imsai 8080 power switch

Don Y <dgy at dakotacom.net> wrote: It is a good idea because everybody who ever had a IMSAI has reached inside to tinker with something nearby on the front panel when "YOWZAA, That's Live" becomes the only thought in the head! One very common (and even mentioned in the IMSAI manual) modification is to not use this switch for 120VAC, but to use it as a write-protect toggle for a bank of RAM. With the original low-density (1K, 2K, 3K, 4K) memory boards this is reasonable, and some higher density boards even supported this kind of option. In this case an external switch or a switch on the back panel (one would hope with some kind of insulation on exposed terminals!) is used for AC power. The concept of an "original virgin" IMSAI 8080A is quite odd anyway. These were heavy-duty hacking machines owned by the heavy duty micro hackers, and if someone had a good idea that required a hole or two in the back or some rewiring on the front they didn't let anyone dictate whether they should do it or not. For a while in the 90's I "restored" hacked-up IMSAI 8080A's back to "original" condition but in retrospect the hacked-up versions are MORE authentic of how they were used. Tim.