[simpits-tech] Radar is almost done

[dabigboy at cox.net]

---- Gene Buckle <geneb at deltasoft.com> wrote: 
> On Sun, 6 May 2012, dabigboy at cox.net wrote:
> 
> > Today I got serious about the weather radar and finished most of the 
> > programming required to get it going. 5" LCD in a real Bendix radar 
> > chassis:
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f4_Zg5h1lQ
> >
> > I'm very pleased with the results. :)
> >
> Great job Matt!  Where did you get the LCD from?  What's the resolution?

Thanks! It's a PlayStation 1 portable LCD (the "official" Sony one). I picked it up on ebay years ago for like $40. Native res is 640x480, but I am using the composite input, so it's more like, what, 480x320 or something? A number of folks have soldered VGA connectors to the screen's board and then changed video timings so they could actually run true 640x480, with mixed results...I tried this and had  no luck. But as it happens, the lower quality and very slight "shimmer"/flicker effect of the composite signal makes it look just like a CRT radar of the 80's. :) 

> You might get a better visual result if you were to place a lightly smoked 
> acrylic bezel in front of the LCD.

Great idea! As a matter of fact, I have exactly that in front of the PS1 screen. :) It's an almost-clear (slightly smoked) piece of transparent plastic that was originally made to go in a document binder. I kept a bunch of sheets of the stuff to use on model airplanes as windows, but it also works well on the radar and my Tracor CDU (gives a better look, and protects the screen). Also, the metal borders of the screen are just within the open area of the Bendix bezel, I covered them with electric tape....the plastic "screen" gives a uniform surface so the tape is nearly invisible.

Combined with the slightly low-quality RCA connection, the whole thing looks very convincing and old-school. :)

Matt