Finding a monitor for my Mac IIfx

vsp · 06-04-2002, 04:23 PM

Another in my never-ending series of antiquated computer questions:

I have a Mac IIfx in my collection, which I obtained (for free) from a former employer. It was a real beast in its day, complete with a staggering 128 MB of RAM --

-- yes, I'll say that again. 128 MB of RAM, circa 1991. Pity that the SIMMs are proprietary and can't be used in anything else.

Anyway, its monitor is currently kaput, the second one to go while using this system. Whether this is the fault of the system or just two ten-year-old monitors giving up the ghost is open to debate. I am debating what I want to do with this system (keep it, eBay it, give it to a friend who misses Maelstrom and Solarian II), but I need to get it running first.

At one point, I bought a cheap KDS PC monitor and hooked it up with an adaptor; it displayed a picture, but put a green tinge on everything, which turned out to be due to the IIfx's general quirkiness. (I'll have to dig it out and open it up to work out which video card is installed.)

I'm curious as to which lines of Apple monitors might work with this sucker, before I start lurking around eBay. Anyone want to venture some guesses?

russotto · 06-05-2002, 01:32 PM

Is probably a TFB (Toby Frame Buffer) card, though it could be the 8*24 or the infamous 8*24GC card. If the first, 640*480 is your only real choice.

I wouldn't bother trying to dig up a genuine Apple monitor of that era. Any monitor that old is going to be in bad shape -- CRTs fade with age, and capacitors tend to dry out in monitors. Use a PC monitor and an adapter which actually works. The usual reason for the green tinge is a monitor which can't handle sync-on-green. I think there are adaptors which will filter the sync, and some monitors should accept it. Also some of the cards could have it turned off, but I don't think the feature was ever user-accessible.

vsp · 06-05-2002, 10:08 PM

After doing a little digging, I do have an original (M0201) Mac-II video card, which supports millions of colors but only 640x480 resolution.

I picked up an adapter from Micro Center tonight and plugged it into an old Packard Bell SVGA monitor I had lying around, and the system booted up fine. The green problem is still there, and the ten-dip-switch adapter I have won't solve that -- apparently, it is an incompatibility with the Mac II line specifically, and only certain monitors (a couple of Sony and ViewSonic monitors were listed) are known to play nice. Still, I'm not using this for more than gaming and tinkering right now anyway, so I can live with green if it means I don't have to shell out green...

Damn. Now I have the urge to start haunting eBay for a Quadra.

vsp · 06-06-2002, 10:41 AM

Quadra, shmadra. I had no idea that PowerMacs were going so cheaply on eBay... (Granted, some of them are the cutting edge of 1995 technology, but so is my old Packard Bell Crashmaster and I still get use out of that now and then.) The VGA + adaptor combo should work better with later Macs, as well.

(Ah, yet another box to pour money and time into...)

russotto · 06-07-2002, 10:41 AM

http://www.griffintechnology.com/video/macsyncii.html

$28.00, and you get sync-on-green fixed. Return the Microcenter one, or save it for when you pick up another mac.

mbpark · 06-16-2002, 11:44 PM

VSP,

I've got one, and CD's of 7.5.3, 7.6, and 8.0

Mitch

vsp · 06-18-2002, 04:46 PM

Well... what speed, what's on it, and how much?

06-04-2002, 04:23 PM	#1
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Finding a monitor for my Mac IIfx Another in my never-ending series of antiquated computer questions: I have a Mac IIfx in my collection, which I obtained (for free) from a former employer. It was a real beast in its day, complete with a staggering 128 MB of RAM -- -- yes, I'll say that again. 128 MB of RAM, circa 1991. Pity that the SIMMs are proprietary and can't be used in anything else. Anyway, its monitor is currently kaput, the second one to go while using this system. Whether this is the fault of the system or just two ten-year-old monitors giving up the ghost is open to debate. I am debating what I want to do with this system (keep it, eBay it, give it to a friend who misses Maelstrom and Solarian II), but I need to get it running first. At one point, I bought a cheap KDS PC monitor and hooked it up with an adaptor; it displayed a picture, but put a green tinge on everything, which turned out to be due to the IIfx's general quirkiness. (I'll have to dig it out and open it up to work out which video card is installed.) I'm curious as to which lines of Apple monitors might work with this sucker, before I start lurking around eBay. Anyone want to venture some guesses?

06-05-2002, 01:32 PM	#2
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	Re: Finding a monitor for my Mac IIfx Is probably a TFB (Toby Frame Buffer) card, though it could be the 824 or the infamous 824GC card. If the first, 640*480 is your only real choice. I wouldn't bother trying to dig up a genuine Apple monitor of that era. Any monitor that old is going to be in bad shape -- CRTs fade with age, and capacitors tend to dry out in monitors. Use a PC monitor and an adapter which actually works. The usual reason for the green tinge is a monitor which can't handle sync-on-green. I think there are adaptors which will filter the sync, and some monitors should accept it. Also some of the cards could have it turned off, but I don't think the feature was ever user-accessible.

06-16-2002, 11:44 PM	#6
mbpark Lecturer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Carmel, Indiana Posts: 761	VSP, want a powermac VSP, I've got one, and CD's of 7.5.3, 7.6, and 8.0 Mitch

06-05-2002, 10:08 PM	#3
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	After doing a little digging, I do have an original (M0201) Mac-II video card, which supports millions of colors but only 640x480 resolution. I picked up an adapter from Micro Center tonight and plugged it into an old Packard Bell SVGA monitor I had lying around, and the system booted up fine. The green problem is still there, and the ten-dip-switch adapter I have won't solve that -- apparently, it is an incompatibility with the Mac II line specifically, and only certain monitors (a couple of Sony and ViewSonic monitors were listed) are known to play nice. Still, I'm not using this for more than gaming and tinkering right now anyway, so I can live with green if it means I don't have to shell out green... Damn. Now I have the urge to start haunting eBay for a Quadra.

06-06-2002, 10:41 AM	#4
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Quadra, shmadra. I had no idea that PowerMacs were going so cheaply on eBay... (Granted, some of them are the cutting edge of 1995 technology, but so is my old Packard Bell Crashmaster and I still get use out of that now and then.) The VGA + adaptor combo should work better with later Macs, as well. (Ah, yet another box to pour money and time into...)

06-07-2002, 10:41 AM	#5
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	http://www.griffintechnology.com/video/macsyncii.html $28.00, and you get sync-on-green fixed. Return the Microcenter one, or save it for when you pick up another mac.

06-18-2002, 04:46 PM	#7
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Well... what speed, what's on it, and how much?

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