Sinclair spectrum +2 gray model video issues (not transistor related, probably)

[Divarin]

Yeah, I guess I can use a Y-connector to put the ST audio in there as well now

 

[SiriusHardware]

Is your ST actually an STe, then? (Audio output from a standard ST is mono, from the video-out socket). If it is an STe then a 'Y' lead with phono / RCA plugs on one end and a stereo 3.5mm plug at the monitor end should work as you say.

I would expect that the VGA input's audio connection is probably 3.5mm stereo - if you connect the +2 to the monitor via a mono lead the sound will probably only come out of one channel / one speaker on the monitor. You would need a custom made lead with 3.5mm mono plug at the Spectrum end and a stereo plug at the monitor end, with the audio-signal-out from the Spectrum going to both the tip and the middle ring of the stereo plug at the monitor end. Of course only having the sound coming out of one speaker is not a big deal if the sound is mono anyway.

 

[SiriusHardware]

By the way, did you realise you can probably use the same monitor for ST hi-res (mono) as well? You'll need a slightly differently wired cable, the main difference is that the ST R, G, B outputs are not connected and the Mono Video Out pin (11) has to be split equally to the VGA R, G, B inputs, usually by a fan-out of three resistors. Also, there needs to be a link between the ST video-out connector MONO Detect pin (4) and GND pin (13), to tell the ST 'The monitor that is connected is a hi-res mono monitor'. A lot of the better productivity software (Midi sequencers and so on) works better or works only with a hi-res mono monitor.

 

[Divarin]

It's a 1040 STf, but yeah the audio comes through the monitor cable.

I do have that high res cable it came with the ST when I bought it. I remember I had that hooked up and working once to ... something, I can't remember what now. I thought I had tried it with this monitor as well but it didn't work but back then I was doing a lot of trial and error with a lot of different monitors so I might not have tried it with this monitor.