Category Archives: Apple II plus

Apple II Plus Clone: ABC

white_slots_s

This Apple II Plus clone i got in 2018 : https://finapple.hho.fi/finapple/index.php/2018/11/20/once-there-were-apple-ii-clones but actually never started working, cleaning and testing on it untill now.

board_wired

“Made in Japan” Is printed on the motherboard but this style board can be seen used in lots of different “branded” clones and cases. I had the original NTSC/60Hz 14.31818 crystal i.e. not been modified to european 50Hz usage.

I was also modified with 3 wires to slot 7. I hoewever removed those, but documented it carefully if for some reason that needs to be recovered.

booted_with_wires_attached

With the wires still attached i could not get correct colors out of it. The display i used does NTSC so it wasn’t the display issue.

wires_removed

After the wires removed i got the correct colors.

karateka_gfx_oddity_2_s

With the wiring removed i could see odd patterns (boxes) instead of “lines” as it should be. What is going on here?

color_test_4

The colors look ok with Samsung LCD/TV with composite/scart adapter. Slight waving color inference on screen specially on BLUE color as well with white balance etc. Looks like inteference of somesort.

no_color_with_pbvm

No colors with my JVC 9″ PVM monitor either.

skyfox_white_very_lowq

The white is dispayed oddly.

broken_plastic_s

The keyboard was cleaned and the spacebar fixed. One out of two small plastic holders for the spacebar metal bar wes brolen and replaced from another clone keyboard. Luckily i had kept that. The keyboard is quite good guality and easy to write. Much better than some of the clone keyboards used with Europlus’s.

keyboard_repairing_s

Borrowing parts from an another clone keyboard.

Swapped some chips… but it’s always good to use correct chips 🙂

apple_ii_plus_clone_abc_s

Added a own label to the lid “Chipper”. It was computer shop back in 80’s in Finland. I though it would be proper and period perfect. Even in reality most likely some cheaper general electronics store would have sold such clone over here like Bebek.

FinApple 2020 (c)
Apple II Forever.

Apple II PLUS accelerated

case_s

Got an another Apple II+… but a-c-c-e-l-e-r-a-t-e-d. I got this for spare parts but it’s quite ok condition for it self. Nothing fancy otherwise, just basic II Plus, luckily with the “good” keyboard.

serial_s
Serial: A2S2-247248

board_serial_s
Board : 820-0001-07 and serial : 8014. Feels like this board have been swapped later on? Most of the IC’s on board are from 1982.

case_date_s
8-2-1982 case date.

lock_s
In previous life this Plus was in some public place… no wonder it didn’t get stolen heh-heh.

psu_switch_s
Power supply by ASTEC AA11040 that luckily had the 115/230v switch.

psu_labels_s
Added some stickers so i know it’s been switched. Just for safety.

clear_legs_s
Added some legs that happened to suit it quite well, just the color being wrong. I have correct, black coming that i’ll swap when they arrive.

keyboard_cleaning_s

The keyboard. All other keys worked expect the spacebar. I took it off the unit and.. nasty 80’s Cola-Cola or Sugary-Coffee was spilled all over it… that took some time to get it off there. Nasty nasty stuff.
Looked like some traces were bad but after good cleaning and measuring i was amazed they all worked, expect the Spacebar. Measured the switch and it was dead. Thought already to swap the switch that i happened to have one extra of (thanks to Eduardo!). Cleaning with lots of IPA and lots of pressing the switch made it work however.

keyboard_testing_s
…and finally it did work again.

accelerator_s

Got also a accelerator card with a UM6502C (4MHz) prosessor installed. Seems to be clone of Saturn Systems Accelerator II-card. This works in Apple II and II+ only. The next revision by Titan Technologies (formerly Saturn Systems) Accelerator IIe worked with as the name indicates, with the IIe as well.

FinApple 2020 (c)
Apple II Forever.

APPLE II PLUS 1979

case

I bought these Apple II plus parts (complete case, power supply and revision 4 board – no keyboard) from a fellow kasettilamerit member in order to get my original Apple II ready and assembled as it was missing few parts. I thought just to sacrifice some parts from regular common Apple II plus to it. My ][ was missing just power supply and the main logic board.

case_serial

It turned out that the Plus i got was actually nice reasonably early unit with serial A2S2-12313 making it from later part of 1979.

board_serial

The board was Revision 4 from 44 week of 1979. It had also full 48k RAM and Swe/Fin keyboard character ROM “R0 3-2513-703/CGR-703/7932U”-instaled.

Apple II+ was released in June 1979 (around weeks 22-26 in June) and the production ended in December of 1982.

rev_4_boad_under

The board was wired with two wires to Slot 7 in order to be able to use the PAL Encoder-card for color. This was typical practise before Europlus was released.

power_supply_a11040_end

Power supply was silver model of Astec AA11040 with 115/230v switch and date code APR 11 1979. Period perfect as well.

oyks_asset_tag

What was nice touch was that it had asset tag from “OYKS” (Oulu University Hospital) and it was entered in an inventory 31.12.1980.

asset_tag_side

I however removed the one placed in the lid, but kept the one on left side of the unit.

case_date

11 5 79 2 stamped inside the case. Manufacturing date of the case.

keyboard_cleaning

Cleaning the keyboard i had obtained earilier.

cleaned_open

It turned out pretty nice. The keyboard have such great touch to when typing. Really like it.

testing_no_colors

But as it’s Revision 4 board it wont output colors nicely, not to my LCD or my 9″ PVM.

So i kind of went backwards with the ][ restoration but it doesn’t matter really. That unit can use any parts as it’s never going to be 100% accurate. Revision 0 boards cost fortunes as well do the early type of keyboards. I’ll most likely use Rev.7/RFI board with it and some working keyboard when ever i find those.

Finnish Apple II history again preserved.

This is why Finapple exists.

FinApple 2020 (c)
Apple II Forever.