PAL Vic20 in the US

[TimsterAA]

Hey all... I have an interest in picking up a PAL Vic-20 and was wondering what’s necessary to use it in the US. I think my main concern is power. I currently use the A/V RF out to RCA/coax on an CRT TV for my American VIC for video. I do have the A/V out to SCART->HDMI solution for my C64 setup which has an NTSC/PAL switch so I think I’d be covered video-wise using that. I just don’t see how I’d supply power to a PAL unit. I’m sure someone out here has done this already and I surely don’t want to reinvent the wheel. Please share your wisdom. Thanks!

[brain]

PAL and NTSC use the same power supply outputs, so just use a NTSC PSU.  Unlike the 64, I don't believe the 50/60 Hz issue plays a part.

 

Jim

 

[carlsson]

Yes, if it is a VIC-20CR with the DIN style power it is no problem. If it is a first generation VIC-20 that only takes 9V AC you need a power source capable of 2-3A, plus that the connector on the PAL models is different from the NTSC models. In principle you should be able to makeshift a connector using two female RCA (phono) jacks but you'd still need those 9V AC, or perhaps a 9V DC source of the same number of amps assuming it has a big rectifier inside anyway.

[TimsterAA]

So you’re saying a US din style power supply would work fine on a euro PAL machine with that connector type? I thought the voltages were different, or does a euro power supply deliver the same power a US one does, albeit with the different plug style?

[carlsson]

On the primary side, the one you plug into the wall jack, the power supplies are different. On the secondary side, the one you plug into the computer, you no longer have 115V or 230V fortunately but rather 9V AC and 5V DC. As noted by Jim above, on the C64 there can be differences in the AC frequency being 50 Hz or 60 Hz but no vital part of the computer depends on that. Actually I think the Time of Day clock in the C64 derives its timing from Kernel values, not from the AC frequency.

 

When it comes to DC, voltages always are the same no matter where in the world you are. That is why e.g. importing a ZX Spectrum to the US is no problem as long as you have a 9V DC power supply with center negative polarity (and enough amps, around 1.3A IIRC), and likewise for me, getting a Famicom from Japan is no problem powering it with a 230VAC to 9VDC supply.

 

As for the two-prong VIC-20 models, there are two or three different connectors. All take 9-10V AC @ 2-3A, but the different connectors pose a difficulty. The ones seen in the US usually fit a C1/C2 connector like the ones you can find on shaving machines or the two prong connector on compact cassette recorders and some video games (but remember that you need 9V AC in the cable, not 115V AC!!!). The ones in Europe have bigger pins with more spacing, which is a problem before someone realized that two RCA connectors grab the pins quite well and then you have to makeshift your power supply.

[TimsterAA]

Thanks so much Carlsson! That is very helpful. I’m interested in a PAL machine to play some games and demos that won’t run on an NTSC machine, and this info is just what I needed to know. Now to find a machine that won’t break the bank to buy. LOL

 

Thanks all for your input. Much appreciated.