Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / Recommendations requested

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Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / Recommendations requested

Now that I have retired I am planning to play around with my original release Apple II (Serial A2S1-0734).
It had some basic upgrades.. programmers aid, language card, dual disk drives, Silent Type printer, 80 column card, etc. - Original chips and jumpers are still around if needed.
Looking for some recommendations/insights/advice on the best way to proceed.
For example:
- it sounds like there is a device that allows multiple diskette images to be stored/accessed from SD card. Sounds good but possibly is there a hard drive option I should consider
- have an old modem somewhere but is there hard/software that would provide faster communications or LAN/internet access ?
- have some software on floppy disks (lode runner, Zork, Pascal, etc.).
Do I create backups or is it easy to access/download images from the net ?
If making backup copies, what is the best software to use for those with copy protection ?

Apologies if I missed a post on this topic and thanks in advance for your assistance.

EDIT Sept 18 2015... Added pictures starting with P10404nn... not perfect but a bit higher resolution

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Poppa Gord,

"WELCOME to Applefritter!"

Steven Smile

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Buy this book. (Or at least think about it) It has 16 five-star reviews on Amazon.

macgui.com/newa2guide/

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Poppa Gord, congratulations on your retirement!

First thing is to start with pictures, as many and a s detailed as possible, and a walkthrough of the machine: what works, what does not, what happened when you powered it up, did you power it up, what did you try to do, etc.

There are a number of ways to get software from the internet to your apple II. They range in price from dirt cheap and relatively cumbersome (serial card/adtpro/modern pc/mac) to fairly expensive and sometime easier sometimes harder (SD card readers, CFFA cards, Microdrive, etc.)

Do a search on here for those terms (CFFA, SD Reader etc) and you'll find some good info on what others already have and have used.

Me personally (I'm jumping the gun here...should get everything cleaned, tested, fixed if need be and working but you may need software to help do that....) I have recommended the DISK II emulator for Apple II series computers. I have no affiliation by the way, I just love the product!

It comes with a bunch of software on it already including system software and games. Take an SD card, plug it into your modern PC, make sure it has folders set up on it like told in the instructions that came with the reader (16 folders numbered 0-9 and a-f) go to an archive site like Asimov download any and all ".DSK" images you want (this reader specifically works with .dsk images...there are many different image formats out there) put the ones in the folders you want. Plug the reader into the Disk ][ controller in your computer (see? jumped the gun...do you have one and does it work!!) stick the SD card in and go to town!

As I said earlier, photos photos photos and details of what does or does not happen.

Since this is a VERY vintage machine there are likely visual inspections you want to do before turning it on for the first time in a long time unless you already have.

Details please, and welcome!!
Zan

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Thanks to all for the feedback.

Everything was working well a year or so back but have not powered it up recently.

We had a couple of inches of rainwater in the basement when Arthur came by in July and we moved all the desks and furniture upstairs. As a result the Apple is a bit hard to get at. The new flooring went in today so just waiting for the contractor to complete trim and final touch ups.

Expect to do a quick inspection and grab some pics within the next week.

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

I ordered the recommended book... checking the reviews it sounds like it is exactly what I need to get started.

The good news is that it booted up fine so I should be able get started with minimal delay (other than those self/wifey imposed).

Attached a couple of fuzzy pics to original post, hope to update them with better ones when things settle down.

Thanks again to those who replied.

Gord C.

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

OK, tell the wife she has to wait a few minutes and get some hi-res photos up! Smile

You actually did it just right....give us a taste and then leave us wanting more!

Seriously, glad to see it started right up for you. If I can make one early recommendation it is go online or ask members here (like me...I have a bunch) and get yourself another power supply.
The one you have is as ancient as they come and during the testing/cleaning/playing phase I would highly recommend you use another, sacrificial power supply.

