Help with setting up old system

[qbert815]

Hi,

A few years ago, we cleaned out my mom's house of 20 years and, when the Adam computer was being considered for the chopping block, I snagged it, having hopes of either getting it to work and/or selling it to a collector of some sort. I had no idea at the time that there was such a following! I have many games and some software, as well as 2 printers, 2 consoles, 2 keyboards, and 2 floppy drives with power packs. It is a decent collection, if I could only figure out what to do with it now.

 

I really only have interest in it so that I can play all the old colecovision games; the actual home computer software and such isn't really of interest to me. That being said, I have tried at various times to get it working by attaching it to a TV (we had a monitor for it, but I remember it broke so we stopped using the computer), but I have not had any luck. I am now on a mission! But I need some help, so that I can figure out if the system is not working or if I have it hooked up wrong. Can anyone answer the following questions?

 

1. Is it possible to hook the ADAM up to an LCD HD tv?

1A. If so, I assume I use an RCA cable, but how? The computer attached to the monitor via a cable that went from the Auxillary Video plug (it is round with 5 pins) to the back of the monitor with 3 plugs, a red, white, and black (I'm assuming that's RCA). But when I just plug that into the tv's RCA port, no signal gets sent.

1B. So then I tried a video cable (1 part of an RCA) from the Monitor plug in the back of the ADAM to the Video input of the RCA port on the TV. That didn't work either.

 

2. If I need an older TV to hook it up, how do I hook it up then? (I pulled out an old TV that only has an RF input. Got an RF modulator to translate the signal and tried the same RCA options as above with the other TV. Still nothing.)

 

3. Does anyone have a picture of how the all the hookups go? I'm visual that way, but I can't find any on the internet.

 

4. Maybe the connections are bad or dirty. Is there a way I should clean the part the cartridge goes in or something?

 

5. If this continues to not go well for me, I am wondering if there is anyone in the Boston area with a working set-up that would be willing to help me test my equipment to see what works, so I can try to sell it or give it to someone who can use it. (I need to be able to say if it works or not in order to sell it, I assume.)

 

BTW, the power is working because the printer and the cassette start moving when I turn it on.

Any advice? Or should I just try to sell it to someone as is and buy a colecovision console for my games?

 

Thanks for looking! I know it's a long post, especially for my first. I've really been enjoying reading the forums!

Cathy

[retroillucid]

For a quick test, I would use this kind of adapter

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 160778693971

 

And Welcome to AtariAge!

[qbert815]

Thanks! What kind of cable would I use? is the yellow video one I have right? Or is there one that does video and audio?

 

And from the Monitor output, right?

 

:-)

[retroillucid]

Thanks! What kind of cable would I use? is the yellow video one I have right? Or is there one that does video and audio?

 

And from the Monitor output, right?

 

:-)

 

You have to get a RF cable ... RCA cable won't work

Same cable that came with ADAM/Colecovision but instead of using the old switch box ( TV/Game) ..... You use the adapter link I provide

These goes for cheap at any local electronic store

[qbert815]

Oh, like an old rf coaxial cable for cable tv? I see...the adapter goes on the ADAM end, not the tv end. (Sorry for sounding dumb.)

 

This adam was given to us when I was 10 by someone else, so I never saw the original stuff that came with it. Just the way he set it up for us.

[retroillucid]

Oh, like an old rf coaxial cable for cable tv? I see...the adapter goes on the ADAM end, not the tv end. (Sorry for sounding dumb.)

 

Yep

[qbert815]

Sweet. I can use that to test it. Do you know if I can use it for the HD tv? I was hoping to give the old, little tv to someone and might not have it much longer.

[retroillucid]

Sweet. I can use that to test it. Do you know if I can use it for the HD tv? I was hoping to give the old, little tv to someone and might not have it much longer.

 

I never tried this on HD tv ... Not sure it will work on HD tv ......

As I always used this method on old tv

 

Someone can confirm?

[+nanochess]

Sweet. I can use that to test it. Do you know if I can use it for the HD tv? I was hoping to give the old, little tv to someone and might not have it much longer.

 

I never tried this on HD tv ... Not sure it will work on HD tv ......

As I always used this method on old tv

 

Someone can confirm?

My Colecovision works just fine through RF with a recent LCD HD TV, so I suppose an ADAM would work. Only select channel 3 NTSC.

[NIAD]

You can download PDF'ed versions of most of the ADAM Owner's Manuals at the following link in the "Manuals - Hardware" section: http://www.theadamresource.com/ . This website is a tremendous source for information about the ADAM as well as the ColecoVision and you shound also check out the other website linked in the footer of all my posts, "ADAM Computer" for a ton of ADAM information as well. You could spends days, er. weeks, reading through everything that is provided on these websites.

