Source: Antic – Volume 5, Number 5 – September 1986
Antic was a magazine for Atari 8-bit computers named after the ANTIC chip which was primarily responsible for the graphics in those machines. For a brief time in part of 1985 and 1986 Antic also covered the Atari ST until an ST specific magazine was published.
The September 1986 issue focuses on weather and includes:
Features
- Weather Maps From Space: For Atari 8-bit and ST computers – While getting satellite and radar images from the internet is trivial today, that wasn’t always the case. However, with this type-in program, a short-wave radio, and a simple interface (instructions to build provided) you could download satellite images in real-time all the way back in 1986.
- Weather Facsimile Worldwide: From satellites to ships at sea – This article describes how the WEFAX system for distributing weather satellite imagery works and various scenarios in which it is used.
- Music Studio: Music for 8-bit Ataris and STs – Review and overview of Activision’s Music Studio music composition software available for both 8 and 16-bit Ataris.
- Build The WEFAX Interface – Instructions for building an interface from your shortwave radio to your 8 or 16 bit Atari computer for the purposes of decoding WEFAX signals.
- New Owners Column: Lesson 6: Subroutines – Tutorial for using subroutines in BASIC (GOTO and GOSUB), including some type-in examples.
- WEFAX Decoder – This is the actual type-in program to decode WEFAX signals retrieved using your Atari, short wave radio and interface.
- BASIC Tracer – This is a BASIC type-in program for Atari 8-bit computers that provides a debugging tool to display the line number of the program currently being executed.
- Where The Weather Comes From – An inside view of the National Weather Service Forecasting Office in Redwood City, California.
- Weather Calculator – A type-in program that, along with a thermometer, can convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, find relative humidity, estimate the cloud base and wind chill factor, and predict sunrise and sunset times for any date.
ST Resource
- ST WEFAX Decoder – The Atari ST version of the satellite image decoder.
- The Manager – Review of this relational database management system for the Atari ST.
- ST Product News – News about new releases for the Atari ST including Financial Cookbook by Electronic Arts (personal finance program), Cards by MichTron (play various card games), STCalc (spreadsheet program), and much more.
- Megamax – Review of this advanced C compiler for the Atari ST.
Departments
- I/O Board – Letters from readers including questions about the COMP command, printing the Atari Fuji symbol, RAMDISK on the 1040ST and more.
- Product Reviews – Reviews of Atari Planetarium, Microflyte ATC Joystick, MicroLeague Baseball, Star Raiders II, and Compute Your Roots (genealogy software).
- New Products – New products mentioned include Super Reevekey (utility program for creating custom keypad layouts for the Atari CX85 10-key numeric pad), CRT Magnifier (anti-glare magnifier for CRT monitors), Rite Notch (a device that lets your control write protecting disks with or without the presence of a notch), Checkbook Plus (budgeting software), Stylewriter (printer interface), Action Annex BBS System (to run your own BBS on your Atari 8-bit computer), MIDI Editor (MIDI software for the Atari 130XE), 221 B Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes themed text adventure).
…and more!
