[comp.sys.amiga] Flicker Fixer and Multisync II

stroyan@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Mike Stroyan) (01/28/89)

The Flicker Fixer is great with a NEC Multisync II.  I have the two and
love them.  The cable that comes with the monitor is a perfect match for
the connector on the Flicker Fixer.  The screen appearance is very good
with both interlace and non-interlace screens.  The one problem that I
have had is that the light pen interface is not useable while the Flicker
Fixer is in use.  That is no big suprise with the scan rate doubled.

Mike Stroyan, stroyan%hpfcla@hplabs.HP.COM

lgreen@pnet01.cts.com (Lawrence Greenwald) (01/29/89)

Gap-Dragon@cup.portal.com (John T Manning) writes:
>
>I have an NEC Multisync II that I am using with my A2000 and am considering
>the purchase of a Flicker Fixer board.  I have read the reviews and it sounds
>great but I would like to see some comments from real world users.  Are there 
>any significant problems that I can expect to face with using the Flicker
>Fixer and the Multisync II?  How about minor problems?   Thanks in advance.


I've used mine for the last year and I find it really makes life a little
easier (especially if you toggle workbench interlace on like I did). The only
minor problem with the Multisync is the black border you will get around the
screen. You can fix it vertically (via the V-size control knob) but there's
nothing that can be done about horizontal (wish they had placed a knob instead
of that stupid slide-switch!).

I do hope you remembered to save the cable that came with your Multisync...you
use that to connect the monitor to the Fixer board. 

Larry Greenwald

UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd sdcsvax nosc}!crash!pnet01!lgreen
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"I'm looking over a three-leaf clover that I overlooked be-three!"  -Bugs Bunny

blgardne@esunix.UUCP (Blaine Gardner) (01/30/89)

From article <3772@crash.cts.com>, by lgreen@pnet01.cts.com (Lawrence Greenwald):
> Gap-Dragon@cup.portal.com (John T Manning) writes:
>>
>>I have an NEC Multisync II that I am using with my A2000 and am considering
>>the purchase of a Flicker Fixer board.  I have read the reviews and it sounds
>>great but I would like to see some comments from real world users.  Are there 
>>any significant problems that I can expect to face with using the Flicker
>>Fixer and the Multisync II?  How about minor problems?   Thanks in advance.
> 
> 
> I've used mine for the last year and I find it really makes life a little
> easier (especially if you toggle workbench interlace on like I did). The only
> minor problem with the Multisync is the black border you will get around the
> screen. You can fix it vertically (via the V-size control knob) but there's
> nothing that can be done about horizontal (wish they had placed a knob instead
> of that stupid slide-switch!).

I've got the original (not II) NEC Multisync hooked up to a
flickerFixer, and it does look great. The Hwidth switch on the top is
nearly useless, but if you know your way around monitors and high
voltage electronics you can get some width adjustment. Inside the case
on the main (bottom) PC board there's a slug tuned coil that controls
the horizontal size. With a plastic hex tool, turn this out until you
can see the slug clear the inductor's body (the plastic tube the slug
threads into is transparent). You've now got the maximum horizontal
width possible, about 1/2 of black on each side of the image on my
Multisync I.

Remember that there's 20-30 thousand volts inside that case, so don;t
try this stunt if you don't have experience playing with high voltage.


Another flickerFixer/Multisync related trick is a switchbox. Someone
else (sorry, I forgot who) suggested this, and it works great. I bought
a DB-9 switchbox for under $20, and built a couple of cables. I've got a
DB23-DB9 cable from the Amiga's RGB out to the switchbox, and a DB9-DB9
cable from the flickerFixer's RGB out to the switchbox, and then a
DB9-DB9 cable from the switchbox to the Multisync. 

I was worried about loss of quality in the image with all that cabling
but there's no image degradation at all (and I'm fussier than most about
a good looking screen). 

Why would you WANT flicker? Well I don't exactly, but the flickerFixer
does cause image breakup on objects that move horizonatally at a
moderatly quick pace. This is noticed mostly in games, but you can see
it by waving the mouse pointer around. Some games like Emerald Mine are
horribly afflicted by this, but now I can switch back to the stock Amiga
video. Oh, I also have to make a couple of tweaks on the H-center and
V-height knobs when I switch from flickerFixer to Amiga video, but that
only takes a couple of seconds.