 

The Stand-Alone ADAM Memory Console has 2 Video/Audio options and 1 Video only option that you can use:

 

TV - This is the standard RF output that supplies both Video and Audio via an RF Cable and RF Switchbox. If you use this option, forgo the RF Switchbox as you lose a lot of video quality by using it and buy an RF-to-Coaxial Adapter for a couple dollars at any electronics store. Make sure to set the Channel 3-4 slide switch to the proper channel that you will be using.

 

MONITOR - This outputs Composite Video only (no sound) and will give you a great picture when plugged into a TV with Composite Video input(s), Composite Monitor or RGB Monitor that is Composite compatible as well. You need a Composite Video Cable with the universal RCA jacks on each end or else it won't work. Switch the T.V. to Video #? input for this option like you would for a DVD or modern videogame system.

 

AUX VIDEO - This outputs Composite Video with Audio and IS THE BEST OPTION to use for any TV with Composite Video input(s) (Yellow, Red & White) as well as the monitors mentioned above. You will need a Computer Monitor Cable that has a DIN connector on the end which plugs into the back of the ADAM and Yellow (Video) and Red & White (Audio) RCA jacks on the other end. Again, switch the T.V. to Video#? as mentioned above. You will probably never find the ADAM Monitor Cable (7-Pin DIN), so the next best option is a Commodore 64 Monitor Cable made for the Commodore 1802 Monitor that comes with a 5-Pin DIN connector on one end and the other end provides a Yellow (Video) RCA jack and a Red (Audio) RCA jack... simply plug the Red Audio jack into the White Input jack on the T.V. You can find these cables on eBay all the time for between $5-$10 and they work GREAT!

 

Do yourself a favor and download those manuals I mentioned to familiarize yourself with the system.

[NIAD]

BTW, be careful not to purchase a Commodore Monitor Cable if the description states that it is for Chroma/Luma... these will not work with the ADAM.

 

Looking over your original post, the ADAM is a great ColecoVision Game System as well and try to get it working. There is an AtariAge member who sells ADAM Power Supplies that are 1/8th the size of the ADAM Printer, so that will free up a lot of space.

 

Also, the ADAM Printer Head should move all the way to the left, cycle (spin) the print wheel and then move a small amount back to the right when powered on. If it doesn't do this, you have an issue with the Printer, but the power supply might still be good.

 

Most importantly, DO NOT turn on the ADAM with a Digital Data Pack (cassette) in the drive! Ever! Of course, you always insert a ColecoVision cartridge into the system before turning on power.

Edited July 16, 2012 by NIAD

[qbert815]

AUX VIDEO - This outputs Composite Video with Audio and IS THE BEST OPTION to use for any TV with Composite Video input(s) (Yellow, Red & White) as well as the monitors mentioned above. You will need a Computer Monitor Cable that has a DIN connector on the end which plugs into the back of the ADAM and Yellow (Video) and Red & White (Audio) RCA jacks on the other end. Again, switch the T.V. to Video#? as mentioned above. You will probably never find the ADAM Monitor Cable (7-Pin DIN), so the next best option is a Commodore 64 Monitor Cable made for the Commodore 1802 Monitor that comes with a 5-Pin DIN connector on one end and the other end provides a Yellow (Video) RCA jack and a Red (Audio) RCA jack... simply plug the Red Audio jack into the White Input jack on the T.V. You can find these cables on eBay all the time for between $5-$10 and they work GREAT!

 

Thanks for the info! See, I actually have this cable; it is the one that was used to hook the ADAM up to the monitor we used to use, before it died. It doesn't have yellow--(it's black)--but I'm sure that's just because it is 25-odd years old. But when I set it up like this, with it plugged into the RCA input of the tv, no signal was found. That's why I'm getting concerned that the ADAM console (both of them, actually) is broken, though it worked last time we used it. Now, though, I'm thinking it could be that the cable is bad. It IS really old, and probably has some grunginess...

 

I have ordered the RF/RCA adapter that retroillucid recommended, so I may try that option out. There are just so many factors, so many parts that could be bad or dirty or whatnot, that it is a challenging process. I may look into purchasing other cables and trying things, but I need to be careful that they are either cheap or returnable in case my experimenting doesn't work.

 

But damn, those games were good. I can't wait to play them. Someday.

 

Thanks for the help! I'm learning a lot pretty quickly. I tend to be good at figuring this stuff out, but there is a gap of knowledge that is getting in my way here.

 

Cathy

[+evg2000]

just for grins, try using your video cable and hook the audio (red and white) to audio input to tv, stereo, whatever. Put a game in the slot, power on, pull cartridge reset, wait about 20 second then press numbers on number keypad or fire button (depends on what cartridge you have) and see if you have any sound.

