0068 This computer is an illegal clone

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

Thanks to a load of comments, I now know the RAM is "Siemens" brand. Thanks for everyone who let me know! If you want to see me repair this machine, you won't have to wait long, as the repair video will be out this coming weekend.

[@johnmay4803]

Thank you Mr Black I look forward to watching it as much as I enjoyed watching this video. Your biggest Nottingham fan John m

[@amurtigress_mobile365]

9:04 The RAMs with a S on H logo and "HYA4116" are Siemens ICs. SH is the old Siemens logo used until the 1970s or early 80s. SH stands for the two merged companies of Siemens and Halske, probably German made. I had Siemens RAMs in my Amiga 500 back then. Hope that helps!

[@JVHShack]

@adriansdigitalbasement2 Justin D. Morgan has an Identical Apple II clone. You might scrub through his latest streams to glean some information from there.

[@DavoidJohnson]

That's a happy bunny.

[@mjouwbuis]

Siemens, in later years one of the last European memory producers under the name of Infineon.

[@Flashy7]

"This power supply is sketchy!" - grabs a handful of nails as connectors and 2 turn signal bulbs for load :D

[@oldguy9051]

Ha ha - exactly!

[@CATech1138]

shades of Shango66

[@brundaged1]

"If it's stupid but it works, it's not stupid."

[@zitt]

Seasonic is actually a great brand of PC power supply. I've been a customer of theirs for several generations of 500+Watt power supplies. That said ... who knows on these Apple clones.

[@TheGreatAtario]

Sketchy devices require sketchy test rigs!

[@schnuder]

I’ve used Kimtech wipes a lot as they are ubiquitous in biomedical laboratories. They are leave no stray fibers, lint, etc., and are non-scratch (unless anything gets on them.) They are great for cleaning any sort of equipment, especially electronics and anything with lenses or similar optics. They should serve you well on cleaning screens, cameras, and computer components.

[@levimaaia]

Definitely wet them when cleaning eyeglasses. I used them on my lenses dry and they caused scratches.

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

Oh dear -- scratched lenses is no good. I'm ok using microfiber clothes for cleaning them, I now have them all over the house and in my bag. But as for cleaning everything else including camera lenses, that sounds amazing.

[@schnuder]

In the biomedical labs I’ve worked in its standard to sterilize when you clean; it’s become so rote that I forgot to mention that they’re used with isopropyl alcohol or similar.

[@annadenaro9919]

We have them in the lab, used dry to clean glass lenses, they never scratched.

[@tiporari]

You can also blanket a surface and brush with alcohol. They will absorb Flux and scummy stuff.

[@jrnovosel]

I use Kim Wipes to clean up after soldering. Alcohol on a brush and these to pick up the liquid. They're strong enough to brush through while wet. I learned this when I did rework at the NCR factory I worked at many years ago and later on the bench at Broadcom.

[@Birdman_in_CLE]

In the past 10 years or so I only run seasonic power supplies. They are top of the line and not cheap. Not sure how they were back then. Interesting to see how long some of the companies that I consider newer have actually been around

[@slightlyevolved]

Seasonic also is a main OE for a lot of other PSUs. I think EVGA and Corsair have used them, among others. As I recall; MeanWell, Seasonic, Delta, Chicony, and Astec are the BIG dogs in that particular group. I'm not 100% sure what MeanWell does ATX-style computer PSUs though, but their embedded PSUs and such are top tier.

[@BloodBlight]

Agreed, I have seen MANY PSUs pop, catch fire, and even explode before. But I have every Seasonic PSU that I have every bought, and they all still work! Even the ones I used for early mining...

[@TheDiveO]

S with the intertwined H definitely is Siemens, with its roots in Siemens+Halske. This logo is still in use and trademarked as of today.

[@Colaholiker]

You beat me to it, as I was about to say the same. Being German, I am familiar with the logo in general, but I don't recall ever seeing it on a semiconductor product. They usually spelled out Siemens on the chips that I've seen.

[@TheDiveO]

@Colaholiker oh, it appears also on industrial automation products, as well as others. It's kept in active use for some reasons. Unfortunately, there's yet no Unicode code point, so it's difficult to embed in software-only products...

[@MrMe4444444]

Yes Siemens.

[@JohnC5]

@@Colaholiker Siemens also made X86 Cpus up to 286, it is a less commonly known fact i think.

[@Colaholiker]

@@TheDiveO Yeah, I've seen it on really old gear, but also on power supplies for the S7 era automation gear. Not sure if Unicode would allow a trademarked company logo in there, but they could still embed the logo as graphics in say the about dialog of their software..

