> From: Marion.Bates(a)Dartmouth.EDU (Marion Bates)
> Subject: VIC-20 -- no sound
>
> I have a VIC-20 that didn't come with a video cable, but I later found what
> appeared to be the right one. The part that plugs into the computer has a
> half-circle of five connectors, and on the other end there are two RCA-type
> plugs, one red and one black. Regardless of which one I plug into the
> "video-in" port on my TV, I get perfect video (why does it work with both?) --
> but no audio, whether I plug the second RCA plug into the left or the right
> "sound-in" jack on the TV. Is this the wrong cable, or is there a problem with
> using a stereo TV? (Or is there a fault somewhere?)
>
The video cable you have is probably for a Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, or Sega
Genesis. There are two video outputs on the VIC video connector.
You should be able to locate a cable that has a 5-pin din to 4 RCA type plugs
- Radio shack used to sell them - I think they are (were) used in automobile
audio systems... With that you will find both video and audio output (but
watch out, there is also the +5v output in one plug too.) :/
BTW you're not missing much with the VIC-20 sound, the programmer's trick to
get better sound output is to keep the computer controlled sound volume low
(like 2 or 3) then the voices don't mess up each other as much.
--
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (300-2400bd) (209) 754-1363
Visit my Commodore 8-Bit web page at:
http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/commodore.html
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Can anyone help him out? Email him directly if you can.
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From: "Scott L. Baker" <scd(a)teleport.com>
To: <dlw(a)trailingedge.com>
Subject: Looking for DG NOVA info
Date sent: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 14:05:59 -0700
I'm looking for any information that you might have on the
Data General Nova series of minicomputers. Specifically a
programmers reference or architecture reference. If you have
any info, I would gladly pay for photocopying and shipping charges.
Thanks in advanced,
Scott L. Baker
scd(a)teleport.com
-----
David Williams - Computer Packrat
dlw(a)trailingedge.com
http://www.trailingedge.com
Thomas Pfaff <thomas100(a)home.com> wrote:
> (View with proportional fonts)
Ewww. Y'know, not all proportional fonts have the same widths
for the same characters. Besides, who made ASCII terminals with
proportional fonts? (Yes, this is an invitation for folks to
inform us all. And make sure you tell us what they were used
for!)
-Frank McConnell
--- Tony Duell wrote:
The Mac PSU is a little marginal and should be tweaked if the load
changes.
How I do it is to connect a DC voltmeter to the +5V line on the logic
board (for example on the mouse port). And adjust the DC voltage preset
on the PSU board for a reading of 5V. I am not sure if this is the
official procedure, though.
--- end of quote ---
What you're doing is probably fine. The "official procedure" at the repair shop where I used to work involved a special little testing adapter (available from Apple, but probably only to authorized service centers) that plugged into the Mac's floppy port and split into four wires, one of which was ground. The other three were some combination of 5V and 12V leads (I think one 12V, one -5V, and one +5V, or something like that). You'd check all three and tweak each of them to within some tolerance, and according to the service manual, if you couldn't get all three within tolerance, then you were supposed to replace the board.
-- MB
September 1998.
I'm looking for this old unit functioning to purchase it, actually I need
the PACK or FIXED PLATE also called HDA, the interface of this unit is SMD
and there may be manufacturers that emulate SMD with SCSI disk, (an
alternative of this type as long as it is transparent and that doesn't
require modifications in hardware or software would do).
BRAND : Ampex
MODEL : 932 (DFR-932)
P/N : 3311637-01
DISC TYPE : Winchester ( 1 FIXED PLATE, 1 REMOVABLE PLATE TYPE BASF CARTRIDGE)
I/O INTERFACE TYPE: SMD/CMD
INTERNAL PROCESSOR : INTEL 8085A - 5 Mhz.
CAPACITY : 32 MByte
FABRICATION YEAR: AGO-1980
WEIGHT : 77 Kgm. - 154 Lbs.
ELECTRICAS CHARACTERISTICS: 60 Hz. - 120 VAC.
FABRICATION PLACE: Redwood City, California USA BY: AMPEX Corp.
