Brantly.henr@Xerox.COM (11/21/87)
a little background: I have an Atari 1040ST, a monochrome monitor & I enjoy both. Orginally Atari planned, and the schematics show, an internal RF modulator for the 1040. However they scrapped the RF modulator in the build for the 1040ST's (some 520ST's do have the RF modulator installed). So, instead of having outputs of Composite, RF, RGB & high resolution mono, 1040 owners ended up with only RGB & high resolution mono. (the circuitry for Composite was part of the RF modulator). I enjoy the mono for text processing, etc., however (when the little boy in me comes out) I like to play a game or two. Most of the games generated in the US are color only, so I'm out of luck. Many owners of mono systems are unwilling (or at least extremely reluctant) to spend the bucks for a color monitor to play an occassional game, so I'm trying to come up with a means to provide composite or RF from the available signals. FLAME ON! Please listen ATARI!! I don't blame you for not putting in an RF Modulator in the 1040. If you wanted to reduce the cost of the machine, fine. If you thought that having as RF output made the 1040/520 more toy-like and this was not the image that you wanted for the machine, fine. BUT, it sure would have been decent of you to give us a Composite signal out so that if we wanted we could have bought a standard Composite to RF converter. FLAME OFF! keep listening.... Neil, please answer me this, will the Modulator that came in some of the 520's work in the 1040's? Are the inputs/outputs the same? Looking at the schematic and the vacant place in my motherboard where the Modulator was planned to go in, it looks like it wouldn't be very difficult to install a 520 modulator (& the resistors etc. that there are empty holes for) if it's the same as originally intended for the 1040. Why not make the modulators a dealer installed option? Heck Neil, even the guys/gals with color monitors would like to video tape stuff from their machines..... If the 520 modulators won't work, and Atari doesn't want to market a modulator for the 1040ST, will you please at least tell us the best way to go about hooking something up to give us Composite? It would be a great goodwill gesture. And Neil, if you have any of those new ROMs that need a stress test, ship a set to 598 Concord Drive, Webster, NY 14580 and I'll test them in the cold weather for ya. Dennis Rochester, NY.....<Yep, still snowing> (716-427-1653)
john@viper.Lynx.MN.Org (John Stanley) (11/24/87)
In article <871121-091947-2721@Xerox> Brantly.henr@Xerox.COM writes: >a little background: > >I have an Atari 1040ST, a monochrome monitor & I enjoy both. I have the same hardware... ... description of 1040 RF modulator history deleted ... >Many owners of mono systems are unwilling (or at least extremely >reluctant) to spend the bucks for a color monitor to play an occassional >game, so I'm trying to come up with a means to provide composite or RF >from the available signals. I also would ocasionaly like the ability to video tape program demos but I can't justify buying another machine (520) just so I can get the feature provided by <$100 worth of parts... > >Neil, please answer me this, will the Modulator that came in some of the >520's work in the 1040's? Are the inputs/outputs the same? Looking at >the schematic and the vacant place in my motherboard where the Modulator >was planned to go in, it looks like it wouldn't be very difficult to >install a 520 modulator (& the resistors etc. that there are empty holes >for) if it's the same as originally intended for the 1040. Why not make >the modulators a dealer installed option? > In a related note, even if it's not "Atari policy" to make the kind of changes to a 1040 we're discussing here, -will-it-work-? Atari HQ has this unfortunate attitude problem... The seem to think that if they haven't thought up some hardware feature, then they won't do anything to help users obtain that capability. This is one case where Atari is the only source of information on this subject. If users see that Atari is willing to help users obtain new horizons with their machines, then people are more likely to recommend Atari when friends ask about getting a new machine. On the other hand, offen I find it difficult to recommend getting an ST when Atari spends so much effort blocking, and so little effort to help, the average user who just wants to do "a little bit more" with their machines. >Dennis >Rochester, NY.....<Yep, still snowing> >(716-427-1653) --- John Stanley (john@viper.UUCP) Software Consultant - DynaSoft Systems UUCP: ...{amdahl,ihnp4,rutgers}!meccts!viper!john
neil@atari.UUCP (Neil Harris) (11/24/87)
