🚀 go-pugleaf

I believe that TV modulators are available from places like Radio Shack for
under $20.00.  If you have a composite output, that plus a TV modulator will
drive your TV.  I suspect that a composite signal is present inside the 1040
since they originally planned to run a TV modulator with it.  If not, it is
possible to construct a composite signal from RGB using a "NTSC Encoder" chip
like the Signetics TDA2501, but a nontrivial amount of design effort is
involved.  Also, it may be that the Pin 2 signal you found not to work with
your TV set is inverted or has the wrong amplitude or something and could be
fixed by a simple amplifier circuit.

Not being an ST owner yet, I must say I find Atari's performance on this
issue less than confidence-inspiring.  C'mon, you guys at Atari, AT LEAST
you could APOLOGIZE for the inconvenience occasioned by your change of plan
and perhaps offer a suggested means of dealing with the problem like buying
Brand XYZ TV Modulator.  Failing that, it might be appropriate to revise the
owners' manual, don't you think?  Of course after reading about the 1040
Cabinet Meltdown Syndrome, I doubt that I would chose the 1040 over the 520 at
this point, anyway.

-John Sangster
jhs@mitre-bedford.arpa