[@jameslewis2635]

While I don't really have much to go on, I highly suspect that this was initially a kit computer. That would answer why there is no badge on the case and why there are the 'project board' sections on the motherboard as well as why the EPROM's have tape covers that seem like something that a hobbyist would put on rather than any marked stickers like you would expect from a manufacturer who would want to attract more business. The macro shortcuts on the keyboard would make sense if this computer came with a customised basic ROM that would allow such shortcuts to be used.

[@bobblum5973]

The light colored key in the front left might be used as a function shift for what's labeled on the front face of the keycaps.

[@stewartclark3259]

You were getting about 80mV of variation. That's well within spec for SMPS. Incandescent lamps heat the tungsten filament to >3500K so there's a very large change in filament resistance across the operating current versus time on start up.

[@uki352]

In the early years, when I was 11 and populated my own clone of the Apple II+, I got the empty PCB for Christmas, and nothing was working. They handed out the board with a lot of mods for different EPROM and RAM configurations with these PCB solder jumpers and X-marks. But they did not give any documentation. So, I got known to the board the hard way and learned how to use a logic analyzer (8-bit Z80 driven Tektronix 308). Unfortunately, my clone got lost in time, but I have another one that I will rebuild and repair some day. Interestingly the original Tek 308 from 40 years ago made it into my collection... I take it as a sign ;)

[@LymanGreen]

All that Claris stuff gives me major flashbacks. Good stuff!

[@adilsongoliveira]

In the 80s here in Brazil there were a LOT of clones, some legal, some not. Tandys, Apple IIs, MSXs, CoCos, you name it. I had an Apple 2 clone and an MSX.

[@ajsnz]

I have a Microdogital TK85 in New Zealand. I'm sure they were never officially sold here so I assume someone brought it with them when they moved here :)

[@jecelassumpcaojr890]

The clones were legal in Brazil (where copyright was only extended to software at the end of 1987) but were illegal in the US and Europe. Selling a clone in Brazil did require approval from SEI, so if you didn't get it (like the case for Unitron's Macintosh 512 clone) and sold anyway (as Unitron was accused of doing) then it would be labeled illegal.

[@squirlmy]

@@jecelassumpcaojr890 they were only officially made illegal in 1983 in the US, after Apple sued Franklin (I believe they were Franklin Computer, but renamed themselves to Franklin Electronics thereafter) IBM never actually brought anyone to court, they settled with the companies that illegally copied BIOS; Corona Data Systems, Eagle Computer, and Handwell

[@john_ace]

The keyboard is called a 'macro-keyboard'. It just has some keywords in rom that can be accessed by pressing a function key (the white with led) together with the relative macro-button. These kind of keyboards could be bought for the original Apple II as well.

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

Neat, I had never heard of them. I'll definitely be trying out the macro functions when I get the machine repaired.

[@oldguy9051]

@@adriansdigitalbasement2 Also, the key in the lower left would be the CAPS LOCK key...

[@lemonherb1]

Yup, I had a similar clone back in the day with the macro keyboard. My clone also never had a badge in the recessed area, the case design is pretty much the same with the short lid and resin cast case.

[@MagesGuild]

Aye, I have one in my ][+. Those naturally lack the numpad, but they are so much nicer than the Datanetics keyboards, and the macro keys are useful. I dont recall ever seeing anything of the sort for the //e, sadly; as this would AFAIR only need a ROM replacement.

[@MagesGuild]

You can use it on Apple brand mainboards, too.@@adriansdigitalbasement2

[@tramadol42]

Yay, another flashback to my childhood. These keyboards were sold by multiple computer stores in Germany in the early 80s, as "Professionelle Programmierer Tastatur" (Professional Programmers Keyboard), it has (more or less) autotyping features for commands. There were versions for the Apple 2 and generic versions for CP/M computers (featuring MS Basic). Versions for CBM machines and the C64 were also advertised in ads, but were never available.

[@Johnathan_Waters]

I use the wipes pretty much exclusively while cleaning up flux with a brush and alcohol. You just apply the alcohol to the board, scrub, then position the wipe over the flux and absorb it into the wipe by pressing down with the brush. Gets boards 100% clean every time!

[@101fng]

Awesome walk thru of that power supply circuit

[@squirlmy]

I think a lot of people don't understand that Apple vs Franklin was the FIRST case over the copyright-ability of code (in this case it was boot firmware, but it was precedent for all code copyright) in 1983. IBM threatened companies that copied their PC BIOS (1981), but they settled in each case. They might have feared losing such a case, or just losing key IP capabilities during such proceedings. They could afford to just overwhelm competitors with threats. With Franklin Computer's Apple II clone, Franklin argued that copyright should only apply to human-readable writing, and it shouldn't cover code that was meant to be read by computers. Apple took the chance of suing, they were a lot more vulnerable to piracy. I love this subject and could go on forever about it . If the court had decided code wasn't covered by copyright, companies like IBM and DEC and Microsoft probably would have lobbied Congress for new legislation for new protections. I don't think they would have lost IP protection for very long, but it's still interesting to think about. I wonder how Open Source might have been different- weaker, or would new laws given "copyleft" more legal weight?

