An odd thing. I was trying to buy some C&K brand "toggle switches" for a MITS Altair 8800 front panel. I could not find on the Web, a good photo of it's front-panel PC board "naked" to see the original switches; so I could buy one of the proper size. Specifically, the length of the "neck" below the toggle lever. Does anyone have such a photo, of the unmounted PC board with switches, or a photo of of the actual real original switch bodies, or a measure of the physical length of that mounting-shaft? The length does vary. Just to be clear and exact. I'm talking about the original model of the MITS Altair 8800. NO 8800a, no 8800b. These switches have a narrow round "toggle" - not the flat wedge-like toggle on the 8800b and 8800a. And no, MITS doesn't have a C&K number, and no sketch in their original manuals (that I could find). And a Web search for such images is a nightmare. Bunches of faux Altairs, faux front panels. Some number of original Altairs - with the front-panel PC board covered of course with the decorative front-panel. Or poor, low-rez photos from 15 years ago. I've made a good guess, without disassembling my own 8800. Looks like 11/16 inches from base of threaded shaft to top of same. Looks like a 3/4" net length from the base of the C&K body to the top of the threaded shaft. These are eyeball measures and are not likely what are in the C&K 1975 data sheets; but these provide clues. Can anyone measure the damn thing? Or take a clear photo and point me to it? Looks like I'll haveta take a lot of photos, next time I repair the real deal. Regards, Herb "missed" Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info
This thread on VCFED might be the answer because it gives the part numbers. I didn't have luck navigating the APEM Web site, but Digikey and Mouser carry them and links to the data sheet. http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?73845-Altair-8800-Parts&highlight=... Rich -- Rich Cini http://www.classiccmp.org/cini http://www.classiccmp.org/altair32 On 4/12/20, 5:34 PM, "vcf-midatlantic on behalf of Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic" <vcf-midatlantic-bounces@lists.vcfed.org on behalf of vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote: An odd thing. I was trying to buy some C&K brand "toggle switches" for a MITS Altair 8800 front panel. I could not find on the Web, a good photo of it's front-panel PC board "naked" to see the original switches; so I could buy one of the proper size. Specifically, the length of the "neck" below the toggle lever. Does anyone have such a photo, of the unmounted PC board with switches, or a photo of of the actual real original switch bodies, or a measure of the physical length of that mounting-shaft? The length does vary. Just to be clear and exact. I'm talking about the original model of the MITS Altair 8800. NO 8800a, no 8800b. These switches have a narrow round "toggle" - not the flat wedge-like toggle on the 8800b and 8800a. And no, MITS doesn't have a C&K number, and no sketch in their original manuals (that I could find). And a Web search for such images is a nightmare. Bunches of faux Altairs, faux front panels. Some number of original Altairs - with the front-panel PC board covered of course with the decorative front-panel. Or poor, low-rez photos from 15 years ago. I've made a good guess, without disassembling my own 8800. Looks like 11/16 inches from base of threaded shaft to top of same. Looks like a 3/4" net length from the base of the C&K body to the top of the threaded shaft. These are eyeball measures and are not likely what are in the C&K 1975 data sheets; but these provide clues. Can anyone measure the damn thing? Or take a clear photo and point me to it? Looks like I'll haveta take a lot of photos, next time I repair the real deal. Regards, Herb "missed" Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info
Thanks, but the discussion is about alternative switches for a replacement front-panel board. I want measurements/photos of actual original C&K switches on an actual original MITS 8800 front panel. - regards, Herb On 4/12/2020 6:02 PM, Richard Cini wrote:
This thread on VCFED might be the answer because it gives the part numbers.
Rich
-- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info
I did not think they used C&K in the original 8800. Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> ________________________________ From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces@lists.vcfed.org> on behalf of Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2020 8:48:56 PM To: VCF-Midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> Cc: Herb Johnson <hjohnson@retrotechnology.info> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] MITS Altair 8800 C&K switches Thanks, but the discussion is about alternative switches for a replacement front-panel board. I want measurements/photos of actual original C&K switches on an actual original MITS 8800 front panel. - regards, Herb On 4/12/2020 6:02 PM, Richard Cini wrote:
This thread on VCFED might be the answer because it gives the part numbers.
Rich
-- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info
I have a bare switch, will locate and send specs. May take 24 hours, bug me privately if I forget. Bill On Sun, Apr 12, 2020, 8:58 PM Richard Cini via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
I did not think they used C&K in the original 8800.
Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> ________________________________ From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces@lists.vcfed.org> on behalf of Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2020 8:48:56 PM To: VCF-Midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> Cc: Herb Johnson <hjohnson@retrotechnology.info> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] MITS Altair 8800 C&K switches
Thanks, but the discussion is about alternative switches for a replacement front-panel board. I want measurements/photos of actual original C&K switches on an actual original MITS 8800 front panel. - regards, Herb
On 4/12/2020 6:02 PM, Richard Cini wrote:
This thread on VCFED might be the answer because it gives the part numbers.
Rich
-- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info
-- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info
Bill Degnan wrote:
I have a bare switch.. will send specs..
Thanks. (I asked him privately about photos.) On 4/12/2020 8:58 PM, Richard Cini wrote:
I did not think they used C&K in the original 8800.
Maybe I'm wrong - I do not know for a fact, what brand switch MITS used in their Altair 8800. Thanks, Rich. But that's why I asked for a photo of the original switch on the original board - so there's no doubt about what they used. And others can look at that photo and say "hey, *my* Altair does/doesn't have those". I tried to find such a photo, I could not find one. Well, I found *one* but it was a head-on photo! Uninformative about that detail. Who knew? ;) Cheers, Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info
Hi Herb, That may be a loaded question as C & K switches may not have been used on the original Altair Front Panel according to someone I really trust.. According to Mike Douglas (deramp in the Vintage community), who has impressed me with his extensive knowledge of Altair hardware, the American Switch brand was used in the original Altair not C & K. Mike says that the APEM switch part numbers listed below are closest to the original American Switch brand. In fact, APEM purchased American Switch a number of years ago. S1 Toggle Switch On-None-On (Silver) APEM 5236AB S10-S25 Toggle Switch On-None-On (Gold) APEM 5236CDB S2-S9 Toggle Switch (On)-Off-(On) (Gold) APEM 5237CDB Take this as you wish but I do value Mike's opinion on this Best regards, Jeff Galinat On Sun, Apr 12, 2020 at 2:34 PM Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
An odd thing. I was trying to buy some C&K brand "toggle switches" for a MITS Altair 8800 front panel. I could not find on the Web, a good photo of it's front-panel PC board "naked" to see the original switches; so I could buy one of the proper size. Specifically, the length of the "neck" below the toggle lever.
Does anyone have such a photo, of the unmounted PC board with switches, or a photo of of the actual real original switch bodies, or a measure of the physical length of that mounting-shaft? The length does vary.
Just to be clear and exact. I'm talking about the original model of the MITS Altair 8800. NO 8800a, no 8800b. These switches have a narrow round "toggle" - not the flat wedge-like toggle on the 8800b and 8800a. And no, MITS doesn't have a C&K number, and no sketch in their original manuals (that I could find).
I've made a good guess, without disassembling my own 8800. Looks like 11/16 inches from base of threaded shaft to top of same. Looks like a 3/4" net length from the base of the C&K body to the top of the threaded shaft. These are eyeball measures and are not likely what are in the C&K 1975 data sheets; but these provide clues.
Regards, Herb "missed" Johnson
participants (4)
-
Bill Degnan -
Herb Johnson -
Jeff Galinat -
Richard Cini