Bunch from a storage unit

grave00 · 11 Nov 2012, 08:58

Wasn't sure what all I was getting. Need a bath obviously. I guess 5 is a Brother Switch. Very heavy. Picked up another IBM not in these shots that's not as heavy but bigger. Same switch.

Not sure about 4. I've seen one posted somewhere. It's stiff and linear.

: 1.jpg (938.34 KiB) Viewed 8612 times

grave00 · 11 Nov 2012, 09:10

the rest

HaaTa · 11 Nov 2012, 10:02

#4 is a heavy variant of linear Futaba (though might be a George Risk version).

mintberryminuscrunch · 11 Nov 2012, 10:06

nice find!

TheQsanity · 11 Nov 2012, 12:27

How much was for all of that? Looks great.

And OMG Blue Alps!!!!

Daniel Beardsmore · 11 Nov 2012, 16:28

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).

grave00 · 11 Nov 2012, 17:00

TheQsanity wrote:How much was for all of that? Looks great.

And OMG Blue Alps!!!!

Yes, they definitely feel the best of the lot. I'd never tried them before being fairly new to mechanicals. Still haven't tried a buckling spring that I know of unless the old apples in school had them.

$200

Wasn't sure if was getting or giving a deal. Eh, $20 bucks each. Some are dogs but a few cool ones. I'm happy to get the IBMs and the Blue Alps. The rest are just interesting but I don't know that I'd ever want to type on them. I don't know how often I'll see a big bunch like that so I though what the heck.

He has more. IBMs I think. I might try to contact him again. He had two like my previous post that were from big techtronics terminals I'm told. A couple of others with probably exotic switches that were caseless. I didn't have a lot of time to process the feel but the caps were much like the one I had pictured in my other post. Key press much more typewriter like than average. Don't hold me to that though. I thought the Futaba felt good until I really started whacking away. Anyway, he wanted a bit more for those. $40 probably. There was an IBM mini attached via RJ45 to a PC. I think $150 for that.

grave00 · 11 Nov 2012, 17:02

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).

Pretty accurate. Spacebar is a mother too.

Daniel Beardsmore · 11 Nov 2012, 17:04

grave00 wrote:Still haven't tried a buckling spring that I know of unless the old apples in school had them.

What do you mean? You've taken a photo of one.

maxrunner · 11 Nov 2012, 17:27

which one is the blue alps?you only showed the close up.

rodtang · 11 Nov 2012, 17:31

maxrunner wrote:which one is the blue alps?you only showed the close up.

The keycat.

webwit · 11 Nov 2012, 17:32

More Keycat here... very nice blue Alps:
http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8 ... t1030.html

Daniel Beardsmore · 11 Nov 2012, 19:02

maxrunner wrote:which one is the blue alps?you only showed the close up.

Also the top-centre one. His photo numbering is completely out of whack.

Ascaii · 11 Nov 2012, 19:09

How do you like the M110a? It has the old style alps switches, one of my absolute favorites

grave00 · 12 Nov 2012, 03:10

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:
maxrunner wrote:which one is the blue alps?you only showed the close up.
Also the top-centre one. His photo numbering is completely out of whack.

Is it? The close up, when I did them, precedes the actual keyboard. Backwards from my intention but it was late and didn't want to redo. They are grouped together and if paired are 2 and 2a etc.

The Blue Alps are depicted together with their keyboards and labeled. The only labeling I did almost. The Keycat and the Jameco.

grave00 · 12 Nov 2012, 03:12

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:
grave00 wrote:Still haven't tried a buckling spring that I know of unless the old apples in school had them.
What do you mean? You've taken a photo of one.

I thought those were Brother Switches, not like Model M. Wanted to ask why one is much heavier. Industrial? I took a photo of a SSK but I only had my hands on it for a minute and it's not depicted here.

Ascaii wrote:How do you like the M110a? It has the old style alps switches, one of my absolute favorites

Not sure which one that is. The blues alps are by far the best to me of these for feel. The keycat by a nose but the Jameco has a black metal underside.

Ascaii · 12 Nov 2012, 07:28

Middle row, third from the Top. Its an old apple keyboard.

TheQsanity · 12 Nov 2012, 08:59

I wonder if there are anyone in my area with a storage unit full of keyboards... How do you guys find these storage unit people in the first place?

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Nov 2012, 09:26

grave00 wrote:Is it?

Generally, when numbering items in a photo, you'd have some sort of scheme, e.g. rows, columns, clockwise …

grave00 wrote:I thought those were Brother Switches, not like Model M.

5/5a is an IBM Model F with capacitive buckling springs – you've even got a photo of the buckling spring. You should find that it pings like crazy. The difference between the Model F (capacitive) and Model M (membrane) is the electrical contact mechanism.

grave00 · 12 Nov 2012, 09:30

Ascaii wrote:Middle row, third from the Top. Its an old apple keyboard.

