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IIGS Display options

morpheus256

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
24
Location
Kelowna, BC
So i've recently found myself a IIGS to add to the collection. the problem i'm faced with now is a decent display option, i "could" use composite video, but from what ive seen the quality is really lacking, which is to be expected.
no where online can i find an scan converter solution from RGB to VGA.

is there any option like the IIC -> VGA adaper? which i plan on buying once its for sale.

are their any other good solutions? Finding a monitor is no easy task around here, and shipping is expensive on something heavy like that.

Thanks.
 
IIgs monitors are kind of compact so shipping within your state might not be that expensive.

I can give you an estimate on shipping if you give me your zip code (will weigh one of mine and figure out what size box it would take).

School systems seem to have been flooded with IIgs so try freecycle and you might even find a free local one (if you are in the USA).
 
You can use pretty much any analog RGB monitor that will accept composite sync and seperate video signals (and sync at 15.75khz). This includes most monitors intended for Commodore Amiga computers and similar. There were also numerous third party color RGB monitors that will work just fine. You can also cheat and use some CGA monitors, you just get fewer displayed colors (I've only done it with the Amiga, but it should work for the IIgs as well).

The composite output on the IIgs is actually pretty good, and should be usable on a good monitor. But it'll still look much better on a proper RGB monitor.

-Ian
 
IIgs monitors are kind of compact so shipping within your state might not be that expensive.

I can give you an estimate on shipping if you give me your zip code (will weigh one of mine and figure out what size box it would take).

School systems seem to have been flooded with IIgs so try freecycle and you might even find a free local one (if you are in the USA).

oh i agree, shipping within my country isint too bad, but in Canada, anything from south of the boarder, shipping doubles, and the chances of the shipping costing less then the monitor itself would be amazing.

in my part of canada, finding anything from the 1980's vintage is quite rare, which is why i was looking into other options, CRT based monitors aren't going to last forever unfortunitly.

we have freecycle, kijiji, and craigslist up here, but no signs of anything apple that old close by, i found a iigs on the east coast (im on the west) and he never got back to me which was too bad, it probably got "recycled"

once i get the IIGS i have to decide between, scsi, cffa if i can find one, focus drive, or the microdrive :)
 
So i've recently found myself a IIGS to add to the collection. the problem i'm faced with now is a decent display option, i "could" use composite video, but from what ive seen the quality is really lacking, which is to be expected.
no where online can i find an scan converter solution from RGB to VGA.

is there any option like the IIC -> VGA adaper? which i plan on buying once its for sale.

are their any other good solutions? Finding a monitor is no easy task around here, and shipping is expensive on something heavy like that.

Thanks.

Right now a VGA Adapter is being made for the IIC and IIE, with plans for a IIGS after, its working well so far.

http://www.ultimateapple2.com/
 
The composite output on the IIgs is actually pretty good, and should be usable on a good monitor. But it'll still look much better on a proper RGB monitor.

I can vouch for that. While I do have a IIgs Monitor ( several actually, but Only tested one so far), I mostly use composite to hook it up to my 36 inch TV. The Games look pretty good with that setup, especially Arkanoid, only the GS/OS looks a little blurred.
 
Games seem to be lower resolution, especially if you are playing Apple II games. GS/OS on anything but an RGB monitor will make you go blind eventualy trying to real the small letters.

I have a friend in Toronto that ditched a bunch of IIgs monitors last year, they exist in Canada (atleast by the great lakes region).

Shipping anything in the US over the border has become quite expensive, so I know what you mean.

I prefer SCSI because of all the external drives I can connect to it. Currently I have 3 IIgs systems, one of which has a Transwarp IIgs, 8MB RAM card, and the original Apple SCSI card.
 
Games seem to be lower resolution, especially if you are playing Apple II games. GS/OS on anything but an RGB monitor will make you go blind eventualy trying to real the small letters.

