New Sync Strike - Available Now!

[philexile]

5V is wired to black
GND is wired to the wire with the white stripe

But the writing on the PSU package says that 5V is bw and GND black.

Great, I'll flip it then. However, this is opposite of practically every other wiring convention out there. 99% of the time, black is positive and black w/white is negative.

This worked, thank you! I would suggest you make this more obvious somehow for idiots like myself who start these projects at 1am and make assumptions.

I haven't tested with the SCART switch output, but I'm guessing the extra power will solve that problem as well. When I flipped the switch to the PSU, the red LED jumped in intensity – so I guess it was just underpowered.

[bencao74]

However, this is opposite of practically every other wiring convention out there. 99% of the time, black is positive and black w/white is negative.

Simply no GND is always black.

I haven't tested with the SCART switch output, but I'm guessing the extra power will solve that problem as well. When I flipped the switch to the PSU, the red LED jumped in intensity – so I guess it was just underpowered.

Yeah, this is a relict of the the old design. In this configuration the power is taken the scart plug pin x. To be honest, this is still no good idea.

http://bencao74.blogspot.com/2011/11/in ... caler.html

I`ve made here an pictorial for the DIY scaler chain. The Sync Strike Setup is a part of it. This should help...

[philexile]

Simply no GND is always black.

Maybe I'm thinking of speaker wire. In any case, it was clearly handwritten on the white box. Its embarrassing that I didn't notice.

It does work fine via the SCART switch, so I guess I'm in good shape. Thank you again for the assistance.

[bencao74]

welcome , Sync Strike is very reliable device. Even after powering the unit in wrong way it works. So I hope you enjoy it.

[Jurgeni]

Hello

I was wondering if it is possible to connect nes composite and n64 s-video to the scaler.

[Fudoh]

The Sync Strike isn't a scaler. And if you refer to the bundle (Sync Strike > GBS8220 > SLG), then no, it does accept RGB and component only.

[Chrischapman01]

Hi,

New to the boards so go easy, I have just got a couple of retro consoles and was looking for the best way to display these on my monitor.

I went down the route of a Sync Strike > GBS8220.

I connected a saturn RGB scart into the Sync Strike and get an image which is dark and no matter what settings I change I can't get it any brighter just looks very dull.

I don't have any lights on the Sync Strike no mattered which way the switch is. The Sync Strike is been powered via the GBS using a power supply from Arcade Forge any ideas what the problem is.

I did connect a game cube to it last night and the image was a bit better but jumped all over the place, but when I connected tonight I was getting a no signal.

Thanks
Chris

[fagin]

Either the Sync Strike isn't getting power or it's mullered.

[modler2]

Hey so I just got my sync strike along with a gbs 8200 v4 and my rgb scart cable for snes all on Arcade Forge, after setting it up, I am getting a picture but it is super dark and highly saturated, any ideaso n how to fix this? Any advice will be greatly appreciated! see pictures for reference to problem http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/2q0b.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/9kp0.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/2q0b.jpg/ Please help!

[Franco B]

Has anyone used Ultimarcs video amplifier with a Sync Strike? I'm trying to do so but I'm not having much joy.

I'm trying to run some SCART consoles (SNES/Megadrive etc) on my arcade machines, one has a 15kHz monitor and the other is tri-sync.

I'm running the RGB SCART consoles through a Sync Strike, I then wire the RGB and C-Sync terminals to a JAMMA finger board and then plug that into my arcade machines. I get a synced RGB picture but it is a bit dark which is why I wanted to use an RGB amp to boost the RGB levels.

I've tried taking the RGB out put from the Sync Strike, feeding it through the amp via the HD15 socket and then connecting the screw terminals to the JAMMA fingerboard but I seem to get no picture at all, not even an unsynced/rolling one. I've tried every sync combination I can think off from the Sync Strike and also tried cutting the H/V trace on the video amp but I don't seem to get any signal at all. I'm not sure if it is a lack of Sync issue as I don't get any kind of video signal at all. The monitors do sound like they are syncing but there seems to be no RGB source to display/sync to.

The video amp is powered from the JAMMA edge and is metered at 5.02v, the Strike is also powered from the JAMMA edge.

