Atari 800XL PAL video mods chroma 'ghosting'

[GarySP]

Hi all,

Long time no post (last one was in 2008 I think rambling on about an online magazine that I never started - more crazy side projects that never got off the ground).

I recently acquired my first Atari 8-bit computer, a PAL 800XL. Got to say, as a long-life Speccy fanatic, this machine is way ahead of it's time (mainly down to Jay Miner I'd say) - wish I would've bought one sooner!

Initially the video output (composite) was pretty poor, so I've performed the mods shown here but, the s-video output isn't as good as some of the images I've seen from other people. There's a lot of ghosting (is that the correct term?) around certain colours on screen. I've attached some images to try and show what I mean. I'm wondering if it's just down to a poor video cable, or if there's something else I can do to improve the situation. These images are via s-video (the machine has the chroma wire + 100R resistor to pin 5 of the monitor port + the additional mods in the forum link).

I have another cable on the way, I'm going to make my own as well, and I've also ordered a Spectre AV to see if that improves things.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Gaz.
 

 

Edited October 17, 2023 by GarySP

[TGB1718]

Highly likely to be a poor cable, each wire should be individually screened so there's little or no chance

of any cross-talk, a single screen around both cores will have a very poor picture.

[GarySP]

That's good news. I'll try another cable when it arrives, and if that's still rubbish I'll have to build my own I guess!

[Beeblebrox]

25 minutes ago, GarySP said:

That's good news. I'll try another cable when it arrives, and if that's still rubbish I'll have to build my own I guess!

Invest in what is considered by most on the forum who've bought one, and that is the double shielded hercules workshop din5 to svideo cable with rca audio out.

 

Hercules are based in Canada. I am UK based and have bought from them. Reasonable cost and arrived surprisingly quickly. 

I don't have the new website URL to hand. I know they moved to a new website. Anyone have it? Can't seem to find them and I am not on Facebook or twitter where they have a presence. 

 

 

[GarySP]

I found the new URL, although the website is down: https://www.herculesworkshop.net/
 

Also, their last Twitter post was Sept 23, 2021, so I'm wondering if they're still in business...

[Beeblebrox]

24 minutes ago, GarySP said:

I found the new URL, although the website is down: https://www.herculesworkshop.net/
 

Also, their last Twitter post was Sept 23, 2021, so I'm wondering if they're still in business...

They are, this was already discussed. They had to move servers so that is think is the old server. Still trading. 

 

See thread here:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[marauder666]

I've always made my own using Belkin PureAV cables. Not cheap but they are double shielded and have an outer screen.

 

I had one regular cheap Belkin, junk.  That had one shielding on the individual cores, just an outer screen.  Can never work properly.