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Franklin Ace 500

C

Computer Collector

Experienced Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Messages
283
today I went to a certain thrift shop and they were selling a Franking Ace computer that was shaped like a typewriter but had a 5-1/4" floppy drive on the side. I didnt buy it because I didnt want to spend the 6 bucks and because it didnt have the power supply. Do you guys think I should go back and buy it? Will it work with all this Apple // software I have boxed up here? How much is it worth? I had no idea what it was, but just read up on it a little.
 
they were also selling a C-64, but it was in a white box and it looked a little more modern than other C-64s Ive seen. I didnt but that either, because I didnt want to spend the 10 bucks and I already have a regular C-64
 
A Franklin Ace 500 should be worth six buck$, but you should look around and try to find the power supply too. I may have one, but I'm not sure till I look. The Franklin computers should run virtually any Apple ][ software.

The C=64 is probably a 64C model, and it is more modern than the old "breadbox" type.

--T
 
I just did a little more searching about this Frankin Ace thing. I never even heard of one before today. Heres the picture:
http://oldcomputers.net/ace500.html

Now Im feeling kind of stupid. Apparently its a pretty rare machine. However, I didnt want tp buy it without a power supply, and it didnt look like something real old, so thats why I didnt get it. this was a goodwill store about 10 miles from here. Im not sure if I should bother to go back out there or not. They might even dumpster it before I get there, knowing them. (and tomorows dumpster garbage pick-up day, I think)
I wasnt sure which hole was the power supply. there were all sorts of holes on the back. I think it had a large round end, similar to a TRS-80 cassette port
 
I went back there tonight before they closed and spent the 6 bucks and bought the thing. So were you able to find a power supply for me? If not, do you know the voltage and do you think it would be possible to create one or soemthing? Its a very weird connector for it.
 
I didn't find a power supply for it, but I did find an Ace500 without power supply, so now I have two to look for. I also found a matching monitor for it, I think. There's also a Franklin PC-8000 (IBM-compatible) down there.

--T
 
Wow, how much stuff do you have, dude? Anyway, Im starting to believe that Ill probably never find one, so what I need you to do for me (please) is find out what the voltage is. Then Ill have to experiment trying to create one. I wonder why there are so many connections there? I would think that a power supply should just have a positive and a negative, but this has like7 connections. Perhaps 5 of them dont do anything.
I tried to take this thing apart to look inide and couldnt even figure out how to take the top cover off. Like the C-64, It looks like this is a bitch to get apart also :D
 
thanks for the info. this should be interesting trying to build one!
Ill keep ya posted as I work on it, creating my own makeshift power supply. How will I know which pin is 1, which pin is 2, which pin is 3, etc. (none are numbered). Is there standard way of knowing this, (I.E. counting clockwise from the top or something)
 
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