NOTE : This Unit model 932 can be reeplaced by models 964 or 966.
We would appreciate if you could suggest where we may find a used unit.
Thanks.
Mexico City.
International Used Components.
I was volunteering for a short time at the Museum of Science, and they
had a Terrapin LOGO turtle stashed away, and some descendants as well.
The LOGO was controlled via an external box by serial cable. The
descendants were programmable by IR connection. They stored them
for lack of display space.I would have asked about the Amiga 500
deal with them too much. These people had no money, and they replaced
an entire computer due to a PSU problem I had asked about before.
Has anyone seen a turtle in action? How rare are these>
>motors have come loose, and a couple of pulleys need replacement..
>
>Phil...
>
>Jim wrote:
>
>> I was just watching a thing on robots and they mentioned some of the
early
>> 80s attempts. Does anyone have in their collection a H.E.R.O, or
other robots
>> of that vintage?
>> --
>> Jim Strickland
>> jim(a)calico.litterbox.com
>>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there?
>>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
--- Tony Duell wrote:
According to the Tech manual, the output from the VIC20 is composite
video and line level audio. There was an external RF modulator that
plugged into that socket and connected via a switchbox to the aerial
socket on a TV, but if you TV has composite video inputs, etc, then
there's no need to use a modulator.
--- end of quote ---
I posted the original question. There didn't seem to be any need for a switchbox since the TV has these inputs already.
Tony, your earlier post (thanks, BTW) describes the pinout for the correct video connector. Except that, um, I don't know the pin numbering scheme you're using. So, in this summary of continuity checks, I am counting pins from left to right, not knowing any better:
Pin 1 -- nothing.
Pin 2 -- tip of black RCA connector.
Pin 3 -- sleeves of both red and black RCA's.
Pin 4 -- tip of red RCA.
Pin 5 -- nothing.
So I guess that pin 3's corresponding with both RCA sleeves must have something to do with the video signal's being present even when I switch them around, right? But I'm not sure what to make of the rest of it. The answer is probably staring me right in the face from your previous post, but I'm pretty ignorant about electronics, so please bear with me. ;)
Thanks again for the help.
-- MB
--- Doug Spence wrote:
my display appears to be squished slightly on the left hand side.
Can I fix that easily, without risk of electrocution?
--- end of quote ---
There are some adjustments you can do with plastic TV-tweaking tools (even demagnetized metal ones distort the display when they're near the board). The easy-to-reach ones are accessible from the solder-side of the analog board (there should be a white plastic sheet that tells you which controls are which). If those don't fix the problem, then you can cut away the blop of glue (more lessons from the L3K!) that's across the adjustment rings on the CRT yoke. Then you twist those rings (they have little "handles," sort of) and see what happens. However, the yoke IS dangerous, and of course you can't discharge it if you need to look at the screen, so watch out. Those rings are right near the Copper Wires o' Death. :/
-- MB
I was given an old Tandy 3 microcomputer. The button on the right side
of the keyboard says "48K." Was this computer a newer version of the
TRS-80 Model III? I am going to try and restore this computer. Right now
it has a video problem. The screen lights up and has zig-zags on the
screen. Also the contrast and brightness knobs are frozen and move just
a little bit left or right.
--Alan
Can anyone help this guy?
>X-Persona: <Roger(a)Sinasohn.Com>
>Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 00:32:39 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Matt Herriot <linkstar457(a)yahoo.com>
>Subject: Panasonic HHC
>To: roger(a)sinasohn.com
>
>Roger,
>
> We came across a Panasonic HHC in the storage room the other day that
>had come frmo an insurance company ages ago with a bunch of eproms
>written with software for their business. We thought it would be cute
>to write a handy little program for it but do not have a manual. Can
>you tell me whether it programs in basic and what form?
>
> I myself have a fondness for the little Pocket Computer II or III
>from Tandy. The one with the white LCD screen, not the yellow. Mine
>was stolen back in the eighties though. If you happen to know where I
>can pick one up for around $30 or less let me know.
>
>
> Thanks,
> Matt Herriot
> linkstar457(a)yahoo.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
