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Various COMMODORE troubles

nodoubt73

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2004
Messages
12
Location
somewhere in Italy
It's been some years I don't take my toys out of the box.

Yesterday me and my girlfriend dedided to give it a try.... with
no luck :cry:

The computers are those:
-Vic20, with that dabolic RF box, to connect it to TV. I've two of these metal box
-C64, with a straight antenna cable (the RF box gotta be builting on these machines) _OR_ with a scart cable, going from the video out connector to the tv scart input
-Amiga500: with the video cable coming out from that 25 pin serial type connector, going to TV scart.... including two connector coming out for audio features.

The only thing I didn't try is connecting the vic20 with the c64's scart cable.

In all situations all I get is a BLACK screen.
For few seconds I managed to see C64 screen on TV, but then something happened, like the system crashed ... and I couldn't get anything anymore.
The Amiga boots up, scans the floppy, even reads it, but nothing appears
on tv. Even the CAPS lock button works, I mean I can see the red LED
switching.
The Vic20 just again gives a black tv signal.
If I turn the computers off, I see the normal no signal snow storm effect on tv, when I switch the computers on, again black screen. A nice black
screen, that's clearly driven by the computer, it's not a lack of signal
or whatever.
With the amiga, that only has scart connection.... I kinda screw up the
TV: I can change channels, I can put video text, I hear audio.... but
nothing appears on TV, neither the on screen informations the TV normally
shows. Kinda like the amiga was "shortcircuiting" the TV display. The C64, with scart, doesn't do this.

Any idea?
I am solving the trouble looking for another vic and another c64 on ebay....
but I'd like to solve the trouble. And I'd like to have THIS amiga running.

Thanx in advance.
 
Re: Various COMMODORE troubles

nodoubt73 said:
Amiga500: with the video cable coming out from that 25 pin serial type connector
It is 23 pins, just like the floppy connector (but one is male and one is female - makes it possible to connect an external floppy directly to the display ;-).

No clue why all three machines malfunction though. Did the C64 die completely (i.e. not even LED) when you turned it on? I don't know how your SCART cable looks like, but either it connects composite video (which basically is the same on both VIC and C64) or the separated luma/chroma (Y/C) video (which the VIC lacks) to respective pins on the SCART connector. If the DIN end has more than five pins, it won't fit in the VIC video out anyway.

Maybe all three machines have been stored in the same place, which turns out not to be a good place to store computers?
 
I would recommend that you check the video connections and the wires included. If one way works, then go with that method. We don't have too much scart here in the USA (never seen it here actually) but if it worked with one (I think you said that) then try it with the others. I have seen scart cables for sale for all of those machines on eBay. And if it turns out that they truly are all really broken you have some great cases to do some retro refitting. Sounds like the Amiga is workable though. Also, try monitors instead of going with a tv set. Cleaner signal, better picture. Works for me. Good luck.

Nathan
 
-both c64 & vic do have the power led on.

-monitor... mmh I just hav e VGA

-storage place: in the basement. Some humidity can be, but
they were inside boxes. The c64 is even in the ORIGINAL box.

-23 pins... yes, you're right. It's the right most male connector on the
amiga 500 connector side (watching from the back).

Is there any poke command for C64 and for VIC to type in and make something happen, like playing a BEEP or a sound? IF there's something about video, maybe I can verify the units integrity by making 'em playing something. At least the C64. The VIC is probably KO, since neither with cartridges it emits sounds or whatever.

Thanx guyz...
Luca
 
the scart cable you have for the Commodore 64 should work with the VIC 20. I bought one a few months ago, and while I have never used it with the C64, it was marketed as working for both computers.
 
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