Without using the video amp the voltages from the terminals on the Sync Strike (which works, but with a dark image) are:

R 1.89v
G 1.8v
B 1.64v
C-sync 3.42v

When the video amp is connected I get the following voltages from the terminals on the video amp:

R 4.33v
G 4.33v
B 4.32v
Sync 3.17v


The GND from the Sync Strike, Video GND, JAMMA GND and the RGB amp GND are all connected together.

Has anyone successfully used one of Ultimarcs video amps with a Sync Strike or may know why I'm not getting a picture?

[fagin]

Stupid question..... but I assume you're powering the Sync Strike?

[Franco B]

Certainly is, it's powered from the JAMMA edge and metered at 5.02v

It seems really strange, I don't see how sending the RGB though the video amp is making me lose video signals completely when the exact same setup works fine without it, it's just a bit dim.

I spoke to Andy at Ultimarc about it but he's unsure. He said he could give me futher help if I had a scope but I don't have access to one.

[fagin]

Are you amping the sync?

[Franco B]

The sync goes through the video amp PCB but it's not amplified. I've even tried sending the sync directly from the Sync Strike to the JAMMA edge but I still get the same result.

[fagin]

Humour me and try a separate external regulated 5v feed to the Sync Strike.

If that doesn't work I would suggest amping the sync - it sounds like a sync issue to me. I experienced the same problem with one console on my Naomi with the SS. I used a different PSU on the SS and it sorted it.

[Khan]

Okay its been a long time since i used the sync strike gbs scaler combo anyway i tried it tonight I get picture but no sound?

my setup is like

Supergun scart>sync strike>gbsupscaler>vga TV

any idea how i can get sound?

[Fudoh]

any idea how i can get sound?

you connect the stereo RCA outputs on the Sync Strike to the audio input on the TV - usually a 3.5mm jack to accompany a VGA input.

[Khan]

ty for the reply Fudoh

yea i tried connecting the l and r audio out cables to the tv and still got nothing hmm maybe i was putting them in the wrong sockets ill try again later tonight i guess

[bigben85]

I have my turbo duo RGB (Euro I think) connected to the Sync Strike and then Sync Strike connect to Meister with VGA to 8 pin mini din (this one http://www.marttree.com/mini-din-8-pin- ... cable.html)

I get no input on the Meister. I don't have a good reason to try to hook the Duo to the Sync Strike except to test out the device. Is there something I am doing wrong with the above connection method?

[Fudoh]

How do you know that cable resembles the Mini's input pinout ?? I don't think it does. A VGA connector already assumes the presence of two sync pins (H+V), while the Mini only uses a c-Sync signal. I doubt that this cable will do anything for you or your setup.

[Redifer]

I just received one of these and quite honestly it's an awful product. It works, but the image it sends out is very noisy and unclean. I have a SCART RGB cable coming from the Genesis/Mega Drive into the Sync Strike. This cable has always sent perfectly clean video when hooked up to my YUV transcoder. From the Sync Strike it goes into an XPC-4. I have used this same cale and scaler with the Sharp X68000 and again it is very clean. The culprit is the Sync Stike. It doesn't matter if I power it via SCART or via AC. Same result. Also I have noticed that Mega Drive games with 256px wide resolution have a bit of the video chopped off the left side of the screen. Games with 320px wide resolution look fine (aside from the extreme noise the Sync Strike causes. It doesn't matter what system I use, it does this on every system I have hooked to it so far.

Here's a video of it (no sound).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HzQ6pAdvQ4
I recommend bumping it up to 720p so you can see more clearly.

Surely this is all kinds of unacceptable. I can get (much) better s-video recordings than this. Why don't they test these before they send them out?

I have sent an e-mail to the manufacturer. I think (but cannot be 100% sure) that I also ordered a US adapter plug with it which was not included.

[Spec Ops 1 UK]

Hi guys. Newcomer here, signed up today because I wanted to pick your brains. I recently received a scaler pcb and slg3000 from Arcadeforge and am running it with a simple LM1881 circiit.

My problem is with the geometry settings on the scaler. If I connect a RGB console to the header input via the LM1881, then select RGBS as the input, I can then select GEOMETRY on the scaler and proceed to make adjustments and every thing seems fine up to now. The consoles I have tried are: PS1 (50/60Hz modded), PS2 (50/60Hz modded), Sega Saturn (50/60Hz modded) and original PAL Xbox (unmodded).