This switchbox arrangement could also be helpful to anyone wanting to
use a VGA/EGA videocard on the bridgeboard with only one monitor.
-- 
Blaine Gardner @ Evans & Sutherland    580 Arapeen Drive, SLC, Utah 84108
Here: utah-cs!esunix!blgardne   {ucbvax,allegra,decvax}!decwrl!esunix!blgardne
There: uunet!iconsys!caeco!pedro!worsel!blaine
"Nobody will ever need more than 64K."    "Nobody needs multitasking on a PC."

tope@enea.se (Tommy Petersson) (01/31/89)

In article <3772@crash.cts.com> lgreen@pnet01.cts.com (Lawrence Greenwald) writes:
:Gap-Dragon@cup.portal.com (John T Manning) writes:
:>
:>I have an NEC Multisync II that I am using with my A2000 and am considering
:>the purchase of a Flicker Fixer board.  I have read the reviews and it sounds
:>great but I would like to see some comments from real world users.  Are there 
:>any significant problems that I can expect to face with using the Flicker
:>Fixer and the Multisync II?  How about minor problems?   Thanks in advance.
:
:
:I've used mine for the last year and I find it really makes life a little
:easier (especially if you toggle workbench interlace on like I did). The only
:minor problem with the Multisync is the black border you will get around the
:screen. You can fix it vertically (via the V-size control knob) but there's
:nothing that can be done about horizontal (wish they had placed a knob instead
:of that stupid slide-switch!).
:
:I do hope you remembered to save the cable that came with your Multisync...you
:use that to connect the monitor to the Fixer board. 
:
:Larry Greenwald
:
:UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd sdcsvax nosc}!crash!pnet01!lgreen
:ARPA: crash!pnet01!lgreen@nosc.mil
:INET: lgreen@pnet01.cts.com
:SNAIL:4545 Collwood Blvd, #52  San Diego, CA 92115
:"I'm looking over a three-leaf clover that I overlooked be-three!"  -Bugs Bunny

Will the FlickerFixer work well on a B2000 PAL Amiga ?
What's the current "best buy" price for it? I saw an English ad at
something around 280 pounds (= $500). Is that a good price?
If you want to by-pass the FlickerFixer - is it just to plug the
monitor cable into its normal place instead?

krag@cup.portal.com (Kevin Ray Grotjohn) (02/02/89)

For a monitor that is identical in pinout and connector to the Multisync,
look at the Nanao Flexscan 8060S.  IT has ergonomic adjustments in front,
set these at MAX and the black border is 1cm instead of 2".  Also has orange,
color, and pastel switch that works with my Flicker Fixer.
They have good service, before I bought it one of their techs called me at
Home in response to a pinout question!
Just a happy customer..
 
krag@portal.cup.com

afraser@ssibbs.UUCP (Alex Fraser) (02/03/89)

In article <4285@enea.se>, tope@enea.se (Tommy Petersson) writes:
> In article <3772@crash.cts.com> lgreen@pnet01.cts.com (Lawrence Greenwald) writes:
> :Gap-Dragon@cup.portal.com (John T Manning) writes:
> :>
> :>I have an NEC Multisync II that I am using with my A2000 and am considering
> :>the purchase of a Flicker Fixer board.
> :
> Will the FlickerFixer work well on a B2000 PAL Amiga ?
> What's the current "best buy" price for it? I saw an English ad at
> something around 280 pounds (= $500). Is that a good price?
> If you want to by-pass the FlickerFixer - is it just to plug the
> monitor cable into its normal place instead?
[note -- heavy editing of above due to brain damaged inews, middle
reply deleted]

There is a PAL version of the Flicker Fixer -- it works fine.
FlickerFixers plug into the video slot and do not affect the regular
"monitor-out" in any way (ie, you can run TWO monitors if you like --
one off of the FlickerFixer's out and one off of the regular video
out).

To the original poster -- Flicker Fixer and a Multisync is an
excellent combination!  Interlaced workbench with morerows is quite
impressive.  It makes the Amiga "feel" like a workstation... (IMHO)

--Alex

-- 
...{mit-eddie,pyramid,datacube}!mirror!ssi3b1!ssibbs!afraser