I figured an update was in order...
I've put a lot of work into this pile since it came in.
The first Altair 8800b was brought up under a variac and, after a bit of twiddling, works just fine. Some of the RAM boards had problems, others were perfect and it's now happy with 32K of MITS SRAM. This is my keeper and it and its docs will hit the MITS pile soon. Someday I have to take a family photo...
I used that first 8800b machine to test the CPU and D/C board for the other 8800b and those are fine. That second machine had a few broken switches and needed a bit more work. I found working but not correct replacements (I'm really hoping to find some proper 8800b switches if anyone knows a source - I'll post another thread on this shortly) but that front panel is "fixed" and the machine is on the variac now. I'm torn about what to do next. I'll test it as it sits, but I may sell it as-is with the mismatched switches and working as it does. If it tests functional I may redouble my switch finding efforts to sell it as a clean example... Time will tell.
The 8800a was brought up second. It was an empty shell when I got it but the "box-o-boards" had everything it needed to be happy again. A bit of twiddling later, it was as happy as a clam and ran perfectly. It, too, has 32K of checked SRAM, a working CPU and a 2SIO. That, plus docs and a few misc. parts will hit the 'bay shortly. It just needs a good photo shoot. This one is nicer than the 8800a I'm keeping, but mine has a history so I have to keep it.
It's really a stunning machine, but space and funds and "The Boss" (tm) mandate a sale.
The 8800bt system is next, then the ADM-3. The hacked disk drive chassis will come apart and I may sell the Optima case to someone desperate for a chewed up example. The MITS disk drives will need a thorough clean and check before I can test them out. That's going to be a while.
So, about those switches...