Boot problem

Hi Chris,
Thanks for getting back to me.

The monitor which I have is an AKF11 so I am suspecting the second-hand AKF18 CJE are showing might be the right buy? (Would also wish to replace the scart cable at the same time.)

As an ex-Pilot (and origianlly only had RISC to play with) I had some programmes written back in the 1990’s one of which I called ‘Housekeeping’ which was a sort of internal diagnostics watch-dog/monitoring type of thing. One of the things it did was to warn of ‘low-battery’ but, this may have been simply a calendar reminding system as I had to put in the date the batteries were changed and it reminded me approx 12-18 months later to renew them.

Please confirm if you agree on the monitor replacement and I will go to CJE.

Thanks again,
Gary

I would not recommend to anybody to buy a second hand CRT monitor. Look at new LCD monitors first. An LCD is smaller, lighter, consumes less power, and is likely to be more reliable. An AKF18 nowadays is well into the wear-out end of the bathtub failure curve.

You need to decide which resolution(s) you want to support. If you don’t care about TV resolutions (which are the lowest of all resolutions), you have a much wider choice and probably a lower price tag. If you really do want TV resolutions, you have to buy one that supports TV line and field rates, which will probably have a SCART input.

Another thing: if you buy an LCD monitor, it will likely have an HDMI input, which you could use with an up to date RISC OS machine (e.g. BeagleBoard, Raspberry Pi) too.

Thanks Dave,

Not too bothered about high-end resolutions, would prefer a flat-screen type, 14" or bigger, just so long as it is colour and works with my Archimedes. Would you be able to make any recommendations/sources ?
Thanks,
Gary

You probably don’t need anybody’s recommendations – most of all, you need to decide what resolutions you want to support. That will decide whether you need a TV (SCART) input. Look at the resolutions that your candidate monitor supports.

Sorry Dave (Everyone), this (resolutions) business is going out of my depth, (old pilots don’t recognise too much under 500ft!).
I just want a screen (preferably flat, preferably 14" or + otherwise anything that works)I can plug into my Archimedes and run the darn thing.
Is it sensible to ask – if we knew the resolution output of my Archimedes do I get a screen to match those numbers ?
Yours, getting lost, all too quickly..

OK, let me ask a different question. Which screen modes do you use? (e.g. mode 15, mode 21…)

The Configuration file says Mode is 35.

According to my RISC OS 3 User Guide (p.428), Mode 35 is 768 × 288 pixels, 16 colours, and requires a multi-frequency (i.e. CRT?) monitor; VGA, Super VGA and LCD monitors are stated as not capable of displaying Mode 35.

LCD monitors are stated as not capable of displaying Mode 35.

At the time the RO3 UG was written, that was true. LCD monitors have got much more tolerant since then. However, it’s worth checking with CJE about what their stock will work with.

One thing I forgot is that all the modes for an A410 will assume 4:3 monitors, which are very difficult to find these days, but I see CJE list some – from 17" up, which will be hardly any larger frontal area than a 14" CRT but will have a usefully larger visible area, not to mention a dramatically reduced volume :-)

I think that in the context of the RISC OS 3 User Guide, LCD means “the screen of the A4”.

Appreciate all your helpful comments Guys.
Today I am given a flat screen monitor which I guess I have nothing to lose in trying. The Archimedes output however is a 9 pin and the monitor input is a 15 pin – although one of the pins is absent so a 14 pin in realitiy. So tomorow I will try and source a 9 pin output into a 15 pin input lead to test this out.
Unless any of you scream NO!! ?

Isn’t there some adaptor avaliable to convert the Archie signal to a LCD monitor?
I did a google search for “archimedes LCD monitor adapter” and that looked ok.
But I’m sure there is a “Proper” one around somewhere.

We stock 9-15 pin adaptors but getting a monitor that will accept an A3000 output is another matter.
Mode 35 (768×288) is a TV (15KHz) frequency. You need a TV frequency monitor or a Multisync.
I can’t recall any LCDs being truly multisync.
I don’t think we’ve ever found an LCD monitor that works on an Archimedes or A3000 without a VIDC enhancer
Not all LCDs in our experience will work on an A5000, A3010 etc. despite them outputting ‘VGA’

Looking at monitor specifications doesn’t help much as I found some monitors seem to only work with a narrower range of frequencies than listed and other monitors that will operate significantly outside the listed specs. i.e. the specs are often works of fiction.

I could try a number of monitors on an A3000 but I’m not going to have the time until after the Wakefield Show on Saturday.

n.b. we do have at least one LCD that has a Scart input, it should do all the 15KHz modes!

Well, I bought a 9-15 pin lead and borrowed 2 x LCD’s one of which was labeleed multi-sync. Neither worked, simply showed blank screens. I have now bought the proper Archimedes screen (CJE) and await its delivery. Hopefully my next message will close this issue.

New VDU arrived, new cable and with a little (but very valuable) telephone advice from Chris at CJE – perfect. All sins forgiven.
Thank You everyone for coming forward during my hour of need.
Best,
Gary