weird Chicony 5170 with metal cased switches

[mhinsch]

This has turned up in a curiosity ebay buy. Chicony 5170 with (terribly yellowed) thick doubleshots. The weirdest thing is the switches, though. Any idea anybody what this is?

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[ripster]

MX compatible chicony.

http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=27327

Gosh darn it.....

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?1911 ... post365873

[mhinsch]

MX compatible chicony.

Geekhack attachments have been disabled on this forum.

Gosh darn it.....

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?1911 ... post365873

Aah. Thanks!

[Ascaii]

MX compatible chicony.

Geekhack attachments have been disabled on this forum.

Gosh darn it.....

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?1911 ... post365873

wrong. Those are Mitsumi switches.

[off]

MX compatible chicony.

Geekhack attachments have been disabled on this forum.

Gosh darn it.....

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?1911 ... post365873

wrong. Those are Mitsumi switches.

which is what he linked to. your post.

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

Nice find, but that has got to be one of the weirdest layouts I’ve ever come across. The vim user in me cringes at the lack of escape key. How do you find it to type on?

[Ascaii]

MX compatible chicony.

Geekhack attachments have been disabled on this forum.

Gosh darn it.....

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?1911 ... post365873

wrong. Those are Mitsumi switches.

which is what he linked to. your post.

gh was down, so I couldnt check his links.

[rodtang]

The vim user in me cringes at the lack of escape key.

Esc is next to numlock.

[off]

gh was down, so I couldnt check his links.

'When in doubt, assume ripster to be either trolling or plain wrong.'

So yeah mhinsch, how do you feel they are to type on?

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

The vim user in me cringes at the lack of escape key.

Esc is next to numlock.

Well spotted — I didn’t see that there. Still, my muscle memory would make adjusting to that aggravating. If I was using this keyboard, I’d probably be better learning Ctrl-[ , since that works on all keyboards, and I wouldn’t suffer from disorientation every time I switched machine.

[mhinsch]

Nice find, but that has got to be one of the weirdest layouts I’ve ever come across. The vim user in me cringes at the lack of escape key. How do you find it to type on?

Well, I haven't really done any typing yet. The switches feel a bit like "crisp" rubber-domes. There is some initial resistance, then they become very light. Judging from some of the less-used keys they *might* have been clicky at some point (in the distant past...).

[ripster]

gh was down, so I couldnt check his links.

'When in doubt, assume ripster to be either trolling or plain wrong.'

So yeah mhinsch, how do you feel they are to type on?

I'd post the switch details but Off would just say I'm trolling. They don't click btw.

[off]

myeah, i only verbalised what his logic appeared there; can't reeeally say it's unsound though.

[mhinsch]

gh was down, so I couldnt check his links.

'When in doubt, assume ripster to be either trolling or plain wrong.'

So yeah mhinsch, how do you feel they are to type on?

I'd post the switch details but Off would just say I'm trolling. They don't click btw.

Well, some of the keys definitely produce a (somewhat faint) click.

[ripster]

Hmm... these are supposedly like Cherry Blacks.
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?1911 ... post365873

[Ascaii]

They vary by color. I have had variations of the mitsumi with pronounced tactile point and click.

[RC-1140]

By the way, I wouldn't call this layout weird, it's the standard XT Layout, with the only variation being the function keys, which belong to the left hand side. This is exactly the reason why there are only ten of them as well. But anyway, this layout is pretty standard, it's simply old. Can be found on Model Fs as well.

But you really get used to the Escape button on the Numpad, it's much more comfortable than left of the Function row.

btw. ascaii: did you notice my pm?

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

Well, I haven't really done any typing yet. The switches feel a bit like "crisp" rubber-domes. There is some initial resistance, then they become very light. Judging from some of the less-used keys they *might* have been clicky at some point (in the distant past...).

Sorry to hear that they’re nearly worn out.  The blue ALPS I got in my McDonnell Douglas keyboards were a bit hit-and-miss also: the switches in the less yellowed of the two were less clicky than those in the more yellowed.  I suspect they were more used, and this closer to being worn out.  I suppose knackered switches is just a risk you have to accept with these old keyboards.

Have you considered desoldering these and soldering in some newer Cherries?  It would probably be cost-prohibitive and very time-consuming, but isn’t that the way of these projects?

Edit: Also worth thinking about is retrobrighting the keycaps. I’m not certain, but I think double-shots should hold up to it pretty well. Of I’m wrong, someone please correct me.

By the way, I wouldn't call this layout weird, it's the standard XT Layout, with the only variation being the function keys, which belong to the left hand side. This is exactly the reason why there are only ten of them as well. But anyway, this layout is pretty standard, it's simply old. Can be found on Model Fs as well.

But you really get used to the Escape button on the Numpad, it's much more comfortable than left of the Function row.

I’ve never seen that layout before, but I suppose the escape key does make sense over there.  I’m just used to it being on the top left! I really should learn Ctrl-[…

[mhinsch]

Well, I haven't really done any typing yet. The switches feel a bit like "crisp" rubber-domes. There is some initial resistance, then they become very light. Judging from some of the less-used keys they *might* have been clicky at some point (in the distant past...).

Sorry to hear that they’re nearly worn out.  The blue ALPS I got in my McDonnell Douglas keyboards were a bit hit-and-miss also: the switches in the less yellowed of the two were less clicky than those in the more yellowed.  I suspect they were more used, and this closer to being worn out.  I suppose knackered switches is just a risk you have to accept with these old keyboards.

True. The Chicony was one of five boards I got from the same seller on ebay which also included a busted Model F (for sale right now ). On the other hand in the same batch I also got a very nice "Akhter" which turned out to be a Monterey with white clicky Alps(-compatible?) switches and nice double-shot keycaps - super-dirty but in a very good state after cleaning (BTW, I used the 'H' from your set to make the board usable (albeit not pretty - different font)). Since I only paid £1 for some of the boards, in the end the average price was quite reasonable.

Have you considered desoldering these and soldering in some newer Cherries?  It would probably be cost-prohibitive and very time-consuming, but isn’t that the way of these projects?

Edit: Also worth thinking about is retrobrighting the keycaps. I’m not certain, but I think double-shots should hold up to it pretty well. Of I’m wrong, someone please correct me.

Absolutely no time for that in the foreseeable future. I thought about look into retrobrighting the board, but perhaps I'm just going to sell it to somebody who can take better care of it.

By the way, I wouldn't call this layout weird, it's the standard XT Layout, with the only variation being the function keys, which belong to the left hand side. This is exactly the reason why there are only ten of them… as well. But anyway, this layout is pretty standard, it's simply old. Can be found on Model Fs as well.

But you really get used to the Escape button on the Numpad, it's much more comfortable than left of the Function row.

I’ve never seen that layout before, but I suppose the escape key does make sense over there.  I’m just used to it being on the top left! I really should learn Ctrl-[…

Hmm, I should try typing on it for a while... I've failed once before in re-training my vi-reflexes, but you never know...