QUANTA - The Independent QL Users Group
QUANTA - The Independent QL Users Group |
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Updated:07.12.2018
QUANTA is the independent user group for Sinclair QL users. It was formed in 1983/4 with the aim of providing an independent source of support for and sharing information about the Sinclair QL. In time, it was to expand its brief to include compatible systems such as the ICL OPD (One Per Desk), CST Thor, Aurora and Q40, as well as emulators of the Sinclair QL running on other platforms.
Quanta is a non-profit organisation run by an elected committee of unpaid officials. Membership is by subscription - currently from 14 pounds in the U.K., although it may rise next year as it has not changed since day 1. Current membership fee does not quite cover the cost of the regular magazine and there is also a need to finance the improvement to to the website service provision - Quanta welcomes comments on this and other subjects - you can send your views to the committee by clicking here to send an email to the committee. The subscription gets you a magazine several months of the year. (mostly compiled from members' articles and letters contributed on disk or by email to the editors), access to Quanta's large free QL software library, advice and help with QL-related matters, workshops (QL shows held in various areas) and support for local sub-groups. I have been a member for many years and would thoroughly recommend membership to all QLers even if I am biased through being on the committee myself.
Membership enquiries can be sent by email to membership@quanta.org.uk. You can join by sending the membership fee (cheques payable to Quanta) to the membership secretary.
or by subscribing online at http://www.quanta.org.uk/subscriptions/index.asp.
Members can send helpline requests by email to the helpline operator who will try to assist you with the problem where possible, or try suggesting possible further sources of information to assist with your query.
At the time of writing, the Quanta committee consisted of the following individuals. Please note that Basil Lee is not, strictly speaking, a committee member, he only assists in dealing with magazine back issues requests.
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| Sarah Gilpin (Chairman) |
Alison Southern (Secretary) |
Keith Dunbar (Webmaster) |
John Southern (Treasurer and Membership Secretary) |
| Email (Chairman) | Email (Secretary) | Email (Webmaster) | Email
(Treasurer) Email (Membership) |
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| Dilwyn Jones News Editor and Helpline. Committee Member |
David Buckley (Librarian) |
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Nigel Herring (Committee Member) |
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Email (Librarian) | email (Editor) |
Quanta has a Web site - Click here to visit this site. It has an online subscription page where you can join Quanta. Highly recommended...but then as a committee member myself I'm biased!
From time to time, Quanta organises small QL shows, called workshops, in various areas. Admission is free to members. Non-members are welcome too! QL traders and software authors usually attend these meetings, giving you the chance to meet them to discuss any problems or to see their products before you buy. It is also a good place to meet QL "experts" to sort out any QL-related problems you may have, and you can generally have a good time in the company of like-minded individuals. Members can take their QL systems along with them to set up and spend an enjoyable day's QLing with like minded QLers.
Click here to see a selection of pictures taken at the Portsmouth QL2000 meeting by Urs König
Click here to see a selection of pictures taken at the Byfleet workshop 9/11/03
Click here to see 2005 Quanta AGM pictures
Click here to see QL Is 21 meeting in Portsmouth, 29/30 October 2005 pictures
Click here to see Quanta workshop and AGM in Manchester, 08/09 April 2006 pictures
Click here to see pictures from QL Is 25, on 18/19 April 2009
Click here to see pictures from 2011 workshop and AGM
Click here to see a report and pictures from the 2012 workshop and AGM
More show pictures can often be found on Tony Firshman's website.
There is usually a programme of talks and discussions on a wide variety of QL related subjects, such as new products, teach-in sessions, policy discussions, questions and answers and so on.
The dates and venues are advertised in Quanta newsletter and QL Today magazine, and can often be found on various QL users' Web sites as well, including my QL Shows page on this site.