Re: best way to get a //c monitor cable?

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Greg Andrzejewski wrote:

>I had a similar situation when I bought my IIc. It was a lucky find at an
>estate sale. They didn't even have the poor thing on display! I just
>happened to enquire if they had any old computers. The IIc had been cared
>for, minimal yellowing. But I experienced the same picture "swimming" you
>described. The gentleman informed me that he had the monitor serviced for
>the problem, but they found nothing wrong with it. I jiggled the cable a bit
>and it seemed to go away. When I got the system home, I replaced the cable
>and the rolling stopped. I don't know if it was interference, an old worn
>cable, or a combination of both. Maybe the Apple cables weren't of the
>highest quality?

It's always possible for a cable to go bad, particularly if it is
mistreated by bending or pulling it repeatedly near the connector.

It sounds like you had an intermittent ground connection, either
in the cable itself, or at the connection on either end.  If the latter,
then simply unplugging and reinserting the cable a few times
(without twisting, to avoid the design problem with the typical
Apple RCA connector) will often clean the connector enough
that all is well.

Replacing a cable also has the side effect of cleaning the
connectors on the computer and the monitor.  ;-)

I repeat that there are no "stringent" requirements for an
Apple II video cable of modest length.  Electrical integrity
and clean contacts are the only requirements for a fine
picture.

-michael

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