Sinclair ZX80 / ZX81 / Z88 Forums

Thx everyone for your answers!

So TV screen simply turns blank - sometimes black, gray(ish) or even white. And with the TV losing sync, prompting some TV's to go for a blue screen or display a message. Fwiw: that actually matches what I'm seeing with -my- composite modded ZX81's: a blank, white screen as if the "K" cursor had been erased.

Seems my memory is failing me... I do remember the "no signal" snow being kind of hypnotizing at times. Meditative / relaxing in a way, especially if you focussed on a few individual pixels. Sometimes a lot of VHF / UHF searching was needed to set up a TV (also for use with machines like Zeddy or Spectrum). Probably that "no signal" snow image got mixed in with ZX81 memories...

Yes - I would say if you switch off just the ZX81 connected via RF to your TV, older TVs must have displayed it's snow for missing signal. Unless a chip included detecting missing signal and show a message instead.

RetroTechie wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 2:15 am Thx everyone for your answers!
...
Seems my memory is failing me... I do remember the "no signal" snow being kind of hypnotizing at times. Meditative / relaxing in a way, especially if you focussed on a few individual pixels. .... Probably that "no signal" snow image got mixed in with ZX81 memories...

When trying to get channel 2 or 3 in the States (this worse channels for reception. hence the ones available for universal use on US Zeddy and gaming systems) there was a mixing of the signal and white noise trying to fine tune into ZX output. Sometimes the screen looked like an ice-rink just before using the Zamboni.