that can
be simultaneously used, 323Mb of programs available for download, and can be
accessed through TELENET's PC-PURSUIT program. PC-PURSUIT's cost is $25/month
for as many hours as you want.