Vintage Apple-1 up and running

Yeah, SUPER rare!

Woz personally told me on the phone in 1978 that, even at THAT time, probably less than FIFTY were still in existence, due to the "buy back" program. The ones that were traded in were LANDFILLED (!!!!!)

Wouldn't you LOVE to know where THAT stash is?!?

Note to anyone else who has an Apple 1. BEFORE YOU TURN IT ON, make sure the bolts that hold the big LM309K 5V regulator (the one with the heatsink) have not CORRODED, because that is the "ground reference" for the LM309, and if that is insulated from the rest of the circuit ground (oxide, or corrosion, is a VERY good insulator!!!), the 5V power supply bus will "float" up to whatever your transformer is supplying (usually 12-18V). THIS CAN CAUSE INSTANT DEATH TO EVERY SINGLE CHIP ON THE BOARD!!!!

Similarly, if your Apple 1 hasn't been turned on in a decade or more, REMOVE the chips (carefully, and avoiding ALL static!), making sure you note where they came from, place them into some anti-static foam. Don't forget to unplug the cassette interface from the connector, too), then find someone with a "Variac" (adjustable transformer), and, starting from zero, SLOWLY increase the AC power supply voltage to the unit (pausing for several minutes at several steps along the way), until you reach 120VAC into the AC input of your power supply. Then, let it sit like that for SEVERAL (like 12) hours. This will "re-form" those big electrolytic capacitors. THEN, after verifying that the +5, -5, +12 and -12 (IIRC) DC supplies are accurate to within a half volt or so, and, then, switching to AC on your meter, that there is less than half a volt of "ripple" on those supplies (an oscilloscope is actually better for this, because you can actually see the ripple. Beware if the ripple has little "tits" on the crests of the sine-wave. That is the sign of an electrolytic capacitor that is getting ready to fail!).

THEN, and ONLY then, turn off the power, and WITH THE CHIPS STILL REMOVED, but the VARIAC "out of the system", try applying power in the normal fashion (simply "flipping it on"). Turn it back off, then back on, several times (leaving it "on" for about 30 seconds each time). Then, turn it back on, and repeat your voltage checks. THEN TIGHTEN THE BOLTS ON THE LM309K 5V regulator YET AGAIN (to make the star-washers on the back of the board "dig into" the ground traces again). THEN, and ONLY then, you can replace your ICs and the Cassette Interface board, and, crossing your fingers and everything else that you can cross, apply power.

Good luck!

Yeah, I've GOT to sell my Apple 1!!!!!

YOW!