TheNameOfTheGame Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I've been using the GBA-8220 VGA upscaler - works fine with the ST and looks pretty good. I have had bad luck with those....lot of artifacts under the mouse and they really heat up a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLund1 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Will this cable work for Low/Mid Res with a 1970VX ?? http://www.ebay.com/itm/320526274539?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 No, I'm afraid that one will only display high res. Your options are to buy one from Best Electronics - they are expensive though, especially if posting to outside the US: http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/monadapt.htm Or you can follow instructions online and make a lead yourself. This is cheaper and not too hard to do if you can use a soldering iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLund1 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I looked back in this thread to see about making a cable. It looks beyond my very minor soldiering skills. Any other sources for this cables? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom4728a Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I did try to connect my Atari 8bit to the NEC 1970vx, I did not get any picture. I am using an EGA to VGA (9pin to 15pin) converter. I will have to try some different wiring combinations. The Best cable works very well. It has a push button built in to the cable. When you push it, you can switch it between high res and low/med res. It is a very well built cable.. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 I've been using the GBA-8220 VGA upscaler - works fine with the ST and looks pretty good. Yep that works, I have one. The graphical glitches and sparklies that many people get can be annoying, I use it with other machines though. I have an XRGB-3 that is even better, even adds fake scanlines to the output which gives a great CRT monitor look. If you can find the right used LCD monitor though it has no graphical glitches, supports low and high res, needs no other power supply, and is a cheap and compact option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I looked back in this thread to see about making a cable. It looks beyond my very minor soldiering skills. Any other sources for this cables? I only know of the Best Electronics one. I got quoted these prices for this cable delivered to the UK: U$D 102.40 for US Priority Mail shipping to the UK (No Tracking, Insured, typical delivery to the UK 7 to 11+ days) or U$D 73.55 for US 1st Class Mail shipping to the UK (No Tracking, No Insurance, typical delivery to the UK 15 to 25+ days) This is why I chose to make one for under £15! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 I'm tempted to manufacture an extra cable/switchbox or two. Without mass production though it's hard to bear their price by much taking into account the price involved. That shipping is pretty expensive though- to the UK from Canada would be about US$10 for surface mail, US$18 for air mail. Maybe you could arrange a group order if you can find a few people who need stuff from them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qq1975b Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Having a colour cable would be great...I have a NEC 1970VXn and a NEC 1970NXP...I wonder if they can support 15KHZ frequencies too. But I am not in USA...I am in Spain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) Correction to my previous post, I meant to say "Without mass production though it's hard to beat their price by much, taking into account the time involved." I have had bad luck with those. [GBS 8220]...lot of artifacts under the mouse and they really heat up a lot. I found the heat a bit worrying too, and I don't like the exposed circuitry, so I put it in another garage sale switchbox (I think this one was a Centronics A/B printer switch) with an old case fan blowing on it: Edited February 19, 2015 by galax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNameOfTheGame Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Correction to my previous post, I meant to say "Without mass production though it's hard to beat their price by much, taking into account the time involved." I found the heat a bit worrying too, and I don't like the exposed circuitry, so I put it in another garage sale switchbox (I think this one was a Centronics A/B printer switch) with an old case fan blowing on it: 10922619_1529632610594813_6037230812320500204_n1.jpg 10868089_1529632637261477_7284129513142007033_n1.jpg Neat solution! Looks good too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) just FYI they also sold these monitors under the Mitsubishi Brand, I have one I bought in year 2000 a 20 inch and is quite happy to work with wonky signals, like the "not quite vga but close enough" output of a 16 bit macintosh ... that every other LCD I tried (and I tried a half dozen of them from various makers) refused to play along with Edited February 20, 2015 by Osgeld Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calimero Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 it would be nice if someone could test newer NEC like 2170NX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNameOfTheGame Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 just FYI they also sold these monitors under the Mitsubishi Brand, I have one I bought in year 2000 a 20 inch and is quite happy to work with wonky signals, like the "not quite vga but close enough" output of a 16 bit macintosh ... that every other LCD I tried (and I tried a half dozen of them from various makers) refused to play along with Need a model # please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calimero Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 or Nec 1560NX? I found one in town near mine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom4728a Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Here are three screen shots using the Best video cable on a NEC 1970VX. And then I tore the monitor down and painted it to match my ST/XE Atari's. I used Testors Model paint and primer color is Light sea grey. Robert 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Android8675 Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 I really need to get my cable together, I got the monitor (sans stand, but I have some vesa mounts I'll probably use). I love the paint idea I might have to do that before Atari Party 2015. