HP Forum Archive 13

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

OT: Manuals wanted on Sharp PC-1250A Message #1 Posted by Bill (Smithville, NJ) on 22 Nov 2003, 3:24 p.m. I know that many of the forumn members also appreciate & collect the small Sharp PC calculators/basic computers, so am hoping someone can help me. I recently picked up a Sharp PC-1250A with the CE-125 micro-cassette/printer. It works great and is fun to play around with. Does anyone have any extra manuals for this unit/printer they'd be willing to either copy or part with? If someone could loan me the manuals, I'd be happy to scan them and return the originals. There doesn't seem to be any manuals on the Net other than the Tandy/Radio Shack ones. E-mail me at bjhnot@vpes.com. Just remove the "not". If this is considered too far off topic, then use 12345 to delete.

I have a 1251 manual Message #2 Posted by Mike on 22 Nov 2003, 7:27 p.m., in response to message #1 by Bill (Smithville, NJ) I have a PC-1251 manaul which should be the same for what you need. I will look into copying it. The problem is that I don't want to break the spine so it won't be a great copy. But it will give you what you need. The manual is also 225 pages and will take me a while to get to it. Interesting that you should post this. I was just about to post a PC-1270 post.

Re: I have a 1251 manual Message #3 Posted by Bill (Smithville, NJ) on 22 Nov 2003, 9:13 p.m., in response to message #2 by Mike Thanks Mike. I appreciate it. It's a shame Sharp didn't spiral bound their manuals. No hurry on the copy. I'm mostly interested in the commands for the mirco-cassette drive. The CE-125 makes for a nice compact basic computer, printer & mass storage. I `like the fact that the printer is thermal and is same width as the HP-41 printer. My first forlay into handheld computers was the Sharp PC-1500 with the 4-pen plotter. Had a great time with it many years ago. Saw one at a flea market this year and picked it up with plotter for almost nothing. Unforturnately, I don't know of any source for the pens. I've tried cutting down some metal ball point refils with a little success - but it's pretty messy. It's a shame that there's really very little scanned documentation for the Sharp computers. Thanks again, Mike, for your help. 12345

Cassette commands Message #4 Posted by Mike on 22 Nov 2003, 10:03 p.m., in response to message #3 by Bill (Smithville, NJ) You may have already figured out how to use the cassette drive. Switch to Remote OFF, allows you to control the tape like a normal tape recorder with the buttons. Switch to Remote ON, allows the computer to control the tape. However, you must pre-select the operation desired. All tape commands to is allow the motor to turn. So, say you want to CSAVE "program". You would: 1) Set REMOTE to OFF 2) Rewind tape to beginning, or position tape 3) Set REMOTE to ON 4) Push down the RECORD button 5) Issue the CSAVE "program" command. The tape will move and the program will be saved. Tape stops automagically. To CLOAD: 1) Set REMOTE to OFF 2) Rewind tape to beginning 3) Set REMOTE to ON 4) Push down the PLAY button 5) Issue the CLOAD "program" command. The tape will move and the program will be loaded. Tape stops automagically. Commands CSAVE "filename" CSAVE "filename", "password" CSAVE ,"password" CLOAD "filename" CLOAD? "filename" (this command is to compare programs on tape to memory) MERGE "filename" INPUT # "filename" INPUT # "filename", var list INPUT # var list PRINT # "filename" PRINT # "filename", var list PRINT # var list Edited: 22 Nov 2003, 10:06 p.m.

SHARP PDF manuals [OT] Message #5 Posted by Valentin Albillo on 23 Nov 2003, 1:45 a.m., in response to message #3 by Bill (Smithville, NJ) Hi, Bill: Bill posted: "It's a shame that there's really very little scanned documentation for the Sharp computers." Not so. Remember that several TRS-80 Pocket Computers are *exact* clones of some SHARP models, 100% *identical* in functionality and all but one, also cosmetically except for the TRS-80 logo instead of SHARP's. Taking that into account, here you are, a few SHARP PDF manuals: TRS-80 PC-1 = SHARP PC-1211, 1212, 1210 Owner's Manual Printer/Cassette Interface Manual Service Manual TRS-80 PC-2 = SHARP PC-1500, 1500A Owner's Manual Technical Reference Manual Assembly Language Manual Printer/Plotter/Cassette Interface Manual Service Manual TRS-80 PC-3 = SHARP PC-1250A, 1251 Owner's Manual SHARP PC-1401 = SHARP EL-5500 = SHARP EL-5500II SHARP PC-1401 Instruction Manual (English) and System Book (German) Many of these manuals are also 99.9% or more adequate for a great many other SHARP models, such as the PC-1402, 1403, 1245, 1246, 1247, 1252, 1260, 1261, 1262, etc, etc. Best regards from V.

