I can't get my 1040 STF to work

[greenflannel]

Hello, I am a newish member of the forums and I have searched for answers, but can't seem to find exactly what I'm after. I have a 1040 STF that was in a closet for about the last 16 years that I bought at a yard sale for $5. Since I was just a kid I didn't realize what I had actually purchased, and quickly realized I had no way of hooking up a monitor, so in the closet it went. Anyways, I purchased a VGA cable to hook it up to my monitor; I know the stipulations about the 15KHz, but I wanted to just see if it worked at all, and figured the hi-res mode should work with my monitor. When I turn it on, I usually get nothing, my monitor says it's waiting for a signal. Sometimes I get a black screen, sometimes I get a constant adjusting picture. One time I got a pink and green flash. What I want to find out, is there a way to toggle hi-res mode without first being able to see anything on the display? I really want to know if it works before I go in search of the elusive multi-sync monitor. I have enough monitors at home, that I don't want to spend that kind of money unless the ST works. Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

[Zogging Hell]

The mono select is caused by a pin on the cable/ and monitor port. If it is present then the ST boots in mono, if not then it boots in low res. If your cable doesn't have the pin, it won't boot in mono. Check the pin outs on your cable.

[anzac]

What kind of VGA adapter are you using?

[greenflannel]

I'm using one from Cool Novelties,

 

https://coolnovelties.co.uk/coolnovelties/atari-st-video-cables/290-atari-st-to-vga-multi-sync-rgb-colour-monitor-cable.html?search_query=Atari+st&results=33

[tjlazer]

The problem you're having is that cable is for color monitors that sync down to 15 kHz. So your monitor cannot display the image. That cable doesn't do mono, you need a different cable. They are for slaw on eBay all the time and are cheaper.

Edited January 11, 2018 by tjlazer

[Bikerbob]

Look up the specs for your monitor you say you have lots of them. 31khz for hi-res. A lot of monitors can get down to that on a push. If you are confident enough to do a little soldering on to a switch you could modify that cable to work as both a mono and a colour cable.

 

James

Edited January 12, 2018 by Bikerbob

[Spanner]

Or use composite I do on my Atari 130XE and its in colour,if you use your monitor with your PC too then get a Easy Cap,its a capture usb card,that how i use mine,so I am able look on here and in the left bottom of my screen I have my A130XE displying and I click on it and it goes full screen when I want to play a game.

[mellis]

Or use composite I do on my Atari 130XE and its in colour,if you use your monitor with your PC too then get a Easy Cap,its a capture usb card,that how i use mine,so I am able look on here and in the left bottom of my screen I have my A130XE displying and I click on it and it goes full screen when I want to play a game.

 

 

Can't use composite on a 1040STF - composite requires an STFM.