I'd been looking at Mark 8's during the past few days. These PCB's certainly look like the originals but I'd imagine they would go for big bucks. As for building them up into a complete machine, that's what they are for. Go for it! However, I guess I'm only saying that as I won't be able to afford them and if I could I'd probably chicken out on putting a soldering iron to them
I know there were some replica boards available a few years ago but does anybody know of anybody still selling board sets? I built a SCELBI 8B using a set of Mike's boards the other year and really enjoyed it. Would be nice to add a Mark 8 to my replica collection.
Cheers,
Dave
Falter and Dave,
well if they are original, and they do look that way, spending up to $5k on the boards is one thing; but then you would need to find Guaranteed NEW OLD stock of the ics to use. That includes correct period date codes.
And certainly considering how RARE these blank boards are to come by, I would be checking, then doing a 'burn cycle time' run on, every IC on a quality IC tester before soldering them in place.
If the original uses IC sockets then you don't need to do the above step, but many early machines simply had the ICs directly fitted.
Then there is the issue of getting the period connectors and the matching interconnecting cable.
In my view, it matters NOT, if you built the machine in the 1970's or in 2016, IF and that's a
big IF you use 100% original period parts that were all made in 1970's; then that machine is not a reproduction.
There are rare times via a Garage finds, you come across a sealed 'original kit' of some item, from the way back in the past.
So if you assemble and complete that 'kit' using only the tools and skills of the artisans from that past time, then I feel its no different than making it within a year or 2 of its manufacture.
Now one point I would say, is from when I built my first computer kit, a Motorola MEK6800 D2 in 1976, to now 2016, when I am about to build a brand newly designed surface mount component, Analog Computer, my electronic skills over that 40 years have vastly improved. ( well I still occasionally make the stupid mistakes).
So now if I was to get a brand new, un-assembled complete Motorola MEK6800 D2 kit, it would NOT end up being built exactly the same as my first one, 40 years back; as I cannot UNLEARN my computer and electronics skills.
So in this D2 kit example, if I could get a un-assembled D2 kit now and built it up, WOULD it be an original or a replica ???