Mainly Neat Stuff --> Vintage Macintosh --> Vintage Radius Documents
This is a reconstruction of original Radius support documentation. All links on this page are now defunct. For more information, refer to the document Vintage Radius Documents.
Q: The screen is "vibrating
," "jittering" or "shimmering ." What causes this?
A: The usual cause of this sort of problem is outside electro-magnetic interference. This can be caused by several different things (i.e. power lines, power transformers, electric fans, copiers, scanners, printers, other monitors, large metallic objects, metal shelves, metal desks, etc.). The best way to test this sort of issue is as follows:
1) Your display may use connectors attached with three or five colored wires on one end of the video cable. These connectors are called BNCs. If all five are attached but you are NOT driving the display from built-in video, try unplugging the white and black cables, leaving only the Red, Green, and Blue cables connected. (If you are using a Power Macintosh with the display plugged into the built-in video, all five connectors will need to be plugged in.) On most Quadras and video cards, only three are needed. The presence of the extra BNCs in an environment where they are not needed (on a Quadra or a card) can cause jitter. If removing the connectors causes the screen to lose its image, then your monitor needs them connected.
2) Turn off any electrical devices near the monitor, and see if the problem lessens in severity, or disappears. If the display is plugged into a power strip, try plugging it directly into a wall outlet.
3) Try moving the monitor to another location. This the best test of all because it eliminates many unforeseen variables. If the intensity of the problem changes as you move it to different areas, that would point to an outside influence as the cause of the jitter.
4) Try changing the resolution of the display. If the problem lessens or increases in severity, you may have a bad video card.
5) Test it with another video card or built-in video. If the problem goes away with a different card (tested in the same physical environment), then that would point to it being a card issue.
If all of these suggestions fail to resolve the problem, call Radius Technical Support at 650-404-6400 for further troubleshooting assistance.
Q: Why are there two faint gray lines about one-third from the top and one-third from the bottom of the screen on my SuperMac display?
A: This is a characteristic of all aperture grill or tension grill display tubes. These lines are shadows from the two stabilization wires mounted inside the tube. These wires serve to keep the tube's aperture grill in perfect alignment, producing the sharpest picture possible. You would even be able to see these lines on a Sony television if the picture were sharp enough.
Q: My display makes a popping sound. Why is this happening, and what can be done about it?
A: In some ways, the Cathode Ray Tube, or CRT, is like a light bulb. It contains internal components that bring the image you view to your screen's surface. High Voltage electrical currents inside the CRT are used to accelerate the electrons towards the CRT face to illuminate the phosphors and produce an image. If a minor electrical imbalance occurs inside the display, the display may discharge its excess voltage to one of the components inside the CRT. We believe the imbalance in electrical potentials to be caused by tiny charge-carrying particles inside the CRT. These particles, if existing in sufficient quantity around the CRT gun or some other internal component, may create enough of an extra negative charge that the high voltage charge in the CRT will flash over to it. This discharge is what causes the audible "pop" one hears. The screen usually blanks out momentarily, and then comes back, sometimes out of focus. The focus usually clears within twenty minutes.
There are two important facts you should know about this issue:
1) The monitor has a special built-in protection circuit which helps it deal with internal surge that accompanies these flashes. There should be no damage to your monitor, your computer, or yourself.
2) Some of the particles believed to cause this issue are destroyed during each pop. As a result, the problem usually disappears within several weeks.
The best recommendation we can make to a user with a popping display is to let the monitor continue to pop for a few weeks. If the problem does not go away or lessen in occurrence, then the customer should contact Radius Technical Support at 650-404-6400 for further assistance.
Q: Whenever I startup my Macintosh or display a dithered gray background, there are rainbow-tinted, curved lines running across the entire screen. What is causing this?
A: Certain types of display tubes will display what is known as a "moiré" pattern whenever a grayish checkerboard pattern of black and white pixels is displayed on the screen. The default Macintosh startup is a prime example. The moiré pattern that is generated is not a problem with your monitor, but is a normal trait of aperture grill displays. You may change your desktop pattern to a solid gray or another color in order to prevent this moiré pattern from appearing. However, some image-editing applications, such as Adobe Photoshop, use this dithered pattern to mask out the desktop background which unavoidably causes the moiré pattern.The MultiView 21, PrecisionView 21, PressView 17SR and the PressView 21SR have adjustment for Moire built into them. See your owner's manual for details.
Q: The image on my display appears to be tilting to one side, how can I fix this?
