Filthy vintage cherry mx blacks - do they worth the effort?

Lynx_Carpathica · 27 Jan 2017, 16:39

Hi guys. I've got a Keyronic KB-5151A (according to the mainboard). It has Vintage MX blacks, and are dirty as hell. So dirty, it makes the switches bind a bit. Not mutch... But a little bit. Is it worth the effort of desoldering, cleaning, and selling, or does this thing wort anything at all to begin with...?
It's not an official, but a rebranded one. Varyter XT - it says.. I'm going to clean the keycap and the case.

EDIT: Or strip it down, and sell it's parts...

Wodan · 27 Jan 2017, 16:45

Desolder them, pop them open, put them in an ultrasound cleaner and rinse them well ... good as new!

I should finally do a video on how to vintage-black shit up.

Lynx_Carpathica · 27 Jan 2017, 16:51

~1kHUF (about 310HUF=1€)... probably worth it. How mutch does this keyboard probably worth?

Wodan · 27 Jan 2017, 16:59

Just talking about the switches, I used to sell vintage black keyboards for ~30€

Lynx_Carpathica · 27 Jan 2017, 17:02

so it's probably worthless... Interesting to see that an AT101W worth just as mutch.

Thanks!

Wodan · 27 Jan 2017, 17:12

That's just my prices ... You can surely ask for more after desoldering and cleaning the switches!

I mean if you want to make a business out of this, you can make some nice money hunting vintage black switches and doing a perfect clean & mod job on them.

seebart · 27 Jan 2017, 17:40

Sure it's worth it for those old MX blacks. Is there a date on the PCB anywhere?

Lynx_Carpathica · 27 Jan 2017, 17:42

I'll have to see.

Lynx_Carpathica · 27 Jan 2017, 23:06

I have no clue honestly. I can't find any date codes on the board whatsoever. But if I had to guess '86-'88. It's XT only.
If I can sell the board for 60€, I'll be happy. Or if I can swap it for a g80-1k or a board with B3G-S or blue ovals (I doubt anyone would want to exchange theirs to this junk though)

seebart · 27 Jan 2017, 23:10

Lynx_Carpathica wrote: ↑I have no clue honestly. I can't find any date codes on the board whatsoever. But if I had to guess '86-'88. It's XT only.

I'd say those old MX blacks are worth keeping but you decide for yourself. Personally I don't need any more.

Lynx_Carpathica · 27 Jan 2017, 23:16

seebart wrote: ↑
Lynx_Carpathica wrote: ↑I have no clue honestly. I can't find any date codes on the board whatsoever. But if I had to guess '86-'88. It's XT only.
I'd say those old MX blacks are worth keeping but you decide for yourself. Personally I don't need any more.

But the keycaps will have to go. Do they worth anything, due to the wierd layout? And I don't have anything to put them into, and I'm planning on getting a G80-1k anyway, so the switches can go. Only my G80-1800, but that's not worthy enough.

Edit: Thanks for your help, guys! If the keyboard and the switches are clean, they will go to the Marketplace!

seebart · 27 Jan 2017, 23:20

Lynx_Carpathica wrote: ↑If I can sell the board for 60€, I'll be happy. Or if I can swap it for a g80-1k or a board with B3G-S or blue ovals (I doubt anyone would want to exchange theirs to this junk though)

I don't think you'll be able to find anyone for that trade but it's just too nice to throw away is what I'm saying.

Laser · 27 Jan 2017, 23:21

I would take your keycaps, say 10 euros plus shipping - they seem to complement a lasered keyset I have. Without the spacebar

Lynx_Carpathica · 27 Jan 2017, 23:23

seebart wrote: ↑
Lynx_Carpathica wrote: ↑If I can sell the board for 60€, I'll be happy. Or if I can swap it for a g80-1k or a board with B3G-S or blue ovals (I doubt anyone would want to exchange theirs to this junk though)
I don't think you'll be able to find anyone for that trade but it's just too nice to throw away is what I'm saying.

I just don't want to see this board around here! It caused me so mutch pain and thinking what to do... they will have go go! First I will try to sell it in one piece. If it won't be bought, I'll strip it down.

