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  • Like‑new Commodore 128D received as a gift - of course I immediately wanted to dial into a BBS with it, but as a total 128 newbie that turned out to be much harder than expected.

    From BBS ( /u/Radiant_Gazelle_8022 https://www.reddit.com/user/Radiant_Gazelle_8022 ) to All on Fri May 1 05:51:49 2026

    Recently I once again had the chance to welcome the former sysop of Snobsoft during his yearly short visit from the US to Germany, here at my place in Hamburg. And he didn't come empty‑handed - he brought along a gorgeous, like‑new C128D. But for me as a C128 newbie, all the BBS stuff turned out to be anything but simple. My RS232 interface for the modem initially refused to work with it and even caused the C128 to malfunction.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpjJsQ70dGE
    I'm also still looking for tips on QLink and how to get it running under C128 CP/M using a User‑Port modem.
    If you want to jump straight to the good stuff in the video - the BBS segment starts at 15:20.
    Enjoy!
    Here's the full timeline of the video:
    00:00 - 01:05 --- The visitor from the USA has arrived and brought something with him
    01:06 - 05:10 --- Unboxing the Commodore 128D
    05:11 - 05:49 --- Preparing for the first boot of the computer
    05:50 - 06:20 --- Fire up the Quattro Commodore after 40 years of beauty slumber
    06:21 - 12:24 --- Dealing with this case-opening mechanism from hell and taming the fan
    12:25 - 12:47 --- Silence
    12:48 - 14:38 --- Troubleshooting the RS232-UP9600 modem adapter
    14:39 - 15:11 --- Success
    15:15 - --- Now the fun part begins - checking out the C128D
    15:20 - 16:10 --- Loading Multi-Term 128 - floppy drive acting up a bit
    16:15 - 18:39 --- Dial into the 300-baud BBS
    18:40 - 20:21 --- Dial into the Snobsoft BBS
    20:22 - 21:30 --- Trying out CP/M 3.0 with the original Commodore C128 disk 21:33 - 22:30 --- Trying to get QTerm 128 running for the Hayes 1670 modem 22:38 - --- How to get CP/M software onto a CP/M disk on the C128
    22:40 - 23:15 --- Loading Big Blue Reader 128 - Version 4.10
    23:16 - 24:10 --- Step by step to a working CP/M disk
    24:11 - 24:23 --- Rant: the only key that works in this interface from hell to reach the copy menu - the up arrow
    24:25 - 26:50 --- Copying process and testing whether everything arrived correctly on CP/M
    26:51 - 27:58 --- Loading obscure C128 BBS software "128 Mailbox" - Mailbox = BBS in Germany
    27:59 - 28:34 --- I know that guy! Greetings to Axel aka Gandalf
    28:37 - 29:11 --- Something I've never done before in 40 Years...
    29:15 - 29:49 --- Thank-you section submitted by /u/Radiant_Gazelle_8022 [link] [comments]
  • From BBS ( /u/Radiant_Gazelle_8022 https://www.reddit.com/user/Radiant_Gazelle_8022 ) to All on Sat May 2 22:14:54 2026

    Recently I once again had the chance to welcome the former sysop of Snobsoft during his yearly short visit from the US to Germany, here at my place in Hamburg. And he didn't come empty‑handed - he brought along a gorgeous, like‑new C128D. But for me as a C128 newbie, all the BBS stuff turned out to be anything but simple. My RS232 interface for the modem initially refused to work with it and even caused the C128 to malfunction.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpjJsQ70dGE
    I'm also still looking for tips on Qterm and how to get it running under C128 CP/M using a User‑Port modem.
    If you want to jump straight to the good stuff in the video - the BBS segment starts at 15:20.
    Enjoy!
    Here's the full timeline of the video:
    00:00 - 01:05 --- The visitor from the USA has arrived and brought something with him
    01:06 - 05:10 --- Unboxing the Commodore 128D
    05:11 - 05:49 --- Preparing for the first boot of the computer
    05:50 - 06:20 --- Fire up the Quattro Commodore after 40 years of beauty slumber
    06:21 - 12:24 --- Dealing with this case-opening mechanism from hell and taming the fan
    12:25 - 12:47 --- Silence
    12:48 - 14:38 --- Troubleshooting the RS232-UP9600 modem adapter
    14:39 - 15:11 --- Success
    15:15 - --- Now the fun part begins - checking out the C128D
    15:20 - 16:10 --- Loading Multi-Term 128 - floppy drive acting up a bit
    16:15 - 18:39 --- Dial into the 300-baud BBS
    18:40 - 20:21 --- Dial into the Snobsoft BBS
    20:22 - 21:30 --- Trying out CP/M 3.0 with the original Commodore C128 disk 21:33 - 22:30 --- Trying to get QTerm 128 running for the Hayes 1670 modem 22:38 - --- How to get CP/M software onto a CP/M disk on the C128
    22:40 - 23:15 --- Loading Big Blue Reader 128 - Version 4.10
    23:16 - 24:10 --- Step by step to a working CP/M disk
    24:11 - 24:23 --- Rant: the only key that works in this interface from hell to reach the copy menu - the up arrow
    24:25 - 26:50 --- Copying process and testing whether everything arrived correctly on CP/M
    26:51 - 27:58 --- Loading obscure C128 BBS software "128 Mailbox" - Mailbox = BBS in Germany
    27:59 - 28:34 --- I know that guy! Greetings to Axel aka Gandalf
    28:37 - 29:11 --- Something I've never done before in 40 Years...
    29:15 - 29:49 --- Thank-you section submitted by /u/Radiant_Gazelle_8022 [link] [comments]