Pong

has anyone ever converted a regular 13" bw tv to be used with pong?

Not real sure where you are going with this but I think Nolan Bushnell used a black and white TV in the original pong. If it is a vector you can use an old oscilloscope to test with. It does need to be a dual trace and able to display them both at the same time.
 
Yes. Or rather, I've converted several to be used *like* the original Pong monitor - just not for Pong. I don't have a Pong :)

Basically, all they did is use a normal black and white television (A GE tube type set) and modify it to accept baseband video and line level audio. To do this, you simply need to disconnect the video signal between the last video IF stage and the video amplifier tube. Then you feed your composite video into the grid of the video amplifier tube (biased correctly, naturally). On a solid state set, you'll need to use the base of the video output transistor. Biasing will be different still, and you might want to capacitively couple the video.

Same thing in the audio section - disconnect the amplifier circuit and feed in your own audio.

Note that in any of these modifications, you MUST run the television set on an isolation transformer!!! These sets are hot chassis - especially tube type sets. Series string filaments are run directly off the AC line, and the plate voltage is derived from little more than rectified line. Do not attempt this unless you know what you are doing, especially in a tube type set. Do not poke around a tube type television with a meter measuring voltages unless you take appropriate precautions, unlike solid state TV's, there *is* enough exposed voltages to do you some real harm.

You can also use a modern television with composite video inputs, a security monitor, an old computer monitor, or any of the thousands of devices that accept composite video directly.

-Ian
 
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