Hantarex POLO 25" monitor

[SONIC]

In my project-machine (a Killer Instinct 2 from Rare/Nintendo-JAMMA cab) I've got a Hantarex POLO 25" monitor.
I've been fooling around with a vga to monitor cable (a friend of mine made it after some manual on the internet). My problem is that when I plug the cable into my Geforce3 card (pure) the picture I get (when in DOS) is flickering around like I don't know what... when ArcadeOS starts it's still flickering a bit, but in when I'm inside ArcadeOS I can adjust the monitor to show a still-standing image... anyhow, it looks like the images/picture that's sent from the Geforce is in lack of some colors, as it all seems to be very yellow-like.. ie. far too much yellow in all colors

Now, the real card I wanna install in the arcade-machine is an TNT2, anyone knows if it will work better?

I also need to know if there is any possibilities to run Windows XP as OS instead of dos? Could it be possible to run windows on the arcade-monitor and actually be able to read/work in windows from that monitor?

Please post some suggestions, need help badly

Thanks in advance to all repliers

Cheers!!!

[generousben]

hehe............


its far easyer to mess with arcade monitors using a jpac.
but thats up to u
(running ur monitor at the wrong scan rate can hurt it)
you can get a stable picture while using arcade os because the software is designed to output a 15khz signal....

dos itself is still not designed to run at 15khz i think.


the the yellow screen is probably down to the pots/trimmers at the back being incorectly adjusted .
this is piss easy to fix
just adjust the trimmers  /pots on the crt base assembly
(rv3, rv4, rv5)
you will need to download  a polo service manual if you can.
i take it its a uk/european machine?
(i could post the instructions if u want)

if you want to run xp in rgb you will probably need to install ultimarcs video card.

you can run windows 98 will partial desktop support using a few cards
 (see  http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=3761   for screen shots on a 25" hatarex polo)

[SONIC]

Very nice m8 I think I can live with using win98
And for the machine, it's european, yeah
As for your offer to post instructions... pretty PLEEAAASSSEE would be very kind of you

Thanks for the help so far m8

By the way, I've read that the TNT2 card should be very good for the arcade monitor too, so I hope I'm in luck with it when I get it tommorow... now I just need the I-Pac to arrive

By the way, I've downloaded powerstrip, but how do I set it up? What settings should I make to it?

And one other thing (I know what you're thinking, this bloke must be dumb )...
How does the J-Pac work? What can it do that makes it better to use than a cable directly to the monitor from the PC? Is it really worth getting???

Thanks in advance for any help

[generousben]

jpac stops arcade monitor going pop.
will post hantarex info 2morrow.
these are win 98 powerstrip settings.

this is one method of displaying win 98 on an arcade monitor but it does have its faults.
It is also a useful benchmark to comparing scan converters,svideo tvs  and other  video methods
as picture quality is as good as it gets on a 15khz  the signal is not degraded or converted in any way.and is as clear as the signal that enters your svga monitor.


Step 1.
these are the specs of the hardware i know this works with.

Ati Radeon 64ddr vivo(this should work with all radeon cards i doudt it will work with pre radeon cards as  dont think they support custom resolutions)  
                                       
hanterex 25 polo 15 khz,
j-pac,
software-  windows 98,powerstrip,3deep,
you will also need an svga monitor

NOTE: do not try this using windows XP it will crash you pc.

Step 2.

make sure you you have a blue monitor icon displayed in you windows  taskbar.
if you dont ,this is how to get it there:
Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
Click on Properties.
Click on the Settings tab.
Click on the Advanced button.
On the dialog box that appears, check the Show settings icon on task bar box.
Click Apply then OK.
A new display icon will now appear on the taskbar. Click the icon and a list of possible display settings will appear. Click on a setting to change your display options.

Step 3.
stick the pc display on your 31khz monitor
open up powerstrip.

[Custom Resolutions]

736x288=736,24,64,80,288,2,2,20,14160,6

What you want to do is this:
1. PowerStrip menu > Display profiles > Configure > Advanced timing > options >
2. Cut "736x288=736,24,64,80,288,2,2,20,14160,6" from this message to the  Windows clipboard > > >
3. Paste the timing into PowerStrip by clicking the  paste-from-clipboard  speed button (the middle icon between Cancel and Apply)
4. If the timing is in the correct format, you'll be told the  resolution has been added to the Custom list
6. Click the "Custom resolutions..." and then click the "User defined"  list  and you should find the new resolution listed
7. Highlite and click "Add resolution"  
8.close powerstrip

step 5.
click on the blue display icon in the taskbar/toolbar 726x288 should now be added to the list.

step6
download and install stretch mame32
if you cant find this install mame32plus instead
open up stretch mame
goto    Options,defaut options,display,
check the fullscreen box and set the screen area to 736x288.
set the gamma to about .75

step 7
the only windows emulators that will work are ones that you can set the  resolution to 736x288
to get zinc to work just check the run in window box an paste 736x288 into the box.
change all the emulators you want to use on your arcade monitor to run at 736x288.
this are the emus i know work.
pj64,final burn,snes9x,zinc,epsxe,

