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14" Colour Vector Monitor Build


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I'm still in the process of getting all my test gear up and going since I moved to Qld. One area that has held me up badly with some repairs is a lack of a suitable colour vector monitor. I do have spare 20" vector monitors, but these are just too big for a test bench, so I needed a smaller 14" monitor. Getting a 14" vector monitor is somewhat near impossible, so time to build my own.

 

It's not really difficult, just finding a suitable tube to do the job, then using the HV and deflection boards from a Amplifone or WG6100. I'm currently using Amplifone boards, but these are only temporary anyway, as I plan to build and use an Atari PAT9000 blank PCB that I got from Dezbaz. The main concern was getting the tube up and running.

 

I got a bunch of 14" Kortek monitors from Dragonlee not so long ago (Thanks again Leo!) that happen to have a Samsung 3708B22 tube, which is a CR-23 wide neck tube that would be perfect for my needs. The original Yoke and rings were removed, and an Amplifone Yoke was fitted. The convergence rings broke while removing them, well fell apart actually, so a spare set was used.

 

Here's the end result.

 

The first picture shows the new HV board that I assembled. These are from @dezbaz and are a great reproduction! Both this board and the Deflection board belong to a member that I was testing at the time.

 

IMG_1179.thumb.jpg.f8e5c1dd4781478360fd98d167273943.jpg

 

Star Wars PCB, also under test. No control inputs are currently wired up.

 

IMG_1180.thumb.jpg.784e22e3d222888ff5739e8a1d3b4ca2.jpg

 

IMG_1182.thumb.jpg.e58bd5fe3928354fe0d024ccbba53c8d.jpg

 

IMG_1183.thumb.jpg.a2fc672bb20b3e5ee435a01c67380791.jpg

 

I've since adjusted the convergence to a suitable level, but as the monitor will only be used for testing and repairs, it's really not that critical.

 

Here's a small vid I did showing the monitor up and running. Mmm, deflection chatter! :D

 

[video=youtube;Jt-tc6YVI7s]

 

Regards,

 

Johns-Arcade.

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Its been a question in my head for sometime and excuse me for my ignorance but can any tube be converted to an X-Y?

 

 

Jimmy D

 

Pretty much yes. There were limits and still are as to which tubes you could use, but Dezbaz has produced various replacement neck boards that suit a greater variety of tubes types.

 

Of course, you still need a suitable deflection Yoke and the tube will need to be converged.

 

Regards,

 

Johns-Arcade.

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Nice work John

 

Great score finding a 14" tube with the fat neck on it (CR23)

 

I have an adapter on mine (One of them CR changers)

 

Nice little box as well, bet you were saving that for this purpose for a while :)

 

With the PAT9000 Chassis, are you going to use it on the same box, now it's set up?

 

Does it fit inside to box, or remain outside?

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Nice work John

 

Great score finding a 14" tube with the fat neck on it (CR23)

 

I have an adapter on mine (One of them CR changers)

 

Nice little box as well, bet you were saving that for this purpose for a while :)

 

With the PAT9000 Chassis, are you going to use it on the same box, now it's set up?

 

Does it fit inside to box, or remain outside?

 

Dez will a vectrex tube naturally suit?

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Dez will a vectrex tube naturally suit?

 

No, I don't think so Narf :(

The Vectrex is B&W tube, and the yoke is different by a long way

 

You're better off feeding the game board X, Y & Z signals into the Vectrex chassis X, Y & Z points, than using the tube alone

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Nice work John

 

Great score finding a 14" tube with the fat neck on it (CR23)

 

I have an adapter on mine (One of them CR changers)

 

Nice little box as well, bet you were saving that for this purpose for a while :)

 

With the PAT9000 Chassis, are you going to use it on the same box, now it's set up?

 

Does it fit inside to box, or remain outside?

 

The board would likely fit Dez, however, I haven't decided whether I'll mount it inside or not. I had planned to use this monitor as both a display for repairing XY boards and monitors parts as well, but I don't think that will be very practicable, so I'm considering using yet another tube solely for monitor repairs.

 

Also, I'm going to need a transformer to suit the PAT9000 please Dez.

 

Regards,

 

Johns-Arcade.

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The board would likely fit Dez, however, I haven't decided whether I'll mount it inside or not. I had planned to use this monitor as both a display for repairing XY boards and monitors parts as well, but I don't think that will be very practicable, so I'm considering using yet another tube solely for monitor repairs.

 

Also, I'm going to need a transformer to suit the PAT9000 please Dez.

 

Regards,

 

Johns-Arcade.

 

a T1 John?

 

I just made a few :)

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No, I don't think so Narf :(

The Vectrex is B&W tube, and the yoke is different by a long way

 

You're better off feeding the game board X, Y & Z signals into the Vectrex chassis X, Y & Z points, than using the tube alone

 

Ah cheers tip guys gave me a unit but doesnt power up

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Thanks for the focus block link Dez, I might grab a couple :)

 

Regards,

 

Johns-Arcade.

 

I have a few made up John

 

I can send one if you want :)

 

The pinouts are different. I will send you info when you are ready

 

There are extra bits needed

 

http://www.amazingarcading.com.au/Focus-pic-sm.jpg

 

I will need to order more anyway

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Looks good John.

 

Where I'd you find the yoke? Did you happen to have a spare Amplifone yoke?

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Dez will a vectrex tube naturally suit?

 

Someone has modded a vectrex to be able to play Asteroids but I'm not sure it should be attempted since it does require the vectrex to be heavily modified and additional circuits built.

 

http://www.e-basteln.de/asteroids/asteroids_monitor.html

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Looks good John.

 

Where I'd you find the yoke? Did you happen to have a spare Amplifone yoke?

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

 

 

Someone has modded a vectrex to be able to play Asteroids but I'm not sure it should be attempted since it does require the vectrex to be heavily modified and additional circuits built.

 

http://www.e-basteln.de/asteroids/asteroids_monitor.html

 

I've had a couple of Amplifone Yokes for a while, plus a number of WG6100. I can't remember where I got them all, just accumulated them over the years.

 

I remember reading that conversion awhile ago, sure is an interesting build. I think it would be nice to build a B/W 12" vector monitor from scratch, again using one of Dez's KZ boards. Only issue would be the HV Transformer, but even that I can't see being a major issue.

 

Regards,

 

Johns-Arcade.

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