Back in stock

[Chris Davis]

The µKenbak-1 kits have not been available since August, but I have some back in stock.  Once the current stock is gone, that's probably it for this incarnation.  I'm working on a full-sized version (keep in mind, it will most certainly be more than $65...)

https://www.adwaterandstir.com/product/kenbak-1/

[Tom Lake]

Is your full-sized one going to be a mostly empty box with modern parts like the Altair Clone or will it have a recreation of the original circuit board?

Tom L

[Chris Davis]

It will basically be just like what I have now, except larger and with different buttons.

[Tom Lake]

Great! I was hoping it wasn't going to be a major soldering project. With all that extra front panel space, how about adding the power switch and lockout switch like the original?

I already added a black mini flat handle power switch to my current version and it looks pretty good.

Tom L

[Randy E (OoMOR)]

I'd love to have a full scale, original style PCB Kenbak, but beggers and being choosy and all that. (I'm more of a "Skippy" kind of guy anyway...)

That being said, I will be ordering the new MacroKenbak once it is available.

Randy

[Chris Davis]

I can pretty much guarantee you're not going to get that from me!  You can maybe find enough info at Grant Stockley's site to recreate his kit: http://www.kenbakkit.com/  

[Randy E (OoMOR)]

Chris,

I know that your new kit won't be a replica, but simply a larger version of the uKenbak. I just meant that if a logic based (TTL 74xx?) Kenbak was available as a kit, I would prefer that.

And I would have all 3 stacked up on my shelf happily blinking away. 

Randy

[Tom Lake]

Oh, In addition to the power switch and memory lock switch, how about a dummy plate for the punched card input that was never produced and also real aluminum bars on the sides? You know, make it look like an original Kenbak-1 from the outside.

Tom L

[William Steele]

I think it would be cool if the case was so close to the original, that like what is happening with the AltairClone, it can be converted into a close representation of the real thing.  I'd be willing to take my design and "industrializing" it into a PCB that uses the real TTL chips (or modern equals) to convert it to a more realistic machine.

Thoughts?

Bill

On Monday, November 18, 2019 at 9:21:59 AM UTC-5, Chris Davis wrote:

[Chris Davis]

Now that might be an option...  Do you have a schematic written up for your design?  Can you post some photos?

[William J. Steele]

I'm currently out of the Country until December... but my machine was based on the original schematics (and logic diagrams) from John Blankenbaker... I only used them to breadboard the machine together, so it's a real mess.  But with it running, now, I can "reverse engineer" it into a proper schematic and make boards based on it.

Here's a video of it running.  And I did have it at the Midwest Vintage Computer Festival this year... don't know if anyone else got pictures of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOlOPpfgmPE&t=13s

Bill

My homemade Kenbak-1 clone - YouTube This is just a quick tour of my homemade Kenbak-1 computer. The Kenbak-1 was designed in 1971 by John Blankenbaker and is considered to be the first commercially available personal computer (that ... www.youtube.com

---

From: uken...@googlegroups.com <uken...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Chris Davis <famousd...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2019 9:13 AM
To: uKenbak-1 <uken...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Back in stock

 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "uKenbak-1" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ukenbak-1+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ukenbak-1/1e36649d-cf77-4056-b280-2baad0c17614%40googlegroups.com.

[Randy E (OoMOR)]

As the current iteration of the kit seems to no longer include a stand (3-D Printed with a Wooden Dowel), does anyone know where to find either the files needed to print the original or maybe an alternate version?

Thanks, Randy

[Tom Lake]

I got a μKenbak quite a while ago and didn't get any stand. Do you have a pic?

Tom L

[Frank Prindle]

Randy, I could never make the dowel fit into the holes, nor could I make the two end pieces fit onto the μKenbak-1 (the holes and the bracket were a tad too small). So I gave up rather than take a file to them. Those 3 pieces are around here somewhere, so you're welcome to them if I can find them.

[Randy E (OoMOR)]

Frank,

Thank you very much! I had a bit of a time getting mine together as well, but was finally able to wrestle the pieces together and onto my early run/red LEDs uKenbak-1. I would love to get your stand for my new kit.

Please contact me off-list.

Thanks, Randy

[Chris Davis]

Here's what I found.  If I remember correctly, I had to reduce the size to 98 percent before printing.  Then cut a 1" dowel to about 7 inches.

[Randy E (OoMOR)]

Frank,

I received the package. THANK YOU! I was able to get the stand assembled and snapped onto the uKenbak-1 case.

Thank you again for your kindness and generosity.

Randy

On Monday, December 9, 2019 at 3:26:03 PM UTC-8, Frank Prindle wrote:

[Frank Prindle]

Great! You're totally welcome (and more persistent than I).

[Randy E (OoMOR)]

I FINALLY found a few spare clock cycles and was able to build the kit. Blinkey white and yellow LEDs are now happily shedding photons.

Randy