Re: What is with these silly monitors

[spierings <omgang@internex.net.au>]

Wow, I'm thrilled with the speedy responses I have received.


>      Just checked our Amdek Color-1 monitor manual-- hmmm, haven't sent in the
> registration card yet. The signal specs listed are:

The monitors I have are actually AppleColor Composite Monitors. Same thing I
presume.

> NTSC standard composite color video
> Video signal: positive
> Sync: negative
> Input level: 1.0V peak to peak @75 Ohms

The manual I have says.

Input signal.
Composite-only sync negitave 1.0 + or minus .5
volts peak to peak, internally terminated
with 75 ohm resistor.

For those who are in the know on this stuff, does this seem normal?

It also has a bunch of NTSC and PAL numbers for frequency rates etc. So I presume
it handles both.

> > If anybody can get there video player to display color on a IIe monitor
> > please tell me what I am doing wrong. Yes and I have tried the B&W to
> > Color button thing.
>
>      One test I tried was hooking up the monitor to an old TV tuner which
> outputs composite video. The picture was good; but, color was not strong-- i.e.
> even turning up the "Color" control, the color was more like pastel than the
> solid color you see from a regular color TV.

I'm not sure if that's what I got. It was very dull color if their was any at all.

>      A guess is that the monitors normally attached to the Apple II are fairly
> sensitive and that high level video swamps the color. (The II+ has a pot for
> adjusting down from 1V p-p; and, I had to add a pot to a TrackStar E board to
> keep the video from wiping out the display.)

Okay

>      It may be that the video level from your VCR is too high. You could
> experiment with clips and, say, a 500 Ohm (or so) pot. Connect the pot across
> the VCR composite Video Out cable's output. Send the center tap + signal ground
> to a cable connected to your monitor. See if adjusting the pot gets you some
> color.

You have sort of lost me. I'm not well versed on TV technology or manual
electronics. I'm only a humble programmer. What is a pot and where do I get one?

Thanks,

Andre