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IIGS with Apple 12" RGB display/hack?
Posted by: Byrd on 2014-10-30 15:45:42
Hi,

I've a nice IIGS I'd like to get working with a colour monitor. I had the original matching Apple 12" composite colour monitor for it, however this was badly damaged some years ago and disposed of.

The Macintosh 12" RGB monitor, which looks exactly the same, is more readily available.  Does anyone know how/if it could be used on a IIGS, or if the internals are exactly the same as the composite monitor - leading to me thinking I can wire up composite video output.

Thanks

JB

Posted by: NJRoadfan on 2014-10-30 18:55:03
They are not compatible, the IIgs outputs 15.75khz RGB signals which no Mac ever supported.

Posted by: CC_333 on 2014-10-30 19:28:23
Couldn't it be modified or adapted somehow?

c

Posted by: david__schmidt on 2014-10-30 21:23:24
Couldn't it be modified or adapted somehow?
No.

Greets from Bendigo, Byrd... where I'm temporarily housed.

Posted by: Byrd on 2014-10-31 13:08:24
Hi David - how does one get from North Carolina to Bendigo?  Welcome.

Fair enough on the 15khz output - I'd imagine the internal CRT assembly to be significantly different then.  Just noticed though the price has dropped significantly on these VGA --> 15khz "arcade" adapters though, which gets me thinking of a breakout box ...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/GBS8200-GBS-8220-ARCADE-GAME-Video-CONVERTER-CGA-EGA-to-VGA-to-LCD-Latest-/261542747683?pt=AU_ArcadeMachineAccessories&hash=item3ce5299e23

JB

Posted by: Gorgonops on 2014-10-31 14:07:19
I have one of those "Arcade" adapter boards, and it works okay with my IIgs. (I'm not going to say "great", just "okay". It looks fine with games but the GS OS desktop doesn't look that great. Better than it does with a composite monitor, however.) Remember of course you'd be wiring that up to the IIgs' RGB output.

Re: converting one of those 12" Macintosh RGBs, as people have noted they run at a different scan rate and they're not multisync at all. Since they *are* relatively simple fixed-frequency monitors I imagine it would be *possible* to convert one to run at the IIgs' NTSC Hsync, but it would involve changing components and would be something well beyond my expertise to comment on.

(A skilled TV repairman with access to the schematics could probably tell you how feasible the idea would be.)

Posted by: david__schmidt on 2014-10-31 15:08:07
Hi David - how does one get from North Carolina to Bendigo?  Welcome.
It was a looooooooooong flight, let me tell you. 

One more week to go - I plan to go down to the coast and take a drive on the Great Ocean Road this weekend.  That is if they don't arrest me for driving on the wrong side of the road.

Fair enough on the 15khz output - I'd imagine the internal CRT assembly to be significantly different then.  Just noticed though the price has dropped significantly on these VGA --> 15khz "arcade" adapters though, which gets me thinking of a breakout box ...
Right, there's been a lot of talk about various ways to adapt video signals - with varying degrees of success.  The best option is always to go native, as the tuning is always perfect.  So the specific RGB monitor for the GS is super-crisp; most other solutions are to a greater or lesser extent poorer.

Posted by: olePigeon on 2014-11-09 11:11:08
Get yourself the CGA to VGA adapter.  Then get yourself one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-IIGS-Video-Adapter-for-the-GBS-8200-8220-Video-Converter-/131315833189

Just message him, he's very good at making more when needed.  Works great.

I have this exact combination working with my IIgs and my Apple II with digital RGB card.

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