6502 badge is go!

Yes readers, I built one:

All of 2 KB RAM, but the form factor can’t be beat. I’m sure I’ll be the hippest cat on the block when I pair it with my happening 2012 Hamvention lanyard …

Thanks to Josh Bensadon for bringing a 6502 40th Anniversary Badge back from VCF Midwest. Josh also got my Apple //e going again by replacing RAM chips: I can’t thank him enough for that, too!

VCF-MW 2017 6502 badge, with almost everything socketed

I did make some minor mods to the build:

  • I socketed the main chips. The 6502 is in 2× cut up 20-pin narrow sockets. Under the EPROM is the 2K×8 SRAM, socketed too. This means that the EPROM is in two stacked sockets and sticks out far too far. But at least it’ll allow me to upgrade the RAM
  • I used real pin-header jumpers and links for RAM and EPROM size selection instead of solder links. This meant a horrible kludge for the RAM selector under the SRAM chip involving angled and bent headers, a filed-down chip socket and a hand-knotted wire jumper (artisanal af!)
  • Even though there’s no mention of it in the manual, I stuck the battery pack on the back
  • One bad mod: the HL-340 RTS mod suggested in the manual is much harder than it looks. I trashed the supplied USB adapter, but I have others …

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