Europlus Owners

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Clint's picture
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Europlus Owners

Any more Apple 2 Europlus owners on here?

I have a lovely Apple ][ Europlus that I am about to refurbish and wondered if there were any more owners on here Smile

speedyG's picture
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Re: Europlus Owners

yep... got 2 of them...
if any questions rise... i have been repairing them for more than 10 years...
( probably repaired some 150 to 170 of them ... )
sincerely speedyG

Clint's picture
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Re: Europlus Owners

Awesome, I plan to start the stripdown at the weekend Smile

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Re: Europlus Owners

Hello Clint,

in case problems rise or any kind of doubt, please take some pictures with good focus and high resolution and mail them by email to the known adress. I checkout my email nearly every period of 3 to 4 hours from
10:00 CET ( equal to England ) till about 23:00. If pictures are good and i can zoom in ( thats the reason for the demand of high resolution - optimum 4 MB to 6 MB - and good focus ) i can in most cases give precise advice where to focus eyemark on suspisious parts while carrying out the task.
In case you mail a bunch of pictures please use the email adress i pass over by pm to you.
sincerely speedyG

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Re: Europlus Owners

We have two of them, not working. A restoration is planned so... surely I will write you! Wink

Clint's picture
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Re: Europlus Owners

Well here are some pictures of my ][EP Smile

Here is the system:
IMAGE(http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/2013061916211224343myapple2ep.JPG)

And inside:
IMAGE(http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/2013061916373454079inside.JPG)

HiRes: http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/2013061916378953638insidebig.JPG

I dont know much about this card maybe someone has the documentation to hand ?
IMAGE(http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/2013061916471870662videxcardSmall.JPG)

Hi res here: http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/20130619162543864videxcard.JPG

Coex 16K Ram:
IMAGE(http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/2013061916313530304coex16kram.JPG)

PPC-100 Tackler:
IMAGE(http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/2013061916333490732ppc100tackler.JPG)

In fact any documentation will help as I have none !

Good thing is that its not in bad condition, it was sold to me as faulty, and I am not going to test it until I have gone through it a bit and given it a clean.

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Re: Europlus Owners

I dont know much about this card maybe someone has the documentation to hand ?
IMAGE(http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/2013061916471870662videxcardSmall.JPG)

Hi res here: http://media2.turbosport.co.uk/2011/5/20130619162543864videxcard.JPG


That is a Videx Videoterm, an 80-column card. Here is everything there is to know about that card:
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/80%20Column%20Cards/Videx%20Videoterm/

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Re: Europlus Owners

Hello Clint,
nice pictures just like the way that will help us along...
you just allready gor the link to the manuals and instruction of the Videx Videoterm card....
i will go along the rest and make an entire summary within the next 24 hours....
then i will reply here....
till up to tommorow i´ll remain sincerely speedyG

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Re: Europlus Owners

Hello Clint,

so lets just view a short summary:
this "COEX 16k Ram expansion" language card is rather similar to the
"American Microware II Plus 16.":
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Language%20Cards/American%20Microware%20II%20Plus%2016/Photos/American%20Microware%20II%20Plus%2016%20-%20Front.jpg
the circuitplan is rather similar to the Microsoft Languagecard.
so with small differences tha manual from that card may be used:
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Language%20Cards/Microsoft%2016K%20RAM%20Card/Manuals/Microsoft%20RAMCard%20-%20Manual.pdf

the information to the videx videoterm has been provided from david_schmidt
the empty socket may be filled with another additional 2716 EPROM
that may contain an additional character set.
there is also public domain software from user groups availiable
that permit editing an own character set if there is interest to such task.

The parallel printer card from Tymac:
from that card no information is availiable, but except differences in layout of the chips
it´s nearly exactly the same like
PRinterCard from Practical Peripherials or
the parallel card from 4th Dimension.
There is an image of the EPROM from 4th Dimension card availiable at:
as kind of replacement manual - ar least for the use of the card from the software -
you might use the manual from the Microtek RV-611E which at least
list basic commands and common use of the card:
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/documentation/hardware/io/microtek_rv-611e_parallel_printer_interface.pdf

related to the mainboard:
In general i would recomend to get
the book "THE APPLE II CIRCUIT DESRIPTION" from Winston D. Gaylor.
You may also instead visit the Apple Documentation Center at the page:
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Books/ and
pick up from there tha book ( listed in last position on that page )
- hint: use fast internet connection... the PDF-file of the book is sized 33 MB !
allthough that file seems to be damaged you should download it for the fact that it contains better collection of shematics at the very end of the book with excelent partial extractions
and because of the fact that some pages of text can´t be read from the book listed above you should
also pick up the following book where text is readable in the entire file .... excelent text explenations...
but a lot of stuff to read....
Alternatively you may instead choose to read "Understanding the Apple II" from Jim Sathers
the 15th book in the list of that same page
at the Apple Documentation Center as listed above:
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Books/ .
But also here is the hint valid: use fast internet connection...
the PDF-file of the book is sized 80 MB !