Color composite displays produce fuzzy 80-column text, but on a TV with an RF modulator, it's even worse. You can't have good 80-column text without a RGB monitor. Or if you want a really sharp display, you could use a monochrome composite monitor. 320x224 is about the effective resolution you can get out of a TV.
 
i agree, comp video just isint as tack sharp as the RGB option, color bleed is a big one for me. i look forward to seeing the VGA adapter, any idea on a timeline?

today is a good day, the IIGS came in, and i was greated with a great surprise, a ROM03 :eek:

so now, its time to upgrade, it was actually an old school house iigs.

it looks like Briel's 4MegGS is the easiest way to get it to 5MB.

if i can find a sandwich card cheap enough, i'd go that way, if it comes down to it, since the only 2 left being made are the focus ide, and the micro drive, which would be better? i also have IIe's and II+'s

what's the best way to get gsos onto 800k floppies, i could use my se/30 and write it to disk from sea images, but is there a more apple ii approch?
 
I used a IIfx to make GS/OS disks, same machine to localtalk network files to the IIgs once GS/OS was installed (or a Syquest drive if you have HFS support installed on the IIgs).

ROM 3 has 1MB RAM installed so a common IIgs RAM card with 1MB will give you 2MB total which is usable.

I prefer SCSI so I can't help with the HD options.
 
the current CFFA is no longer in production, he has a new one under development, but will not be out to mid to late 2010, i dont really want to wait 12-18 months for the cf adapter at this point in time.
 
Does anyone have the RGB cable that goes form the Apple DB-15 to 34 pin IDC that was used to connect the IIgs to some Sony RGB monitors/TV's. Or does anyone know how to make one?

Matt
 
There is a way to do it the requires a couple of resistors. I may have the information SOME Where? Only certain Sony/TV/Monitors Models would work. The information is out there. You can always try to see if it will sync up to the new LCD TV thru the composite video input.

Take Care
 
I use the Reactive Micro "Micro Drive" CF card and love it - best investment I made for my IIGS! I copy my Apple downloads from my PC to the CF card, then use the card in the Micro Drive in the IIGS to access the software downloads. Quite easy to use with CiderPress.

I also have a Uthernet card, thinking I would simply access the net on my IIGS. That was, for me, a complete & utter waste of $$, especially since I already had the Micro Drive. Its just too easy to use the CF card to swap files between the PC and IIGS.

I looked at the Focus drive, but decided on the Micro Drive for no particular reason. Just went with my gut. I've been happy with my dealings with, and communications with, Reactive Micro.
 
Hi,

Well I do have a Sony KV-1311CR Monitor/Receiver that has the IDC 34 pin "RGB" input, it can do "Digital" or "Analog" RGB, the same for my KX-2501 "profeel" monitor, I figure the Trinitrons will have a better AG Pitch then the standard 12" Apple RGB monitor, if anyone has one of those cables or knows where to get one let me know.

Matt
 
Hi,

Well I do have a Sony KV-1311CR Monitor/Receiver that has the IDC 34 pin "RGB" input, it can do "Digital" or "Analog" RGB, the same for my KX-2501 "profeel" monitor, I figure the Trinitrons will have a better AG Pitch then the standard 12" Apple RGB monitor, if anyone has one of those cables or knows where to get one let me know.

Matt

Hi,
First Redmen Cable will make you one up cost is around $30-40.

Second, I just found the info on how to make your own, the wiring of which pins to pins and where to put the 2- 1/8 watt resistors one 470 ohm and one 680 ohm. I put the resistors in the DB 15 plug, that I had to buy. It was one that was hollow and you could put your own wires on it.

I will send you a PM. I will have to scan the schmatic first.


Take Care
 
I just have a little input on this:

The apple IIgs has the same RGB signal as most arcade boards, and so all the encoders that arcade enthusiasts use for making "superguns" will work in this situation. So the JROK S-Video or Component encoder would work, or the NeoBitz or probably even the made-in-Hong-Kong RGB to VGA adapters you can find for $40 on eBay.
 
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