If I use the VGA in (and select RGBHV) or component in (and select the appropriate input scource) on the scaler, I can't select the GEOMETRY setting. It only seems to be available if I use the header and select RGBS. Thinking that this is a little weird, I contacted Arcadeforge today and they replied and said that they have never tested the other inputs, they only tested for RGBS input.

I can see that arcadeforge sell a sync strike but that connects via the D-Sub 15 pin VGA in socket. Does this mean that the GEOMETRY setting is also unavailable to anyone using a sync strike and scaler?

So my main question is: If I buy a sync strike and plug it into the scaler, can I then select the GEOMETRY settings on the scaler? Can anyone confirm if it works or not?

Thanks guys. Great forum and discussions. I have been having a blast reading some of the threads.

[cyberaxe]

I just got one of these from arcade forge, the picture is practically composite quality, however from watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X2Gszx0Ox4 it seems that the problem is that it's outputting RGBS

This model of it does not have the hsync switch!, does anyone know where to find info on adding the switch itself? i can take a picture of the board if needed.

[Fudoh]

What's your source and what's your target ?

[fagin]

Hi guys. Newcomer here, signed up today because I wanted to pick your brains. I recently received a scaler pcb and slg3000 from Arcadeforge and am running it with a simple LM1881 circiit.

My problem is with the geometry settings on the scaler. If I connect a RGB console to the header input via the LM1881, then select RGBS as the input, I can then select GEOMETRY on the scaler and proceed to make adjustments and every thing seems fine up to now. The consoles I have tried are: PS1 (50/60Hz modded), PS2 (50/60Hz modded), Sega Saturn (50/60Hz modded) and original PAL Xbox (unmodded).

If I use the VGA in (and select RGBHV) or component in (and select the appropriate input scource) on the scaler, I can't select the GEOMETRY setting. It only seems to be available if I use the header and select RGBS. Thinking that this is a little weird, I contacted Arcadeforge today and they replied and said that they have never tested the other inputs, they only tested for RGBS input.

I can see that arcadeforge sell a sync strike but that connects via the D-Sub 15 pin VGA in socket. Does this mean that the GEOMETRY setting is also unavailable to anyone using a sync strike and scaler?

So my main question is: If I buy a sync strike and plug it into the scaler, can I then select the GEOMETRY settings on the scaler? Can anyone confirm if it works or not?

Thanks guys. Great forum and discussions. I have been having a blast reading some of the threads.

This is because the assumption is that 480p and above does not require geometry adjustment - hence it's not available via those sources normally associated with that minimal resolution and signal type.

[fagin]

I just got one of these from arcade forge, the picture is practically composite quality, however from watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X2Gszx0Ox4 it seems that the problem is that it's outputting RGBS

This model of it does not have the hsync switch!, does anyone know where to find info on adding the switch itself? i can take a picture of the board if needed.

The HSYNC switch has nothing to do with the quality of output from the device. The switch was removed since the circuit to split the sync out (from a RGBs signal), never worked correctly - it's not needed anyhow.

[cyberaxe]

What's your source and what's your target ?

US SNES to Sync Strike to GBS 8220 V3 to VGA to HDMI Converter to Samsung SA750 S23A750D 23" LCD Monitor

Originally tested it with powering from Scart and using a vga cable to connect to the GBS, i've now changed to powering it from the GBS 8220 via the leed provided and directly wired the connection via the breakout on the sync strike.

Results are pretty much the same.

I tested my dreamcast with a vga out box and the quality was practically perfect with the VGA to HDMI on the screen, no blurring, correct aspect and so forth. (have yet to test dreamcast on the sync strike and 8220)

[Fudoh]

The GBS doesn't support composite, so if you get a picture, it's RGB.

[cyberaxe]

tested dreamcast same quality, wish i had a CRT to test it on.

[Fudoh]

I mean, whatever you see is what the deinterlacer in the GBS delivers.

If you use a 240p title like 3rd Strike (you have to hold a certain button during bootup to get 240p instead of 480i) and use a "perfect" linedoubler (like a XRGB) your result would be nearly identical to running the title in 480p on the VGA box.

This said, the GBS isn't this bad. It treats all signals as 480i, which causes some problems, but as long as you set the GBS's output to 480p and enable scanlines, it's pretty much ok. Without a scanline emulator between the GBS and the monitor things can get considerably more ugly though.

Can you try to take a digicam snapshot of what you see ?