Atari 520STFM with LG LCD TV?

[flashjazzcat]

Hi

 

I'm new to the ST, and will be taking delivery of a 520STFM in a few days' time. I have an LG LCD TV with composite, scart, and s-video inputs which I've managed to get working well with my 65XE (using one of those ready-made composite/s-video cables from ebay), and I'm wondering if the LG is going to be any use with the ST. I haven't ordered a monitor cable for the ST yet until I understand fully what I'm dealing with. I've been browsing monitor topics on this forum for the past hour but I'm still not sure what's required. Basically, I'm not bothered about games, so low and medium res modes don't interest me much. I'm mainly interested in running the ST in hi-res (mono) mode. And how about D-SUB connections? Is it possible to connect an ST that way? I have a 20" Samsung monitor which it would be nice to switch between the ST and the PC by swapping the sources between DVI and VGA.

Edited March 4, 2009 by flashjazzcat

[+Guitarman]

There is an adapter you can make that will go from the 13pin monitor jack to a VGA connector to use most any standard VGA monitor with the ST in HiRes mode. It will not work in the 2 color resolutions. I use it with all my ST's on a NEC 21" LCD and it works great!!

 

st_vga.txt

Edited March 4, 2009 by Guitarman

[flashjazzcat]

There is an adapter you can make that will go from the 13pin monitor jack to a VGA connector to use most any standard VGA monitor with the ST in HiRes mode. It will not work in the 2 color resolutions. I use it with all my ST's on a NEC 21" LCD and it works great!!

 

That looks absolutely perfect, thanks! I'm sure my limited soldering skills will stretch to that. I just need to source a 13-pin DIN; I hear they are thin on the ground (I think my friend might have one).

[+Guitarman]

Post updated

[flashjazzcat]

Post updated

Got that, thanks.

[mimo]

for medium and low res I just bought one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=390032184035

Good quality parts, saves the hassle of making your own. Delivered next day

 

Make sure your TV does RGB Scart though.

Picture quality increase is unbelievable

[flashjazzcat]

for medium and low res I just bought one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=390032184035

Good quality parts, saves the hassle of making your own. Delivered next day

 

Make sure your TV does RGB Scart though.

Picture quality increase is unbelievable

Looks great; I'll grab one of those at some point. The LG TV has RGB scart.

 

I've sourced a 13-pin DIN for around £4, so I'll make my own hi-res cable. They sell one at AtariMax, but the $40 price tag has been variously described as "ungodly"! There seems to be some ambiguity about whether the 47 ohm resistors are necessary (to drop the input voltage on pins 1, 2, and 3 at the d-sub end from 1v to 0.7v). I'm aiming to simply hack one end off a VGA cable and wire it up to the DIN; I suppose it would be possible to pack the resistors in at the DIN end because I don't really want to start hacking the VGA end to pieces.

[flashjazzcat]

A year on, and I found this in the local flea-market today:

 

 

Great picture, styling seems to suit the ST down to the ground, and it was cheap. Shame it's not a 17" (it's 1024x768) or an LCD TV (would have been great for the 8-bit), but I'm very happy with it. I actually have my wife to thank: she spotted it!

[Shredder11]

Nice find indeed!

[bluemonday]

Thanks for posting this. Should the resistors be 1W or 2W, or doesn't it matter? Thanks.

[IainGrimm]

I bought a D Type Scart for my ST from Retro Gaming cables (bought a few cables from them in the past and never an issue), few issues with it though, seems to be creating lag on my LG LCD (Non High Def) TV. When running through the RF lead works as well as you would expect it to, once I connected the scart though games etc started running choppy missing frames and becoming juddery is best way to describe it. Tried both scart sockets on the TV and both exactly the same, think I need to move it onto an old CRT and test again. They did send me another cable but it is exactly the same as the first.

[+DarkLord]

There is an adapter you can make that will go from the 13pin monitor jack to a VGA connector to use most any standard VGA monitor with the ST in HiRes mode. It will not work in the 2 color resolutions. I use it with all my ST's on a NEC 21" LCD and it works great!!

 

Hey Guitarman - can I get those "trimmers" at some place like Jameco? I usually order my stuff from them.

 

I'd like to have something like that (by far) when I actually start trying to put a color LCD in my STacy, instead

of doing a dance with multiple resistors, trying to find a magical range that will work with my LCD screen.

 

Thanks!

 

EDIT: Just searched at Jameco - they've got a lot of choices there, just using "trimmer". Do you know what

specs are needed? Thanks again.

Edited August 21, 2014 by DarkLord

[+Guitarman]

 

Hey Guitarman - can I get those "trimmers" at some place like Jameco? I usually order my stuff from them.

 

I'd like to have something like that (by far) when I actually start trying to put a color LCD in my STacy, instead

of doing a dance with multiple resistors, trying to find a magical range that will work with my LCD screen.

 

Thanks!

 

EDIT: Just searched at Jameco - they've got a lot of choices there, just using "trimmer". Do you know what

specs are needed? Thanks again.

 

On the first graphic (with the resistors) it states you can use 100ohm trimmers. I've been tempted to make an adapter box, in a small project case using side mounted connectors and the circuit inside. Then you can incorporate the trimmers, drill 3 small holes on the side of the box and mount the trimmers at the holes. It would be a much more sturdy solution than wiring up a converter cable like I first did. The cable has worked great but I fear it's demise every time I use it!!! LOL

[+Guitarman]

Parts list
----------
Description Amount
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
- 4 pin (or more) screened cable 2 metres (or any desired length)
7mm diameter
- 13 pin DIN (male) connector 1
- 15 pin HD D-sub (female) connector 1
(HD=high density)
- 47 Ohm resistors (small) 3 (for black/white display)
or...
100 Ohm trimmer resistors (miniature) 3 (for colour adjustable display)
(as small as you can get. They will
have to fit inside the 15 pin connector!)

[+DarkLord]

Thanks! I'm going to order some and as soon as I can get

some days off in a row, I think I'm going to attempt this. I've

got to take the old girl apart again anyway - need to install

Jookie's CosmosEX in her.

[+DarkLord]

Er, quick question - that's 100 ohms and not 100k ohms, right?

 

Thanks.