PVM-14L1 RGB mod

I helped a friend buy a PVM locally a while ago, a 14L1. This model only has S-video and composite. However, thanks to @MartinHejnfelt’s awesome work it can be modded for RGB. Here’s a thread of how I modded my friend’s monitor to support RGB SCART input.🧵 #CRT #PVM #RETROGAMING

First I started with a bit of maintenance, cleaning the pins on the tube to get rid of oxidation, using IPA, Deoxit and a fibre glass pen.

Next item on the maintenance list. Recapping the neck board just because I’m already in here and I already cleaned up the inside and added new dielectric grease to the anode. Also reflowed all the solder joints on the board.

Now the real modding begins. We remove the MLCC caps and solder in our RGB, Ground and Blanking wires.

Next I turn my attention to the SCART breakout board Martin designed to add some pins for my makeshift janky connector and solder in a 1K resistor between blanking and ground. I sourced whatever connector I could find locally and I de-pined the unnecessary connections.

Almost there. Next step was to wire sound and sync on the input board. You can see all the wires coming out the back of the monitor at this point. I soldered the corresponding wires to the connector side and then covered the joints with heat-shrink wrapping.

After going through the service menu and changing the appropriate settings. I move on to testing and… Success! My Nomad is displaying in RGB on Line B of the monitor. #RETROGAMING #Castlevania #MegaDrive #SegaGenesis #StreetsOfRage

Thanks to all who made this possible for a hobbyist! @MartinHejnfelt for the board design, the research and the tutorial. @usa_retro For the many hours of teachings made available on how to work on CRTs. @Voultar For the many hours of teaching proper soldering techniques. 🫡🙏

For anyone interested in the mod, everything you need is in @MartinHejnfelt’s post on his blog:

Got a friend to print the shell to finish up the RGB mod on the Sony PVM-14L1 so I made some holes in the shell and I noticed I was lacking a switch that would fit the hole in the case and have the appropriate footprint... So began a quest... #RETROGAMING #Sony #PVM

Tried to source one locally but they didn't have one. Tried another shop, found something but not quite the right thing, had to get creative. Bent the outer pins and ran wires. Soldered middle pins to the PCB and the wires too.

In the end, I managed to conjure up something that works. The toggle switches between mixed mono audio to the internal speaker or independent left and right channels to the RCA jacks. Job done! Again, thanks to @MartinHejnfelt for sharing the design for the enclosure. 🙏