WTB several IMSAI-8080 ON-OFF-ON momentary switches

[Santo Nucifora]

As far as I know, the original Altair 8800 uses the normal full bat handle
switches.  The Altair 8800a and 8800b use flat bat handled switches as
shown on mine here:
http://vintagecomputer.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/MITS-Tower.jpg

I had to find some of the flat bat handled switches and the authentic ones
are almost impossible to find.  I happened to find a person who worked at
MITS that had some spares.

On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 10:25 PM, drlegendre . <drlegendre at gmail.com> wrote:

> Oh duh for me! Confusion reigns supreme.
>
> Yes.. the IMSAI uses those really wide plastic paddle switches.. that I had
> always assumed were a +Carling+ part, as Carling has a line of switches
> with similar handles.
>
> Altair 8800A and B both use the metal mini-toggles - the former, bat-handle
> the latter, the narrow metal paddle-handle.
>
> On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 9:01 PM, Richard Cini <rich.cini at verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
> > The "B" model used a flatted bat handle toggle switch which IIRC weren't
> > made by C&K. I think I may have the number somewhere but I think there
> was
> > a thread with this info a few years ago. A Google search might produce
> it.
> > The Altair group archive on Yahoo might have it too.
> >
> >  The IMSAI uses a plastic paddle switch.
> >
> > Rich
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> > > On Nov 5, 2016, at 9:56 PM, drlegendre . <drlegendre at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > "Not exactly--momentary, yes, but clearly not the paddle switches used
> on
> > > the IMSAI.   Fortunately, PCB-mount toggle switches are quite a bit
> > > easier to locate."
> > >
> > > Right, I thought about that once I'd posted.
> > >
> > > My 8800A (with B supplies) still has the basic mini bat-handle style
> > > switches. Correct me on this, but the later Altair 8800B use the
> > > paddle-style handle, same as the IMSAI?
> > >
> > >> On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 8:45 PM, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> On 11/05/2016 05:10 PM, Mike Ross wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>> I need those too - some of my Altair switches have the handles
> > >>> physically broken... in fact pretty much ALL the large switches (the
> > >>> bottom row for run/deposit/exam/reset etc.) are ropey in one way or
> > >>> another and need replacing (the smaller data/address switches are
> > >>> fine). If anyone tracks down the correct type of switch please post
> > >>> a link here! Or if you have any for sale shoot me an email.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> The site I linked to from C&K is a good example of how a
> manufacturer's
> > >> web site should be--parameterized search with vendor stock check.  So,
> > >> for example, the momentary on-off-on 20V PC mount unthreaded with
> 10.67
> > >> mm handle would be 7105SY9V3BE--and Arrow has about 150 in stock.
> > >>
> > >> Beats spending time on the phone talking to "inside sales".
> > >>
> > >> --Chuck
> > >>
> >
> >
>