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hueyjones70

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Posts posted by hueyjones70

  4. Posted

    On 4/1/2019 at 11:29 PM, 6BQ5 said:

    I have been on the look-out for an alternative to the expensive Framemeister and I am happy to say I found something! Here is a link to the adapter :

     

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N06Q9WH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_cWSOCb1TRTAMN&

     

    In case the link expires some time in the future just search for this on Amazon:

     

    VCANDO SCART to HDMI Converter Video Audio Adapter Box with SCART/HD Switch, PAL/NTSC Video Scaler, 1080P/720P

     

    If you search eBay and Amazon long enough then you may find this same device under a different brand name. Compare the product photos carefully.

     

    You will need an Atari ST SCART cable. Not all cables are created equal. I have one from Cool Novelties that gives me a noisy, wrinkly picture at either resolution (low or med) and either refresh rate (50 Hz or 60 Hz). I also have one from " kabelheinz" on eBay and it gives a beautiful picture at either resolution and either frequency. Here is a link to the cable :

     

    https://ebay.us/jzTlkA

     

    The eBay item number is 361509837136. In case that link expires you can search for this title :

     

    Atari 260/520/1040ST/MegaST Kabel an RGB SCART 2,0 Meter

     

    You may need to diddle with the buttons a bit but it's super simple.

     

    • Be sure to set your input to SCART. The default power-on selection is HDMI.
    • Experiment with the different output resolutions. It defaults to 1920x1080. Other resolution options include 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, and 1280x720 in that order.
    • Set your PAL/NTSC output to match your 50/60 Hz input. In my case a mismatched input frequency makes the screen jump and jitter every so often. Sometimes sync seems to get lost and the picture goes black momentarily. This switch may sting you if you are not careful.

     

    There's not much else to it. The device will stretch your 320x200 and 640x200 screens a little on a modern 16:9 monitor but it doesn't necessarily look bad. If your displays allows adjusting the screen to compress it back down then you may be golden. You may enjoy using an older 4:3 ratio monitor as will give a more natural image.

     

    How does it compare to Framemeister?

     

    I have to say the image quality at low resolution is excellent ... maybe an ever slight step down from Framemeister in some colorful, high contrast situations. Really, only slightly. The picture degrades a bit in medium resolution in more situations. Black text on a white background is a good example. The characters look a little softer than the Framemeister where the picture is razor sharp. You have very little control over your image here whereas the Framemeister lets you set every little settings from input A/D characteristics to sync level sensitivity to adding overscan lines to whatever else you can imagine. Those settings, plus the razor sharp image quality, does set the Framemeister apart. Don't forget the Framemeister has a lot of inputs : SCART, S-video, composite, HDMI1, HDMI2, and D5 plus audio input for S-Video/Composite and for D5. You can save settings for each input onto a SD card for easy retrieval. That's a lot of functionality in one box. It easily works as a central hub for many, many inputs. That's also worth something, especially if you have more than a ST.

     

    I did not test high resolution but there isn't much point to that. Just use a VGA cable.

     

    This box cost me $40 on Amazon and that seems like a fair price compared to the Framemeister. Add the other 5 inputs at $40/each plus the SD card functionality and the all-in-one convenience and you're right up to the price of a Framemeister. Now, if this box cost less than $40 then it's a true bargain! However, if it costs more than $40 then I would say that it's just less money than a Framemeister. Be sure to compare product photos when looking at alternative converters for less money. Many are missing buttons to control resolution and refresh rate.

    This is excellent info. I am thinking about purchasing a 1040.

  6. Posted

    I tried the syscheck and it told me that the RAM chips U9 ands U15 were bad.  Sometimes it would give different readings but that was the most consistent.  I resocketed the RAM and now U9 and U12 are the only chips that are not bad.  I have tested every IC in a working computer and they all check our OK.  I can only surmise that there is a bad trace somewhere or maybe an IC pin is not making contact.

  12. Posted

    Working on an 800XL and get a very bad video on boot.  The computer never does a proper boot.  Sometimes I get this screen and sometimes I get no video at all.  I have tested every IC on the board with a working board and I cannot find one that is faulty.  Any ideas of where I should look.  My diagnostic tools consist of a multimeter and a logic probe.

    800XL Bad Video.jpg

  13. Posted

    Sometimes the mylar gets a slight indentation that makes the key contact points to be permanently touching each other. If you haven't fixed the problem yet, I have found that you can get some of those stick-on paper rings that are used as reinforcers for pages in a notebook and place it over the appropriate key contact on the mylar. This creates a space between the and that takes care of the problem.

  16. Posted

    I have been installing a dual OS EPROM in the OS socket and running a wire from pin 27 to the middle post of the channel select switch. The switch then changes the OS when the switch position is changed. One post of the channel switch shows 5 volts when the modulater is present. With the modulator removed there is no voltage on any post and the switch doesn't change the OS.

  19. Posted

    54 minutes ago, ChildOfCv said:

    Oh, well your initial question made it sound like you were looking to mod it.

     

    Okay.  Do you have RF output?  Most of the outputs are interconnected through passive parts (resistors, capacitors, and chokes), so it's not likely that you'd lose only one output.  It's possible that the DIN plug has a bad connection though.

    I chose this topic because it sounded similar to my situation. I don't know if I have RF or not I don't have a TV that I could connect to. I use a monitor. I will check the monitor DIN.

  24. Posted

    I have an 800XL that doesn't respond to the joystick down in Port 1.  Joystick works ok in port 2. Have resoldered the joystick input connections and no change.  I have no idea where to start trouble shooting.  Is there a particular chip/pin that carries that joystick signal?

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