I and many other members here have multiple PSUs and they are always coming up for sale on ebay. Granted sometimes pricey on ebay but once in awhile you see ones for $30 or less including shipping and I know its at least 10-12$ to ship one cross country (I've done it)

I don't care where you get it but get it and save the one you have. It is a very rare commodity, just like that beautiful machine you have.
I look forward to seeing some up close and personal hi-res photos when you have the opportunity.

No rush....... you've got 30 seconds.
Zan

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Poppa Gord,

That is one beautiful sight!

WOW I am envious!

LOL

Steven Smile

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Finally got around to adding pictures with a bit higher resolution to original post.
While I recognize the language card, silentype printer card, micromodem, and disk II cards I am not too sure on some of the others. If anyone recognizes any of the others let me know... I know there is an 80 column cart there but will need to dig out a manual to see how to use it
Some cards were pulled out of a II+ I had picked up cheap in the 90's that became history when my basement was flooded last year due to clogged drainage pipes.

As far as the machine it self goes, my recollection is
-it originally came with 16-4-4 jumpers (still have them) and a row of 16 k chips (still installed)_
-when memory priced dropped dramatically I added an additional 32 k using 16k chips- think it was only about $480.
-Around the same time I picked up the programmers aid chip
-when I picked up the language card, I needed to remove a 16k chip (still have that)
-I picked up disk II controller with 2 drives several months after it was released. The technician required several days to set it up because the drives at that time were not perfectly compatible... I was told by technician that disks saved on one drive might not be read properly on the other and he needed time to match then up. Always wondered whether that was true or if he kept selling my drives because it was almost impossible to keep up with the demand from business users demanding Apple II's so they could run VisiCalc. Actually bought a copy of that at the time myself just to see what it was all about.
- Everything else should be original
Will not get into software other than to comment it came with cassette tapes with Applesoft, StarTrek, and Checkbook. I have not tried loading anything from tape since the 80's.

Will try to monitor and respond to any questions you may have.

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

That's the finest example of a vintage Apple ][ I've ever seen. It's nearly flawless!
You have a gem there. If you ever want to part with it, contact ME. The Language card
(with the 6 ROMs) is an original with that unit as they weren't gold plating the card
edges on those yet. The other cards you show, although fine by themselves, aren't in
the same league as your Apple ][, but that doesn't matter. Quite a gem you have.
Thanks for sharing!

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Hello Poppa Gord,

i just stumbled across this thread and have seen that some questions haven´t been answered...
therefor here a reply:

cards displayed in the pictures:

P1040423.JPG
top: Silentype Printer Interface ( should be plugged in slot 1.
( just a hint: in general you will have difficulties to get the correct thermal paper for the silentype
printer. The paperrolls sold in early days by Apple have not been that wide like those used in
regular old telefax machines... but that kind of paper for that kind of faxmachines is still availiable
at some office suppliers.... in some cases if the roll is to wide you might need to shorten that
roll with a very fine sawblade to fit in the siletype printer and clean the cutted edge with fine sandpaper
and removing any dust from that procedure before inserting the roll )
bottom: Disk II Interface should be inserted in slot 6.

P1040424.JPG
top: 16kB Languagecard with Autostart ROM should be in slot 0
bottom: Videx Videoterm kompatible 80 colomn card should be in slot 3

P1040425.JPG
top: alternate clone 80 column card may instead be used in slot 3
bottom: Microtek 16 kB Languagecard may be used instead in slot 0

P1040427.JPG
same like P1040425.JPG

P1040428.JPG
top: Applesoft ROM Card may be used instead of languagecard at slot 0
bottom: clone Z80 card for use with CPM resommended slot is slot 4 or 5
slot 4 is better choice.

P1040429.JPG
left: drawpad like interface seems to be designed for plugging in Jostick port with adaptor
I guess you have to search your storage for that adaptor cable with 16 pin plug for the
gamesocket at one side and 9 pin male plug at the other side.
right: game paddles

at the right rear inside of your case there is the Sup`r Mod Modulator.
At the top of the silver case of the Modulator you may pick up
with videocable a TVsignal. You will have to tune at your TV-Set somewhere
between channel 34 and channel 41 at UHF to find the signal of the Apple at the
TV-set and then you may use the TV-set instead of a Monitor for display at
40 column standard display.