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qq1975b Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Looks nice! I would like to use my NEC 1970 NXp for this. Maybe not as clear picture in med resolution but it is a very useful solution for using only one monitor. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 A page was added to the Atari Wiki to summarise some of this information abou which monitors work, you could update it if you get around to testing your monitor http://www.atari-wiki.com/index.php/Multisync_flatscreens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLund1 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Back in post #47 there is a link to a thread about making a cable. If someone has built this could you put up a good picture of how is was made? I would like to see if it is something I could do. Could I use a spare VGA cable, cut it in half, and snipp off one side to add the Atari DIN connection? In those instructions, it lists a part called a 'trimmer', what is that? potentiometer?? In reading other posts about building such a cable, there is mention of adding resistors in the path of one or more of the wire connections. If so, perhaps different monitors need different value resistors to get a better picture??? (just a random thought) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Back in post #47 there is a link to a thread about making a cable. If someone has built this could you put up a good picture of how is was made? I would like to see if it is something I could do. Could I use a spare VGA cable, cut it in half, and snipp off one side to add the Atari DIN connection? In those instructions, it lists a part called a 'trimmer', what is that? potentiometer?? In reading other posts about building such a cable, there is mention of adding resistors in the path of one or more of the wire connections. If so, perhaps different monitors need different value resistors to get a better picture??? (just a random thought) I am a pretty average/rusty with a soldering iron but managed to build this. It isn't a really hard project but it did take quite a bit of fiddling to get right - obviously it didn't work first time! At first I tried the spare VGA cable approach you mentioned. This wasn't brilliant though, as not all the pins were wired up. Also the wires inside were very thin, which made it hard to solder and they also broke easily. The VGA socket can be a bit tricky to solder. Start with the middle row of pins then do the top and bottom. If you aren't confident doing this then you could buy something like this: http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Terminal-block-16-pin-adapter-to-VGA-D-sub-15-pin-Female-connector-Pitch-3-81mm-/151119175645? I think a trimmer is a potentiometer - someone can probably confirm this. I took the list of components into a shop and they gave me what I needed. You may be right about the resistors. The cable for my 1970NX cable didn't need them (at least I don't think it does!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I think a trimmer is a potentiometer - someone can probably confirm this. I took the list of components into a shop and they gave me what I needed. yes, they usually refer to the small ones mounted on a pcb but realisticly any would do (as long as you dont get an audio one, they do not ramp linearly) and if you want to save a lot of fidgeting get a multi turn one ... 20 turns over x ohms is a lot easier to fine tune in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) There are instructions earlier in this thread as well post #24* that give the connections that need to be made- should be identical to the other ones. As I made this with a mono/colour a switch I prefer to have a box with a length of cable that goes to the ST, and a VGA socket on the outside. Then I just plug in a VGA cable. If I make these kind of cable without the switch I just do as cut the cable off near the plug and solder on a DIN socket- all VGA cables should have the necessary pins, might just be missing some of the ground pins etc. which don't matter. The resistors can go inside the DIN plug. * http://atariage.com/forums/topic/230561-lcd-monitor-that-supports-st-low-res-nec-multisync-lcd-1970vx/?p=3092940 I usually reuse old VGA cables and yes they are a pain and very fiddly- nice internal shielding though. The VGA socket is fiddly but the Atari ST socket is worse- make sure you get one wit solder cups, use a fine tipped soldering iron (with temperature control if possible) and thin gauge solder, tin both the solder cup and the wire, and (probably most importantly) use some kind of little clamp to hold the connector steady and at just the right angle. If you don't use resistors, make sure that you are getting the full range of colours- if the signal levels are a bit too high then the brighter colours will be clipped (700 red will look the same as 600 red, etc.) I'm pretty sure I tried both with and without, could be wrong though. That VGA terminal block looks great! I might make one of those for prototyping things, maybe VGA to header pins for a solderless breadboard. You can also buy cables with an ST DIN plug on one end from digikey, using that and the VGA termnal block you could wire it all up (bar the switch) without any soldering, wouldn't be the cheapest way though. Edited March 10, 2015 by galax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNameOfTheGame Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) The wiki entry for the NEC LCD1970NX says "Needs modification to 'H. SIZE' in the menu for medium res to look good". Does this adjustment need to be done every time the monitor is turned on or just once and then it is good to go thereafter? I mean if I always use medium rez that is and never switch. Edited March 11, 2015 by TheNameOfTheGame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) I'm pretty sure the NEC monitor remembers its last settings. I only touch the settings when I change resolution. It's a nice monitor for adjusting the settings- quite quick using the mini joystick. Edited March 11, 2015 by galax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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