It actually feels pretty good. Probably the nicest after the Alps or the springs maybe depending on preference. It's missing the uppermost right key though. I'm having trouble getting the slash to the left of it on correctly after pulling it. Those two are different than the majority of the keys.

The keycap has a slide that drops and a small spring sits down inside. I can't quite get it back the way it was. Right now it's sitting up too high.

So I think I figured out that the one IBM is a model F from an XT? What is the other one typically called? Just IBM model AT? Too bad the emblem is off it. Wonder if you can find just that piece somewhere. I see Daniel has beat me to the punch on the F.

My bad on the top photo. I hadn't really intended to follow it. I was just showing them all. Some are just rubber domes of some sort. I left out the apple too since it was missing a tooth.

Ascaii · 12 Nov 2012, 09:34

grave00 wrote:
Ascaii wrote:Middle row, third from the Top. Its an old apple keyboard.
It actually feels pretty good. Probably the nicest after the Alps or the springs maybe depending on preference. It's missing the uppermost right key though. I'm having trouble getting the slash to the left of it on correctly after pulling it. Those two are different than the majority of the keys.

The keycap has a slide that drops and a small spring sits down inside. I can't quite get it back the way it was. Right now it's sitting up too high.

So I think I figured out that the one IBM is a model F from an XT? What is the other one typically called? Just IBM model AT? Too bad the emblem is off it. Wonder if you can find just that piece somewhere. I see Daniel has beat me to the punch on the F.

My bad on the top photo. I hadn't really intended to follow it. I was just showing them all. Some are just rubber domes of some sort. I left out the apple too since it was missing a tooth.

Check this out: http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/the- ... t1067.html

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Nov 2012, 13:51

grave00 wrote:So I think I figured out that the one IBM is a model F from an XT?

The one with the IBM badge is the Model F AT: the PC/AT keyboard protocol introduced with this keyboard is bidirectional and it provided support for the LEDs on the keyboard which you can see. Very desirable board!

Icarium · 12 Nov 2012, 14:37

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:
grave00 wrote:So I think I figured out that the one IBM is a model F from an XT?
The one with the IBM badge[...]

I think you mean without.

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Nov 2012, 14:39

Uh, yeah >_<

The one with the badge will be an older model F — requires a converter from (presumably?) XT to USB, someone like Soarer or HaaTa should be able to advise.

The one with the badge missing is the PC/AT model F, that should just work with PC/AT→PS/2, PS/2→USB. In theory anyway. I know the Model M is infamously flaky over PS/2 to USB. (Never owned one — they sell for more than I'd want to pay for something I would only use for fun.)

HaaTa · 13 Nov 2012, 11:11

Here's a pic of some of the Futaba switches, the white one is from a Model 925, and the black "sealed" one is from a mini keyboard of sorts (that I forgot to take pics of...). Internally, they are the same switch.

Which has the same internals as:

Which I know as Futaba MD-4PCS as per http://www.electronicsurplus.com/Item/1 ... 20MD-4PCS/

Now, I do have some more variants around somewhere...

Oh, here's a mini version of the switch

Bah didn't get any more pics...

Anyways, I sent Icarium a bunch of the loose switches I had. He should have examples of all of the variants on hand. Mine are in a box in Canada.

Kurk · 13 Nov 2012, 11:32

Nice finds!
I'm wondering, what are the switches of the TeleVideo keyboard (picture #6 and #6a)? I've just received a verrrry dirty Philips board having the same switches.
edit: ....... ah, I have to look more closely. It's Hi-Tek.

kps · 13 Nov 2012, 15:38

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;

TeleVideo 925.

Daniel Beardsmore · 13 Nov 2012, 19:59

kps wrote:
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;
TeleVideo 925.

I meant the switch. According to HaaTa they're (really old) Futaba switches.

HaaTa: you get to do the honour of splitting up http://deskthority.net/wiki/Futaba_switch into multiple pages for the different switch types ;-)

Daniel Beardsmore · 13 Nov 2012, 20:11

HaaTa wrote:…

Which has the same internals as:

…

The large white and large black switches have quite different internals according to your photos. The metal parts for example aren't close to the same shape.

Also, the version on the BBC Micro is different again — it's a lot more like the mini version (long screw-in pins, bulky bottom plug) but with the tall, round style.

I hope it's not a clone … ;-)

HaaTa · 14 Nov 2012, 00:47

Interesting. I guess it's time to start hunting for patents! And manufacturing dates.

Not in my pics, but there is definitely a George Risk branded version as well.

I think it was this one, but it was a different colour, definitely had GRI branded on the side.
http://www.grisk.com/pushbutton/kbm-lp.html