Commodore 64 (C64) forums

So I got my C128D package today, with the main unit, keyboard, three utility disks, 1351 mouse, A/V cable and 1802 monitor.

I assembled the whole thing, powered it up in 40col mode (no 80col screen) and it worked well for about ten minutes or so. I messed around 128 mode, went into 64 mode, went into CP/M mode using the provided floppy, returned to 128 mode. Then I powered everything off, plugged the mouse into the closer port, powered it on... and got greeted with this.



The chroma is gone and the entire image looks... out of sync.

Did I just brick it? Is it a dead IC like an 8701? It worked for a good ten minutes, please tell me there's something I can do besides despair.

Standing down red alert... hooked the 128D to a regular TV using just the luma cable (no combined chroma input on the TV) and it works yet again. Looks like the monitor is in need of a repair. Might also try wiring it up to a SCART or an S-Video connector with a chroma resistor.

The 1802 doesn't seem to hold up as well other Commodore monitors. You should look into getting a monitor that will display 80 columns, so you can really use the 128.
I use an Amiga 1080 with excellent results for both 40 and 80 columns. I also use a 2002 at times, but the 1080 has a better display.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've also got an Orion CCM-1280 (friend gifted it to me) which does have both Y/C and RGBI-TTL mode and it would work for both 40col and 80col. However, that one has a different issue - after its first fifteen minutes, it started fading out very soon after powerup, so that might need a repair as well.

An additional issue is, it has a (to me) very unusual RGBI-in connector. It's an EIAJ 8-pin VTR connector, the cables are expensive, the plugs themselves are impossible to find, so I can't even wire up my own DE9-to-VTR adapter (which is a breeze because the only difference is two GNDs on the C128 side vs. one on the monitor side).

My ultimate solution will probably be H2Obsession's RGBI-to-RGBA converter and a Gonbes GBS8200 so I can hook it up to my standard LCD monitor.