Amiga RGB port not working

[AmigaBruno]

There‘s something wrong with my Amiga A1200 RGB connector, but I‘m not sure exactly what. Only a faint ghosted image appears on a black screen when I try to use it. It looks like it‘s had a lot of wear and tear. The problem could be that one nut or holder which is supposed to be on the left hand side is missing, so that the lead can‘t be screwed in there. The casing surrounding the connector looks slightly bent, and I‘ve just noticed from taking pics of it that one of the pins at the bottom right of the picture may be slightly damaged, but I‘m not sure. What do you make of this?

[Gryfon]

It's possible to buy a replacement:

https://icomp.de/shop-icomp/en/shop/product/db23-male-connector.html

If you're not comfortable with a soldering iron there are alternatives - there are some good people working the Amiga community who provide repair services.

[AmigaBruno]

First of all,can you tell me what's the matter with it? Is one pin bent or broken? If it's bent, can't I try to unbend it? Perhaps a new video cable would improve things.

Unfortunately,I'm not very good with a soldering iron.

[nbache]

From the picture it is quite certain that the rightmost pin in the lower row is bent. I am wondering how it is even possible to insert a lead, as you must have done if you have seen "a faint ghosted image".

The frame around the connector is also clearly bent, but this does not necessarily mean it wouldn't work, if there is contact in some parts of the circumference when the plug is inserted.

The first attempt should be  - with the power off! - to try with a narrow set of pliers or similar to carefully bend the pin back into position. If you can then insert the cable fully (don't worry about not being able to screw it into the left nut, one side is more than enough, as long as you don't wiggle it too much around), you can try turning on and see if it solved the problem.

If not, you are probably looking at having somebody skilled open it up and look for further problems, e.g. leads having been ripped off the inside of the connector, broken leads inside the machine, etc. etc. - you could also have a defective cable, so maybe try another cable first.

Best regards,

Niels

[AmigaBruno]

So, that pin is bent not partly broken off? It's very hard to tell. I haven't seen any pliers small enough for this. I wonder if a pair of tweezers would do.  I checked the pinouts and that pin is +5V.

I have now ordered a new video lead as well.

In the meantime, I've been using the Composite Video/CVBS connector with another lead. This is CVBS to SCART. Sometimes the results with this look a lot better than at other times. Last week, I turned my Amiga A1200 on, booted up and it looked quite good, but then several minutes later, the text looked a bit fuzzy and so did the graphics! The SCART plug even has a switch on it which I've never seen on any other SCART plug. With this switch in one position I get a picture, but in the other position there's no picture. Does anyone know what could cause the fuzzy text and graphics at some times, but not at other times?

 

[nbache]

So, that pin is bent not partly broken off? It's very hard to tell.

Indeed. Both the pictures are taken from more or less the same angle, but it looked to me like it is just bent.

I haven't seen any pliers small enough for this. I wonder if a pair of tweezers would do.

It might, if it is sturdy enough. Or maybe a smallish screwdriver can do it.

Best regards,

Niels

[gertsy]

That looks like someone has removed the rgb plug by kicking it downwards with the heal of their boot until it came out of the socket. Its clearly been wrenched with some force that could well have damaged the integrity of the internal soldering of the socket.  Good job.

[TribbleSmasher]

@AmigaBruno
Edit
What @Gryfon said!

Good luck!

[AmigaBruno]

Gertsy, that's actually what happened to my PCMCIA RAM card, so I suppose the same thing could've happened to my RGB port as well! I was living in a very small room at the time, although I had access to a communal living room, where I had to go to set up my Amiga A1200. The room where I actually lived was only 6 square metres. I had put the Amiga in a carrier bag on the floor for the moment. As I walked along the room, my heel kicked the PCMCIA card, cracking it open! Something similar could have happened to the RGB port, although I don't remember it. I found out later on that this room was so small and narrow that it's actually ILLEGAL for an adult to live in it! While living there, I also had a music keyboard stored in between the foot of the bed and the wardrobe, because I couldn't find anywhere else to put it. One of the white keys half broke off! I haven't used my PCMCIA port since then, so I suppose that might be damaged as well. I'm now living in a one bedroom flat again. I'm making a report to a local Council which I hope will get that 6 square metre room closed down, so no one else has to live there any more. All of this hapened because of a property developer,as well as extortionist landlords!
 

[magnetic]

Dude this isnt even that serious. Its just one bent pin. Yes, you could use tweezers. Be careful however, it is VERY easy to break the pin off because it requires force to bend it back. Go slow and steady.

imho going comp to scart  doesnt make sense just use comp out.

[AmigaBruno]

OK, so I need to be VERY, VERY careful about bending this pin back into place, but even then it might break off, or even PROBABLY will break off! IF if breaks off, then I probably can't get anyone else to repair it, so then I could try improving my CVBS output by just using a CV to CV phone lead instead of CVF to SCART. I recently fitted an external CF card reader slot, which reminded me what a mess my RF shielding is in. I would have to remove all the shielding to even see where the 23 pin RGB interface is connected up to. Even then, I don't currently own a soldering iron. I feel I was given the wrong advice about what kind of solder to buy. The last advice and practical demonstration I was given at a club was using some very fine solder which I'd never seen seen or even heard of before. If I sent it to Amigakit for repair, then I don't know how long they'd take. I had to wait 17 days just to get a brand new 8Mb RAM expansion card with RTC card, athough they claimed it would only take a couple of days. This card was only delivered, then I had to fit it myself!

[AmigaBruno]

Bad news! The pin isn't bent, it's half broken off!! I tried plugging in the new lead to see if I could get it to work. I also removed one of the screw holders from the Parallel Port and screwed it in there, but there's no picture!

I got this cable from www.retrocomputershack.com A piece of advice on the accompanying leaflet says under the heading COMMON DISPLAY AND SOUND ISSUES "DARK AND/OR BLACK AND WHITE PICTURE WITH "GHOSTING (SLIGHT GREY SHADOWING)" TV isn't switching to RGB mode. Usually caused when connecting via a SCART socket that isn't RGB compatible, or set for Composite Video (CVBS) instead of RGB, in the TV's menu options. Usually only one socket is RGB compatible, so try them all".

Whenever I turn on the TV and the Amiga with the SCART input selected, it says "SCART CVBS", but all other inputs say "No signal". This seems to indicate that a signal is being received, but the TV thinks it's CVBS, so that's why no picture is being displayed. I suppose that's where the broken +5V pin comes in. This TV has no other SCART socket. The brand name is MATSUI, but I'm not sure what model number it is.

 

[magnetic]

If you want to do a dirty hack, which is a little dangerous, you could break a pin of some crap board and put it inside the scart rgb female connector and it may make contact with the broken pin.