[@retropuffer2986]

That case was also sold stand alone and I've seen it on various Apple II clones. The white button was for lower keycaps but many people had it so lower was always set on. I never seen one with those shortcuts on the keys before. The mechanical keyboard was awesome. If I had to guess the boot might say "Ready Go" but it's possible it was changed later to make it more compatible.

[@DeathMetalDerf]

I just love seeing you get excited and geek-out a bit over the Apple clone. Thanks so much for sharing this with us, I love the mail call episodes!!!

[@DaveMcAnulty]

Seasonic is a great power supply company! I bet someone de-Rifa'd that power supply, probably why screws were missing. Those dark Blue caps with the gold stripe appear to be Panasonic FC series, I have a bag of 220uf from '05 that look just like them.

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

Yeah, turned out Mike's son recapped the PSU with those Panasonic caps. So not original anymore -- but I have a feeling there was likely no RIFA in there.

[@mjouwbuis]

RIFA were unfortunately the original components in many otherwise decent power supplies. The reason was marketing. RIFA presented their paper heap as compliant with all major approbation marks in Europe and the US, as an easy way for a power supply manufacturer to sell their product in those markets.

[@mjouwbuis]

@@adriansdigitalbasement2 that lone ceramic cap in the lower left corner looks like it was retrofitted and maybe even holes were drilled for it. If so, chances are there used to be a RIFA in that position.

[@VintageImitationParts]

You pulled the cables back through the case grommet when you removed the PCB, that's why they're "shorter" :D

[@jimcoleman52]

The kim wipes are a high quality lint free cloth. In a previous job I worked, we used them for cleaning photo masks and parts of the exposing machine in a photolithographic process

[@MothKeeper]

I use steel wool coated in hydrochloric acid to clean circuit boards and eye glasses... just remember not to wear any gloves as the acid will melt them.

[@SidebandSamurai]

@3:00 Adrian, Kimtech wipes. They are used to clean up liquid on PCB boards. For example, after you are finished reworking a retro motherboard, spray the area with 99% IPA, then you place the wipe over the area you just sprayed. and rub the Kimtech wipe with a static free brush, to soak up the liquid.

[@MothKeeper]

I use steel wool coated in hydrochloric acid to clean circuit boards and eye glasses... just remember not to wear any gloves as the acid will melt them.

[@Otakunopodcast]

Ooh Kimwipes! Those things are AWESOME. They're much better for using for cleaning electronics stuff, PCB, etc. because unlike paper towels/loo roll/etc. they don't leave little lint boogers everywhere. Whenever I work on PCBs my last step is always to douse the thing in IPA then lay down some Kimwipes and then blot them dry. Gets rid of all that nasty sticky flux residue and you can just chuck them in the bin. I always keep an open box next to my workspace.

[@MothKeeper]

I use steel wool coated in hydrochloric acid to clean circuit boards and eye glasses... just remember not to wear any gloves as the acid will melt them.

[@Psychlist1972]

The KimTech wipes are the things you want to use when cleaning a delicate PCB. I use them with a solvent for flux removal on my PCB builds. They are useful for lots of places where you need a lint-free disposable cloth. Common to find in labs. I've never used them on a screen.

[@BilisNegra]

8:40 So, on that board RAM stands for Randomized Array of Memory.

[@jonord]

that SH - logo on the memory chips, I think that is Siemens.

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

Yep! I have since learned that's their old logo. Pretty cool!

[@jjock3239]

In addition to being a computer nut, I am a retired airline pilot that spent most of my thirty year airline career flying to the Orient, which frequently included Hong Kong. During my layover time, I did a lot of exploring, and learned that there were areas of Hong Kong that were like the wild west when it came to cloning the Apple II and PC computers. In one area, called Mong Kok, (a long subway ride from Kowloon, where we stayed), where there were many, large 5 story buildings, that contained countless little shops, all involved in the production of PC and Apple clones as well as all manner of expansion boards. It was a fascinating place, and I went there often just to look around. Unfortunately, I never bought anything there, because I was a Commodore guy, (C-64, Amiga) and there was nothing there for me. They also sold pirated software, disks, then later CDs, loaded with software. and on most days, the street market would be stocked with an incredible variety of PC and Apple software. (The C64, and the Amiga software, was located in another area, called Kowloon (where most of the tourist spots were located). It was a crazy time in computing, and a great adventure for me.

[@raptorchow329]

I taught myself how to program on a homemade Apple 2 clone, with a bootleg ROM from Hong Kong. It was fantastic, great computer! (For the first few months, it was a board and keyboard in a cardboard box, because the case hadn't arrived yet.)

