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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: VnllaThndr on January 25, 2006, 04:20:28 AM
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Hi everyone.
Just got an a500 for free after getting into an Amiga discussion on another hardware forum (www.neo-geo.com)
. Loved the amiga as a youngin' and had to have one after we started reminiscing
...anyways, I'm having trouble tracking down a suitable CGA monitor. 1084's don't exactly grow on trees 'round these parts and I *must* have my vintage Amiga games ASAP!
I was wondering what the official refresh rates are on an a500 so I can find a substitute monitor. I'm sure this question has been asked a billion times before, so I apologize if I'm railing against forum etiquette. The converters aren't a problem to get a hold of.
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Check out Big Book of Amiga Hardware (http://www.amiga-hardware.com/) using keyword search 1084s for specs on the Monitor itself, and near every piece of Amiga hardware built.
You can check out the flicker fixers as an alternative. I use a PC monitor on my A500 via an ICD scan doubler.
You can also use the A520 TV Modulator to hook up your Amiga to a television. I have seen a number of these for sale on eBay.
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I think hooking it up to a TV with a SCART cable is the most sensible solution these days.
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A scan doubler will work on the A500? Awesome, I've see a bunch on ebay and the auctions were unclear about this at best.
....now to find workbench 1.2...
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Now, seriously, a scandoubler costs rather much, doesn't it?
A RGB cable costs way much less, and gives you PERFECT quality on any TV supporting RGB. Running a scandoubler to play A500 games on a monitor is of course one solution, but to be honest... it looks really pixelated and ugly since you will have no scanlines (like on the TV or the 1084). To me, that is a bit of an overkill.
But I guess you know best what you want.
I wouldn't cough up the money for a scandoubler, though... I even sold my internal ScanMagic / FlickerMagic that I had in my A1200, for €85, since I never used it (and it couldn't even show AGA, just like almost 95% of the other crappy internal scandoublers for the A1200 or any other AGA Amiga).
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Where can I pick up an RGB cable?
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Legerdemain wrote:
Now, seriously, a scandoubler costs rather much, doesn't it?
(and it couldn't even show AGA, just like almost 95% of the other crappy internal scandoublers for the A1200 or any other AGA Amiga).
Yes a scandoubler seems to be too expensive for basic gamimg. I didn't realise that until I looked on eBay! I guess I lucked in when I got mine. It was installed on an A500 I got for free. I find that it is great for displaying the Workbench in interlace mode. For games the colors are a little off, but not much different on an A500.
I was not aware of the AGA limitation on the higher end machines (like the A1200).
Here is an RGB Scart cable :RGB cable on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.ca/Amiga-500-600-1000-1200-4000-RGB-Scart-TV-Cable_W0QQitemZ8253656414QQcategoryZ98928QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
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Gaaahhhh!!!
I'm a yank, so SCART isn't going to do me much good... no SCART over here.
What really stinks is that I've got a 33'' RGB monitor in my house.. unfortunately it's in my Virtua Fighter 3 cab.
I'm going to have to go with the RF modulator. Meh.
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What you want is a multiscan monitor.
I was using phil CM8833-II before then i discovered to utter astonisment that after all these years (well 2) i found that one of my monitors from the Acorn (the AKF18) was one so borrowed a mates 23pin amiga -> 15pin VGA adapter, picked up the coresponding connectors (of which i already had), and made my own adapter saving me £15!!!!!!
It also acts as a monitor extension lead which is a bonus!
Now i can use it with my Amiga 1200, playing old games with no trouble and using the workbench under multiscan mode!
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I'm a yank, so SCART isn't going to do me much good... no SCART over here.
Yeah, right, completely forgot. But as far as I can recall there are other solutions? The TV's still support RGB, don't they? I have this vague memory of the "over there" thing to use instead of an RGB-scart... like a RGB-something? Do I remember things wrongly?
Anyways, the NTSC-solution is such crap... could the colours possibly be more off? Just had to sayit... :lol:
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Well, in the absence of converters.. will this monitor work?
It matches the rates and I have the converters (or at least can get them...)
http://support.gateway.com/s/MONITOR/Z00685/z0068524.shtml
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it's not ok the a500 runs at 50/60 hz but not at 30/31khz
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@amigakit: how don't you have a 23pin to scart cable?
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This is what you need for a TV, which may be your cheapest solution: A520 on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.ca/Factory-New-Amiga-A520-RF-Modulator_W0QQitemZ8753860267QQcategoryZ4598QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem).
If you want to use a modern PC (CRT) monitor you need an expensive flicker fixer/scandoubler.
I am not sure if it will work with LCD.
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Do you think that a HDTV could work? Some have a vga connector. (sorry, the Amiga 1200 can work with a VGA monitor. You would need to have a RGB monior available if you need to go to a different mode in the 15,75 Khz range)
They also have composite(yuk) and s-video con. I wonder if there could be a component cabe made and if a HDTV would work at that frenqency.
I hope this helped.