A new Apple 1 reproduction is born! This is what one could call a "maverick" build, in the absence of kits - but I suppose that all builds these days must be that. All the components were bought over the last year from various sources. I tried to be careful while building it, including Uncle Bernie's reliability mods built into sockets, and following a lot of his advice published here and in his document, as well as the advice of others.
Last week I thought I had hit a snag with the video section, but some troubleshooting pointed to a faulty 22 uF capacitor on the 555!
There is still much to do (proper keyboard adapter, video reliability mod, ACI, EPROM or other boards, stand or case, etc.), but the system now runs Wozmon, and the memory seems stable.
I am writing a series of blog posts on this build. For now I have written only the first part about the components:
- Building an Apple 1 Reproduction in 2024 - Part 1: Components
I also have a photo album with all the pictures taken during the build:
- Apple 1 reproduction - Work in progress
I post some of the first pictures of the board working, so most of these are not glamour shots.
A few tidbits:
- This is an ENIG PCB, so it has a golden look. But it goes well with the golden machined IC sockets.
- I use a 2519 replacement board - which had a couple bad solder joints that I had to fix (first time soldering SMD!).
- I use an EPROM board to replace the PROMs.
- I use an Apple II keyboard which I bought at VCF West and, it turns out, just worked after cleaning!
- I use a Hitachi monitor from 1975 which was mostly good (but had a yolk rotated 90 degrees!) and looks good after cleaning.
- For fun, I put on the board some of the oldest chips I had, including a 1968 blue Sprague 7402.
- I had bought on eBay a CM602, Bulgarian clone of the 6520. I first plugged a regular 6520, and when that worked, I put in the cool ceramic chip instead.
Of course, many of these chip variations and replacements are nothing that Woz would have used in 1975-1976 (although he could have used old stock 74 series chips for prototypes). My build is definitely not attempting to be an unmistakable copy, but rather it's a modern take.
More to follow!
In post #1, 'ebruchez' wrote:
" This is what one could call a "maverick" build, in the absence of kits - but I suppose that all builds these days must be that. "
Uncle Bernie comments:
Congratulations to you for your "newborn", which really looks nice. I've followed your project since it started and noted the various difficulties you had being a 'maverick' builder not using one of my famous kits.
But you are wrong with stating "I suppose that all builds these days must be that". I'm still able to produce a kit now and then, but not at the pace it used to be. This was possible by finding a stash of the "rare ICs" I had squirreled away for my own use in my basement, and then forgot where they were (if you would know how my basement looks, you could see the futility to attempt any systematic search for anything except toilet paper, which comes in huge packs that stick out of the mess).
I rediscovered these ICs when trying to find my two Series 7000 Tektronix oscilloscopes. Had to move lots of things to get there and so the hidden location of these ICs was revealed. Since then I make a kit now and then.
But I don't sell them on Ebay anymore. And I can't sell them to inmates of the EU Gulag (IMHO, a dictatorship hellbound to destroy their economy by dictating utterly insane documentation requirements, such as proof of conformance to EU regulations, such as RoHS (try get that certified for 40 year old electronc components), and worse, also including guarantee of no child or slave labor throughout the whole supply chain back to the place where the raw materials are mined, and this for each and every component you want to import into the EU). It's utter insanity. Nobody, even large corporations, can provide these documents for each and every little part they use in their products (how many components are in a car, how many are in an airliner ?) . So it's no wonder that EU based corporations are planning to move their factories out of the EU Gulag, and to lay off their workers. Which, of course, may be the evil purpose of these EU regulations. Communism can only be implemented after all the people are broke, desperate, and hungry. Only then they will comply and obey the tyrants.
So I'm still making kits, but only builders outside of the EU can buy them directly from me (send me a PM here on Applefritter if you want one, but there is a waiting list).
As I pity the inmates of the EU Gulag, I also have made arrangements that a few of my famous kits are now available from a source in the Netherlands (don't ask how I got them there). Don't fear that these are not genuine - you will immediately recognize my style of making kits, with the ESD foam strips for each row, and watch out for the date code on the Signetics 2519B, which is 7627 (yes, 1976 !) . . . in case of doubt, ask me by 'send PM' here to authenticate any 'Uncle Bernie' kit you see.
So there is hope even for 'trailing edge' builders who do not want to take the higher risk of a 'maverick' build. (With 'trailing edge I mean they are coming almost too late to the Apple-1 building "party" ... not enough of the critical ICs - 2513, 2519, 2504 - left to make more than a handful.)
But I'm really working hard to get them into the hands of builders, so that none of these rare ICs goes to waste.
- Uncle Bernie
Congratulations on the new arrival.
Well done to the dad !
And Bravo for the blog...
Thank you Uncle Bernie and wirehead. I am very happy so far, and making progress on the rest. I am almost ready to publish the blog post about the power supply :)
The blog post about the power supply is available:
Building an Apple-1 Reproduction in 2024 - Part 2: Power Supply
They are also in the blog post, but here are a few pictures of the PSU as it stands:
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IMG_0126.jpg
IMG_0134.jpg
The blog post about the Retro Chip Tester is available:
Building an Apple-1 Reproduction in 2024 - Part 3: The Retro Chip Tester
IMG_8289b.jpg
Over the top ... Yes
Expensive ... Yes
Necessary? Maybe yes, maybe no, BUT that's such a cool project ... and very well done by the looks and presentation. Bravo!
Thanks for sharing!
Continuing this series of blog posts, the post about assembling the main board is available:
Building an Apple-1 Reproduction in 2024 - Part 4: Assembly
Of course, we know that my reproduction works already - I am just a little late finishing up the blog posts that document the adventure so far ;)