[@adrianjanik6569]

Hallo Adrian! This fancy logo on the memory chips is probably SIEMENS (old SIEMENS & HALSKE logo)

[@davidelliott3823]

I've used kimwipes for years in the lab, often to clean off samples from small scale spectroscopic analysis machines, never had any problems with scratches or fibres so I think you'll find them useful. Keep up the good work.

[@williamsquires3070]

Hi Adrian. Yes, that power supply of sketchiness has a feedback path. There’s an opto-isolator right there above the heat-sinked diode (@16:19); it’s that little pale yellow DIP-6 package IC.

[@floorpizza8074]

I believe that Kimtech wipes are made from plastic "fibers" (more like "strands" really), not wood, so they should be completely non-abrasive. A quick check with a USB microscope would verify that for sure, though. Or you could try melting them. My buddy had a Franklin Apple II clone back in the early '80's. We spent HOURS on that thing. Great video as always, Adrian.

[@geirendre]

I used to sell C64, Amigas and some other computer models back in the 80's. One of the distributors aproched me with a Apple II clone that he wanted me to test. It wasn't in the original Apple II form factor, instead it was multiple small boxes connected with cables. The keyboard was one box (rubber keys just like the Spectrum), the CPU, RAM etc in one box, expansion ports in one box, Floppy drive in a separate box. It worked just as a original Apple II, loaded programs and stuff, but we couldn't sell it in our shop of course. Unfortunately I didn't hold on to it. Don't know where it went...

[@oldguy9051]

Sounds like the Microprofessor II or III.

[@geirendre]

​​@@oldguy9051Yes, that's correct. It's was the ii modell. Thank you for clearing that up 😊

[@chuckthetekkie]

I loved these videos. I used ClarisWorks on my Grandfather's Mac Classic back in 1996 or so. Of course Apple bought the rights to that software and AppleWorks was born. On a side note I've been trying to contact you about these pin headers I bought for a project but they wouldn't work for what I bought them for due to clearance issues. I know you are probably backlogged with emails but I would like to know if you would like them as I don't need them. They are the 2.54mm 40Pin Round Female Socket Pin Header Strips and I bought 4 packs of 10. There are a few missing but let me know if you want the rest of them. I have at least 37 pieces left and I don't need them.

[@slightlyevolved]

Claris was always tied to Apple. I think they were a subsidiary, but I'm not 100% sure on that. AppleWorks on the Apple II was first, then later they spun it into ClarisWorks, then I seem to recall AppleWorks again, before going all in on their own with the iApps, like iMovie, Pages, etc. Claris, on the other hand, went their own way, and ESPECIALLY doubled down on FileMaker and that is their jam now.

[@richfiles]

Honestly, that vintage Seasonic power supply is the cherry on top of an already amazing illegal Apple || clone find!

[@TheKeymaster316]

We use the exact same Kimtech wipes at work to clean fiber optic cables, so they are definitely not gonna scratch anything you need to use them on. 👌🏻

[@eftalanquest]

"what brand is this?" looks like the old siemens & halske logo

[@dregenius]

That old Seasonic... bloody ripper! What a beauty 😂

[@JohnJones-oy3md]

8:00 - I use those Kimwipes for cleaning flux off of circuit boards. Put a wipe on the board, soak with alcohol, then use an acid brush to agitate/poke/prod. The Kimwipe will soak up the flux/alcohol mixture, without leaving any bits of lint behind like a paper towel would.

[@the_kombinator]

19:07 - those are 1157 dual filament bulbs - the weak filament is 8w, the bright one is 21w

[@Qyngali]

SeaSonic started in 1975 from what I remember, I wonder if they have any of these old units in their possession. They might possibly be interested in getting it for a museum, if they have one... But it's cool to have in the clone though, should be easy to fix the regulation.

[@jjock3239]

I forgot to mention, that at a computer show in Germany, (I think it was called the CES), where I saw the video of introduction of the Atari ST,. Also there, I saw a computer made in the USSR, that was a tube powered clone of and Apple II. Only some of the circuits were tube powered, but there was quite a story displayed with the large machine, including the placard displaying a part in the ROM disassembly, that identified it as being taken from an Apple II.

[@button-puncher]

Kim wipes are perfect for cleaning video heads, pinch rollers, and audio heads. Learned about them and the technique at the first TV station that I was at. Had to keep the heads clean on the $20k Sony/BTS D-2 decks to ensure no dropouts. To use them, fold them in quarters. Works out to about a finger width. Saturate in 99% isopropyl. Place your finger on the drum between the heads. Hold with moderate pressure and rotate the upper drum a few revolutions. You'll feel the head bump pass by as you rotate. Don't move your finger up or down during the process, keep it stationary. Video heads can be broken by vertical movement. There's a piezo element that moves the head up or down for tracking.

