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Anyone else building an Apple-1 ?

It was only when I laid out all the dil sockets I really realised how many chips this has :)

Lots of scope for a muck up so time and care required.
 
I want to build my Apple I replica too.
I am finding parts from local second-hand IC market.
Is there any replacement for Intel 3601 PROM chip?
Thanks.
 
why not use 82s129 which the manual quotes as one of the alternatives and they seem to be available for reasonable cost.

 
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Progress is being made

Apple-1 build 1.jpegApple-1 build 2.jpeg

All sockets are now soldered in except the 24 pin ones, made a mistake and ordered the narrow ones.

Board edge needs sanding, but its meant to be a bit rustic :)
 
I got Uncle Bernie's IC kit (you can buy it via PM on Applefritter, its slightly cheaper than ebay and you won't have to bid against others)
This would have been nice to know 6 hours ago lol.

I'm new to the Apple-1 scene. I've been tinkering with Apple IIs for a few years now. My grandfather had bought a few Bell & Howell machines and a IIe Enhanced from a college in northern Iowa in the 90s, and I got them from him in 2019, and cleaned them up. It was David Murray's video a year or so ago that got me interested in the Apple-1. I want to build a wooden case in the style of the Apple II to house mine once I'm done.

I recently bought a replica mainboard and ACI board off eBay from a seller in Canada, and finally took the plunge and bid on one of Uncle Bernie's IC kits. I took the time to drudge through Mouser and Unicorn finding individual prices of most components, and then found out Uncle Bernie's kit is around $120 cheaper than that. So if I don't win the auction, I'll go the Applefritter route.

For anyone interested, here is my Bill of Materials list. This list is not super picky about being authentic, just about getting working components mostly from new parts.
 
Welcome to the forum @Mustang Matt ! What else are you interested in, other than Apple I clones?

- Alex
Thank you! I currently have an Apple IIe, an Atari 800, a Laser XT IBM XT clone, and a little newer, a Packard Bell Windows 95 build. I also collect Nintendo and Atari consoles, CRT TVs and monitors, and other vintage electronics. I also have a 1975 Ford Mustang II project, hence my username.
 
I have made the base board of the case as it allows me to mount the transformers, wiring and PCB for testing. The top of the case will follow once I get access to the chop saw and router.

I went with the TRIAD transformers as the ones specified in the Apple manual are still made so you can get a brand new one without having to trawl ebay for a possibly dodgy 50 year old Stancore transformer. I does mean that I am going to put the cable straight into the case rather than use a plug because these transformers are for 110V and here in the UK that could mean disaster, so by hardwiring I can stick an old 110V plug on it.

Cars as well !

I have a 1989 Porsche Carrera to go with my collection :)
 
Does anyone make a board with all the components already soldered on to the board, so all I need to do is source a keyboard and power supply?
 
Does anyone make a board with all the components already soldered on to the board, so all I need to do is source a keyboard and power supply?
Not that I've seen. The components are hard to come by these days, and there's not enough demand to have preassembled board like there was in '76. There are only a handful of people interested in recreating an Apple-1.

For me, it's the draw of the unobtainable. Sure, you could buy an original for $1.5M on eBay if you had the money, but with a replica board and sourcing all the components, a work-alike replica can be had for less than $1000. That's super cool to me
 
Does anyone make a board with all the components already soldered on to the board, so all I need to do is source a keyboard and power supply?
Yes,

Armin might I believe do this but its expensive (I think it was 999 euros in a case with the manual replicas)

message apple1manuals on ebay or retroplace_1 on applefritter and see if he can supply
 
I have my order in with Uncle Bernie, and I got the Sprague axial caps ordered from Unicorn. It's starting to get exciting!

My biggest hurdle is going to be finding a cheap keyboard. Seems like the going rate for Apple ][+ boards is $200, and older ASCII boards way more than that. I might put a post out to the Apple II Facebook group to see if someone has a spare they're willing to part with for a reasonable price.
 
For keyboard solutions I can also recommend Mike Willegal's excellent PS/2 to ASCII encoder board, which adapts a PS/2 keyboard (cheap) but also allows a serial connection so you can dump input (programs) in directly. He no longer sells them but if you're adventurous you can download the gerbers, firmware, and BOM and DIY.

Edit: Also looks like someone is out there selling an assembled version of Mike's design for $50 on the 'bay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/255050992120?hash=item3b623949f8:g:TqoAAOSwSUxijm0t
 
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Apple-1 build 3.jpeg

Case is ready to have the motherboard mounted to test the transformers and regulators before the rest of the board is populated.
 
I have my order in with Uncle Bernie, and I got the Sprague axial caps ordered from Unicorn. It's starting to get exciting!

My biggest hurdle is going to be finding a cheap keyboard. Seems like the going rate for Apple ][+ boards is $200, and older ASCII boards way more than that. I might put a post out to the Apple II Facebook group to see if someone has a spare they're willing to part with for a reasonable price.

The Apple ][ keyboards do seem to have dried up, but they are still probably the best to hang on for, especially one that has a missing or faulty encoder daughterboard as you can then use Encoder plus as it means you dont have to put a separate clear screen key in as its programmed to toggle the clear screen input with Shift-Reset which is nice and means you can just run a cable from socket to socket.
 
The big blue Spragues can be bought new in singles from Mouser but they are on backorder at the moment (until October for the 2400uf's !).

I note with interest that there are ~150 of the 5300uf ones on order and about 2x that of the 2400uf....strange that, wonder why ;).

Must mean about 150 Apple-1 replicas are in the pipeline
 
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