Laser: PM!

seebart · 27 Jan 2017, 23:26

Lynx_Carpathica wrote: ↑...It caused me so mutch pain and thinking what to do...

Lynx_Carpathica · 27 Jan 2017, 23:34

seebart wrote: ↑
Lynx_Carpathica wrote: ↑...It caused me so mutch pain and thinking what to do...

I'm so hesitant to sell it, and I want to make a profit too (ironic, it cost me nothing, so even a penny is profit

)
But it's a shame it looks like a junkyard, the switches are in terrible condition, and on the top of that, I'm not willing to get a soarer's converter. I had enough of disassemblyng cleaning and reassembling switches. I just want them to work without any thinkering. Modding my G80-1800 is not wort it. A cheap keyboard, nothing special. And theese are plate mount, and my 1800 is PCB, so I'd have to disassemble them too, and swap the sliders. No thanks. I'll have enough "fun" with my Alps boards when I'll get them.

Laser · 28 Jan 2017, 00:08

To continue the discussion from PM, I think the keyboard profit is maximum in the following conditions:

- the keyboard is restored
- the keycaps stay on *this* keyboard, since it's very rare that somebody else would have a keyboard with the same layout

Now, if the keyboard looks nice and new, and the switches work flawlessly, and because the keycaps are doubleshots, the whole assembly starts to look appealing

So, restoring work => profit

Lynx_Carpathica · 28 Jan 2017, 00:12

I'm going to restore them, no doubt, the dilemma is... Sell or stay...?

Daniel Beardsmore · 28 Jan 2017, 00:18

"Keyronic"?

Laser · 28 Jan 2017, 00:21

Lynx_Carpathica wrote: ↑I'm going to restore them, no doubt, the dilemma is... Sell or stay...?

That, you can decide afterwards. Who knows, maybe you fall in love with the keyboard

Lynx_Carpathica · 28 Jan 2017, 00:32

Daniel:typo.
Laser: I doubt it. Xt protocol. Can't use with anything.

Daniel Beardsmore · 28 Jan 2017, 00:50

See, it seems that you meant to say "Keytronic", but you also suggest that it's fake. It's the first I've heard of anyone pretending to be Key Tronic. Funny, because some people would be glad to have a fake when their Key Tronic keyboard turned out to have Cherry switches …

Laser · 28 Jan 2017, 01:14

Re-reading the 1st post - I think "Varyter XT" is not a rebrand, but something meaning "of XT variety" is some language ...

Laser · 28 Jan 2017, 01:22

Lynx_Carpathica wrote: ↑Daniel:typo.
Laser: I doubt it. Xt protocol. Can't use with anything.

workshop-f7/xt-at-ps2-terminal-to-usb-c ... t2510.html

Lynx_Carpathica · 28 Jan 2017, 10:47

Read back a bit

seebart · 28 Jan 2017, 10:59

How about just forgetting about this keyboard altogether Lynx_Carpathica? You say it cost you nothing and it seems to me you almost hate it now? Why all the fuss? I'll tell you fun little story: I own a box full of keyboards all of which are pratically useless that I all paid for over he years...but I don't spend one second thinking about any of those because I know it's pretty much a waste of time.

Wodan · 28 Jan 2017, 11:42

OMG you also have a box of shame?

seebart · 28 Jan 2017, 12:13

Wodan wrote: ↑OMG you also have a box of shame?

Sure, but I call it the "the box of waste" because the contents were a waste of time and money. Over the years I have actually thrown out a few things like a horrible filthy Dell AT not worth saving, other useless keyboards like this HP dome is still in that box of waste:

: IMGP4525.JPG (908.95 KiB) Viewed 6653 times

Lynx_Carpathica · 28 Jan 2017, 13:41

I made the descision: Restore, clean, and then sell it here, on Deskthority. I'm sure someone will get it. It also has cintage MX Blacks, making it to have the potential to be mutch...Mutch smoother than a new mx black. And the keys in the moddle (GHJK for example) are buttery smooth. And yes. there IS a difference between new and vintage MX Blacks.

Laser · 28 Jan 2017, 13:45

A Soarer's converter loaded on Arduino Pro Micro would be a very very (very) cheap, functional solution.