[@jb2590]

They may have used female pinheaders on those transistors because they were having issues finding correct replacements. I have done that before on a clone CPC464 board so I could swap them until I got it running.

[@uliwitness]

I love the art style Claris used for their icons/box art. That loose sketch and that one splash of paint. Also: Claris _still_ owns FileMaker. For a while, they even changed the company name to FileMaker, Inc. Oh, another fun fact: MacDraw II contains a copy of HyperCard ... sort of: It's help window uses HyperEngine, an early "HyperCard viewer" library by Bill Appleton, the guy who would go on to create SuperCard.

[@AmigaofRochester]

Hey Adrian, if I'm right that PSU was recapped with what looks like Panasonic FR caps. Should be rock solid (haven't got to where you test yet!)

[@xotmatrix]

Awesome looking clone. I cannot wait to see it come back to life. Good luck!

[@sonicman28655]

Many moons ago, while employed at Corning Cable Systems, we used Kimwipes to clean the endfaces of fiber optic connectors before mating them.

[@rigues]

You should get a custom badge with your channel logo for this case.

[@KosmokratorVideo]

Yes: The ADRIAN ][ plus

[@KAPTKipper]

I have one of those unbranded Hong Kong made Apple II+ clones. The power supply tries to kill you. Puts 110V AC on chassis ground. Came with a PAL video card, a pile of clone Apple II cards like a Z80 CPM one and a couple of half-height floppies. It's very well built otherwise. Use EPROMS instead of mask ROMS. One thing I noticed is that the case is not exactly the same as a real one, the covers are not interchangable.

[@TheDefpom]

I use those Kim wipes to clean up Flux etc when reworking a pcb

[@GeFeldz]

Seasonic is a very high quality power supply manufacturer, at least for the last 20 years or more. A lot of other high quality brands are manufactured by Seasonic. I'd be surprised if that PSU was sketchy.

[@tracysroberts]

In 1983 I bought an "ALOHA ][" from my local electronics store in Australia. It was one of the last Apple clones available on the market before the infamous Apple vs Computer Edge / WOMBAT case. Mine was a little different as it had the Z80 softcard included on the motherboard. The ROM was identical except for the boot string, which I later changed after a visit to a Chaos Computer Club meeting where I got copy a Apple ][+ ROM. It was my second computer after my Sinclair ZX80 and I got years of use out of it.

[@averyzucco220]

Hey Adrian. Kimwipes are ok for glass and plastic. We use them to clean off glass components of gene sequencing flow cells. The main issue is they leave behind a tiny amount of dust. Just wipe gently with them. For something even better use lens paper for cleaning microscope lenses.

[@MothKeeper]

I use steel wool coated in hydrochloric acid to clean circuit boards and eye glasses... just remember not to wear any gloves as the acid will melt them.

[@Adrian_Finn]

Kimtech wipes are excellent when used in conjunction with a brush to clean up flux residue, you clean area with an alcohol soaked brush, you then lay the wipe over the area to be cleaned and dab in with a brush, the wipe soaks up all the flux residue and the wipe doesn't break up or leave lint around, all the professional soldering guys use them.

[@lemonherb1]

I had a II plus clone very similar to this. My understanding was that a lot of the Taiwan clone parts were shipped to Canada, and because everything was in parts, they could evade the import restrictions because they weren't complete systems. So there could have been dozens of makes of the logicboard, PSU, etc. I think my PSU had Tiger as part of the branding. My macro keyboard had actually two lines on each keycap, which would be activated by holding down the modifier key in the lower left for the top line, and if shift and the modifier key was pressed, the second macro line would be outputted I wish I had kept it, but I got rid of it after I bought a IIGS It looks like there's some slack in the PSU power cable behind the grommet, you might be able to open the grommet and feed some of the slack to see if it's enough to reach the logicboard when mounted on the base plate

[@JohnGrimmett-rm5jq]

This machine takes me back to my first Apple 2. The culture here was if you wanted an Apple and you were not financially able to buy one from Apple you went to Parts Galore in Toronto Ontario Canada which carried all of the parts and sundries to construct an Apple 2 +. They sold blank motherboards (which look suspiciously like the one Adrian is working on). Several paychecks worth of visits later you had amassed all of the sockets, passives, a cpu, a character generator and misc hardware to complete the build. The one sticking point was proms to make the thing boot. The solution they used was that since they could not legally sell Apple prom copies, they would simply sell you the blank eProms (6, if I recall). You would then place your chips in a static foam lined tray on the counter where the clerk would take your eproms and burn the Apple images to them, lable them and place them back in the tray. There was no communication regarding the burning of the proms so no transaction could be proved. Legal loophole as they saw it but it got you good working proms. What a rush when you switched on and got the logo at the top of the screen. Ah, the memories.