 

good luck

[65Gamerguy]

Hi,

A few years ago, we cleaned out my mom's house of 20 years and, when the Adam computer was being considered for the chopping block, I snagged it, having hopes of either getting it to work and/or selling it to a collector of some sort. I had no idea at the time that there was such a following! I have many games and some software, as well as 2 printers, 2 consoles, 2 keyboards, and 2 floppy drives with power packs. It is a decent collection, if I could only figure out what to do with it now.

 

I really only have interest in it so that I can play all the old colecovision games; the actual home computer software and such isn't really of interest to me. That being said, I have tried at various times to get it working by attaching it to a TV (we had a monitor for it, but I remember it broke so we stopped using the computer), but I have not had any luck. I am now on a mission! But I need some help, so that I can figure out if the system is not working or if I have it hooked up wrong. Can anyone answer the following questions?

 

1. Is it possible to hook the ADAM up to an LCD HD tv?

1A. If so, I assume I use an RCA cable, but how? The computer attached to the monitor via a cable that went from the Auxillary Video plug (it is round with 5 pins) to the back of the monitor with 3 plugs, a red, white, and black (I'm assuming that's RCA). But when I just plug that into the tv's RCA port, no signal gets sent.

1B. So then I tried a video cable (1 part of an RCA) from the Monitor plug in the back of the ADAM to the Video input of the RCA port on the TV. That didn't work either.

 

2. If I need an older TV to hook it up, how do I hook it up then? (I pulled out an old TV that only has an RF input. Got an RF modulator to translate the signal and tried the same RCA options as above with the other TV. Still nothing.)

 

3. Does anyone have a picture of how the all the hookups go? I'm visual that way, but I can't find any on the internet.

 

4. Maybe the connections are bad or dirty. Is there a way I should clean the part the cartridge goes in or something?

 

5. If this continues to not go well for me, I am wondering if there is anyone in the Boston area with a working set-up that would be willing to help me test my equipment to see what works, so I can try to sell it or give it to someone who can use it. (I need to be able to say if it works or not in order to sell it, I assume.)

 

BTW, the power is working because the printer and the cassette start moving when I turn it on.

Any advice? Or should I just try to sell it to someone as is and buy a colecovision console for my games?

 

Thanks for looking! I know it's a long post, especially for my first. I've really been enjoying reading the forums!

Cathy

 

You didn't mention in your post if this was a stand alone Adam or the expansion module 3 version, which has to be plugged into the expansion port of a regular ColecoVision. The reason this matters is because the stand alone Adam uses a different output than the module 3 version. The stand alone Adam uses a composite output, while the plug in adam uses an RF output. An RF output looks very much like an RCA jack, in fact you can plug one into a ColecoVision, but it won't work. If this is the model you have you can purchase an RF to coax converter at radio shack for $5 or so and hook it up to any tv that has a coax input but you will need the original RF cable not an RCA cable. I hope this helps you out.

Edited July 17, 2012 by 65Gamerguy

[qbert815]

Hi,

A few years ago, we cleaned out my mom's house of 20 years and, when the Adam computer was being considered for the chopping block, I snagged it, having hopes of either getting it to work and/or selling it to a collector of some sort. I had no idea at the time that there was such a following! I have many games and some software, as well as 2 printers, 2 consoles, 2 keyboards, and 2 floppy drives with power packs. It is a decent collection, if I could only figure out what to do with it now.

 

I really only have interest in it so that I can play all the old colecovision games; the actual home computer software and such isn't really of interest to me. That being said, I have tried at various times to get it working by attaching it to a TV (we had a monitor for it, but I remember it broke so we stopped using the computer), but I have not had any luck. I am now on a mission! But I need some help, so that I can figure out if the system is not working or if I have it hooked up wrong. Can anyone answer the following questions?

 

1. Is it possible to hook the ADAM up to an LCD HD tv?

1A. If so, I assume I use an RCA cable, but how? The computer attached to the monitor via a cable that went from the Auxillary Video plug (it is round with 5 pins) to the back of the monitor with 3 plugs, a red, white, and black (I'm assuming that's RCA). But when I just plug that into the tv's RCA port, no signal gets sent.

1B. So then I tried a video cable (1 part of an RCA) from the Monitor plug in the back of the ADAM to the Video input of the RCA port on the TV. That didn't work either.

 

2. If I need an older TV to hook it up, how do I hook it up then? (I pulled out an old TV that only has an RF input. Got an RF modulator to translate the signal and tried the same RCA options as above with the other TV. Still nothing.)

 

3. Does anyone have a picture of how the all the hookups go? I'm visual that way, but I can't find any on the internet.

 

4. Maybe the connections are bad or dirty. Is there a way I should clean the part the cartridge goes in or something?

 

5. If this continues to not go well for me, I am wondering if there is anyone in the Boston area with a working set-up that would be willing to help me test my equipment to see what works, so I can try to sell it or give it to someone who can use it. (I need to be able to say if it works or not in order to sell it, I assume.)