A: All monitors are affected by the magnetic fields of the earth. A monitor may leave a California factory with perfect video output, but the image may appear skewed when it is unboxed in Florida. This is attributable to magnetic differences in the two locations and the direction the monitor is facing (North, East, etc...). The following displays allow for the adjustment of tilt: PrecisionColor 17, PrecisionColor 21, IntelliColor Display 20 (in most models), IntelliColor Display 20e, PrecisionView 17, PrecisionView 21, PressView 17SR, and PressView 21SR. Older IntelliColor displays with serial numbers beginning with SNE do NOT have the ability to adjust the tilt the image. The image tilt can be adjusted through the display front control panel or through the IntelliColor software. For the original IntelliColor display, IntelliColor software version 1.1 or later is necessary. The currently shipping IntelliColor 20e, requires version 1.3 or later of the IntelliColor software. (If you are unsure as to how to adjust for tilt using the front panel, refer to your owner's manual, or request a faxback of document #3260.)
To adjust for tilt using the IntelliColor/20 front panel:
1) Hold down the SELECT and ADJUST "+" buttons for 2 seconds or longer.
2) The brightness and H SIZE LED's will illuminate. The monitor is ready for tilt adjustment.
3) Press the CONTRAST "+" button to rotate clockwise, CONTRAST "-" to rotate counterclockwise.
4) When finished, press SELECT and ADJUST "+" again, or do not touch any buttons for 10 seconds.
To adjust tilt using the IntelliColor Display 20e front panel:
1) Hold down the select button until the LED lights over CENT.
2) Press on the SELECT button twice so that the LED lights over GEOM.
3) Press BRIGHTNESS "+" to rotate clockwise, BRIGHTNESS "-" to rotate counterclockwise.
4) When finished, press SELECT and ADJUST "+" again, or do not touch any buttons for 5 seconds.
To adjust tilt on the PrecisionColor Display 17:
1) Hold down the select button until the LED lights over CENT.
2) Press on the SELECT button twice so that the LED lights over GEOM.
3) Press BRIGHTNESS "+" to rotate clockwise, BRIGHTNESS "-" to rotate counterclockwise.
4) When finished, press SELECT and ADJUST "+" again, or do not touch any buttons for 5 seconds.
To adjust tilt on the PrecisionColor Display 21:
1) Hold down the select button until the LED lights.
2) Press the SELECT button twice so that the led lights over the icon resembling a tilted rectangle.
3) Press ADJUST "+" to rotate clockwise and ADJUST "-" to rotate counterclockwise.
4) Press the STORE button to save your adjustment.
To adjust tilt on the PrecisionView 1`7
1) Find the control on the front panel of your display that looks like a tilting screen.
2)Press the "+" button to rotate clockwise and the "-" button to rotate counterclockwise.
To adjust tilt using the PrecisionView 21, PressView 17SR and PressView 21SR front panel:
1) Press the SELECT or ADJUST buttons to activate the On screen display.
2) Press the up & down, left & right arrows until the ROTATION option is selected. It will say ROTATION on the screen when set for this.
3) Press the ADJUST "-" button to rotate counterclockwise. Press ADJUST "+" to rotate clockwise.
4) Press both buttons at the same time to return to the factory setting of the ROTATION control.
Q: Why does my computer keeps reverting to black and white mode upon startup?
A: Some desktop utility programs, such as Now Utilities, supersede the Monitors control panel, and can hamper its operation. If this is the case, you'll need to open your Monitors control panel from within the control panels folder within the system folder - don't open the control panel from the Apple menu, since the Now Utilities control panel device has priority there. Once this is done, adjust for your colors, and close the control panel. This will save your settings to the computer's Parameter RAM. Now you can enable and use your desktop utility program.
RadiusWare and Dynamic Desktop can also cause this problem during initial startup, or if the monitor settings have been cleared from the computer. If this is the case, open the Monitors control panel and set your colors before enabling RadiusWare or Dynamic Desktop. A third, and common culprit is a dead or dying battery on the Macintosh logic board. Since the battery maintains the stored settings of the computer, if it is bad, those settings will not be retained.
Q: When the Macintosh boots, RadiusWare comes up with an "X" through it. When trying to open the control panel, it says that it "Cannot be used on this Macintosh ." What's happening?
A: If Apple's Display Enabler is present in the Extensions folder (as it might be if you are running System 7.0.1 or earlier or Apple's Display Enabler extension with System 7.1) and you are using a RadiusWare release prior to version 2.3.4, the software will not load. You will need to either remove Display Enabler or upgrade your Radius software to our current "Dynamic Desktop" release. This is available via many online services, or can be ordered through Radius Upgrades at 800-977-7060. Request item 630-0333.
Another cause of this problem is if Dynamic Desktop and RadiusWare are loaded at the same time. In this case, RadiusWare will not load and will come up with an X through it.
The third possibility is that a Radius display or card is n't being used. Radius software only supports Radius products. However, a third-party monitor can be supported if it's connected to a Radius card.