[@fritzkinderhoffen2369]

I totally get it. What a joy to work on. It was the wild West :). Ended up in the right hands.

[@morantaylor]

The resistance of the tungsten in the bulb will vary with heat. Some automotive circuits would provide a small amount of current thru the bulb while "off" to preheat the bulb and extend the filaments life.

[@dbhansen]

I use Kimtech wipes when cleaning PCBs during rework, to soak up IPA/flux/electrolyte... stuff. It's super absorbent, doesn't snag on components, and leaves no lint or other threads behind like paper towel or rags do.

[@dormcat]

My family's very first computer was a made-in-Taiwan Apple IIe clone in 1984 (it could enter lower-case letters so it must be a IIe clone instead of original Apple II or II Plus clone). Strangely enough, its form factor was far more similar to an IBM PC than an Apple: the keyboard was separated from the main chassis and its layout was a cloned IBM Model F XT but with read LED on Caps Lock and Num Lock; the entire color scheme was IBM's grayish beige instead of Apple's yellowish beige. I learned a little BASIC programming on it and played games like Lode Runner, Speedway Classic, and Seafox. Its floppy drive died around '89, rendering its function to BASIC in the ROM only and prompted my family to buy a 386 PC in 1990. Too bad I didn't keep it till now.

[@jdmcs]

I picked up a very similar looking Apple ][+ clone at the System Source Swap Meet last month. It looks very similar to yours, including the shortcuts printed on the keys. However, mine had a *very* sketchy no-name power supply that I believe directly caused 23 of the logic chips to fail. Hopefully your Seasonic power supply is actually a Seasonic (it looks to be a bit higher quality). Mine is branded MCA and was made in Japan. The lid has a depression on it that *almost* fits an Apple ][+ badge (it’s too small by a smidge), and is retained by hooks on the lid and posts on the case. And yes, it has the breadboarding area. Mine says “COMPUTER” on the banner. Sorcerer Stan confirmed that the ROMs from mine otherwise match those from the Apple ][+. If you’re curious: Attack of the Clone! Trying to Repair My MCA Apple ][+ Clone Computer: kzbin.infoxVzCYLJrgnA?feature=share Justin Strikes Back! Trying to Repair My MCA Apple ][+ Clone Computer: kzbin.infor6MLTV6Z4U8?feature=share

[@bradkuntzelman5343]

I'm so envious. I'm so nostalgic for my Apple ][+ and Apple //e era machines. Neat find!

[@Hitek146]

I wouldn't be surprised if the empty "breadboard" areas were added just in case there were a timing or similar problem later found with a specific accessory card, so they could add logic if necessary for an Engineering Change, without having to re-design the board. Also, while the inconsistency of the power supply may be partly due to the high current demand(I'm guessing those bulbs in parallel were drawing at least 5 Amps of current), I would have still went ahead and checked the solder on the back side of the board, and possibly pulled a few caps to test them out of circuit...

[@GarthBeagle]

Love the enthusiasm!

[@KaldekBoch]

I use kimtech wipes for cleaning CPUs prior to applying thermal paste. They work great in conjunction with isopropyl alcohol.

[@petersage5157]

The T vent capacitors could be Matsushita/Panasonic, it's part of their branding. If you see an M in a rounded square, that's the Matsushita logo. They've always made reasonably reliable electrolytics. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole myself a while ago when I was gifted with some old electronics components that included a bunch of M branded capacitors and I wanted to know who made them.

[@Colin_Ames]

Another great episode. Looking forward to the repair video.

[@claymccauley]

I've mostly used kimwipes for thermal paste removal and cleaning electronics with alcohol when I didn't want fibers transferring onto the part. You can just dry wipe the thermal paste.

[@joeconti2396]

When I worked at a small PC shop for a summer back in 2013 the guy who owned the business had EVERYTHING for the business in Filemaker Pro in 2013.

[@humbledb4jesus]

which is better for troubleshooting? 1> start from what works until you find it doesn't 2> start from what doesn't work and go back till it does (what your doing) 3> randomly pick something in the middle, play around a while, and then send it to you...

[@tekvax01]

We used kimwipes to clean VTR heads with FreonTF and isopropyl (Betacam, VPR-3, D1, D2, D3, DCT, Rank film scanner optics, etc.) They are excellent, and now very difficult to get a hold of.....

[@TheInsultInvestor]

those bulbs are designed to use 12v on both filaments. But on separate circuits. Running both at the same time is a lot of watts

[@JohnC5]

Always wonder what the fields of empty solderpads on the side are for in the Apple Mobo

[@BrianBoniMakes]

Prototyping area. The spec was fully published and users were encouraged to experiment.

