deskthority

3M keystrokes?! Even Xiang Min claim 5 :P

I'm hoping my keyboard collection will have a similar fate when I cark it. I'd hate for it to get dumped.

Doh. Those are definitely not the same switches as the BBC Micro. There are several differences: chamfering on and around the slider, two thin side cutouts instead of one, and the slider is 90° rotated, or depending on your viewpoint, the retention clips are at the sides and the thin cutouts are now at the top and bottom. These differences exactly match HaaTa's white Futaba.

Comparison here: [wiki]Generic cross mount recognition[/wiki]

So the BBC Micro has a clone switch or an even less common Futaba variant.

@grave00 — two requests:

a) Could I have the cross measurements of your Futaba switch slider in the Model 925? The BBC Micro's is approx. 3.75 x 4.75 mm with 1.25 mm arms. Curious to see if it's the same. And the figures can go on the wiki.

b) Could we get a nice picture of the Alpha Lock switch on the Model 925? It's a push-to-lock switch (or whatever the technical term for that is), and I can see from your photo that the switch has a black shell instead of white. (Which is what led me to check the manual to confirm that it is push to lock.)

Cheers.

Keycat cleaned and before and after Model 925 whitened. Keys still not there but it was a first and I'm not sure how that works with non-white. At any rate, I was just putting the case in a bath.

Keycat works all around. Couldn't really get the spacebar on the 925 right although it's not useable to me anyway. Still, I'd like to get it right if anyone has any pointers. It's got long hooked white plastic stabilizers on each end in addition to the center white switch. They go down and back toward the user if I'm not mistaken. It took me so long to get it whitened my memory of taking it out is fuzzy.

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:The "Model 925" has the same switches as many BBC Micros (it's the "Type 1" Beeb switch, the most common type). No clue who made it; it's a rock solid reliable medium weight linear switch with a virtually silent downstroke and loud upstroke that gives you a "lagged" sensation (every keystroke emits a delayed sound).

The Beebs used Futaba switches. The thing is, I remember using TVI terminals in college BUT they felt more spongy than the Beeb keyboards. I think Beeb keyboards were the best ever made...

BBC Micros used five different switches: Futaba simplified linear, two SMK linear variants, PED, and "Wongs/SMK" whatever they were. I did have a BBC B with a keyboard that seemed far better than the Futaba ones, but the space bar was broken. I set the computer aside with the intention of fixing the keyboard, and then gave it away by mistake, so I have no idea what type it was.

The Model 925 used Futaba complicated linear.

Bump: grave00 — any chance of seeing what's under the Alpha Lock key of the Fury Bear TeleVideo (and the model number of that keyboard)? I didn't spot that it also had Alpha Lock — that might be one of the really rare latching switches.

Yours keycat is futaba clicky switch or alps blue?

And I have the same keyboard layout with you but not same type. Your keyboard should be "Televideo 905" with (Linear)White two laugh eyes,(Linear)White one eye,(Linear)Neon green one eye,(Latching)Black centre eye, right?

Could I have a look the switch under the Caps lock, space bar, F8?
I more prefer you could pull out all keycaps if necessary because this keyboard have much variants of NMB Hi-Tek!