Q: What is needed on a 660AV or 840AV built-in video to provide resolution switching on-the-fly?
A: The easiest way to resolve this issue is to install System 7.5. It contains a resolution switching feature that uses special cable sense codes to determine what resolutions will be offered.
The PrecisionColor Display/17, PrecisionView 17, PressView 17 SR, MultiView 21, PrecisionView 21, & PressView 21 SR all come with the proper cable ID to support resolution switching either built into their cable or on an adapter that ships with it from the factory.
The PrecisionColor Display 19, PrecisionColor Display 20, and the PrecisionColor Display 20V will need an adapter to provide resolution switching in this environment. Some of these monitors shipped with the necessary adapter. The PrecisionColor Display 20 and 20V will need part # 515-0181-02. The PrecisionColor Display 20 should also get cable part # 590-0207-01 to eliminate one of the adapters it uses. The PrecisionColor Display 19 needs adapter part # 0011130-0001. If you do not have these adapter, you can order it under their part # at 800-977-7060. If you do not wish to upgrade to 7.5, please request a faxback of document #3220 for further information.
Dynamic Desktop software can provide resolution switching on the fly on 660AV and 840AV's. To enable this feature in Dynamic Desktop, open the Dynamic Desktop control panel. Once open, you will see a pop-up menu in the center of the control panel. Choose "Built-In Video" from that menu. Check the box next to "Multiple Resolutions" and restart the Mac. When you reboot, it will offer multiple resolutions in the Monitors control panel and will allow you to set and store a key command which will allow you to switch resolutions without opening a control panel, or restarting the computer. Some displays, such as the PrecisionColor 17, MultiView 21, PrecisionView 17, 21 and PressView 17SR, 21SR are not supported in this fashion and will need a new adapter to trick the software into working. In cases like this, use of the Apple Display Enabler would be preferred. Apple's Display Enabler software is part of their Multiple Scan Display software package, which can be downloaded via AppleLink and other Apple on-line software libraries.
Q: Why is my PrecisionColor Display 20V being identified as a SuperMac display when used on a Precision Color card?
A: This usually means that either the "T" key was held down at startup or the board has an old ROM in it which recognizes the nineteen-inch cable ID as that of a SuperMac display. A ROM version 1.5 or later will recognize the display as a Radius 20-inch Multi-Frequency display and will offer the same timings as the PrecisionColor Display 20, and IntelliColor displays. If the "T" key is held down, version 1.5 or later ROM's are installed, and the problem still persists, then restart the Mac while holding down the "U" key. The RasterOps and SuperMac timings appear ONLY in the "Other/Multi-Frequency" timing set within the options section of the Monitor Control Panel. This set of timings should only be used for non-Radius and non-Apple displays.
Q: Whenever I run my PCD19 in 1152x870 mode or higher, it appears to have a geometry problem. Circles look like ovals or there is a bright white streak on one side of the image. Why is this happening?
A: The Precision Color Display 19 was not built to run 1152x870 at 75Hz or 1152x882 at 72Hz. Customers who attempt to do this will be overdriving the display. Geometry problems, white streaks and washed-out images are symptomatic of this. With two exceptions, this monitor should always use the cable with a part number of 590-0051-04, and the cable adapter with a part number of 515-0072-01 . The only exceptions for this are when the monitor is connected to a Power Mac's built in VRAM video or when running System 7.5 on compatible systems. If this cable is used in either of these circumstances, you will receive a thirteen-inch resolution of 640x480. As such, it is recommended that Power Macintosh and System 7.5 users should use the same cable with all 5 BNC's plugged into the back of the monitor but replace the original cable adapter with part number 0011130-0001. This adapter will give the user resolution switching up to 1024x768. The 1152x870 resolution is not available when using this adapter. Cables and adapters can be ordered from Radius at 800-977-7060.
As a side note, you should not use the "T" key timing feature of the Thunder /30, ThunderColor /30, Thunder IV, LeMansGT or PrecisionColor cards with the PrecisionColor Display 19. The reason is that the "T" key will incorrectly enable the 75Hz 1152x870 resolution. The combination of the correct cable and adapter will remove any necessity for using the "T" key.
Q: My PrecisionColor Display 20V will not work properly when connected to a VideoVision board. I installed a multi-sync cable adapter, but if I use the "T" key to force it to sync, I get a green cast to the screen in 640-480 mode. What's happening?
A: It has been found that this issue is greater than something a cable adapter can solve. The problem only appears at a 640x480 resolution, and only if the bit-depth is set for less than millions of colors. This problem is corrected in the version 1.3 VideoVision ROM which can be ordered through Radius Upgrades at 800-977-7060. The part # is 630-0485-05.