Model T Time Setting program The NIST Time Setting Program is the first program of its kind for the "Model T" family of computers. While the Model T has a pretty good onboard clock, up to now there has been no way to set it accurately from a time server as with a modern laptop. This program is for the TRS-80 Model 100, Model 102, and the Olivetti M-10. It automatically detects which one it is running on and uses the correct ROM routines, transparently to the user. The NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, disseminates correct time information on voice lines, shortwave radio station WWV, and, fortunately for us, dialup modem lines. The modem lines work all the way down to 300 baud, on the "Bell 103" standard, just like the Model T's internal modem. To use the program you need to have a phone cord for the Model T, available from Club 100 (club100.org). The cord plugs into the Model T's "phone" port, and the other end plugs into a phone jack. This program is not designed to work with anything other than a hard wired, "POTS" landline. The Model T's internal modem dials using pulse, or rotary, dialing, like an old dial telephone. If you doubt that your phone system still accepts rotary dialing then switch your telephone to "pulse" and try making a phone call. I think you will find that rotary/pulse dialing still works in mostly all areas. The program makes a brief phone call the NIST dialup server in Colorado. The number is 1+(303)494-4774. This number will work from anywhere within the North American Numbering Plan. If you live outside the NANP in another country then you will need to add the digits necessary for calling the USA at the beginning of PH$. If you live in Hawaii then you may wish to call the NIST number in Hawaii: 1+(808)335-4721. The phone number can be seen close to the beginning of the program as PH$ in line 110. When the program runs it shows progress indicators of what it is doing, and you should see the information being sent from the NIST. For the best results you may wish to plug directly into the wall and ensure that nothing else is connected to the phone line. If it persistently won't connect, then it may help to wait and call at another time. The time zone that the NIST uses is Universal Coordinated Time, otherwise known as Greenwich Mean Time, or Zulu time, the time along the zero meridian that runs through Greenwich, England. To set your clock to the correct local time you must use the separate TZONE.BA time adjustment program. TZONE is also handy for adjusting for Daylight Saving Time or if you travel to a different time zone. The program will simply ask you to enter the number of hours to adjust the time by. For those of us in America or otherwise west of Greenwich, the offset from GMT will be a negative number. To account for those time zones which use half hours, it will accept numbers other than integers such as 14.5. Enter nothing and no adjustment will be made. Lastly the program will ask for the day of the week, still unobtainable unless you enter it yourself. Then it will dump you back in the menu so you can admire your new accurate time and date. Unfortunately the Model T has a "Y2K bug"; the year will always begin with a 19 as that is hard coded into the rom. You should also keep in mind that February 29th will never display unless you enter it manually. There is a "Y2K fix" that changes the menu to display the correct century but many choose not to use it as it has been known to cause erratic behavior on some laptops.