What monitor do you use?

Document what is being done to recover original NABU software and hardware, and discuss clever hacks for fixing the NABU.
c1ph3rpunk
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:52 am

What monitor do you use?

Post by c1ph3rpunk »

Looking to pick up another older tv for another NABU, and am curious what others are using. I’ve been eyeing a couple Sharp and Toshiba ones on FB Marketplace but would love some ideas from others as to a decent type to pick.

One thing I’ve found, mention the word “retro” in there and triple the asking price.

/TIA
MagnumPEI
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2023 2:07 pm
Location: Canada

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by MagnumPEI »

People aren't still throwing out old CRTs where you live?

I got this TV last year, free. It just needed a modulator to hook up the NABU.

Image

I also got this TV free:

little guy on chair 648.JPG
The squirrel, of course, was free.

CRTs are too heavy and expensive to ship (also usually end up smashed), so you should check garage sales and local electronics recycling.
c1ph3rpunk
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:52 am

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by c1ph3rpunk »

MagnumPEI wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:49 am People aren't still throwing out old CRTs where you live?

I got this TV last year, free. It just needed a modulator to hook up the NABU.

Image

I also got this TV free:


little guy on chair 648.JPG

The squirrel, of course, was free.

CRTs are too heavy and expensive to ship (also usually end up smashed), so you should check garage sales and local electronics recycling.
No, not a ton of tube TV’s listed, don’t really have time to hit garage sales anymore either. And after 5 spine surgeries I avoid lifting anything over 10-15lb as much as possible.
User avatar
superbenk
Posts: 54
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:44 am

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by superbenk »

I just use an old 4:3 19" LCD monitor with a composite to HDMI adapter ( It's a tad fuzzy but there's a YouTube video out there (don't have it handy) that talks about adding a resistor to the composite cable to improve colors. I tried the hack & it definitely helps so I recommend searching for that.
- Ben
User avatar
DJ Sures
Posts: 347
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2023 8:36 pm
Location: nabu.ca
Contact:

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by DJ Sures »

I only tried it on one nabu but I couldn’t get the hdmi adapter to sync. If I turned it on and off a hundred times it would eventually sync once. It’s the same adapter

I haven’t tried it on my other Nabus yet though - just one. So I use rca to the tv

I prefer the lcd over crt actually. My crt is a Toshiba flat screen that is compared to the trinitron. So it’s pretty good.
fastrobplus
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2023 6:28 am

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by fastrobplus »

I think the smart play is to go with a TV over a monitor (if looking at an older 4:3 CRT)
So far, I've tried the following using composite out on the Nabu:

Amdek Color I monitor. Result: picture that strobes rapidly.
Daewoo D13CM ( a.k.a Commodore 1802 rev3) Result: greyscale image.
Generic 9" TV VHS VCR combo sold under 100 brand names. Result: Clear color image.

I'm thinking TVs have the circuity to compensate for the out-of-spec video signal of the Nabu, but monitors from the early 1980s do not.
Last edited by fastrobplus on Tue May 02, 2023 6:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
c1ph3rpunk
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:52 am

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by c1ph3rpunk »

I have a Sharp 19”, circa 2006, with a 16:9 mode that I really like, problem is finding another one.
User avatar
superbenk
Posts: 54
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:44 am

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by superbenk »

DJ Sures wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:27 pm I only tried it on one nabu but I couldn’t get the hdmi adapter to sync. If I turned it on and off a hundred times it would eventually sync once. It’s the same adapter

I haven’t tried it on my other Nabus yet though - just one. So I use rca to the tv

I prefer the lcd over crt actually. My crt is a Toshiba flat screen that is compared to the trinitron. So it’s pretty good.
I can't remember which LCD monitor I have but it's OOOOOLLLLLDDDDDD :D. I think I might be going composite -> HDMI (adapter) -> HDMI-to-DVI cable -> DVI on the monitor. Maybe the combination of all those things makes it tolerant enough to work?

I was able to use the same composite-to-HDMI adapter on my Acer 28" 4k for my C64 too & it just worked (straight to HDMI there).

My NABU is bone stock & I'm just using some crappy old 3-wire AV cable I had lying around.
- Ben
User avatar
DJ Sures
Posts: 347
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2023 8:36 pm
Location: nabu.ca
Contact:

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by DJ Sures »

I’ll have to revisit the hdmi converter another day. After I made the slideshow program, I started to recognize the value of crt bluriness lol. When viewing the slideshow on an lcd, you have to stand back 38,909 feet and squint. But with the crt the pics look awesome lol

Same with a few games I find the graphics to look better on crt.

It took a while for me to sway to crt because I spent a lot of time in text mode. Text on crt is not great for my eyeballs
User avatar
superbenk
Posts: 54
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:44 am

Re: What monitor do you use?

Post by superbenk »

I would love to have a CRT as an option. They're getting pretty expensive & take up a lot of space so I haven't been able to justify it. LCD has been "good enough."
- Ben
Post Reply