OT SHARP PC-1500A

[Trent Moseley]

In reading all the posts about various SHARP model calcs, I found the two that I had and haven't used or even looked at in fifteen years or so. They were in their original padded slip covers with batteries removed. Put batts in powered up and all keyboard functions work just fine. Typed in MEM and I got 0!! No Memory! Did the memory chip(s) just die?

tm

[Klaus]

I think you have to type in 'NEW 0' to initialize the memory. 'STATUS 0' and 'STATUS 1' return some information about the memory (I think 0=free memory and 1=occupied memory).

The manuals for the PC-1500(A) are available on the net.

[Valentin Albillo]

You must probably initialize/reset it.

Just in case you don't have the manual, which clearly describes what you should do to reset the machine, you can download it in PDF format from here.

Best regards from V.

[GE]

MEM is not a keyword on the 1500, multi-character variable names are allowed, and BASIC doesn't require declaration of variables before use, so what you are actually asking is the value of the newly created variable names 'MEM'.

This value is zero at variable creation.

Probably no initialization is needed, your machine works perfectly.

[Thomas Radtke]

MEM ist just a shortcut to STATUS 0 (0=zero). I think the others are right, very often (always) the PC-1500(A) is in an undefined state after loading new batteries so NEW 0 or even pushing reset at the back is required.

I fell for it right after I got my 1500 (beautiful machine), thought I got a defect machine!

[Valentin Albillo]

Hi, GE:

MEM *is* a keyword in the SHARP PC-1500/1500A, as well as the TRS-80 PC-2, which happens to be the very same machine under different brand name and cosmetics.

If in doubt, have a look at the manual, I gave the link in my previous post.

Best regards from V.

[GE]

Thanks all, I stand corrected.

I felt that the probability of having exactly zero byte left was too small.

Actually I should have known you guys couldn't be that wrong...

[Trent Moseley]

Thanks everyone! NEW 0 was the key. Memory is OK.

tm