24 Aug
2002
24 Aug
'02
4:49 p.m.
Ok, here's how lame the C64 is. I have three of them. I have three
different types of video cable. The first thing I notice is that the C64
I've been working on has a different video connector than the other two.
The other two are older; the one I've been working on newer (based on
serial numbers and internal differences). The one I've been working on is
most likely dead. I can't get anything out of it after trying various
combinations of cables and monitors.
So how come none of you C64 experts piped up to tell me that the video
connector on the C64 changed over time? The later one had more pins, and
the C64 video cable (that I searched all over for and finally found) only
plugs into the newer style connector. It won't plug into the older ones
because there are too many pins.
Worse, I can't get the video to work if I plug the cable into the back of
the 1702. I can only get it to work with the composite connector on the
front. Maybe it's because I still don't have the right cable. Whatever.
This is a nightmare.
See, this is why I have such a poor opinion of the Commodore 64. Sure,
technically it's a nice computer. But practically, it's a pile of shit.
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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24 Aug
24 Aug
7:29 p.m.
New subject: Commodore 64 *is* heavenly! (was Re: Conclusion: Commodore 64 *is* lame!)
Worse, I can't get the video to work if I plug the
cable into the back of
the 1702. I can only get it to work with the composite connector on the
front. Maybe it's because I still don't have the right cable. Whatever.
This is a nightmare.
What is the switch setting in the back? Red to chroma, yellow to luma,
white to audio.
See, this is why I have such a poor opinion of the
Commodore 64. Sure,
technically it's a nice computer. But practically, it's a pile of [...]
Now, please don't judge us by the oddities of our video ports :-)
--
----------------------------- personal page: http://www.armory.com/~spectre/ --
Cameron Kaiser, Point Loma Nazarene University * ckaiser(a)stockholm.ptloma.edu
-- Wherever I go, there's I AM. -----------------------------------------------
10:04 p.m.
--- Sellam Ismail <foo(a)siconic.com> wrote:
So how come none of you C64 experts piped up to tell me that the video
connector on the C64 changed over time? The later one had more pins, and
the C64 video cable (that I searched all over for and finally found) only
plugs into the newer style connector. It won't plug into the older ones
because there are too many pins.
Only the Rev A mobo has 5 pins. Most (nearly all surviving) units
have a DIN-8 video connector, but only the 5 pins of a DIN-5 are
essential to get sound and video.
Worse, I can't get the video to work if I plug the
cable into the back of
the 1702. I can only get it to work with the composite connector on the
front. Maybe it's because I still don't have the right cable. Whatever.
This is a nightmare.
Since you haven't mentioned if you are familiar with the 1702, let me
ask a (possible dumb) question - do you have the switch on the back
in the correct position? It's one way to use the chroma/luma inputs
on the back, the other way to use the composite input on the front.
If you want to use the chroma/luma inputs (recommended since they produce
a sharper image), start by identifying your cables. Look at the back
of the C-64 manual and use a continuity meter to verify which color RCA
jack is chroma and which is luma on your particular cables. Once
you have it set, just move the DIN-5 from machine to machine to verify
if they produce video or not.
See, this is why I have such a poor opinion of the
Commodore 64. Sure,
technically it's a nice computer. But practically, it's a pile of shit.
If you ensure you have the right cable, it's trivial. One "problem"
with them using a generic connector for video is that people will
try anything that fits. I used to use an *audio* DIN-5 to RCA cable.
It had red, black, grey and white taps. It did *not* match the
color scheme of the 1702, but that's *my* fault for not paying for
a Commodore cable.
-ethan
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25 Aug
25 Aug
8:18 a.m.
On Sun, 25 Aug 2002, Ethan Dicks wrote:
Only the Rev A mobo has 5 pins. Most (nearly all
surviving) units
have a DIN-8 video connector, but only the 5 pins of a DIN-5 are
essential to get sound and video.
Ethan, you're talking to a guy who has around 150 "surviving units" :) I
have a good enough sampling of them that I get flustered by the hardware
differences between them.
Since you haven't mentioned if you are familiar
with the 1702, let me
ask a (possible dumb) question - do you have the switch on the back
in the correct position? It's one way to use the chroma/luma inputs
on the back, the other way to use the composite input on the front.
Yes, I figured that out pretty quick. The problem was the older units
(with the 5-pin DIN) not having chroma and luma signals; only composite.
If you ensure you have the right cable, it's
trivial. One "problem"
with them using a generic connector for video is that people will
try anything that fits. I used to use an *audio* DIN-5 to RCA cable.
It had red, black, grey and white taps. It did *not* match the
color scheme of the 1702, but that's *my* fault for not paying for
a Commodore cable.
The problem was not knowing that the C64 changed its design at some point.
Now I'm a bit wiser.
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
* Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *
4:19 a.m.
Sellam Ismail wrote:
So how come none of you C64 experts piped up to tell
me that the video
connector on the C64 changed over time? The later one had more pins, and
the C64 video cable (that I searched all over for and finally found) only
plugs into the newer style connector. It won't plug into the older ones
because there are too many pins.
Didn't I make a previous post about that? Older 64's had a 5 pin DIN;
later they went to 8 pin DIN but the 5 pin plug just happens to fit the
8 pin; same pinout works on either one. At least it does on my machines.
See, this is why I have such a poor opinion of the
Commodore 64. Sure,
technically it's a nice computer. But practically, it's a pile of shit.
Hey we all learned about them when commodore was still alive and making
money off of us without providing "user support".
I feel about calculus the same as you feel about the 64, but that
doesn't make me understand what's going on.
Gary Hildebrand
8074
days inactive
8075
days old
4 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
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erd_6502＠yahoo.com -
foo＠siconic.com -
ghldbrd＠ccp.com -
spectre＠stockholm.ptloma.edu