Source for 5 pin DIN to SVideo cable for A800?

[Beeblebrox]

@seastalker_returns  thanks. Works for me and is discrete.

 

So the channel swtich slot isn't present in the PAL 800XL's casing, and switch isn't present on PAL motherboards. These are NTSC only features. It has the via'/space for said switch on the PAL PCB, but never a switch installed.

 

I use S-video for the majority of my A8s, (where of course I do have other a8s with RGB VBXE and DVi Sophia 2 connections). I never use composite as S-video is superior, but it's good to have the ability to do so, (troubleshooting or if I ever move a machine on). Hence the microswitch. You don't need to access the little switch on a regular basis if you use S-video all the time, so it's perfect. But yes, I agree that if you have an NTSC machine with a channel switch already to repurpose, or a PAL machine and wish to add one/cut a slot in the casing for it - go for it. 

 

Good luck re the Sophia no cut mod/DVI to HDMI thang....

Edited June 5, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[c1ph3rpunk]

On 3/5/2022 at 5:38 PM, manterola said:

I have created this solution for the video cables problem. Not sure it s really convenient, but at least the video quality is very good (depending on what kind of cables you plug)

Not suitable for the Atari 800, though. At least not yet. Excellent fix for 130/65XE, and not bad for 800/600XL

 

You wouldn’t happened to have posted a Gerber for these or sell them by chance?

[SviRu]

On 4/1/2022 at 3:25 PM, Beeblebrox said:

@reifsnyderb  After doing a little more research on AA threads, I ended up going down the switch option to keep composite but enable me to turn it on and off, thus get a clear image for S-video.

 

For anyone who isn't familiar with this mod, here how I did mine. I wanted it to be concealed and not protrude from the casing or require any holes drilled. I also wanted it to be easily detatchable.

 

I lifted the right side of the C54 capacitor to hook into a 2 position mini slide switch circult I created which turns the composite circuit on and off. Means I can use S-video with a crisp picture on an LCD, and composite also if needed at any stage.

 

Mod worked a treat. No sooner is the C54 removed from the circuit do the jailbars/zigzags/checkerboard patterns disappear with an S-video connection on an LCD. Flick the little 2 pos concealed slide switch with a pen or small screwdriver and they come back but there it's ready to use with a composite cable.

Given the slide switch is concealed in the upped casing, (pokes through one of the XL's vents), I needed a way to unhook the cable as removing the upper casing/keyboard happens quite often. So I created a detachable header connector.

 

I know it's generally documented but here is mine just in case it is helpful:

 

Lift the right side of the C54 cap:

 

 

Create a 2 x part detachable header cable and attach to the 2 position slide switch,

(mine is secured with electrician's tape to stope it from pulling apart later when putting the casing on):

 

 

Make sure the calbe is going to be long enough to comfortably reach the casing vent and also route around the shielding later.

 

Solder one wire of the cabling to the end of the lifted C54, and the other in the C54's original via on the PCB:

 

 

 

 

 

Testing

 

Circuit open, C54 not engaged, jailbars/zigzigs gone, composite not availabe but great S-video output:

 

        

 

 

Circuit closed, C54 engaged, jailbars/zigzags return, composite circuit available again:

 

          

 

 

            

 

 

Slide switch glued in place through the upper casing vent:

 

 

          

 

Hooked up before casing closed:

Hi! Did the trick with C46 but bars are still there. Did you ever managed to get rid of them? Svideo quality is not the best. Picture is dimm and there is a little color bleeding. Big brother A8 kills this 800xl with picture quality 😕

[Beeblebrox]

2 hours ago, SviRu said:

Hi! Did the trick with C46 but bars are still there. Did you ever managed to get rid of them? Svideo quality is not the best. Picture is dimm and there is a little color bleeding. Big brother A8 kills this 800xl with picture quality 😕

C46?

 

Since my is a 2022 post you are replying to, can you post some pics of the screen and also confirm the following:

 

Which 800XL you have (C46 makes me think you are talking about the XLF)

What S-video cable you are using as you'll not get a great pic using an unshielded s-video cable

 

 

 

[SviRu]

18 minutes ago, Beeblebrox said:

C46?

 

Since my is a 2022 post you are replying to, can you post some pics of the screen and also confirm the following:

 

Which 800XL you have (C46 makes me think you are talking about the XLF)

What S-video cable you are using as you'll not get a great pic using an unshielded s-video cable

 

 

 

Yes  800XLF. Removed cap 46. The same cable I use on my A800 (not XL). Cable is not the case. It very well made and gives a perfect picture on A800. All of my 800XL are bad when it comes to picture quality. I'm starting to think that the only option for good picture from XL is a VBXE.

[Beeblebrox]

16 minutes ago, SviRu said:

Yes  800XLF. Removed cap 46. The same cable I use on my A800 (not XL). Cable is not the case. It very well made and gives a perfect picture on A800. All of my 800XL are bad when it comes to picture quality. I'm starting to think that the only option for good picture from XL is a VBXE.

sure

 

Post some pics of the screen so we xan see the jailbars, etc

 

You also have these cheaper and easier to install options:

 

UAV (not so cheap)

UGV

SpectreAV

 

This being an XLF (essentially an XE), you might find the stock image quality, even when tweaked, isn't great.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[+mytek]

@joeventura here's another solution for an Atari 5-pin DIN to Mini-DIN-4 S-Video connection that provides individually shielded cables for each signal.

 

[ACML]

25 minutes ago, mytek said:

@joeventura here's another solution for an Atari 5-pin DIN to Mini-DIN-4 S-Video connection that provides individually shielded cables for each signal.

 

I've tried this exact cable setup along with the Hercules and 8-bit Classics version.  All produce the same output wrt jailbars.  My application is on the 1200XL.  I have determined that the jailbars exist from the get go in the stock Luma signal.  The jailbars on the 1200XL are baked into the main board circuitry.   

[SviRu]

58 minutes ago, Beeblebrox said:

sure

 

Post some pics of the screen so we xan see the jailbars, etc

 

You also have these cheaper and easier to install options:

 

UAV (not so cheap)

UGV

SpectreAV

 

This being an XLF (essentially an XE), you might find the stock image quality, even when tweaked, isn't great.

 

 

thanks. I think even thou I have enormous sentiment for XL I will incognito my A800 as a main unit for gaming. 

[+mytek]

10 hours ago, ACML said:

I've tried this exact cable setup along with the Hercules and 8-bit Classics version.  All produce the same output wrt jailbars.  My application is on the 1200XL.  I have determined that the jailbars exist from the get go in the stock Luma signal.  The jailbars on the 1200XL are baked into the main board circuitry.   

Well I can't speak for the stock 1200XL video, but when I install either a UAV or UGV there are no jail bars present using this cable setup. Of course I later added the S-Video break-out board with the UGV so that I could just use a standard S-Video cable instead, also with no jail bars.

 

 

BTW, the 8-bit Classics cable that they've been selling for years isn't all that good for S-Video due to having a 'single' common shield surrounding all the related video signal lines. Every time I've used that particular cable on an Atari, irrelevant of whether it had stock or upgraded video it produced jail bars when using the S-Video aspect. I was trying to work with them on coming out with a new improved version, but that kinda feel through a crack.