Re: Apple 14" composite monitor on IIGS?

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

SlickRCBD <Sisko@Celestial.Temple.org> wrote:

> Anyway, a friend of mine says he's had an old Apple 14" composite monitor
> gathering dust in his attic. He says the connector is similar to the round
> monitor connector on the back of my IIGS. My question is, will it work on
> the IIGS? 

If it really is a composite monitor (and it sounds like it from the
description of the connector), then yes it will work (monochrome only,
of course).  You should make sure the display mode is set to monochrome
in the "Display" page of the control panel.

I used a composite monitor on my IIgs for a couple of years after my RGB
monitor got unusable.  (Then I got a Mac and retired my Apple II
machines.)

(It is probably a 12" monitor, not 14".)

> Also, will this affect the colorswitch capability of the PC Transporter
> card I've got?

Ah.  That is a major problem.  The ColorSwitch only works with an RGB
monitor, so you will not be able to get video output from the PC
Transporter.

There is a workaround: the PCT has a composite video output, but you
would have to wire up a cable to get it to an RCA connector, and
manually change the cable between the PCT and IIgs video outputs.

(In the II+ or IIe, the PCT composite video connects directly to the
4-pin video port on the motherboard, and its output overrides the signal
being generated by the motherboard.  The corresponding connector doesn't
exist on the IIgs.)

Another possible option would be to locate a CGA monitor (digital RGB)
and use that via the 10 pin digital RGB output connector on the PC
Transporter (you need another adaptor cable to get it to the standard 9
pin CGA connector).  Such a monitor wouldn't be able to display IIgs
video output, so you would end up with two independent displays.

If you only use your PCT for short periods, you could leave the normal
RGB monitor connected to the ColorSwitch, and only switch it on when you
need it, using the composite monitor for normal IIgs tasks.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz