Alps64 build with Alps SKCM Brown

Scarpia · 18 Oct 2016, 22:30

This is my 60. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

Spoiler:

This is my first custom keyboard build. Fun little project, took about 3-4 hours to build (after the ~8 months it took to locate and acquire all the parts

), not counting desoldering the AEKII and VideoWriter donor boards.

I still need to retr0bright that banana space bar, but other than that, it's done.

Check out my mini build log / gallery if you like: http://imgur.com/a/6QdOG

XMIT · 18 Oct 2016, 22:35

Neat! That's two in one weekend.

I kind of wish I had held on to my brown Alps. I think they would have worked with cream damped sliders making an amazing switch. Oh well, they're in good hands with ohaimark.

Mine has a clear case, a control key from an M0116, front printed legends to match the key layout of a V60, and an Apple badge.

When I soldered in the diodes I did all the solder from the component side and not the switch side of the Alps64 PCB (as if I were surface mount soldering). It results in a very clean look. For nearly every connection I was able to trim the legs of the diodes flush to the PCB.

Scarpia · 18 Oct 2016, 22:47

XMIT: Yeah, I just saw your clear one - very nice build! I especially liked how you used the wide control key from an M0116! Very sleek! I need to put in an Esc key too.

I am not sure what you mean by the solder "from the component side". I placed all my diodes on the component side (meaning I technically did the soldering on the switch side).

As for the browns, I must say, if they were pristine, this board would be very nearly endgame. Brown SKCM Alps are phenomenally undervalued, perhaps because they are so rare and few people have actually tried them. I didn't want to jinx it by admitting this in public until I could get my hands on enough brown Alps switches to build my Alps64, but brown Alps actually have that silky thock-y Topre keyfeel people always talk about, but in a vintage rubberdome-less mech.

Now if I could only find a safe way to clean and re-lube these (ever so slightly scratchy) ones back to their former glory....

Hypersphere · 18 Oct 2016, 22:56

Nice build! The mocha spacebar actually looks fine.

Now I am having seller's remorse. I recently sold the last of my stash of IBM 5140 keyboards (without caps) with SKCM brown Alps. I have, however, kept a custom 60% with brown Alps that has a stainless steel plate. It is fun to use, but the switches seem rather stiff and unyielding for long typing sessions. Nevertheless, I really like the tactility of brown Alps, and I think that they could be excellent in a more resilient keyboard design.

Scarpia · 18 Oct 2016, 23:03

Hypersphere: I saw TWO reasonably prices brown Alps boards on eBay just last week

they were being sold in the U.S. or I would have taken them both (hoarding brown Alps is my thing now). In fact:

VideoWriter $99 BIN:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnavox-Videow ... 2272085241

VideoWriter auction (including the computer etc.):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PHILIPS-MAGNAVO ... 1877502140

IBM 5140 auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-IBM-514 ... 2585807036

emdude · 18 Oct 2016, 23:11

XMIT wrote: ↑I kind of wish I had held on to my brown Alps. I think they would have worked with cream damped sliders making an amazing switch. Oh well, they're in good hands with ohaimark.

This is how I have my 60% Brown Alps keyboard set up right now, it feels pretty great; Distinctly tactile but somewhat like a RD with its dampened bottom-out.

Hypersphere · 18 Oct 2016, 23:26

@Scarpia: Thanks. I think I have seen some of these. I was actually going to bid on an IBM 5140 recently, but I forgot to set my alarm and missed the sale -- it went for a fairly reasonable price, too. However, I also have to answer to my wife, and I have been justifying other keyboard expenditures based on recent sales of stripped IBM 5140s. I would have some explaining to do if more IBM 5140s started showing up in the mail!

Regarding the Videowriters, you have to be careful. I think that only the Model 250 has brown Alps, but not all of them do -- I found out the hard way that some are rubber domes. I notice that one of these currently up for sale has specified that the keyboard has brown Alps, but they are asking more than I would want to pay, especially given that I would not be interested in the keycaps on the Videowriter board (although they are doubleshots and not bad, just a bit dark).

I just went through your entire build log, Scarpia. Thanks for posting such a complete record of your project. This is very helpful for others who are contemplating making their own custom keyboards.

Scarpia · 18 Oct 2016, 23:45

Hypersphere wrote: ↑Regarding the Videowriters, you have to be careful. I think that only the Model 250 has brown Alps, but not all of them do -- I found out the hard way that some are rubber domes.

True, but as far as I can tell, the 250 and 350 keyboards have different layouts. The brown Alps VideoWriter 250 keyboard is smaller and has a separate 'plus' shaped arrow cluster on the top right, like this:

While the non-Alps 350 keyboard is the larger one with a function key cluster on the right:

seebart · 19 Oct 2016, 00:25

Very nice indeed, pretty impressive for your first build project.

Scarpia · 19 Oct 2016, 00:49

Thanks for the kind words

Now I just realized I will need an 'esc' keycap from an M0116 because the function row on the AEKII has the switches rotated 90 degrees, so the escape keycap from my donor board won't work :-/

seebart · 19 Oct 2016, 00:51

You should be able to find one with some patience.

Hypersphere · 19 Oct 2016, 01:34

@Scarpia:

Apple M0116 Orange Alps $59.95

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Apple-M ... Sw-CpYBlRp

Scarpia · 19 Oct 2016, 08:26

Thanks, but 60 bucks plus shipping is just more than I'm willing to pay for an escape keycap

Hypersphere · 19 Oct 2016, 15:15

Scarpia wrote: ↑Thanks, but 60 bucks plus shipping is just more than I'm willing to pay for an escape keycap

Yes, but you would have some orange Alps and keycaps for your next project!

BTW, here's an example of a Videowriter keyboard that externally looks like a brown Alps 250 model, but it actually has inverted rubber domes and the caps are not doubleshots:

: Videowriter_rubberdome.jpg (61.28 KiB) Viewed 5822 times

Scarpia · 19 Oct 2016, 15:35

Hypersphere: That's devilish! I was sure the layout was a dead giveaway of brown Alps. Any other markings we could use? Any differences in stepped keys? Logo?

Hypersphere · 19 Oct 2016, 15:40

I'm not aware of any external clues giving away the domes that lurk beneath. As I said before, I found out the hard way by purchasing a Videowriter 250 keyboard that looked like a brown Alps board only to discover that it had rubber domes. There might be some tell-tale information on the back label, but I do not recall.

Keybug · 19 Aug 2017, 23:27

Sorry about necroposting, but I just fell into the same trap, having bought a VideoWriter 250 board which turned out to have rubber domes. From looking at pictures of several with ALPS switches, the logo on them says 'Magnavox' under 'Videowriter', whereas my rubber dome one hasthe model number 250 there instead of 'Magnavox'.

Also, the caps on mine are clearly pad-printed whereas the ALPS appear to be doubleshot, which might help if you have really good photos to look at...