New project: An ACT Apricot F1 "barn find"

[stephen_usher]

I've just done something silly and won an eBay auction for a rather damaged ACT Apricot F1. (£20 + shipping)

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It definitely looks as if it's been in a leaky barn for years and has crush damage. Something very heavy has been on top and bent the rather thick steel shielding.

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I'll have to see what it's really like when it arrives (these photos are from the eBay listing). Still, it has an Aztec power supply so the first thing to do will be to replace the RIFA smoke generators.

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I may have to have a look at the floppy... :lol:

manky-floppy.jpg

Thankfully there's are (almost) full technical documentation for the machine on-line, including circuit schematics. It's all built out of 74LS logic other than the memory (4164 chips), CPU (8086) and a couple of other chips so it should be salvagable.

The ACT Apricot line of machines are quite an interesting set, being MSDOS but not IBM PC compatible. Stylish designs and the first machines outside of Japan to use 3.5" floppy disks, even if they're a strange 70 track ones running at an odd rotational speed.

Anyway, this could well be a fun little repair project for the Summer which I'll document here.

[rubber_jonnie]

You've got your hands full there!!

That's definitely the one I saw on eBay :)

[Steve]

I did see that on ebay actually, Apricot are quite an interesting line of British computers. A little too esoteric for me though, good luck renovating it :)

[PhilC]

Time to buy shares in rust killers.

Good luck, did see an F10 on ebay as well the other day.

[rubber_jonnie]

Yup, there's this on eBay right now: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apricot-Comp ... SwdQRgfEjK

[stephen_usher]

Time to buy shares in rust killers.

Good luck, did see an F10 on ebay as well the other day.

Yeah, but £85 for "spares or repair" is a bit much. I thought £20 was pushing it! :-)

[rubber_jonnie]

Time to buy shares in rust killers.

Good luck, did see an F10 on ebay as well the other day.

Yeah, but £85 for "spares or repair" is a bit much. I thought £20 was pushing it! :-)

I quite agree!! I did find some more further down the listings, but upwards of £150, which is a bit much.

[stephen_usher]

Yeah, but £85 for "spares or repair" is a bit much. I thought £20 was pushing it! :-)

I quite agree!! I did find some more further down the listings, but upwards of £150, which is a bit much.

The £150 one was for just a monitor and keyboard for an Apricot PC or Xi and no computer at all.

[rubber_jonnie]

I quite agree!! I did find some more further down the listings, but upwards of £150, which is a bit much.

The £150 one was for just a monitor and keyboard for an Apricot PC or Xi and no computer at all.

Yikes, I didn't read it too deeply and didn't realise. Daylight robbery!!

[PhilC]

Even £20 is too expensive for me but then 8086 stuff just isn't my thing.