Can the Adam use A/V cable from other systems?

[goldenegg]

I'm still using RF on my Adam and would like to use composite. I haven't seen Adam compatible composite cables for sale anywhere, but was wondering if they may work with cables from other systems, like the C64.

[NIAD]

Yes, I use a 5-pin DIN Monitor Cable with RCA jacks (1 video and 1 audio) that was made for a C=64. Others made for Vic-20 and TI99/4a should work just as well.

 

BTW, don't worry about the Adam DIN connector being a 7-pin, only 5 are used... hence the 5-pin DIN compatibility.

Edited October 17, 2015 by NIAD

[goldenegg]

I just tried cables from my C64 and Atari 800XL. Neither worked properly. The video cable had no signal coming from it. The left and right audio cables both produced a scrolling and distorted video signal. Here's a video of what the picture looks like.

 

[NIAD]

To test the Composite Video output of your ADAM, forget about the DIN port marked "AUXILLARY" and test using the "MONITOR" port on the back of the Memory Console (the Auxillary port video is tapped from the Monitor port). You can use any composite video cable such as a cable used by DVD players and just connect the yellow jacks (of course) to the ADAM and the TV.

 

With this setup, you will only have video seeing as the MONITOR port does not provide audio. If the video output is good, then you could retest the DIN Monitor Cable in the AUXILLARY port, but only use the red or white jacks for sound and forgo the video jack.

 

Actually, this is how I have my ADAM setup seeing as the video output I was getting from the AUXILLARY port wasn't as clear as the MONITOR port. So to make a long story short, I hav a composite video cable connected to the MONITOR port and the Composite Input of my TV and then a 5-pin DIN Monitor Cable connected to the AUXILLARY port and then the white jack (audio) to the TV audio input. It all works the same, but there are two cables instead of one.

 

If you still have problems with the DIN Monitor Cables that you have on hand, I've bought numerous cables on eBay that all worked fine and they usually list them for use with the C=64, Vic-20 and or the Commodore 1702 Monitor like this one:

 

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 301758430125

 

I guess they are running out of the yellow jacks!!!

[goldenegg]

I just tried the monitor port and it works great! Tried to get sound from the cable attached to the AUX port and had no luck. Either there's something wrong with the AUX port on my system, or these cables are wired differently. They do work without issue on my C64, so that seems odd to me.

 

EDIT:

 

Just tried the cable from my Neo-Geo AES and it works perfectly!

Edited October 19, 2015 by goldenegg

[NIAD]

Great to hear!

 

So which port for Composite Video gives you the best picture quality or are they equal?

[goldenegg]

They're about equal in sharpness, but the AV port seems to have more vibrant colors. The difference could be the cable I'm using though, as the Neo-Geo video cable is really high quality.

[carlsson]

IIRC, the pinouts go something like this:

 

Neo-Geo, Master System and Genesis 1: audio on pin 1, composite video on pin 3 and ground on pin 2

(AES may have composite sync on pin 7, while later models have composite video there as well)

 

VIC-20, C64, Atari 8-bit, TI-99/4A, SVI-3x8 etc: audio on pin 1, composite video on pin 4 and ground on pin 2

 

I've only seen an ADAM once, but it might be possible that the pinout on the monitor output differs from the AUX one?

Edited October 22, 2015 by carlsson

[NIAD]

I have used numerous C=64 5-pin DIN Monitor Cables successfully with the ADAM, so some of them are indeed wired correctly for use with it. This has been posted in numerous other threads which dealt with this topic, so why not here as well...

Edited October 23, 2015 by NIAD

[RangerG]

Can anyone direct me to a specific place to get a 5 or 7 pin cable that would work? I use it for audio out. I have one from eColeco, but it is falling apart. I tried ordering a C-64 one off of Ebay, but it didn't work once I got it. I have also emailed Adamcon and he told me that he is out. Thanks for the help!

[NIAD]

As long as it's listed for use with the Vic-20 or C=64, is a 5-pin DIN connector and has 1 Video and 1 Audio line ending in RCA jacks it should work especially if all you need is the Audio line.

 

Stay away from Chroma/Luma cables as well as cables that have two audio lines.

 

 

You should be able to find plenty on ebay for under $10.

[RangerG]

That makes sense, thanks NIAD.

[1kredhead]

Hi everyone - not sure if this will help others or not - I found with my Adam the ground was wired to pin 4 and not 2.  Any Commodore 64 cable I tried with the ground wired to 2 (which was all of my modern ones) obviously wouldn't work.  Once I opened up the DIN connector on the cable and flipped the ground over to 4 everything was fine with the Adam....  Was a little surprised to open my Adam up and find nothing wired into pin two of the AUX VIDEO out at all....  Others would know butter but I guess the diagram in this thread is meant to indicate either 2 or 4 for ground (and perhaps they decide at the factory?) - but just throwing that out there in case anyone is having the troubles I did....  Definitely if your ground is wired into the wrong pin - you won't see or hear anything you'd be happy with....