Posted: 23 Jan 2018, 00:43
Curious — those are rare. More curiously, that's the reduced-size version (SKFRAD) that allows an LED to be squeezed in under the key, which is pointless here as there are no LEDs! Who made that?
Its a Dell NL25-KP. I've found only a few references to the fact it has these yellow Alps. No idea how common they are, but as Tuntematon says, he has a MX equipped Dell keypad.Daniel Beardsmore wrote: ↑Curious — those are rare. More curiously, that's the reduced-size version (SKFRAD) that allows an LED to be squeezed in under the key, which is pointless here as there are no LEDs! Who made that?
I've never had any MX blacks, but can't be much different. I have picked up this num pad several times, thinking it was a dome pad. I started messing with it today and noticed a few keys would bind, unlike a dome. I also have been typing quite a bit on my blues today, so the travel felt familiar. Popped a cap and was astonished. I'm pretty sure they are quite dirty. They are fairly smooth, but scratchy. They are also way heavier than my blues, or feel that way to me.Tuntematon wrote: ↑I was curious what was in those Dell keypads, but I never bothered to ask a seller. I have an older version with the same colour scheme, old Dell logo, different case, and an over-sized black coiled cable. It uses MX Black.
They are not meant to have an LED — it seems that they're reduced in size to allow an LED to be placed behind them, based solely on an Alps GlidePoint Keypad that used white tactile switches for all keys except num lock.twinrotor wrote: ↑When I started to look for information on the switches, I found the SKFRAD and also noticed they are the same type, but have no LEDs (I didn't pull the Num key cap).
Maybe the black is under the 5/centering key to help lessen false keystrokes while the user finds center? They feel stiffer, but that could be my imagination. I don't have an accurate way of measuring how much force it takes, but I assumed that is why they are under the big keys; fool the user into thinking they're the same "weight".Daniel Beardsmore wrote: ↑How odd. I can imagine that there's something about the full-size switches that makes them more suitable for wider keys, but why 5? What does the 5 key do differently that needs a different switch? How weird.
I assume that the PCB, if made by Alps, would have a 56AAA-style code — that looks to be far too recent for a 12K code, sadly.
Nice, nice, nice. Nice. I was going to reply in the photos section, but loading those beautiful photos twice just about blew up my old clunky 'puter, and my internet connection. That's *not* a criticism, just a note to myself that I need to upgrade a thing or three. Plus I can ramble off a bit here and still be on-topic.Brett MacK wrote: ↑From Northgate Omnikey 102
Thanks for the insight into this model. Information on the early omnikeys are virtually nonexistent. I was always curious what that inspection number is all about. It doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason.Polecat wrote: ↑Nice, nice, nice. Nice. I was going to reply in the photos section, but loading those beautiful photos twice just about blew up my old clunky 'puter, and my internet connection. That's *not* a criticism, just a note to myself that I need to upgrade a thing or three. Plus I can ramble off a bit here and still be on-topic.Brett MacK wrote: ↑From Northgate Omnikey 102
Thanks also for posting the photo with the "inspection number" visible (which is what I'm tentatively calling the small number tag). Some of the Northgates have as many as three paper labels on the back side, which I believe were applied by Northgate after they were delivered, rather than by the manufacturer. In the case where there's a paper label with a serial number that number does not match the one on the small "inspection number" tag. Early Focus boards had similar "inspection number" tags, and may have followed the same sequence(s), which supports the idea of others here that (at least some) Focus and Northgate boards came from the same manufacturer. All speculation of course, just throwing the ideas up again to keep the wheels spinning.
Out of 12 Gen1 (gold label) Northgates on my list all 12 have an "inspection number". 9 of the 12 begin with an 8, the other 3 with a 1. Yours falls right in the middle of the block of 9 - number 5. Of those 9, 6 have blue Alps, 2 have white Alps, one unknown. Of the 3 that begin with a 1, 1 has blue Alps, 2 have white. One possibility is that there were two factories with different numbering systems, but again pure speculation.
It's the anti-lisp board You did an amazing retrobright job on this one! Did you sandblast the key caps? The home row looks really shiny in the ebay pictures.
Now you are really tempting me to buy a 6011 tomorrow
No sandblasting! They are indeed a bit shined, but I don't mind. Like retrobrighting, sand blasting, in my opinion is just a temporary fix for the inevitable.Slom wrote: ↑ It's the anti-lisp board You did an amazing retrobright job on this one! Did you sandblast the key caps? The home row looks really shiny in the ebay pictures.
Now you are really tempting me to buy a 6011 tomorrowSpoiler:
Do you know how the dip switch works? I find it strange that it has 3 positions labeled 1/2/3, when often there is 2 labeled AT/XTE3E wrote: ↑
The one pansku has is definitely 1:1 with a KB101/102A. This case is very similar but slightly different, mostly in the feet on the bottom and the protocol dip switch.
Correct you are!E3E wrote: ↑I believe that only the middle one works on modern systems. One is modified XT and the other is normal XT, I think; the middle is AT/PS2, if I recall correctly.
Most kb-101as and 6011s actually came with non-doubleshot caps - so that is normal. It was previously assumed that the KB-101AS model came with doubleshot caps, but apparently that isn't always the case - I dunno if that means some kb-101AS boards did not come with them or if it means that some KB-101A boards did come with thempansku wrote: ↑What was also odd is that the keycap (Esc) which I pulled out was not doubleshot unlike the KB-101A pictures in the wiki. I can't pull put other caps before sunday evening to confirm if this is true for the rest of the caps like Ctrl or Å.
Yeah, as you may remember my KB101AS came with acer pad printed keycaps//gainsborough wrote: ↑ Most kb-101as and 6011s actually came with non-doubleshot caps - so that is normal. It was previously assumed that the KB-101AS model came with doubleshot caps, but apparently that isn't always the case - I dunno if that means some kb-101AS boards did not come with them or if it means that some KB-101A boards did come with them
2 dip switches would allow 4 modes, so 3 dip switches would mean there are at least 5 modes and as many as 8 modes, but you only listed 3.E3E wrote: ↑I believe that only the middle one works on modern systems. One is modified XT and the other is normal XT, I think; the middle is AT/PS2, if I recall correctly.
Like you I was surprised how little actual info is available online on the Northgates, especially considering the interest in these. I've been following them since they first came out back in the '80s, but I'm far from an expert. I own 14 Northgates including four Gen1 examples. Recently I decided to start gathering information on as many as I could (and also Focus and Monterey boards) in hopes of learning more about them. I have 85 Northgates on the list with full or partial info. The "inspection number" stuff is just one possibility for what those numbers are about. I'd love to hear any other ideas.Brett MacK wrote: ↑
Thanks for the insight into this model. Information on the early omnikeys are virtually nonexistent. I was always curious what that inspection number is all about. It doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason.
Also might have something to do with it being a 6012 (vs 6011) and/or a Swedish version (lower production).//gainsborough wrote: ↑What's weird is that the PCB does say kb-101. Maybe this was like one of the first 6011/6012 boards or something where they still used the kb-101a guts.
My Multitech-branded KB-101A (not AS) came with double shot caps.//gainsborough wrote: ↑Most kb-101as and 6011s actually came with non-doubleshot caps - so that is normal. It was previously assumed that the KB-101AS model came with doubleshot caps, but apparently that isn't always the case - I dunno if that means some kb-101AS boards did not come with them or if it means that some KB-101A boards did come with them