Questions and Answers

Copyright (c) 1994 Apple Users' Group, Sydney
Republished from Applecations, a publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia.

Source: Internet comp.sys.apple2

Q. What does a CD-ROM package need to be compatible with Sequential Systems' 'discQuest' access software?

A. To work with discQuest, the data on the disk must be set up to work with a program called "Disk Passage", which was written for the PC and the Mac.  discQuest is a clone of DiskPassage, and all it does is read and display data files that are formatted for use with the DiskPassage software.  I don't think that it matters whether or not the CD-ROM itself is ISO 9660, High Sierra or whatever.  It just needs to be in SOME format that the IIGS can read and the data on it MUST be set up for use by DiscPassage.
For more information, contact Sequential Systems at (303) 666-4549 or check out the review of DiscQuest in the May/June 1994 issue of GS+ Magazine.

Steven W. Disbrow - Publisher of GS+ Magazine
Mail me your address, and I'll send you info on GS+ Magazine!
InterNet:  GSPlusDiz@aol.com  Phone: 615-843-3988


Q. When I turn the GS monitor on, I can hear the high frequency sound that a normal monitor makes, but the picture is completely black and the LED power indicator on the front doesn't light up. Does anyone have any idea what may be wrong with it?  Has something possibly just come loose that needs to be reseated or resoldered?

A. This is classic flyback-solder-itis. Following is my usual set of instructions on how to fix it; if you don't understand something I'll be happy to clarify.

---begin Ian's Standard Fix, with thanks to Scott Gentry---

Opening up the RGB is a bit nasty, but not TOO bad.  remove the 4 screws on the back: (the one on the bottom doesn't matter).
___________
| @       @ |
|           |
|___________|
| @       @ |
~~~~~~~~~~~
Next, carefully pull on the back a little, making sure to feed the power cord through the hole in the case.  After not too long, the case will be caught on 2 different connectors. The first one is from the power switch to the left side (facing from the back still) of the main board.  Go ahead and unplug it (both connectors you need to remove are keyed so they only go one way :).  The case will then pull off a
bit more and you can (carefully) remove the cable from the brightness and contrast knobs to the board on the back of the CRT. Make sure not hit flip the 'service/normal' switch on the board next to the connector.  After this, the case should come almost completely away (the power plug won't fit through the hole, oh well).
Now you can locate the flyback.  It's the largish component on the right side (from the back) with a cable coming out of it leading to the CRT.  Turn the monitor upside down so you can see the solder side of the board.  The flyback has 10 connections arranged in a semicircle.  Ground each one of the connections to the nearby chassis frame (I just used a screwdriver, if you'd like to avoid any scary snaps and pops, use like a 100k resistor).  Go ahead and resolder each of the 10 connections, making sure to do a clean job (any solder bridges here could be fatal to your monitor).

Once you finish, put the case back on in the opposite order, being careful not to try and force the 2 connectors the wrong way.  You may want to try the monitor to make sure its all okay before retightening the screws.  If you turn it on and the picture's just a horizontal line in the middle of the screen, it means you bumped the service/normal switch I mentioned before, and you should flip it back to 'normal' :)

After you do this, your RGB should be good-as-new.

---end standard fix, permission is given to do whatever you like with this as
long as you don't change it---
Ian Schmidt / irsman@iastate.edu / irsman@cs.iastate.edu


Q. My GS screen tends to get very bright as it warms up. When turned on, I must turn the brightness and contrast knobs way up to see anything. Then as it warms up (read 30 minutes to one hour), I must continually adjust the contrast and brightness down. If I do not I end up with a very bright screen (almost totally white). Can something be done about this problem?

A. This is more a "feature" than a problem. I currently own 3 AppleColor RGB screens (also having owned and used many others) and it seems what you've described is quite normal. When you power up any GS screen after it's been off several hours, the bright-level is very low and you'll be forced to adjust the brightness knob to make things visible. As the CRT warms up, it gradually gets brighter and brighter until it's at it's optimum level for viewing. At this point, I keep the brightness (sun icon) as you do, a bit before the middle, and the contrast (moon icon) almost completely to it's highest setting though not quite.
Once it's warmed up fully, things look their best and I'm not forced to keep
playing with the brightness knob.

Mitchell Spector
sb_spec@pavo.concordia.ca / spector@vax2.concordia.ca


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