Make sure you configure every thing in the emulators  before switching to the 15khz monitor.
I mean every thing video,controls etc.......you dont want to be configureing anything while on the 15k

step 8

download and install 3deep software ,open up the control panel and press the set game gamma button.
this stops the desktop being too bright when viewed on a 15k

step9

click on the blue monitor icon and change the display to 736x288,
turn off your svga.
plug in the arcade monitor
turn it on and tune the h-sync and v -sync in and adjust the picture size.
you should now have a clear and stable picture of the windows desktop displaying on your arcade monitor.

step10.
run mame or zinc..................
(in the mame 32 gui click on the square in top right corner so the gui fills the screen)


The pros of using this method:
cheap.
very easy to set up.
you can use mame32
runs all games full screen
all vertical games in mame run at about the corect screen ratio(more or less)ie with black boarders
u can use Zinc and other windows emulators
dosnt degrade or convert  the picture in anyway
zinc and pj64 look amazing
it rus on radeon cards so no more slow trident blade cards.
dosnt use interlacing
no colour bleeding
text is easy to read
can still use dos mame as well
stops people trying to work out wierd and wacky ways of trying to get windows displaying on an arcade monitor(i like the amiga monitor one)

cons of this method:
mame 32 uses h/w stretch
games in mame are all forced to run at 736x288 instead of there original arcade resolution
in windows all pulldown menus are cut off at the bottom due to the fact windows not supporting resolutions as low as 288.so u have to configure everthing on a svga monitor first or use a 25/15khz auto switch monitor.
cant use any front ends unless some one makes one that supports 736x288.
cant use windows xp

 if you want a perfect method you will need to find a video card that has been specally made for this perpose,works on xp dosnt use hw stretch,plays all the games in mame at there correct resolutions and runs all windows programs and aplications ................................
.............if only someone could design such a card?

at the end of the day ,if u dont like it dont use it

GB

[SONIC]

Sounds very fair all this, and as said, can live with Win98, easily
Thanks for the good walkthrough you made, totally top work m8
Can't wait for your reply tommorow (about the monitor)...

For now I will go searc for them apps you mentioned, and get them installed on my mame-HD

Cheers for helping me so far

Best regards,
SONIC

[SONIC]

Damn, the tips you gave me didn't do it really... did everything you said, but it just won't run win98 nor mame without flickering and scrolling all over the screen... getting no decent picture here at all

I'm using a TNT2 now... any suggestions?

[generousben]

which bit cant u get to work?

[generousben]

5) BLACK WHITE LEVEL SETTINGS.

BlACK LEVEL

a)leave monitor on for at least 10 mins
b)remove the video signal
d)adjust the contrast trimmier Rv 405 to minimun
 (anti clockwise)and the brightnes  trimmer rv406 to max.
e) adjust the G2 control (situated on the line output transformer and labelled "screen")
to obtain araster that is only just visable
f)eliminate the predominating colour by adjustment of trimmers RV3/RV4/RV5 (theses are the 3 trimmers on the right of the neck board ,)  so as to obtain the
best grey possible.


WHITE LEVEL
a)leave monitor on for at least 10 mins
b)remove the video signal
C)adjust the brightness and contrast to max
d)insert the bridge "TEST VIDEO"  into the on position so as to obtain vertical white  lines
e)adjust the trimer RV1 (red gain) and RV2 (green gain ) or Rv6 (blue gain) on the left of the c.r.t neck board
to obtain the best white possible

[SONIC]

Well, the video-setting with powerstrip works brilliant with elder Detonator drivers, and the picture from windows comes up on the arcade-monitor too, just, I got a picture of the windows desktop on the screen times 4 (ie. 4 x desktops on screen) which are scrolling upwards... We tried to adjust the screen to make it a still standing image, but it just wont stand still, and we can't get the 4 desktops to one!

Weirdly enough ArcadeOS gives a fine picture in DOS-mode (reboot in DOS), but when turning on a game the flickering starts all over again!

Would it be possible to run the same screen-config in windows as it is set up in ArcadeOS? And if so, what is the resolution, the H-sync and V-sync amounts etc?

I really want this to work in windows, so much easier to use that DOS (ie. with networking, getting updates etc.)

Hope there is a solution, as I finally got all parts home for it now

[SONIC]

Btw, any chance you could contact me on ICQ or sumthing?
Would be much easier I think

[SONIC]

Wohoow, we got it working now... not with the settings you posted, but with the same tool (powerstrip)... we fiddled some settings ourselves, using VNC (a remote-control app)...

now we're gonna set up buttons and all... hope this baby will be running somewhen tonight

Thanks for the help so far btw

Ah, is there any chance to run 800x600? The writings (the typings if you want) is nearby unreadable...

[generousben]

 i only know the settings i posted work with an ati radeon card.
the text displayed on my arcade monitor is as clear as on my svga although its at a really low res

so what res are you running now?
are u still using the tnt2  card?

ive never got 800x600 to work but u might be able to if your card supports interlacing.