Re: SGI Monitor question

From: Ed Hall (ehall_at_ultraspec.com)
Date: 03/08/05 

Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 08:55:03 -0700

That monitor only works with sync-on-green. IF you can use another monitor
to manually force the Mac into an old Mac mode, 1152 x 870 @75HZ, it MAY
also generate the old mac sync-on-green. Not too likely, but a remote
possibility.
The monitor can also be modified internally to connect the H & V sync leads
out to the 13W3 connector. (The wires are not physically connected, but the
sync circuits are on the board internally) Google for info, but be aware
that a LOT of misinformation exists on this subject. A good monitor repair
shop should be able to make the mod work, for a price. Another problem if
you take this approach is that the sgi 13W3 cables also don't connect the
sync lines through the cable. So you will need a different adapter that will
plug into the 13W3 connector on the monitor and use a high quality male to
male VGA (HD15) cable. You will need to make sure the adapter connects the
sync lines to the same pins as are connected to the 13W3 connector on the
monitor by the mod shop.
An even better alternative is to donate or dump that monitor and get a newer
one. It has scan range limitations and is already 10 years old, who knows
how many hours it has on it. You may go to a lot of trouble and expense to
find out that the monitor is ready to die anyway...
If it were me, I would try setting the mode on the Mac, if that didn't work,
I would get a different monitor that will work with the sync-on-green from
the sgi's and also work with separate syncs for the mac.
Good luck.
Ed (the cable geek)

<axsdeny@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1110238063.152529.106400@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> I've got a 19 inch SGI monitor (model GDM-20D11) that a friend gave me
> along with an Indy and an Indigo2. I have an adapter that goes from
> SGI -> VGA so that I can hook the monitor up to my machine. I'm running
> Mac OS X 10.3.8 on a dual processor G4 machine. I'm unable to get the
> SGI monitor to come out of "amber" mode.
>
> Pictures of the monitor and the adapter can be seen here:
> http://vaxcave.com/index.php?p=310
>
> Does anyone have any ideas in getting this monitor to go live? Any help
> is appreciated. Sorry for storming your group for answers, I'm not
> getting much help anywhere else. :-\
>
> -Dave
>

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