Re: APPLE II TV SWITCH BOX

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article gavp@gis.net writes...

>I got APPLE 2 GS and I've been trying to hook it up with Tv switchbox
>Model # A2M4041.....I connected BOX to GS's RF output and hooked

    The Apple IIgs has no RF video modulation built-in, what it does
have is an analog RGB port (operates at NTSC frequency) which is the
DB15 connector, and a composite video port--the RCA connector next
to it.

    It sounds like you have an Apple IIc RF modulator adapter there.
That is *not* compatible with the IIgs, since the IIc merely had a
video expansion port rather than an RGB port (it provided all of
the necessary signals to build adapters boxes to produce some kind
of usable video signal). Needless to say, devices designed for the
IIc port are completely incompatible with the IIgs port. You COULD
built an RF modulator and plug it into the IIgs's RGB port to grab
signals, but that is unnecessary (read below).

>switchbox to a SONY TRINITRON (brand new one)  .......I looked all over
>videochannes trying to figure out what channel that Switch box works
>on...i tried all 999 channels on my TV......i coundn't find
>it.........what channel is it on ??????

    Well if you ever come across a IIc to hook it up to, it would
work on channel 3 or 4 (there should be a switch to toggle between
those two band frequencies). :)

    Forget about that though. Just take an RCA cable (that is the
same type of cable probably going between your VCR and the TV)
and hook it into the back port of the IIgs (the circular port
just next to the DB15 port, the one with an icon of a screen with 
a vertical line on either side) and the other end into one of the 
'VIDEO' ports on the front or back of your Trinitron. Just pretend 
the IIgs is another VCR and press 'Video 1' on the remote (or Video 
2 or 3, depending on which port it is in).

    If your using this IIgs solely to emulate an 8-bit Apple IIe
machine, it should be fine on the TV other than displaying text
in 80 columns mode. If you plan to use it in native 16-bit mode
running Apple IIgs specific software, then I'd highly suggest you
get an AppleColor RGB or compatible RGB monitor to connect up
(otherwise you'll get a fuzzy rainbow mess).

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca