Apple IIc ALPS Yellow Slider Click

rzwv · 09 Dec 2012, 16:39

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ALPS Yellow Slider click. Deep yellow like an OMRON orange axis.
Weight is comparable as ALPS brown　Slider.
Touch which made the ALPS white axis heavy by the firm click. Gray point of contact.
A lock key is the same structure as Locke of M3501. Also click this.
Heavy one is regrettable although it is a very good axis.

ALPS黄軸クリック。OMRONオレンジ軸の様な濃い黄色。
重さはALPS茶軸と同程度。しっかりとしたクリックで、ALPS白軸を重くした感じ。
灰色接点。ロックキーはM3501のロックと同じ構造。これもクリック。
非常に良い軸ですが、重たいのが残念です。

Appendix. 付録↓

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Daniel Beardsmore · 10 Dec 2012, 00:40

I have updated the Alps CM wiki page with a reference to this page:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Alps_CM#Less_common_colours

Nice to see Alps being consistent with their colours ;-)

HaaTa · 10 Dec 2012, 03:33

Awesome rxwv!

Your dismantled switch pics are way better than mine, I should learn from you!

woody · 10 Dec 2012, 17:41

This type of Alps is fun to type on.

Daniel Beardsmore · 10 Dec 2012, 22:19

Trouble is I have no idea what he's photographed or why. The final switch of the six is from the Apple IIc, and is clearly notable for being yellow and clicky, which is just Alps being senselessly random. (Yellow is already documented as being linear with LED cutout as you can see above.)

Interesting to see a black switchplate though — another oddity.

No idea where the other switches came from, or their year, or force, or anything.

rzwv · 10 Dec 2012, 22:54

＞Daniel Beardsmore

These Sliders were photoed in order to compare Yellow Slider. I am sorry that explanation is insufficient.
From the left.

ALPS green Slider black switchplate　"IBM 5556 Multi-station Keyboard"
ALPS green Slider gray switchplate and LED type "ZENITH Z-150"
ALPS Yellow Slider White switchplate and LED type "ZENITH ZKB-2"
ALPS Yellow Slider gray switchplate in Click "Apple IIc"

Although it is a digression, there is also linear brown Slider.
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/521827

Daniel Beardsmore · 10 Dec 2012, 23:11

The wiki has brown down as tactile. Does this mean that brown has been used for both tactile and linear?

I've added that page to the wiki with a reference. I trust you that they're genuine Alps ;-) (they look to be it, but there are a few two-tab clones out there including SMK)

You need to post all your findings to the wiki, both Alps and SMK.

HaaTa · 11 Dec 2012, 08:44

Aren't the Brown alps in the IBM 5140 Convertible keyboard Linear? (well they sorta feel a bit parabolic actually, though I'd need to test them with a force gauge).

bhtooefr · 11 Dec 2012, 17:13

I've seen the Memory Expansion //c switches referred to as "taxi yellow" before (whereas the normal "yellows" that are linear are more of a neon yellow).

And they are my favorite Alps.

(A bit of history - the first //cs used a proprietary switch that basically sucked. The keyboard that used that switch had a plastic support bar along the bottom, because it was PCB mount. This interfered with where the Memory Expansion //c had an optional RAM card. Early RAM cards (that piggybacked on the CPU and MMU sockets, instead of in a dedicated memory expansion slot) sometimes came with carbon fiber support bars to replace the plastic one on the early keyboard, but Apple's solution was to switch to Alps switches, which were plate mount.)

Daniel Beardsmore · 11 Dec 2012, 23:15

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Z_mount_recognition updated to depict both shades of yellow, and brown.

bhtooefr · 11 Dec 2012, 23:39

Blatant hijack, but out of curiosity, where do "U" and "Z" mount come from? Signature Plastics mount names or something?

I'll note that the early //c switches are similar to what's described as "U" mount (although IIRC it's a bit smaller - I think a Cherry MX cap fits loosely, but a //c cap does not fit on an MX.)

Anyway, another thing about Z mount... Alps Plate Spring and Alps Supermembrane both, IIRC, use a white slider. The switch looks completely different externally, though, IIRC.

spolia_optima · 20 Dec 2012, 17:27

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:The wiki has brown down as tactile. Does this mean that brown has been used for both tactile and linear?

I've added that page to the wiki with a reference. I trust you that they're genuine Alps (they look to be it, but there are a few two-tab clones out there including SMK)

You need to post all your findings to the wiki, both Alps and SMK.

I've heard of linear browns, but never tinkered with one myself.
Brown tactiles, on the other hand, are fantastic. I don't know why they're so seemingly smoother than every other tactile CM, but I have a hunch it was the materials used. Seems like if you open the switch up and find a grey switchplate, it's always paired with either better materials, tighter tolerances, or some combination of both, with a little placebo in for good measure.

Anyway, brown tactiles FTW.

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