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Strange Unknown Old Keyboard - Help with identification

Posted: 01 Oct 2020, 18:27
by fricked
Found this beauty for pretty cheap and I couldn't help myself
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If you have any ideas what the switches are or how old this thing is, drop a comment :oops:
pics below

I restore it
Spoiler:
Mounting cross is at an angle (this one is kinda broken though)
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Someone desoldered a keycap
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2 of the switches have at some point been replaced with newer black stem ones, also a bunch of the switches have holes drilled into the tops (???????????)
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PCB has seen better days
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yum
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rainbow plate
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The only legible markings are "Guang Lin PCB" on the pcb and this stuff on the ribbon cable... any ideas?
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I was taking apart the switches to clean them and this fell out of one of them... A note??
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I unravel it...
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Apparently the symbol means "paper"

goomba keycap
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It is almost MX mount... to put this on mx stems I would need to shave the stems a little bit and cut the ribs off the keycaps. But MX keycaps fit perfectly on the switches
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A bunch of the keycaps have this defect where you can see the inner plastic peeking through on the sides
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Also, the number keycaps and ( keycap are completely smooth, all the other keys have texture. This is clearly from manufacturing not from wear... but why????

Switch dissassembled... It is designed like a clicky switch but it doesn't really click. Granted they were quite dirty and a bit rusty so they may have felt a bit different originally, but even after cleaning the "click" is not very sharp. I will post typing video later
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Box navy for scale
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The stem has dampeners built into it for both the downstroke and upstroke... I've never seen this before
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Well here it is reassembled
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Couple jumpers for the really destroyed traces and I put some rubber feet on it
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Only after I plugged it in did I realize there are still 8 switches that don't work due to bad traces (some were literally cut, I don't know how I didn't notice this). It will need a lot more jumpers, I will do this later

Spoiler:
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tldr i gave this keyboard a second third/fourth chance
Spoiler:
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Re: Strange Unknown Old Keyboard - Help with identification

Posted: 01 Oct 2020, 19:00
by kelvinhall05
So pro restoration. Looks very nice.

Re: Strange Unknown Old Keyboard - Help with identification

Posted: 16 Oct 2020, 23:45
by Tha_Pig
This one looks like it needs a lot of work and patience!
Are you planing to restore it to work with a computer?

Re: Strange Unknown Old Keyboard - Help with identification

Posted: 18 Oct 2020, 08:19
by Jesseg
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