In article <871121-091947-2721@Xerox>, Brantly.henr@Xerox.COM writes: > BUT, it sure would have been decent of you to give us a Composite signal > out so that if we wanted > we could have bought a standard Composite to RF converter. > > FLAME OFF! keep listening.... > > Neil, please answer me this, will the Modulator that came in some of the > 520's work in the 1040's? Are the inputs/outputs the same? Looking at > the schematic and the vacant place in my motherboard where the Modulator > was planned to go in, it looks like it wouldn't be very difficult to > install a 520 modulator (& the resistors etc. that there are empty holes > for) if it's the same as originally intended for the 1040. Why not make > the modulators a dealer installed option? There is an adapter available that converts the RGB into composite video. Actually there are 2 -- one from JNL Technologies on Long Island, and the other from Practical Solutions of Tucson. I am not sure if either is actually on sale yet, but I've seen both at various shows and they do a good job. It's just as hard to put composite video out as it is to do Rf. Once you have one, it's a short step to the other. That's why they're both missing. -- --->Neil Harris, Director of Marketing Communications, Atari Corporation UUCP: ...{hoptoad, lll-lcc, pyramid, imagen, sun}!atari!neil GEnie: NHARRIS/ WELL: neil / BIX: neilharris / Delphi: NEILHARRIS CIS: 70007,1135 / Atari BBS 408-745-5308 / Usually the OFFICIAL Atari opinion
preston@felix.UUCP (Preston Bannister) (11/25/87)
In article <871121-091947-2721@Xerox> Brantly.henr@Xerox.COM writes: [much deleted] > >Heck Neil, even the guys/gals with color monitors would like to video >tape stuff from their machines..... I second the motion. :-) I can understand Atari leaving the RF modulator off the 1040ST (although I think the reasoning as a bit cockeyed). But, I _would_ like to have one on my machine. Now, I imagine that coming up with an upgrade probably wouldn't be profitable for Atari. Let me suggest an alternative. Neil, why don't you see if Atari could least sell us the parts we need to put in an RF modulator? I'm sure that some enterprising people will come forward and offer to do the upgrades. It would cost Atari nothing, build some goodwill and possibly even give Atari's dealers a little more business. -- Preston L. Bannister USENET : ucbvax!trwrb!felix!preston BIX : plb CompuServe : 71350,3505 GEnie : p.bannister
ericg@sco.COM (Mwa ha ha) (12/10/87)
preston@felix.UUCP (Preston Bannister) wrote in article <13852@felix.UUCP>: ]In article <871121-091947-2721@Xerox> Brantly.henr@Xerox.COM writes: ][much deleted] ]> ]>Heck Neil, even the guys/gals with color monitors would like to video ]>tape stuff from their machines..... ] ]I second the motion. :-) ] ]I can understand Atari leaving the RF modulator off the 1040ST ](although I think the reasoning as a bit cockeyed). But, I _would_ ]like to have one on my machine. ] ]Now, I imagine that coming up with an upgrade probably wouldn't be ]profitable for Atari. Let me suggest an alternative. ] ]Neil, why don't you see if Atari could least sell us the parts we need ]to put in an RF modulator? I'm sure that some enterprising people ]will come forward and offer to do the upgrades. It would cost Atari ]nothing, build some goodwill and possibly even give Atari's dealers a ]little more business. > I know I have a rare exception, but my 1040 (purchased in October) DOES have an RF modulator, which I do not use. I'm considering holding an auction :-) -- Eric Griswold (ericg@sco.COM) "That's no baby. That's a Mr. Potatohead" I do not speak for SCO, I barely have enough room for my own opinions.
c60a-2ae@web3f.berkeley.edu.BERKELEY.EDU (John Kawakami -O^O-,Dorm,1234567,7654321) (12/11/87)
In article <401@viscous> ericg@sco.COM (Mwa ha ha) writes: >I know I have a rare exception, but my 1040 (purchased in October) >DOES have an RF modulator, which I do not use. > >I'm considering holding an auction :-) Ack, you lucky devil. Get an engineer to reverse-engineer it and give out the info for free ;-) (i think that would be illegal) No fair, I got my ST in November '86, the even boasted that it was the _Latest_ shipment. Boy +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | JoHn KaWaKaMi alias spectacle -O^O- alias c60a-2ae@widow.berkley.edu | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
jpdres13@usl-pc.UUCP (John Joubert) (12/14/87)
------------------------------- Concerning an RF modulator for the 1040... I would presume that one exists. Let me explain. I think that the new 520 ST's are actually 1040's with half the memory pulled out, a single sided drive instead of a double sided drive, and an RF modulator added in. So... If you want an RF modulator for your 1040, just order a new one for your 520ST-that-blew-out-its-rf-modulator! I don't know for sure if this would work because I have not opened up the new 520ST's , but maybe someone that has access to both could open both the new 520 and a 1040 and let the rest of us know.
neil@atari.UUCP (Neil Harris) (12/17/87)
> So... If you want an RF modulator for your 1040, just order a new one for > your 520ST-that-blew-out-its-rf-modulator! Nice try. But the installation of a modulator is no small feat -- not only are there many many solder points for the modulator itself, but there are components which are not present in the 1040 that would need to be added inside the shielded part of the board which contains the video shifter. Also, we do not sell components, but rather we offer replacement motherboards to service centers. -- --->Neil Harris, Director of Marketing Communications, Atari Corporation UUCP: ...{hoptoad, lll-lcc, pyramid, imagen, sun}!atari!neil GEnie: NHARRIS/ WELL: neil / BIX: neilharris / Delphi: NEILHARRIS CIS: 70007,1135 / Atari BBS 408-745-5308 / Usually the OFFICIAL Atari opinion