Quick Look: Epyx Fast Load + Pi1541

Just a quick look at a great little device that combines an Epyx Fast Load cart with a Pi1541 Zero.
I got mine from Melbourne Console Reproductions:
melbourneconsol...
Please remember to support the creator of the Pi1541:
cbm-pi1541.fir...
Patreon: / mrlurch
Twitter: / mr_lurch
Facebook: / mrlurchsthings
Instagram: / mr_lurchs_things

[@srh76able]

Nice little video Mr. Lurch. To the two people that have given this a thumbs down, the police have been called.

[@JacobExplains]

It looks like the police got to one of them, because there's only 1 thumbs-down now!

[@parrottm76262]

SepTandy! w00t! w00t! This Epyx Fast Load + Pi1541 device is way cool, thanks for featuring it.

[@OzRetrocomp]

Thanks for allowing us to vicariously live through your collection, Mr. Lurch! I can't see myself adding any Tandy stuff to my collection any time soon (time/space/financial constraints), but I'm grateful that there's an Aussie 'Tuber getting into the SepTandy spirit.

[@CommodoreFan64]

This looks like a good simple solution for those who don't want to modify their systems for Jiffy DOS, I might have to give this a look when they come in stock.

[@mxqkodikodi2005]

it is not a new product. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnmtg3pni812btU

[@brostenen]

I got mine yesterday. It is a wonderfull little device. Love it.

[@breadbaker]

I'm glad Renzi builds those with a detachable serial cable.

[@RetroRecollections]

That's a really neat solution, I love it!

[@jmicari]

Good stuff mate. Label looks sweet.

[@Halftrip]

I’m lucky in that I still have my original Commodore 64 and my original TRS-80 Model I. If I was to try and buy them today, I’d consider myself priced out.

[@electronictreasure4191]

I have one of these too, but unfortunately browse mode doesn't work with the fast load cartridge installed. You can get it to boot if fb.d64 is autobooted (into emulation mode) but you can't load anything when in browse mode even if you disable fastload in the menu. The combination actually partially breaks the pi1541. I'm going to add a switch to disable the fastload rom in my cart.

[@BigCar2]

Wow - is it SepTandy time again? Wow - are you doing SepTandy again? Wow - is it a yearly thing now? 😃

[@MrLurchsThings]

Yup. That was the idea to begin with. Not sure how sustainable it is, but we’ll keep going each year as long as we’ve got something interesting to show.

[@dougjohnson4266]

Does it also have an REU like the 1541 Ultimate II+? Either way it looks cool.

[@Raptor50aus]

How would you load a game with more than 1 x D64 file? like Fighter Bomber thanks

[@Rick_Todd]

When the sound speaker buzzer version coming out ?

[@christuckwell3185]

Looks nice, but I think having jiffydos and the pi1541 probably is a faster loading experience. Happy to do a side-by-side comparison/race one day :-p

[@MrLurchsThings]

Why not have both? :D (or does Jiffy cancel out the Fast Loader?)

[@christuckwell3185]

@@MrLurchsThings as I don't have a Eoyx Fastload cart, I can't say for certain, but if you had the cart plugged in, that would be the set of disk routines used to access the 'disk drive' that is emulated on the pi1541. And from memory the Epyx cart only has an impact on loading times, does nothing for writes or formatting a drive. Also, the jiffydos chip has to be in both the computer and the drive or emulation equivalent (pi1541 / sd2iec) to have effect.

[@christuckwell3185]

@@MrLurchsThings www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Comparison_of_fast_loaders

[@OzRetrocomp]

Adrian Black made a video a while back where he compared a few different fast loaders for the C64 (I think it was one of his 1541 repair videos that featured a shootout between a bunch of different C64 fast loaders). IIRC JiffyDOS was faster than the Epyx Fast Load Cart. It'd be great to see a similar shootout with a Pi1541 rather than a physical 1541 though...

[@deborahberi3249]

I can't seem to locate the Epyx Fast Load cart with a Pi1541 Zero on their Website...is it a currently released Product? BTW, love the Channel! -Mark.

[@MrLurchsThings]

It’s so new Jason is still building up stock. But contact him via the website and he can get you one.

[@cdoty]

Can the Fastload cartridge be disabled? I do recall there were some games that were incompatible with a fast loader.

[@MrLurchsThings]

On this one no; but if the layout is what I think, it wouldnt be hard to kill the 5v going to it but keep the Pi1541 alive with a switch.

[@MrLurchsThings]

Hit £ and enter

[@TheUtuber999]

@@MrLurchsThings If you disable it using the £ key and subsequent menu, does that also disable the non-FastLoad wedge commands (ie. @CD to change directory, @MD to make directory, etc.)?

[@gettingpast4391]

You're going to be dissapointed with that Model 4! I played with one for a few years, added hires, wifi, hard drive emulator, floppy emulator, and still found it pretty lacking. Its a neat machine but its a relic compared to even the vic-20. Yeah I loved the look and feel, as well as the monochrome screen, but there are no good games and even the business software was pretty bad. The most useful thing I found was dbase and cobol.

[@DerickHorrox]

Awesome Product. Can you transfer D64 files from it to disks in an actual 1541? If so, can you do a quick video on how that is done. Thanks.

[@MrLurchsThings]

with this not having an IEC pass-through, no. However in theory you could with a "normal" Pi1541 using something like DraCopy. Jan Beta did a how-to a while back using an SD2IEC, but the function is the same.

[@DerickHorrox]

@@MrLurchsThings Thanks for your help. Do you have a link to what you consider a "normal" pi1541. I am new at this.

[@CSIG1001]

I bought one a few months ago but my sticker is falling off. Do you have copy of the case stickers?

[@MrLurchsThings]

Somewhere, yeah. Email me (on the channels about page) and I’ll see if I can find it.

[@jondoough]

Can you add speaker?

[@paulstubbs7678]

You quote a TRS-80 M4 at AU500, but then chase support in $US - I'm confused, where are you ps :- been looking for a M4, nobody seems to have one in AU, although that price would kill me... Anyway, thanks for the "Melbourne Console Reproductions", it's got me chasing a Zimodem. - I built an earlier one, upgrade time???

[@MrLurchsThings]

I’m in Australia (Canberra) but Patreon only does USD, Euro, and British Pound.

[@CheshireNoir]

members.iinet.net.au/~ianmav/trs80/ might be able to hook you up with a Model 4. He has a couple, with a 4P under $400 (just)

[@MrLurchsThings]

@@CheshireNoir I chat to Ian daily :)

[@CSIG1001]

is this open source?

[@MrLurchsThings]

The Pi1541 project is released under GPL-3.0, this particular design with the Epyx - honestly don’t know.

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

DOOD!

[@JVHShack]

I have an idea: call it the "Epyx Pi" Also, another SepTandy? Woot!!!

[@jasonb_]

Please let me buy this!

[@inpurgatory]

Bloody hell...Nearly SepTandy again? Where HAS the year gone....Oh yeah...Human Malware :(

[@TheUtuber999]

What do the buttons at the top do? Can you change directory through software? What about software compatibility? How specifically does this compare to the SD2IEC... or even the Kung Fu Flash cartridge? You really need to do more than just plug it in and turn it on, dude. And you have the nerve to beg for donations?

[@4KbShort]

ePIx 41

[@MeineVideokasetten]

Blah blah video?