[@markdjdeenix6846]

The wipes are for soldering 😊good for soaking up flux and IPA

[@markdjdeenix6846]

So in England we have bio degradable wipes I get them from Lidl Stick in the microwave to dry them out

[@IkesVintageTech]

I worked in an optics lab repairing night vision and other optics that can see at night and we used Kim wipes as lens cleaners. IPA, acetone and white vinegar were the most common cleaning agents.

[@MothKeeper]

I use steel wool coated in hydrochloric acid to clean circuit boards and eye glasses... just remember not to wear any gloves as the acid will melt them.

[@jd9119]

For the bottom of the case, would buffing it out with a wire wheel then using high grit sand paper and finishing it off with a gun metal bluing solution work to make it look brand new?

[@paulstubbs7678]

Those wipes, I used them all the time, (industry standard?) along with isopropyl alcohol for cleaning edge connectors and removing solder flux residue. very slightly abrasive, which is good for contacts etc. whilst also ok on glass - lenses etc, probably not idea for shiny plastic, unless you go very lightly. I knew then as 'Kimwipes', a re-branding?

[@John_Mack]

In the 80's I had an Orange Plus, a Canadian-made Apple clone. I picked it up directly from the manufacturer in Toronto. Worked well...

[@MrTmwilliamson]

When I worked in TV stations, we used the KimWipes, moistened with alcohol, to clean V T R heads.

[@AmauryJacquot]

the kimwipes are the industry standard, I use them to clean up fiber before fusing, they don't scratch anything nor leave fibers behind.

[@Renville80]

I remember taking a computer servicing class and power supplies were tested with a PC board with a number of 'sand' resistors (the square-bodied resistors with a sandy cement on the one side). I wonder if anyone has ever made them commercially. It'd be more efficient (and safer) than the lamp rig. :)

[@andreasbaumann6943]

I'm currently trying to revive my Apple ][/ CPM clone, an IMC-2001. The power supply broke, I had to resocket all ICS, 3 ICS broken. One of the ROM chips (unnamed) was broken and had to be re-burned with - ahem - legal ROMs. Tons of broken ribbon and other cables. The keyboard shortcuts on mine are on a F1-F12 extra key line, you can switch between 'CATALOG' and 'DIR' for instance (so DOS 3.3 or CPM commands). I guess you can somehow execute those shortcuts with meta key or so. The small CPU on the keyboard should send the series of characters when "pressing" 'CATALOG'. Looking forward to see it working. :-)

[@Bobbias]

I used those kimwipes at work for safety glasses in a factory, and while the glasses got scratched from use, I don't think it was ever due to the wipes.

[@gertk2303]

Ha, I have used the exact same powersupply for years as an alternative supply for my ATARI ST in the days.. never failed.

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

Claris yeah! I remember buying MacDraw Pro for one of my early Macs. Also there are brand new replacement power supplies on Etsy for around $100.

[@dougbrowning82]

Very similar to my first computer, which I bought at a yard sale. Like many Apple clones, it was generic. Had a similar keyboard and Seasonic power supply. Little different motherboard. Mine had both the 6502 and Z80 CPUs, no slot 4, the RAM (64K) was just a single row of 8 socketed chips, and the ROM was on a card that sat in slot 1. On startup, the title said, "EASY ][", and the top row key macros had all the Apple Demosoft Applications. The computer came with an Apple Disk ][ controller clone with a half high 5" disk drive, and a 14" YJE colour monitor. My cousin, an Apple fan, supplied me with several software disks, and I ran this computer for a few years, until the power supply died. I then replaced it with a real Apple //e from another yard sale.

[@oldguy9051]

I have a very similar clone with a dirty case that looks pretty much identical to that here but has yellowed quite a bit. The mainboard on the other hand looks completely mint and has never been modified. While it also has these "breadboard" solder points they aren't filled with solder and were never used. The character generator uses a masked ROM but everything else is very similar including the usage of EPROMs. Weirdly, the Rockwell 6502 and the AMD-RAM chips are from '83 while the 2716 EPROMS are from '88... The power supply is completely different and has no company written anywhere on it. It also has no RIFAs and gave no trouble at all. Its board layout looks a bit similar on the secondary side but the primary is different and can be switched between 110 and 220 Volts. Also, it uses a different connector for the mainboard: 5 pins in-line - for which your mainboard should also have solder pads/holes. Finally, the keyboard looks similar but deviates in several details: the pre-programmed token words are different and there is no REPEAT key. Also, the PCB is much narrower and uses a 40-pin microcontroller very similar to PC keyboards. While it appears to also use Alps keys (or clones) and has a nice enough feel it generates a really annoying "springy/metallic"-sounding echo. The key in the lower left is a CAPS LOCK key but if I remember correctly it doesn't enable lower case letters in Apple DOS or BASIC. My testing was limited, though, as I don't have a language card and rather use a IIe. You see, I got it "untested" on Ebay many years ago and thought that 1 Euro would be a good price for the remaining working chips... When the darn thing worked flawlessly, I didn't cannibalize it, though.

