Subject: IMSAI 8080 Classic Microcomputer System

From: Mail List <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat Jul 12 22:23:00 2003

IMSAI 8080 Classic Microcomputer System

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2741173742

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From: "Erik S. Klein" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun Jul 13 00:21:00 2003

I saw that one.

The seller appears to have the history of microcomputers a bit skewed
(depending on how you define "reasonable numbers" for sales figures) but
he's better then others who advertise the IMSAI as having the same buss
as the IBM PC or, better yet, as being multibus items (which is a recent
or current auction, iirc)

   Erik Klein
   www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum
   The Vintage Computer Forum

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]]
On Behalf Of Mail List
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2003 8:19 PM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: IMSAI 8080 Classic Microcomputer System

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From: Bob Shannon <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun Jul 13 10:58:01 2003

> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2741173742
I'll go one better than this...

I'm going to sell my Imsai 8080, but I don't want to ship it.  I'd 
prefer a 'local' buyer to come see the machine and carry it away
after verifying it's operational, etc.  This Imsai is located in central 
Massachusetts, about 1 1/2 hour west of Boston.

This is not an eBay sale.  This is a machine that needs to go to a 'good 
home', like a list member.

The machine...

Is a stock Imsai 8080 with its original CPU (C8080A in the gold on white 
package).  It is tested and operational.  
Cosmetic condition is very good, with only minor scratches to the top 
cover.  All switches are good, and it has a full
(22-slot?) set of backplanes installed.

The memory...

Currently there is 40K of (working) SRAM installed in the following 
configuration:

Two 4K byte SSM (Solid State Music) RAM boards with gold on white 
ceramic 2102's (soldered in).
One 8K Ithaca Audio 1A 1110 Rev B RAM board.
One 8K Ithaca Audio RAM board with no revision markings, socketed RAM chips.
One DRC 8K RAM board, no model or revision markings, socketed RAM chips.
Two PTCO 4KRA RAM boards (soldered in).
One S-100 extender board.

The I/O boards...

One Tarbell 1011D FDC.
One SSM IO-4 board, 2 serial ports, 2 parallel input ports, 2 parallel 
output ports.

Extra stuff not installed in the machine (untested)...

One Canada Peripherals CL2400 Real Time Clock.
One ThinkerToys Disk Jockey 1.
One Compuprisim color video display board (16K DRAM).
Three Solid State Music audio synthesizer boards.

Known non-functional memory boards...

One 8K SRAM board, marked "F. Duston 1977".
Two PTCO 4K SRAM boards.
One Vector 8800V prototyping board, unused.

Peripherals and Software...

Two Sugart 8-inch floppy disk drives in an external chassis with power 
supply.

Several boxes of 8-inch floppy disks with CP/M 1.4 and assorted 
software.  While the CP/M disks are included
this machine IS NOT running CP/M!  The reason being, when I got the 
machine (from the original builder) the
I/O board had been removed, and the DIP switch settings changed.  I 
don't know the correct configuration settings
for the BIOS, and I don't currently have enough memory installed to boot 
all of the CP/M builds (48K being the
most common label on the system disks).

Documentation...

I beleive that all the documentation is present.  Many manuals for the 
Imsai chassis, as well as for the various memory
and I/O boards are present.

Testing performed...

I have run this Imsai and verified the CPU and memory are operational. 
 I have also entered the floppy disk test programs
from the Tarbell controller manual and verfied its ability to read and 
write sectors to drive 0.  Also the Tarbell bootstrap
works correctly.

I have also written simple test routines to send and receive serial data 
from the console serial port.  In short, this thing works
just fine.

Terms and Conditions...

Physically come and see the machine and documentation, and if its state 
is acceptable, pay cash and carry it away.  I'll supply
my own box of tissues and try not to cry uncontrollably as you drive 
away.  Once the machine is accepted, there is no warranty
and I'm not really able to help the buyer get this machine running CP/M.

The Machine's history...

This Imsai was built by a former co-worker.  He used it to learn 
programming, experiment with electronic music, and to
keep records for his bowling league (from looking at his disk labels 
anyway).  The machine was placed into storage when
he went off to college (around the time of the modern PC's 
introduction).  On his return, the machine was well behind the
state of the art, and it never returned to service.