and related to the DISK II drives you might probably visit my pages related to that drives
for further information on maintenance, repair and adjustments:
http://www.harrowalsh.de/Elektronik/APPLEBOX/appleboxdiskiipage1.htm
http://www.harrowalsh.de/Elektronik/APPLEBOX/appleboxdiskiipage2.htm
http://www.harrowalsh.de/Elektronik/APPLEBOX/appleboxdiskiipage3.htm
http://www.harrowalsh.de/Elektronik/APPLEBOX/appleboxdiskiipage4.htm

sincerely speedyG

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Re: Europlus Owners

Yes I have two fully working ones (one was meant to be parts for the other, but you know I got that working first!), both are working thanks to the excellent advice found on this forum. The best bit of advice I found was not to give up, with time, its amazing how you can get what appears to be basket cases working. By the way, if you struggle with Disk II's like I did, Speedy did an amazing strip down / diagnose / repair for these on a thread.

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Re: Europlus Owners

Hi all.

yes I have 4 Europlus', 2 working and 2 not working.

I used to be an apple tech many (many) years ago and have repaired dozens over the years.

I'm in the process or restoring all 4,swapped out caps and power switches on power supplies last nig.

1 apple 2 does nothing, the oldest unit (Rev 4 with Config blocks), seems as though its been exposed to some corrosive gas as the cpu has missing legs and most of the chips are corroded badly. It will be a labour of love and the final one to be restored.

I rebuild all of the keyboards as 3 of them had blown 74LS00's and/or 74LS04's due to the keyboard connector being installed backwards. This often takes out the 74LS74 on the motherboard at position B10.

The first unit I got had 'lubricating oil' sprayed all through the keyboard, thankfully it was a 'keyboard company' keyboard and I was able to dismantle and painstakingly clean the switch contacts. It now works perfectly.

Another had a missing key cap (3) and broken key stem. I was able to source both off eBay and that is now fully restored.

I just bought a cheap Taiwanese chip tester (still awaiting arrival) to help test the chips, faster and safer than simply swapping chips.

Im on the lookout for a 16K configuration block as one of the ones on my rev 4 board is broken. I could repair it with an epoxy resin but id prefer an original.

Cheers, Martin...

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Re: Europlus Owners

Yep! Four here, 3 fully restored & working, the last one is working but missing PS and a keyswitch. One is loaded with cards and hosts a 128K Ram card that boosts it to a monstruous 196K Smile

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Re: Europlus Owners

well in my place at the moment only one Apple II Europlus and 2 Apple IIe ( one enhanced and one unenhanced )
and the II europlus is loaded:
Slot 0: 16 kB Apple language card
Slot 1: Epson APL Printercard and Epson MX 80 ( alternate : Silentprinter interface card and Silent printer )
Slot 2: Super Serial Card ( optional homebrew 1200 Baud Modem )
Slot 3: Videx Videoterm 80 col. card
Slot 4: ALS CPM 3.0 Card with Z80-B 4 Mhz and 64 kB RAM
Slot 5: Apple SCSI II Card ( attached in external case with external power supply: 1 x 330 MB HD,
.............................1 x CD ROM drive with tray, 1 IO-Mega Jazz 1 GB drive
.............................and Syquest 44 MB Cartridge HD drive )
Slot 6: Apple Disk Controller and attached Duodrive ( alternate erphi Disk controller and 2 x 640 kB TEAC drives
.......................................................in external case w. external power supply )
Slot 7: Apple 1 MB RAM Expansioncard w. 1 MB RAM ( alternate: Cirtech RAMplus card with 1 MB RAM )
CPU socket: ZIP-chip 8000

Original powersupply on the shelf - and inside heavy duty powersupply : +12 V/4 A, +5 V/7,5 A,- 5V/0,5 A, -12 V/0,5 A.

this Apple II is really full loaded...
sincerely speedyG

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Re: Europlus Owners

One over here as well. Got mine earlier this year in great shape, some cleaning needed but it worked like a champ. Came with an 16K RAM card, Disk II interface card and Disk II drive. The Disk II drive needs more cleaning and adjustments.

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Re: Europlus Owners

Hi

Almost 3 years after your posting I have found my way here and Yes, I have an Apple ][ Europlus.

Colin

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