Congratulations on buying the Image V2 tape back-up copier. Once you have used it a few times, I'm sure you will agree it is the best available on the market. I wish you well to use it. Please use it strictly for legal purposes.

The IMAGE tape back-up system is composed of two programs. The first is the program you use for 99% of software. It can make back-ups when the programs contain CTRL codes in the filename, are locked, contain false addresses, are files, are very long, or are 300 or 1200 BAUD, or any combination of the above. In addition, it can be used to lock or unlock programs. The second is very specialised. It loads in programs not as programs, but simply as binary data. This should be used when the first program does not work. This program deals with programs that are recorded with changing filenames, extremely irregular CTRL blocks, or are composed simply as a continuous stream of binary data. Using the program, you can even back-up a program one block at a time.

Electron Users: If you have an ACORN PLUS 1 attached to your machine, type the following before running IMAGE:

This program is extremely simple to use. The load it enter *RUN (RETURN). Select key '1' to load in the program to be copied, and key '2' to record a copy on cassette. The UP and DOWN cursor controls select the 300 or 1200 BAUD rate. This program will record programs up to &73 blocks long (BBC version).

On the bottom left hand corner of the screen you will see the message 'Last prog.'. To the left of it is a single letter. If this is an 'L' the last program you have just loaded in was locked. If it was a 'U' then it was not locked. Underneath this message is another one - 'Re-lock' and to the left of this is another letter. If it is 'Y' then the program to be recorded on cassette will be locked, and if a 'N' then it won't. You can change this status using the keys 'Y' and 'N'.

If the program is locked, this letter will automatically change to a 'Y' as soon as it has loaded, presuming you wish it to remain locked when you record it on cassette. If you want to unlock it, then press 'N' just before you record it.

Likewise, if a program is initially unlocked, then this letter will change to an 'N' presuming you want it saved unlocked. Press 'N' just before you record it if you wish it to be locked on cassette.

It should be noted that locked programs can only be *RUN'd, as using CHAIN or LOAD will give a 'Locked' message.

As you can only CHAIN a BASIC program, before it can be locked it has to be converted so it can be *RUN. To do this, follow the procedure below.

Load or type in the BASIC program that you want converted. LIST the program to check it is there.

Now type:

Each time you do this you will get a number coming on the screen. Let us call the first number X, and the second Y. Type the following:

and load or type in carefully the program listed below. RUN the program. The computer will ask you for two values, one after the other. The first time, you enter your value X, the second time your value Y, that you obtained before. After entering both values, the computer will tell you how to SAVE the program onto cassette. Note that 'PROG' is the name of the program which is up to you to choose. Once you have SAVED the program to cassette, to LOAD and RUN this program you may type *RUN or CHAIN, unless you have locked it (using IMAGE), in which case you have to *RUN the program.

The program follows:

The second program will not run on the Electron, but is included in the package in case you have access to a BBC Micro, which the program WILL run on.

Only use this program when the first program will not work. To load this program from cassette, type *RUN (RETURN) and load in the second program (3rd file on the Electron tape). Once it has loaded and is running, to load the program or data to be copied in, press the 'A' key. A 'K' will appear in the data window, meaning 'Press a Key'. At this point put your cassette in your cassette recorder (if it is not already there) and press PLAY. As soon as you can hear the high pitch tone at the start of the program, press a key. Once you have done this, an 'L' will appear in the data window meaning the computer will accept the program data as soon as it is encountered. As the data is read in, characters will flash by in the data window showing that data is being read in successfully. As soon as the last part of the program has been read in (listen to the program playing on the cassette constantly so you know when it has reached the end) you must press the ESCAPE key. To record the program onto a blank cassette press 'B' or 'C' depending on whether the program was recorded as Blocks (lots of short sections with gaps in between - how normal programs are recorded) or as a Continuous stream of data.

After choosing an option a 'K' will appear in the data window meaning 'Press a Key'. Now you must put your blank cassette in your cassette recorder, and press PLAY and RECORD. After doing this, press a key, and an 'R' will appear in the data window showing that the program is now being recorded on the cassette. The data window is out of action throughout the duration of recording. The ESCAPE key is also out of action during recording, although you can use it to get back to the menu at the very start of choosing the record option, or, if you've chosen the Block record option, between recording any two blocks.

Another point should be made. Should you accidentally press the 'A' key instead of 'B' or 'C' when you want to record, it will reset some internal pointers and regrettably you will have to load the program again.

This program can only deal with programs up to &60 blocks continuously. If a program is longer than this, do half the program at a time (press ESCAPE after loading the first &40 blocks for example and save it on cassette. Then load in the rest of the blocks and save them on cassette).

No error checking is done in the program, so before you load in the program, please make sure that the cassette controls are in the optimum position. Should the program fail to make a correct copy of your program, try again, as it is probably due to it loading incorrectly.

When loading any of the IMAGE programs, it is important that you use the word *RUN. Abbreviations are not guaranteed to work.

Should your IMAGE cassette at any time become damaged, return it together with £1.50, and it will be replaced.

WARNING: This tape back-up copier is NOT to be used for illegal purposes. Its use must be confined to making back-up copies of your own personal software, and these copies must be used by you only.