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Will the Applecolor RGB monitor work with a //c?

KG7PFS

Experienced Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2016
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Location
Cave Junction, Oregon
I know it's a dumb question, but before I spend a bunch of money, I want to make sure. Will the AppleColor RGB Monitor designed for the //gs work with the //c?

I looked it up, but some reference sites don't seem to know the //c even has an RGB port.
 
Short version is no, it will not work. The 15 pin port on the back of a IIc that looks like an Apple RGB port isn’t actually RGB; it brings out a number of raw signals that can be *converted* to RGB with external circuitry but was mostly put there to drive the LCD panel they sold.

Important rule of thumb for Apple equipment of this vintage: Apple reused the same physical plugs multiple times for mutually incompatible things, don’t assume something will work because the plug fits. Monitors and disk drives are the big offenders.
 
There exist external dongles to convert the //c output to RGB, as Eudimorphodon mentioned, but they output digital RGB. The IIGS monitor uses analog RGB, so there is additional circuitry to make that work properly. The modern version is this:

https://a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product&path=73&product_id=135

to connect the //c to a VGA. A great product - I have one. The only issue is finding it in stock. Email Plamen and you might get lucky.
 
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