 

BTW, the power is working because the printer and the cassette start moving when I turn it on.

Any advice? Or should I just try to sell it to someone as is and buy a colecovision console for my games?

 

Thanks for looking! I know it's a long post, especially for my first. I've really been enjoying reading the forums!

Cathy

 

You didn't mention in your post if this was a stand alone Adam or the expansion module 3 version, which has to be plugged into the expansion port of a regular ColecoVision. The reason this matters is because the stand alone Adam uses a different output than the module 3 version. The stand alone Adam uses a composite output, while the plug in adam uses an RF output. An RF output looks very much like an RCA jack, in fact you can plug one into a ColecoVision, but it won't work. If this is the model you have you can purchase an RF to coax converter at radio shack for $5 or so and hook it up to any tv that has a coax input but you will need the original RF cable not an RCA cable. I hope this helps you out.

 

This must be it! My ADAM stands alone; it doesn't need to be plugged into anything else to work. However, it does not have a composite output, just one that looks like a single RCA jack. So maybe I have the expansion module 3 version and don't know it. Who knows. I have a converter coming via ebay, so maybe that will work. But you've managed to put together why someone else I asked kept telling me just to plug in the RCA cable, and why the video RCA didn't work out of my ADAM.

 

Thanks!

[NIAD]

This must be it! My ADAM stands alone; it doesn't need to be plugged into anything else to work. However, it does not have a composite output, just one that looks like a single RCA jack. So maybe I have the expansion module 3 version and don't know it. Who knows. I have a converter coming via ebay, so maybe that will work. But you've managed to put together why someone else I asked kept telling me just to plug in the RCA cable, and why the video RCA didn't work out of my ADAM.

 

Thanks!

Coleco made two different, but same, ADAM Computer configurations:

 

The first is the Stand-Alone Memory Console version with a built-in ColecoVision Game System. This system has the Cartridge Port on the top right of the Memory Console with a Computer Reset switch on one side of the Port and a Cartridge Reset switch on the other side of the port. This version of the Memory Console has the three video options that I discussed in the post above.

 

The second is the Expansion Module #3 Memory Console that NEEDS to be attached to a ColecoVision Game System. There is no Cartridge Port on this version as well as Cartridge Reset switch seeing as this console connects to the ColecoVision and used the cartridge port built-into it. This version of the Memory Console only has RF Output. Not to confuse the issue, but you can have a ColecoVision modded for Composite or Component Video output. If you do not have a ColecoVision Game System, then you can not do anything with this version of the ADAM.

[qbert815]

Well, at least I know what I have now! It is a stand-alone memory console. Now if only my little adapter would arrive from ebay.....

[65Gamerguy]

This must be it! My ADAM stands alone; it doesn't need to be plugged into anything else to work. However, it does not have a composite output, just one that looks like a single RCA jack. So maybe I have the expansion module 3 version and don't know it. Who knows. I have a converter coming via ebay, so maybe that will work. But you've managed to put together why someone else I asked kept telling me just to plug in the RCA cable, and why the video RCA didn't work out of my ADAM.

 

Thanks!

Coleco made two different, but same, ADAM Computer configurations:

 

The first is the Stand-Alone Memory Console version with a built-in ColecoVision Game System. This system has the Cartridge Port on the top right of the Memory Console with a Computer Reset switch on one side of the Port and a Cartridge Reset switch on the other side of the port. This version of the Memory Console has the three video options that I discussed in the post above.

 

The second is the Expansion Module #3 Memory Console that NEEDS to be attached to a ColecoVision Game System. There is no Cartridge Port on this version as well as Cartridge Reset switch seeing as this console connects to the ColecoVision and used the cartridge port built-into it. This version of the Memory Console only has RF Output. Not to confuse the issue, but you can have a ColecoVision modded for Composite or Component Video output. If you do not have a ColecoVision Game System, then you can not do anything with this version of the ADAM.

 

Good information, I wasn't aware that the stand alone Adam had more than one output, all I have are the expansion model versions. Forgive my error and thanks for clearing it up!

[NIAD]

Good information, I wasn't aware that the stand alone Adam had more than one output, all I have are the expansion model versions. Forgive my error and thanks for clearing it up!

Always glad to help out especially if it means reviving someone's interest in this fabulous system.

[65Gamerguy]

Good information, I wasn't aware that the stand alone Adam had more than one output, all I have are the expansion model versions. Forgive my error and thanks for clearing it up!

Always glad to help out especially if it means reviving someone's interest in this fabulous system.

 

I agree 100% with you there!