[CQ-Contest] Contest Station Upgrade? ConvertaMac?

[Bill Coleman]

On 1/7/01 10:54, James White at k4oj at tampabay.rr.com wrote:

 >With a move within the family members to Windows/DOS based computers, there
 >is now an abundance of old Macintosh hardware currently unused...Performa
 >640CD and 6200CD series machines...I know they will never work for the
 >multi-op logging computers, but...

Why not? Much contest software used today is DOS-based, and you can get
PC emulators for the Mac. One issue of contention may be CW keying, which
may be hard to emulate accurately.

 >I am wondering, can the monitors (Apple Multiple Scan 15 Display) be the
 >next group of contest  station monitors?

Possibly. There are three types of connections for Apple monitors. The
older monitors use a DB-15 connector that was proprietary to Apple.
Fortunately, you can buy Apple to VGA adaptors. Some of these later Apple
monitors shipped with this kind of adapter. In fact, I'm using just such
an adaptor to connect my Apple 1705AV monitor to my G4 tower.

About 3 years ago, Apple started shipping monitors with standard VGA
connectors. These should just plug in and go.

Last summer, Apple introduced a new proprietary connector called the
Apple Display Connector (ADC). It allows connections for analog and
digital monitors, plus has lines for power, USB and others stuff. You
obviously don't have one of these.

So, the bottom line is that you should be able to use these with an
appropriate connector adaptor.

 >The connection is very different than the Macintosh's...is it simply a
 >matter of an adaptor being needed to convert the Mac monitors  15 pin plugs
 >(2 rows of 7 & 8 pins) to the three row type on a DOS machine?

Yup.

 >This would provide some newer monitors for the station and hopefully would
 >be an inexpensive way to do it...thanks for the band width.

You'll be pleased to note that the Apple monitors are of very high
quality, and have excellent RFI-preventing sheilding.



Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901


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