TI-99/4a

[NavesRegge]

I won a TI-99/4a on eBay recently. Does anyone here know much about this? I'll be coming into this very new, so I'll probably need some guidance. It won't get here until sometime after Thanksgiving. Does anyone have experience with this or any Texas Instruments computer of the like?

[Honey the Cat]

I use a TI-83 Plus calculator for school, and know some basic programming and functions for it, but my knowledge about Texas Instruments ends there.

[ApolloBoy]

I have a TI-99/4A and it's a pretty neat little computer. Did you get the speech synth with it by any chance?

[NavesRegge]

I have a TI-99/4A and it's a pretty neat little computer. Did you get the speech synth with it by any chance?

No, no speech synthesizer. I was just looking back at the item description for the TI 99/4a. It didn't say anything about any a/v cable or RF Switch or the like. I sure hope the machine has an Atari 2600 mode of supplying audio and video. Does it?

[ApolloBoy]

No, no speech synthesizer. I was just looking back at the item description for the TI 99/4a. It didn't say anything about any a/v cable or RF Switch or the like. I sure hope the machine has an Atari 2600 mode of supplying audio and video. Does it?

It came with an RF modulator but it's pretty crappy. Just go with AV cables and you'll be good to go. Atari 8-bit AV cables will work on the TI-99 as well (the TI uses a 5-pin DIN port for AV).

[NavesRegge]

It came with an RF modulator but it's pretty crappy. Just go with AV cables and you'll be good to go. Atari 8-bit AV cables will work on the TI-99 as well (the TI uses a 5-pin DIN port for AV).

Where can I find the necessary cables? Will any A/V cables do?

[ApolloBoy]

Where can I find the necessary cables? Will any A/V cables do?

You can find them on eBay, and no, you can't just use any cable since it has a 5-pin DIN jack for audio and video; it doesn't have RCA jacks.

[kool kitty89]

I think the C64 pinout is similar too:
http://www.atariage.com/forums/uploads/post-119-1053723058_thumb.png
but the Genesis M1's isn't, unfortunately:
http://www.sonic.org.cn/GensBlogEn/uploads/200711/09_131945_gen1_pinout.jpg
Though ground and audio on the same pins. (and C64 cables can be used for MD/Genesis as the luminance pin for C64 is the same as composite video on Genesis and luma is output on a standard RCA jack like composite video -comp video is output on a separate RCA connector for the C64 and is also used for chroma output -for s-video)

So the C64 cable may be the way to go, that or build your own (either mod a genesis cable, buy a DIN connector, or find something you can canibalize for such a connector).

The C64 cable really is handy, kind of universal, useful for model 1 genesis, Atari XL/XE computers, TI-99/4a, and C64 of course. I'm not sure if the 99/4 has luma output like the others (the US Atari 600XL lacked it too), but that's great if you have a C64 monitor with luma/chroma (s-video) inputs. (otherwise you'd need an adaptor or custom cable with standard S-video jack rather than pair of RCA cables the C64 uses)

[ApolloBoy]

I'm not sure if the 99/4 has luma output like the others (the US Atari 600XL lacked it too)

The TI-99 only has composite through the monitor port, and that's actually the best it can do (you can't mod it for S-video). Also, the NTSC 600XL didn't even have anything other than RF.

[NavesRegge]

So, which should I get? The Atari 8-bit A/V cables or th C64 A/V cables?

[kool kitty89]

I'd suggest C64s, unless Atari cables are cheaper (which Id doubt due to commonality), but make sure it's the 5-pin DIN C64 cable, later models used 8-pin I beleive. (which is fan as long as the female connector is 8-pin -regardless of all connections actually be used)
If the TI-99/4a's port is only 5-pins, then definitely make sure whatever cable you get is a 5-pin one.

[Collision Cat]

I used to have a TI-83 Titanium, but that's a graphing calculator. I got it mostly so I could play games in maths class. I had games like Sonic and Super Mario Bros 3 but they were difficult to play since the screen suffered from a lot of blurring. :p

[Honey the Cat]

If you take any real advanced math classes, the TI graph calculators are a real lifesaver outside of just playing games. The 83 Plus I have is supposed to be able to perform any mathmetical function with some knowledge of how to use it.

[MitsuruX]

I still have my old TI/99 4a packed away... played the heck out of the Defender and Donkey Kong ports relased on it... also there were lots of neat games available on Audio Cassette for it.. which required another cable... (Camel FTW!!!)

Lots of great memories.. . Parsec also rocks.. as does TI invaders...

[NavesRegge]

WOOT! It finally came in the mail! And, it didn't come with A/V Cables. If I can find a proper pin out diagram, I can get someone to work on making a cable in about 5 minutes. If anyone has proper pin out diagrams for the TI-99/4a, please do not hesitate to show them to me.

[kool kitty89]

If apalloboy's info is right about the Atari AV cables, then the diagram in post #8 should be helpful. I beleive those are pinouts for the ports, so will match with the back (solder point end) of a male connector.

[NavesRegge]

I finally got the A/V cables. And you know what? The giant pile of shit didn't work. Any ideas?

[nathanallan]

Yes. Check to make sure the power supply is working. I have two and one ps was dead. I don't have it at hand but it ought to have voltage coming from it.