It´s recomended to load the DSK.Image of the Dealers Test Disk from:
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/ftp.apple.asimov.net/images/disk_utils/diagnostics/
and it´s requested to visit the site of ADT-pro:
http://adtpro.sourceforge.net/

There are instructions how to to move the DSK-image from the PC that downloaded the image
by audiocables to the Apple II and generate there a working diskette.

It´s rather painfull and timeeating task to move .DSK images by Audio-cables to the Apple
so it´s recommended to search for a Super Serial Card from Apple
for faster transfer of images from PC to Apple.

The section where you talk about the disalignment of Disk II drives ( in case one drive
can´t read the disks from another drive ) is treated completely at the pages:
http://www.appleii-box.de/H084_1_AppleIIDiskService1.htm
If you follow up that pages you will be enabled to adjust your drives to work at same speed and with same
track alignment.

It´s recommended to download the Dealers Disk and move that image to a real diskette.
then startup with that disk and start first testing your system completely.
you may then mark the working interface cards and mark those that don´t pass the tests
for later repair.

with a working setup of working cards and if all tests of the dealers disk have
passed successfully then you may use a setup with the languagecard in slot 0 and
the Z80 card inserted in slot 4 and test startup of CPM.
The image of the CPM Master disk may be downloaded from:
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/ftp.apple.asimov.net/images/cpm/os/
your looking for the 56 kB version of CPM 2.2.
You should have the 80 column card present in slot 3 and while booting that disk you should plug a Monitor to the
videooutput of the 80 column card because CPM uses that card by default.

sincerely
speedyG

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Wow! That's a nice looking Apple II! What are the serial numbers on the Disk ]['s?

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

TY

Serial numbers for the Disk }{'s are
A2M0003-09841
A2M0003-09846
While I believe those are the original ones I received, that could be wrong. As mentioned previously I had a II+ picked up on e-bay that ended up being thrown out after a basement flood along with its disk drives... It is possible I had switched the drives at some point as these numbers are a bit higher than I would have expected.

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Thanks SpeedyG !
Appreciate the time you spent to review these and reply.
Some of the cards had been pulled from the II+ I had been keeping in the basement, thanks for identifying which were which.
Had not realized one of those was a Z-80 card. My first professional programming language was Fortran and had given serious thought to getting one since there were no Fortran compilers for the 6502 at the time.
I do have a serial card... still in the box. Will look at installing it for creating disk images. Thanks for the tip.
And yes, I do still have the adaptor cable and software for the drawpad.

Thanks again for your help.

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

Hello Poppa Gord,
when you started up with ADT and the serial card and collected some experience, it would be a nice deed,
to run the task of DSK images the other way around.
That artpad is not very common and for preservation puposes it would be nice
to upload some pictures and the images of the related disks as well as a scan of the manual ( if availiable )
to asimov for public heritage.
sincerely speedyG

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Re: Resurecting early Apple II - Getting Started Guide / ...

TY

Serial numbers for the Disk }{'s are
A2M0003-09841
A2M0003-09846
While I believe those are the original ones I received, that could be wrong. As mentioned previously I had a II+ picked up on e-bay that ended up being thrown out after a basement flood along with its disk drives... It is possible I had switched the drives at some point as these numbers are a bit higher than I would have expected.

I think those are likely your original Disk IIs that you added to your rev.0 system. Those serial numbers are actually quite low. By July 1978 when the Disk II became available there were around 6000 Apple II machines in the hands of users. I would imagine most of those owners would have jumped on pre-ordering a Disk II or at least tried to get their hands on one once they shipped. Or even two Disk IIs. There was quite a backlog of orders as Apple tried to make enough to accommodate demand.

Howie

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