Re: SHARP PDF manuals [OT] Message #6 Posted by Bill (Smithville, NJ) on 24 Nov 2003, 9:59 a.m., in response to message #5 by Valentin Albillo Hi Valentin, You're right - the Tandy/Radio Shack is a re-branded Sparp. But Radio Shack always had a habit of making small changes so that their computers (also applies to their re-braded casios) were a little different from the original. The PC-2 and 1500 had very different keyboard layouts but basically the same functions. The real question would be - if I dumped the ROM from a Tandy and a Sharp - how different would they be? Be an interesting exercise. I'm assuming one could PEEK the ROM memory and dump it to a file. Thanks again for all your help. 12345

Re: I have...Pens? Message #7 Posted by jimc on 24 Nov 2003, 2:51 p.m., in response to message #3 by Bill (Smithville, NJ) What kind of pens are they? There may be some instrumentation warehouses that may be able to assist. With a bit more information, I may be able to find you a source for the pens. (A picture would be most helpful)

Photos: 1500 printer pens Message #8 Posted by Mike on 24 Nov 2003, 6:16 p.m., in response to message #7 by jimc These are pens used in the printer for the PC-1500. They come in Black, Blue, Red and Green.

PTA-4000 Message #9 Posted by Tizedes Csaba on 24 Nov 2003, 7:07 p.m., in response to message #8 by Mike In the middle of '80s was a pocket computer in Hungary, named 'PTA-4000'. That was the hungarian license of SHARP's PC-1500. It has an expanded version, the 'PTA-4000+16'. This calc build with +16KByte RAM. See the follows: http://www.rskey.org/detail.asp?manufacturer=H%EDrad%E1stechnika&model=PTA-4000 http://oldmachines.tripod.com/hun_pta4000.htm Csaba

Re: OT: Manuals wanted on Sharp PC-1250A Message #10 Posted by Valentin Albillo on 22 Nov 2003, 8:03 p.m., in response to message #1 by Bill (Smithville, NJ) Hi, Bill: I suppose you already know this but just in case you don't, the Tandy TRS-80 PC-3 handheld is an *exact* clone of the SHARP PC-1251 pocket computer, which is just *nearly identical* to the SHARP PC-1250A you own, so the manual for the first will be 99.9% what you need. You can download the TRS-80 PC-3 manual, in PDF format (5.1 Mb), here: TRS-80 PC-3 Owner's Manual and it certainly will be what you're looking for. Best regards from V.

Re: OT: Manuals wanted on Sharp PC-1250A Message #11 Posted by Bill (Smithville, NJ) on 22 Nov 2003, 9:39 p.m., in response to message #10 by Valentin Albillo Thanks Valentin, I did download the PC-3 manual and you're right - it's very similar. But I guess I;m always interested to know if there are any commands unique to the 1250. I'm also looking for some sample programs that would make use of the micro cassette tape drive. On the side of the CE-125 interface unit is a jack labeled 'IN'. Do you know what this was for - audio in to the computer or to the tape? There would be no way to control it. It's a great little, fun, system - especially with the tape and printer - very compact. 12345

Re: OT: Manuals wanted on Sharp PC-1250A Message #12 Posted by Valentin Albillo on 22 Nov 2003, 10:16 p.m., in response to message #11 by Bill (Smithville, NJ) Hi, Bill: Bill posted: "But I guess I;m always interested to know if there are any commands unique to the 1250." I'm pretty sure there's none. The 1250, 1250A and 1251 seem to be nearly identical. Matter of fact, all SHARP models have either the identical BASIC dialect or else upwards compatible, with very few, obvious exceptions and extensions (4- or 2-line display versus 1-line display, etc). "On the side of the CE-125 interface unit is a jack labeled 'IN'. Do you know what this was for - audio in to the computer or to the tape? There would be no way to control it." I don't have the CE-125 interface so I can't tell for sure, but seems to me most probable that it is audio-in for the tape, not the computer. "It's a great little, fun, system - especially with the tape and printer - very compact." Certainly. The best model of this series is the SHARP PC-1262 (see pic at bottom). Same form factor, dimensions and weight, but 10 Kb RAM (vs. 4 Kb), 40 Kb ROM (vs. 24 Kb) and 2-line display (vs. 1-line). An amazingly capable and small machine (HP-15C size approx.). And fast, too ! Best regards from V. SHARP PC-1262 (dimensions: 135x70x10 mm, weight = 115 gr)

Re: OT: Manuals wanted on Sharp PC-1250A Message #13 Posted by Emmanuel, France on 23 Nov 2003, 4:28 a.m., in response to message #1 by Bill (Smithville, NJ) Does the PC-1250 have an HELP key (available after SHIFT HELP)? My PC-1251 has one.

Help? Message #14 Posted by Mike on 23 Nov 2003, 10:45 a.m., in response to message #13 by Emmanuel, France What do you mean HELP? I have both the 1250 and the 1251 and I don't find any HELP or any mention of it in the manual. There is a RESERVE function (on both), that can be setup to display information after pressing SHIFT. Is that what you mean? I believe the only difference between the 1250 and the 1251 is RAM size.

Re: Help? Message #15 Posted by Emmanuel, France on 23 Nov 2003, 11:40 a.m., in response to message #14 by Mike Please accept my apologies. It's not PC-1251 but on PC-1261.

Both have help Message #16 Posted by Mike on 23 Nov 2003, 12:53 p.m., in response to message #15 by Emmanuel, France The only difference, I believe, is RAM. 4K on the 1260 and 8K on the 1261.

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

Go back to the main exhibit hall