What *does* happen when you plug it in and turn it on? Anything? Nothing?

[NavesRegge]

Yes. Check to make sure the power supply is working. I have two and one ps was dead. I don't have it at hand but it ought to have voltage coming from it.

What *does* happen when you plug it in and turn it on? Anything? Nothing?

Nothing comes up on the screen, no sounds, but the red light on the TI-99/4a does light up.

[ooXxXoo]

The TI-99 only has composite through the monitor port, and that's actually the best it can do (you can't mod it for S-video).
While the TI-99 does have comp. video as the primary option...It definately can be s-video modded, I've done it in the past....What do you think composite video is? = Luma & Chroma tidied together....They just need to be separated and amplified individually, that's all....
....

[nathanallan]

Try this; some of the cables you get aren't pinned the same, so take one of the ends and test it for video (Did you get a cable yet?), one of them ought to put a picture on the screen. Getting them wrong won't hurt anything, at least it didn't on mine.

My Genesis cable works if I swap the ends. Same with the C64 cable.

[ApolloBoy]

While the TI-99 does have comp. video as the primary option...It definately can be s-video modded, I've done it in the past

Really? I wasn't aware that it could, especially since the TMS9918A only outputs composite. Would this S-video mod involve swapping the TMS9918A with a TMS9928?

[kamikaze942]

So I'm wondering if you ever got this thing hooked up? I have a UM1381-1 adapter, or the rf adapter for the T.V., only problem is one of the prongs are broken off of it, (think i will have to strip the wires and and crimp them with two new prongs). I have ordered a balum master transformer where i will screw this onto to connect it to a coaxial connection on the t.v.

Hoping all that works. You guys were saying I could connect this to a computer ? If so what kind of a adapter would i need going from the 5 pin on the TI-99 to a computer with PS-2, USB, 9 pin serial, and the parallel port .

Any help is appreciated, trying to restore this old game console and let the kiddies play on it. Anyone have any games for sale?

[Breetai]

I had one of these growing up. Had a lot of fun with it, especially with the TI version of "Snake" and TI Invaders. Also a bunch of educational games. Had a manual RF switch with it and a couple joysticks. Best of luck finding an AV cable (if you didn't months ago)!

[kokujin]

I had one of these growing up.I had a lot of educational software for it and a few games.I remember playing Hunt the Wumpus and Blasto quite a bit.My favorite game was Parsec, but it stopped working.

[NavesRegge]

So I'm wondering if you ever got this thing hooked up? I have a UM1381-1 adapter, or the rf adapter for the T.V., only problem is one of the prongs are broken off of it, (think i will have to strip the wires and and crimp them with two new prongs). I have ordered a balum master transformer where i will screw this onto to connect it to a coaxial connection on the t.v.

Hoping all that works. You guys were saying I could connect this to a computer ? If so what kind of a adapter would i need going from the 5 pin on the TI-99 to a computer with PS-2, USB, 9 pin serial, and the parallel port .

Any help is appreciated, trying to restore this old game console and let the kiddies play on it. Anyone have any games for sale?

No, I never got it working. It's currently dismantled and in a box somewhere. My techie brother looked at it and the power supply apparently wasn't working correctly, but he didn't know how to fix it. I've pretty much given up hope for it, though I may unearth again to see if I can get it working with my next-to-no tech experience. ;)

[vintagegamecrazy]

You should really try to get it working again. It's a pretty great gaming computer now. There's far too many good games to list, I have about 50-60 carts and a boxed console. It's by far my favorite classic computer.

[djhotwheel]

You guys make me want to pull mine out of storage. I have my mother's TI with all the trimmin's with a Panasonic tape recorder, voice control and the original joysticks. I picked up a 2nd TI about 10 years ago and got a bag load of games. The system has not been turned on in 20 years.

All I remember is hearing that evil modem/tape sound when loading games from tapes.

BTW: that switchbox was huge! Like 4" x 6" x 1" if I recall.

[nathanallan]

You guys are making me want to get mine all hooked up, too! Yeah it's definitely a great gaming machine. I have a complete set myself, but I use an Atari joystick adapter since I don't have the original joysticks for it.

There's a new game for it, TI Farmer, a zombie game, somebody over at atariage made it and I think iirc it's a work in progress. Getting data to it is a bit of a task, though, there is no rs-232 on it without an adapter. Plus mine needs a new keyboard :( it repeats this weird character whenever you go into straight up basic mode.

[kamikaze942]

There's a new game for it, TI Farmer, a zombie game, somebody over at atariage made it and I think iirc it's a work in progress. Getting data to it is a bit of a task, though, there is no rs-232 on it without an adapter. Plus mine needs a new keyboard it repeats this weird character whenever you go into straight up basic mode.

so does anyone know how to hook this thing up to a computer?



(think i will have to strip the wires and and crimp them with two new prongs).

well there is a connection, but I believe I have a bad power supply. =( My mother wants this thing really bad so she is trying to get it on ebay. I guess if she is ordering a new one, i'm not too concerned about getting it working, but I still want to figure out how to connect it to a computer. How would one go about doing this?

[nathanallan]

Here's one way, others are demonstrated, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Z4spvbFpE