Hello World!
I've just started an Altair 8800c build. Even though all the "heavy lifting" has already been done by all you guys that came before me, it's still fun to see new builds documented with photos on forums like these. So here's mine.
I'm a pretty busy guy, so I only work on my system a few hours a week, sometimes just a few hours a month. So it may take a while to get to the "tested and working" post in this thread. And like many other hobbyist build threads, that may not be the last post anyway. I ordered a handful of assembled and unstuffed S-100 boards from various enthusiasts.
A bit of background first, some personal history. My name is Wayne Parham and I've been into microcomputers since just after the first microprocessor chips were introduced in the 1970s. You all probably remember those days, so there's no need for me to explain how it felt to be there then. I'm sure a lot of you here can relate, probably most of you are just like me.
I was a teenager in the 1970s, so the Altair was just out of reach because of its price. It wasn't expensive for what it was, but I still couldn't afford it. So I ended up getting a 6502 system because it was cheaper, specifically the Synertek Systems Sym-1. It was an excellent little computer, but I always lusted after that Altair. By the time I could have afforded one, the IBM PC had been introduced and so I ended up making a PC clone. After that, all my experience with Intel processors came by way of the PC and clones, and with the ISA buss and subsequent standards.
But I never got over that Altair 8800, so when I learned about Mike's clone, I immediately bought one. I love that thing! And now I want to build an 8800c, to get even closer to those systems of yesteryear. To tell the truth, I like this version even better than the original. It's sort of a "restomod" - to use a car term - and I just really like this replica.
Now onto the build.
First, the front panel. I soldered the resistors, capacitors and chip sockets onto the front panel board, just as Mike's instructions show. Then I used the front panel mounting bracket as a jig, again, as per the instructions. I used four flux remover spray can lids as supports for the bracket, and set in place all the switches. All the switches except the power switch, that is, because it hasn't arrived yet.
One things I noticed - before soldering - was the switches have a slot in the threads. At first I had oriented all the switches with their stamped part numbers all on the same side. But this made some slots on the top and others on the bottom. So the stamped sides aren't uniform. No big deal, just something I noticed. I looked at Mike's build of my clone and saw that he had arranged all the switches with the slots towards the bottom. Nicely done, and I did the same. It looks better that way.
Once I soldered all the switches in place, I flipped over the mounting plate.
Next, I'll add the LEDs. That's for another day.