[@danhorton6182]

Nice, that power supply has been recapped. Those blue caps are Panasonic FC series, a very, very good cap. Basically all I use other than Nichicon.

[@wyldride]

Secondary and tertiary keyboard functions were pretty common on later revision clones as keyboard shortcuts.

[@JoeBoxr]

The wipes are used for cleaning glasses. I use them every day at work

[@Agnarian]

Also from Atlanta here and I had planned to come to VCF but got off work (I work right by Cumberland area, so it was a short trip) and just had the weekend and home in my sites and completely forgot to come see you :(. I hope you had a good time in Atlanta!

[@daveloomis]

What's the deal with the green parts in the seasonic power supply? One of them looks like it was crushed.

[@BollingHolt]

When is the next VCF South East? I am in Montgomery, AL and had planned to go this year. Apparently, I have been looking at an outdated link for the schedule :(

[@jameshearne891]

The thing to remember when using bulbs as a load is that when they are cold there resistance is much lower than when they are lit. So the low cold resistance was probably triggering the current limit in the PSU before the bulbs got a chance to warm up. Looks like the psu output strain relief may have been refitted with too much wire inside the psu, reposition that and the wires maybe just be long enough, maybe.

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

You hit the nail on the head with the strain relief, I just took it off and slid more of the wire out. Turns out Mike's son had recapped the PSU, so he would have taken that off to get the PCB out.

[@Mainbusfail]

I just would not use Kimtech wipes on any non-glass display, like you know - LED - LCD acrylic - polycarb based screens. But other than that, they are very good for cleaning anything else because they are made from hyper-compressed interwoven synthetic materials that do not bleed fibers onto surfaces, even slightly rough surfaces like textured ABS. I think they are some of the best wipes money can buy.

[@Slim_Chiply]

You could buy all of the parts separately and build your own clone. If I had to guess, I would think this was built from parts bought from Computer Shopper or something similar. I did this very thing back then. The reason I think this is because of the keyboard. A cheap knock off probably would not have had an Alps keyboard with macros. My Apple clone had a cheap power supply, a cheap IBM XT case, and a really nice macro keyboard. If I remember correctly, mine was mildy programmable in that it had a couple blank slots for your own macros. I used AceWriter for my word processor and I had things like save programed. It's also possible that this was a blank board someone populated at home. I tried that first, but had a problem with the clock cycle part. We only had a hand me down oscilloscope from the 40s or 50s. I'm not sure it even worked, because I never got any clock signal to show. I finally broke down and bought a pre populated working motherboard.

[@bryede]

Since Woz built early Apple ][s using simple TTL logic, they were fairly easy to copy. Machines built around custom chipsets were pretty much copy proof.

[@rxbudian]

My first computer was an Apple II clone with 5 1/4" floppy drive, The case looks very close to that. My dad compared the board with an original and it was missing a wire connecting 2 points on the motherboard, and he just added it to the clone.

[@vince_martyn]

We used to have a clone at our school, it was branded as an ITT2020.

[@BrianBoniMakes]

They were not illegal. Apple only had claim to the copyright which meant it could not boot to "Apple ][". If the ROMS printed anything else Apple had nothing. This board is at least a version 3 of the Taiwan clone boards. The first version were exact copies and would only work with masked ROMS. Pop the ROMS and if you find a trace cut and an transistor installed it's a first version. The more the clones deviated the less Apple had on them. The early boards like this one were kits that people made themselves. They did not include ROMS and were not illegal. It only became a problem later when people were selling entire running machines but by then the Apple ][ was becoming long in the tooth. These boards are smaller and have fewer chips on them. In high school when these came out I bought a first gen board and soldered myself a computer. I then bought an apple clone EPROM burner and copied the ROMS from my school Apple ][. I then put up a sign at the front door of the shop that sold the parts and sold full sets of EPROMS. This worked until I watched on TV someone getting busted. They showed the cops looking at a machine and waiting for the Apple logo to appear. The cop pointed his finger and said, "There it is, Apple ][". That's when I edited my ROMS to print, "AP2+". I was never hassled by the cops. I likely made less than 100 sets but I got enough money and experience to come up with my own screen saver hardware device that was listed in all the pubs and became a legit Apple developer.

[@dougbrowning82]

When Apple created ProDOS, they included a test to ensure the ROM said "APPLE". If not, it wouldn't boot. Hackers quickly created a bootleg ProDOS that work on any clone.