NBaheti.es@xerox.ARPA (Arun) (05/03/86)
Due to popular demand I am sending this article to the Net.
If you must flame, do so in private mail and spare the clutter on
the Net. This article is by Dick Bollinger and was uploaded to my
RCP/M in this form; it was also published in Micor Cornucopia a
while back.
--Arun Baheti
arpa: NBaheti.es@Xerox.COM
arpa: Baheti%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA
uucp: ...ucbvax!trwrb!flkvax!group3!anb02!arun
...scgvaxd!group3!anb02!arun
...wright!anb02!arun
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RELIEF FROM THE 300-BAUD BLAHS
A Hardware Review of the ADC Phone Modem, Model MD1202
by Dick Bollinger - February, 1986
One of the truly incredible virtues of high technology is
that as its products mature, unlike the products of government,
they get cheaper and affordable by everyone. Think about it!
Remember what you paid for your first hand-held calculator that
now sells for $4.99? The Pickett slide rule company may never
recover!
How about your first ball-point pen? I remember I paid $15
for the new Tucker "Wonder" pen. It was a "wonder" alright. It
skipped like crazy and made a blue-stained mess of my hands.
Today's 69-cent BIC would put any of those first ball points to
shame.
The fuss today is over 2400-baud modems. A few of the
bulletin boards are already using them. And quietly the price of
1200-baud modems is coming down, way down--so much so that those
of us who have struggled with 300 baud because we couldn't afford
the luxury of 1200 are beginning to take notice and to take
heart. While the Hayes Smartmodem(tm) 1200 still lists for $595,
that price has eroded significantly (I've seen them advertized as
low as $349), and a few "clones" have broken the $200 barrier.
I recently purchased a clone, advertized as a fully Hayes
compatible "1200 Baud Smart Duck" (the name "Duck" came from the
distributor's catalog promo, "If it walks like a duck, sounds
like a duck, and looks like a duck..." What can I say?). It's
manufactured in Hong Kong for a company called ADC and distribut-
ed by DAK Industries, Inc, Canoga Park, California. Its price?
$169!!
Does it work at 300 and 1200 baud? YOU BET IT DOES; SO FAR,
FLAWLESSLY. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee of
satisfaction and a 1-year limited Warranty. More on that later.
Well, is it really compatible? Comparing commands listed in
their manuals and testing the "Duck's" response to the Hayes
command set, I found only one difference: The "Duck" DOES NOT
recognize ATH2, an obscure "special off-hook" command that COULD
BE IMPORTANT to ham RTTY use of the modem. Otherwise, they are
identical. All of the S-register functions and their default
values are identical too.
The "Duck" does have three new commands of its own: AT*H
puts a summary of the AT command list on the screen as a "Help"
to the operator. The other two are AT*T, which displays a static
date and time from the "Duck's" on-board real-time clock, and
AT*T=MM/DD/hh/mm, which sets the clock. If this clock is access-
ible; for example, to do stamping of incoming files or the text
buffer, the manual gives no clue. Turning power off and then
back on resets the modem's clock to 01/01, midnight.
There are several features I like about the "Duck" over the
Hayes. Rather than remove a snap-off front panel to get at the
modem's configuration DIP switches, you simply turn it over on
its back. The "Duck" also has a label adjacent to the switches,
showing the standard (factory) settings and what each means. No
big deal; it's just that the "Duck" is a bit handier to con-
figure.
Here's the one I really like. The "Duck" has an added
switch to cause the modem to redial any busy number every 30
seconds--until it connects or you cancel redialing by turning off
modem power momentarily. (There goes your clock setting! Oh
well.) This auto redial is very handy for working busy bulletin
boards and RCPM's, where it's every man (or gal) for themselves!
Another plus for the "Duck": It has TWO modular-plug recep-
tacles! You can plug your phone into the modem and the modem
into the wall. Now, why didn't Hayes think of that? When the
modem is not powered up and actively "connected" to the line, you
can use the phone to make and answer calls normally.
The "Duck" has a speaker, volume control, on-off switch, and
female RS-232 receptacle, exactly like the Hayes. Its power
supply, though, is entirely internal, and it must be connected to
a grounded, 3-wire ac outlet. The ac cord set on mine is heavy
enough for a fair-size waffle iron, but the modem stays quite
cool. I suspect that this is a case of component "engineering"
by availability. Anyway, I don't think the cord set will EVER
be a problem.
But enough about the virtues of $169 Smartmodem(tm) clones.
The modular wall-to-modem phone cable is supplied. You will need
an 8-line (pins 1-8) or 9-line (pins 1-8,20) male-male RS-232
cable to connect your "Duck" to most any PC, including Xerox
820's. The Xerox 820 and 820-II should work alright in the
modem's factory (default) configuration. If it gives you any
trouble, try setting switch 8, 10, or both, to positions opposite
those shown on the label. It can't hurt anything. The rest is
"Duck" soup. (Really sorry!)
The "Duck" comes attractively dressed in a low-boy, putty
gray molded enclosure and, except for the other guy's distinctive
"extruded rail" appearance, looks very much like the Hayes. (If
you're concerned, it doesn't say "Duck" on it anywhere, unlike
some "Gorilla Banana" printers I've seen around.)
The 30-day return privilege is offered by the distributor,
DAK Industries, Inc., 8200 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304.
The 1-year Warranty is from the manufacturer (ADC?; no address
given). There IS a Service Center address in Van Nuys, CA, at
the back of the manual, but no Customer Service phone number.
Speaking of manuals, the one supplied is barely adequate;
that is, it will get you going. But if you plan to really work
the "smarts" of your modem, borrow a Hayes manual from a friend.
It contains command applications and program examples that the
Hong Kong tech writer simply forgot to mention or explore. The
only things in the Hayes manual that don't apply to the "Duck"
are the configuration DIP switch information, the Block Diagram,
and the User Support Information.
How to order? That's the easy part. (Why is it they always
make it so-o-o easy?) DAK has a toll-free, 24-hour, 7 days a
week 800 number to accept credit card orders. It's 1-800-325-
0800. You'll be asked for:
o Your Zip Code
o Your name and mailing address (where to ship).
o Credit card type, number, and expiration date.
o DAK's Catalog order number: which is,
Order No. 4334, "1200 Baud Smart Duck"
Incidentally, DAK also offers an OnLine Directory of over
1,100 data bases, with descriptions and access details, for
$14.95 (plus $2 P&H). It's Order No. 4358. I didn't get it, but
plan to soon.
The price for the modem is $169, plus $6 for postage and
handling. If you're a California resident, they'll add $10.14
for the governor's campaign fund. You can expect delivery in a
week or less. Mine came in four days by U.P.S. The package also
contained an interesting 64-page, full-color Winter '86 catalog
of sundry electronic gear. Apparently DAK Industries plans to be
around for awhile. All you need, though, is 30 days, right?
Let's keep the GOOD TIMES rolling - AT 1200 BAUD - at least!
(tm) Smartmodem is a trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products,
Inc., Norcross, Georgia.
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