Question about Filco product

zslane · 06 Sep 2015, 03:21

Does anyone know if Filco ever produced a version of this keyboard with MX Black switches?

: Filco Majestouch-2 full ANSI keyboard in (biege) white.; filco_majestouch_red_us_white_large.jpg (197.73 KiB) Viewed 2757 times

All I ever see listed (in dead ads from back when it was in production) are models with MX Red switches.

Elrick · 06 Sep 2015, 03:46

Damn that's one fine piece of keyboard there. What would be brilliant, if someone provided Clears instead of Blacks.

Hypersphere · 06 Sep 2015, 17:06

There's this:

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product ... 00127.html

Not Filco, but Cherry, and available in full-size white with mx black as one of the switch choices.

Muirium · 06 Sep 2015, 17:29

$200!!??!!??!!

I got mine, NIB, for more like $20.

http://deskthority.net/group-buys-f50/i ... 10678.html

Hypersphere · 06 Sep 2015, 17:33

Yep, $200 seems outrageous, and I'm not even Scottish.

Redmaus · 06 Sep 2015, 17:51

Just buy the one with reds and replace with vintage blacks supplied by me.

seebart · 06 Sep 2015, 17:53

Just buy a vintage keyboard with vintage backs!

Redmaus · 06 Sep 2015, 17:54

Supplied by me!!

No seriously, I need to sell some things.

zslane · 06 Sep 2015, 18:08

I would gladly replace the MX reds with MX blacks if (a) I didn't have to do all the labor of replacement, and (b) I could get my hands one with reds in the first place. They are long out of production.

I was considering putting in a [WTB] in the Marketplace but thought I'd first see if asking for one with MX blacks was anything but pointless (which it would be if they were never made).

Muirium · 06 Sep 2015, 18:13

Cue someone trying to sell you lighter springs…

That mod's a lot of fiddly work. And plate mounted boards make it much worse.

shreebles · 07 Sep 2015, 15:56

I would buy a bunch of Gateron Blacks, solder out the reds, and put in the blacks. If the PCB is at least half-decent quality (cough cough Cooler Master) you will probably not suffer any losses through the mod. In the end you will have a keyboard that is not only unique, but (in my eyes) better than the Cherry variant, while being cheaper than vintage blacks, and it saves you the hassle of opening each switch to change the spring.

chzel · 07 Sep 2015, 16:06

Filco PCBs are well made. They are somewhat difficult to desolder for the novice due to plated through holes. Get a good pump, add a good dollop of leaded solder and suck away. They can withstand a bit of abuse and heat, so not too difficult.

Spikebolt · 15 Sep 2015, 17:58

Hypersphere wrote: ↑There's this:

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product ... 00127.html

Not Filco, but Cherry, and available in full-size white with mx black as one of the switch choices.

Time to sell my G80

zslane · 25 Sep 2015, 19:59

It seems that Cherry G80-3000 family keyboards all have stepped Caps Lock keys. Are they centered stem or offset stem?

jou · 25 Sep 2015, 20:06

They're off center

Muirium · 25 Sep 2015, 20:06

Offset. (Mine is anyway.)

zslane · 25 Sep 2015, 20:46

Okay, well at least that means Round 5/5a stepped keys can be mounted on them.

andrewjoy · 25 Sep 2015, 20:50

on the cherry yes, not on the filco

i wonder if there are any left in that GB , iso tho

, the numerals however will make one sweet ass numberpad

Muirium · 25 Sep 2015, 20:54

Round 5 works on practically everything with MX mounts. It's freaking huge! On purpose.

zslane · 25 Sep 2015, 21:07

Right, not on the Filco, I get that. But if the only full ANSI white keyboard with MX blacks that I can find (and like) ends up being something in the Cherry family, at least I know there's a Round 5a Caps Lock key that will work with it (plus it would be fun to cover the Cherry logo with a Symbolics replica badge).

Muirium · 25 Sep 2015, 21:18

Yeah, SA has both types of Caps Lock. But you don't get to choose between stepped and unstepped. Off centre = stepped. Centred mount = non-stepped.

DSA, meanwhile, has off-centre non-stepped like this:

The Control key at top left is centre stemmed 1.75u, while the cap immediately underneath is 1.75u off-centred, no step.

DSA has stepped as well, but with the same limitation as SA: stepped = off centre only. I'm not sure if there's any ABS vs. PBT limitations in which are available in a given set. But my Dolch is ABS and has nonstepped in both varieties, and my Granite is PBT and I think does things the same way as SA.

Complex!

zslane · 29 Sep 2015, 23:24

I don't think I'm going to be looking for any more keyboards with MX black switches. I'm auditioning one now with SA caps and despite the substantial weight and height of SAs, MX blacks just feel too stiff to me. So I think it is MX reds all the way for me, regardless of the type of keycap.