The machine came to me directly from the closet of his parents' home. 
 As I was bringing the machine up, it suffered a failure
of a bridge rectifier diode, and was repaired with new diodes with a 
more appropriate PIV rating for the application.  This
repair is not visible.  All the power supply capacitors are original, 
and meet their capacitance and leakage specs.

With a rather low number of total operational hours, the interior of the 
machine is much much cleaner than would be expected
of this vintage.

I've had the machine for the last 5 years.

Reason for Sale...

I've wanted an Imsai since reading the ads in Popular Electronics back 
when I was in Jr. High School.  Several years ago I got
this machine from its original builder (who did a very reasonable job). 
 In the years that I've owned the machine, I have not found
or made the time to get this machine into its proper state, and I'm 
failing to do it justice.  Much of my classic computer time is
going into my HP machines, and my Imlac as well.

I just have not found the time to conserve this machine properly, I lack 
the low-level CP/M knowledge needed to build or tweak
the existing O/S into a working state, nor do I have another CP/M system 
to build a CP/M 2.2 disk for it.

So in the painful process of focusing my collection and classic 
computing efforts on my HP 1000's (and Imlac), I'm going to part
with my treasured Imsai.

Now then, this leaves only one more detail...

The Price...

$1,250.00 USD.  Cash and carry.  Location is Leominster MA.

Good homes only need apply.  Here's your chance to get a 'complete' 
Imsai system for the price some CPU chassis
go for without drives and extras.  Skip the eBay rat-race of last minute 
sniping and get that instant gratification of a
simple, direct purchase!

Got Blinkenlights?  If not, buy a real classic.

If this is the Imsai for you, please email me off list at:

[email-masked]

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From: Mail List <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun Jul 13 11:10:00 2003

Hello Bob,

That's a lot of stuff. Post some pictures if you can.

Best Regards

At 11:54 AM 7/13/03 -0400, you wrote:
>I'm going to sell my Imsai 8080, but I don't want to ship it.  I'd prefer 
>a 'local' buyer to come see the machine and carry it away
>Two 4K byte SSM (Solid State Music) RAM boards with gold on white ceramic 
>2102's (soldered in).
>Two Sugart 8-inch floppy disk drives in an external chassis with power supply.
>
>I/O board had been removed, and the DIP switch settings changed.  I don't 
>know the correct configuration settings
>I have run this Imsai and verified the CPU and memory are operational. I 
>have also entered the floppy disk test programs
>Physically come and see the machine and documentation, and if its state is 
>acceptable, pay cash and carry it away.  I'll supply
>The machine came to me directly from the closet of his parents' home. As I 
>was bringing the machine up, it suffered a failure
>of a bridge rectifier diode, and was repaired with new diodes with a more 
>appropriate PIV rating for the application.  This
>repair is not visible.  All the power supply capacitors are original, and 
>meet their capacitance and leakage specs.
>
>this machine from its original builder (who did a very reasonable job). In 
>the years that I've owned the machine, I have not found
>So in the painful process of focusing my collection and classic computing 
>efforts on my HP 1000's (and Imlac), I'm going to part
>with my treasured Imsai.
>
>Good homes only need apply.  Here's your chance to get a 'complete' Imsai 
>system for the price some CPU chassis

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From: Bob Shannon <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun Jul 13 11:18:00 2003

I don't have a easy place to post them, but I can make some very large, 
high quality photos
and email them to interested persons.

I don't have a simple digital camera, but I do have a digital-8 video 
camera and a Media 100 editing
system, so I can (with mild pain) digitize some video and export through 
Media Cleaner Pro.

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From: "ed sharpe" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun Jul 13 13:36:00 2003

here is another pic of when we ran 2000 system long ago!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Shannon" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: IMSAI 8080 Classic Microcomputer System

> If this is the Imsai for you, please email me off list at:

[demime 1.01a removed an attachment of type image/jpeg which had a name of hp2000_1.jpg]

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From: "John Allain" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun Jul 13 18:28:00 2003

> I don't have a easy place to post them, but 
> I can make some very large, high quality photos

I can host your pictures for at least a month 
if they don't generate too many thousand hits.
Include me in your emails.

John A.