Re: Klunky IIGS - no docs - where do I start?

[dalloff@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Dave Althoff)]

Duncan Entwisle (duncane@jumper.mcc.ac.uk) wrote:
: I've just received an old IIGS (ROM 01) to add to the ranks of old 
: computers stealing space in my bedroom. I'm using an ADB keyboard from my 
: SE/30 (an old keyboard - it has that power down key in the top border) 
: and a composite monitor.

On your IIgs, that isn't a power-down key...it's the all-important RESET key.

: Firstly, the composite signal doesn't appear to sync properly (the 
: monitor works on three different machines, two of them Apple //e) and I 
: get a couple of overlaid images about a 1/3rd of the way down) - it was 
: assembled in Ireland, presumably for the UK/Irish 50MHz market. Any quick 
: fixes - would a bog standard CGA monitor fit into the RGB socket - and if 
: so, what signals would it require (am I right in thinking that the RGB 
: wouldn't be able to show monochrome hires displays - displaying them as 
: colour?). Or is the composite problem sympotamatic (sp?) of anything else 
: (the power supply does seem to emit a slightly crackly sound).

Hmmm...I see that your address ends in ".uk" therefore you're probably
looking for a PAL composite signal.  Is there a chance that you've got an
NTSC version...if it originally had a IIgs RGB monitor, the composite
video output wouldn't matter.  If you do manage to connect an RGB monitor,
you can force it into monochrome mode by means of a control panel setting.
 See below.  As for the crackly sound, that may be coming from the
speaker, not the power supply.  It may be heat related, but I know that
when I heard it a lot from the machine at work, it meant the power supply
was about to die.

: Secondly it doesn't even look at my Disk ][ controller and disks - 
: complains about setup or something on booting - I've read elesewhere 
: about setting a control panel - but how do I access it (bearing in mind 
: that my keyboard might not have the keys marked out in the same manner as 
: the original IIGS keyboard).

Lemme guess...you get a bouncing apple and "Check startup device!".  You
need to make sure that the control panel setting for the slot with your
Disk ][ controller (probably Slot #6) is set to "Your Card."  Also, you
want "Startup Slot" set to "Scan" or to whatever slot the drive controller
is in.  To get to the control panel, the magic keystroke is
OpenApple-Control-Escape.  You may have to search for the escape key, and
your open-apple key might be labeled with a little cloverleaf.

: Finally - looking inside - there is a memory expansion slot (no card) - and 
: counting the RAM chips, there are about 10 xxx64 chips - which comes out 
: to about 80Kbytes by my reckoning - I thought they were meant to have 
: 256k as standard? Secondly - can you have only one memory card at a time 
: - and is it plugged into the memory expansion slot, or one of the seven 
: slots towards the rear.

Well, if it fits in the memory expansion slot, it won't fit the peripheral
slot in the back 8-).  If it is the basic GS memory card, then it has 256k
soldered to it, and sockets for an additional 768k.  You populate this
thing 256k at a time.  I have one of these, but I also have a 4Mb card
with a special piggyback connector so that both cards will fit in the slot.

: Sorry about the novice questions, but I've had enough fun tracking down 
: information on Apple //e, the IIGS is even more scarce in this country :)

Have fun!  It's a great machine!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

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