Acorn Electron Chain "" = Bad Name, possible ROM change?

[Zyphon]

Hi all,


I have had a query regarding an Acorn Electron and I was hoping someone on here would be able to help me out.


To load and run games on the Electron you use the command:

Code Select Expand

CHAIN""
However, when RETURN has been pressed the error "Bad Name" is displayed. Has the ROM been changed?


I asked the person who bought the Electron to contact the seller but alas it was passed on to a relative and the only info given was that it was used to create software like Slogger. Now I don't know if this is referring to the Slogger board or not.
Can anyone shed some light on why the 'CHAIN' command wouldn't work?

Thanks in advance for any help offered.

[Bryce]

Are you just using a bare Electron, or does it have a Plus 1 / Plus 3 / Pegasus connected to it? What tape deck are you using?

Bryce.

[TheCorfiot]

Try Entering the command *TAPE and RETURN, before the CHAIN command.

Is your space bar working ok, holding the space bar down whilst pressing BREAK will automatically select the ROM filing system.

To help you better...

Enter...*HELP and RETURN, and pls list here what appears on your screen.

If you can take a photo of the main board I can tell you if the OS ROM is original.

TC 

[Zyphon]

@Bryce


Good questions all  , I forgot to ask the person with these issues about those add-ons. I shall get onto that and let you know. 


@heCorfiot


Thank you for the information provided, I shall feed this back and ask what the outcome was and let you know. 


Many thanks to both of you for your help, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out. 

[00WReX]

I'm no Electron expert (far from it) although I have a couple.

Like the CPC464 (with no DDI connected) the Electron also has a catalogue command for the tape.

It won't load anything, but will read the tape and list what it finds.

For the electron.

*CAT

Probably does not prove much, just that you are able to read tapes and will check
if the tape relay in the Electron is working. You should here the click just like
on the Amstrad.

Cheers,
Shane

[Zyphon]

@Bryce and @TheCorfiot


Again. Thank you both for your help. 


I have had some feedback from the person who enquired about the the Electron. He stated that he had both attachments at the back, I can only assume he has the Plus 1 and the Plus 3 attachment but he hasn't got back to me to confirm this.


He did state that the *TAPE followed by the CHAIN "" command worked. So I can only assume that he has got it working.


He mentioned that the computer sometimes freezes and that the screen goes blank. If the machine is turned off and then on again nothing appears on the screen.


Anyway, many thanks to the both of you for all your help it is really appreciated. 

[Zyphon]

@00WReX


Thanks for the advice. I think the Electron is now working as I have not heard back from the person making the request. 

[Bryce]

Like the CPC, if the Electron has a OS ROM installed (in this case it's in the Plus 3), then it assumes all loading / CAT etc is looking for a disk, and very like the CPC you have to tell it to go back to tape with a |Tape or *Tape command (BBCs use an asterix instead of the bar).

The blank screen thing doesn't sound good though. Something else isn't as it should be inside

Bryce.

[TheCorfiot]

Blank screen is simply poor contact on the expansion connectors..

Get the ole pencil eraser out and clean both the electrons and the plus 3's


TC 

[Bryce]

Hopefully. It could also be a sign of something getting too hot inside.

Bryce.