🚀 go-pugleaf

a little background:

I have an Atari 1040ST, a monochrome monitor & I enjoy both.

Orginally Atari planned, and the schematics show, an internal RF
modulator for the 1040.  However they scrapped the RF modulator in the
build for the 1040ST's (some 520ST's do have the RF modulator
installed).

So, instead of having outputs of Composite, RF, RGB & high resolution
mono, 1040 owners ended up with only RGB & high resolution mono.  (the
circuitry for Composite was part of the RF modulator).

I enjoy the mono for text processing, etc., however (when the little boy
in me comes out) I like to play a game or two.  Most of the games
generated in the US are color only, so I'm out of luck.

Many owners of mono systems are unwilling (or at least extremely
reluctant) to spend the bucks for a color monitor to play an occassional
game, so I'm trying to come up with a means to provide composite or RF
from the available signals.

FLAME ON!   Please listen ATARI!!

I don't blame you for not putting in an RF Modulator in the 1040.  If
you wanted to reduce the cost of the machine, fine.  If you thought that
having as RF output made the 1040/520 more toy-like and this was not the
image that you wanted for the machine, fine.  

BUT, it sure would have been decent of you to give us a Composite signal
out so that if we wanted  
we could have bought a standard Composite to RF converter. 

FLAME OFF!  keep listening....

Neil, please answer me this, will the Modulator that came in some of the
520's work in the 1040's? Are the inputs/outputs the same?  Looking at
the schematic and the vacant place in my motherboard where the Modulator
was planned to go in, it looks like it wouldn't be very difficult to
install a 520 modulator (& the resistors etc. that there are empty holes
for) if it's the same as originally intended for the 1040.  Why not make
the modulators a dealer installed option?

Heck Neil, even the guys/gals with color monitors would like to video
tape stuff from their machines.....

If the 520 modulators won't work, and Atari doesn't want to market a
modulator for the 1040ST, will you please at least tell us the best way
to go about hooking something up to give us Composite?  It would be a
great goodwill gesture.

And Neil, if you have any of those new ROMs that need a stress test,
ship a set to 598 Concord Drive, Webster, NY 14580 and I'll test them in
the cold weather for ya.


Dennis
Rochester, NY.....<Yep, still snowing>
(716-427-1653)