Newly acquired 800xl HELP!

[vettetek]

Hi all!

New to this forum, but familiar with A8's. I started out "back in the day" with a 400 and a 410 tape drive, and some VERY sore fingers!!! Then I went to a 600xl and a 800 to play with. Fast forward ahead to today - after a few years of macs and currently PCs I decided to get back into the 8 bits and introduce the kids to it.

Id like to either connect it to a TV via svideo or rca, or ultimately connect it to one of the many PC monitors i have laying around. Ive done some searching on the net, and this site and cannot figure out how to do it. I do have the composite(?) cable with the 4 color RCA cables (red,yellow,white,black) . Whats the ID of those?

Can anyone help me get this thing up and running? I got an ass load of disc's and the 1050 drive as well. Id like to see if all this software works.

Thanks in advance!!

~V

[Rybags]

I'd guess yellow and white would be composite video and audio.

 

Red/black is probably chroma/luma, but many 800XLs didn't have the chroma connected, so you're probably best off just running the yellow/white.

[vettetek]

I'd guess yellow and white would be composite video and audio.

 

Red/black is probably chroma/luma, but many 800XLs didn't have the chroma connected, so you're probably best off just running the yellow/white.

Ok, now how do I use that on a newer style tv via rca or svid or making it work on a VGA monitor.

Thanks

V~

[eeun]

If you try the yellow cable as video and aren't getting a picture, you might want to make sure the cable is for your computer. The 600XL and 800XL monitor pinouts were different, and the cable that came with the 800XL off ebay was the wrong one.

 

From the Atari 8-bit FAQ:

Monitor Jack (all but 400, N. American 600XL, XE Game System, SECAM
systems):
3		 1
5		 4
 2
1. Composite Luminance (Composite Video on 600XL)
2. Ground
3. Audio Output
4. Composite Video
5. Composite Chroma (not on 800XL(most),1200XL; grounded on 600XL)

 

A newer TV should have some aux video/audio inputs on the front or back. Plug in, and select input with the TV remote.

 

I'd been looking into VGA too, and it takes some expensive hardware to convert the signal, or you could run the signal through a computer using a video capture card or something like the Adaptec Gamebridge.

[vettetek]

If you try the yellow cable as video and aren't getting a picture, you might want to make sure the cable is for your computer. The 600XL and 800XL monitor pinouts were different, and the cable that came with the 800XL off ebay was the wrong one.

 

From the Atari 8-bit FAQ:

Monitor Jack (all but 400, N. American 600XL, XE Game System, SECAM
systems):
3		 1
5		 4
 2
1. Composite Luminance (Composite Video on 600XL)
2. Ground
3. Audio Output
4. Composite Video
5. Composite Chroma (not on 800XL(most),1200XL; grounded on 600XL)

 

A newer TV should have some aux video/audio inputs on the front or back. Plug in, and select input with the TV remote.

 

I'd been looking into VGA too, and it takes some expensive hardware to convert the signal, or you could run the signal through a computer using a video capture card or something like the Adaptec Gamebridge.

Hmm.....how do you know which cable I have?! LOL! Well, It doesnt matter anyhow I guess, I found my old rf converter and got it on a older tv of mine for testing. Turns out the unit was DOA. I have no sound, and a picture with a bunch of wavy B&W garbage on it. The picture is clear though. Its too bad, I was really looking forward into getting back into the 8 bit stuff, but now I guess Ill go another route. DAMNIT!! Unless one of you has a idea how to fix it, or if its a bad chip or something.

V~

[ethierbach]

Turns out the unit was DOA. I have no sound, and a picture with a bunch of wavy B&W garbage on it. The picture is clear though. Its too bad, I was really looking forward into getting back into the 8 bit stuff, but now I guess Ill go another route. DAMNIT!! Unless one of you has a idea how to fix it, or if its a bad chip or something.

V~

See if you can get ahold of a different power supply, even if the one you have shows the right DC voltage on its pins. What you describe sounds a lot like my freebie 800XL, and the power supply turned out to be the problem. There are other things that could cause it, I'm sure, but the PS is the easiest to check if you have access to another one.

-Ed-