Alps Appreciation

[itzmeluigi]

If SKCL Greens are one of my all time favorite switches, does anyone think it would be worth it for me to try SKCC Greens? Are they smooth like SKCL Greens?

[jacobolus]

When in good condition, SKCC is as smooth as SKCM, but takes up more physical space, is usually on keyboards with weird keyboard layouts (with no modern pcb/plate/case choices unless you build it yourself), and has very few options for keycaps. If you don’t like the spring weight, you can swap in springs from SKCM switches, or various Alps clones.

[JinzoDefiler]

(Not my picture btw)

Dunno if anyone has posted this board yet. This is a damn fine Alps switched keyboard. Dell At101w. The older white/beige colured ones use the Salmon switches. These use the Black ones.

This and the Apple one was the 2 best for Alp's designs I've used. I would still be using the dell one if it wasn't so honking big.

[Redmaus]

I have one too! My only problem was black Alps and rollover issues...

[itzmeluigi]

When in good condition, SKCC is as smooth as SKCM, but takes up more physical space, is usually on keyboards with weird keyboard layouts (with no modern pcb/plate/case choices unless you build it yourself), and has very few options for keycaps. If you don’t like the spring weight, you can swap in springs from SKCM switches, or various Alps clones.

Excellent , its an IBM 5954339 and the keycaps on it look great, any known converters for them or would i need to wire the whole board to a Teensy/Arduino?

[XMIT]

If SKCL Greens are one of my all time favorite switches, does anyone think it would be worth it for me to try SKCC Greens? Are they smooth like SKCL Greens?

Given that you can get them brand new with sphericals for $25, yes, absolutely get some.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIB-IBM-Japanes ... 0994210683

...or buy direct (e-mail for a discount). http://meci.com/nib-ibm-japanese-letter ... 12884.html

[XMIT]

Oh, and - Orange Alps is the Best Alps.

workshop-f7/kbparadise-v60-alps-board-s ... 12964.html

[seaworthy]

@ XMIT Feel your pain. I desoldered two boards today. Even with a desoldering station (and I’ve done it with just an iron as well), it’s such a marathon. But as you say, there’s nothing like the crispness of orange Alps…and all the better in a 60% footprint. Enjoy it.

[itzmeluigi]

If SKCL Greens are one of my all time favorite switches, does anyone think it would be worth it for me to try SKCC Greens? Are they smooth like SKCL Greens?

Given that you can get them brand new with sphericals for $25, yes, absolutely get some.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIB-IBM-Japanes ... 0994210683

...or buy direct (e-mail for a discount). http://meci.com/nib-ibm-japanese-letter ... 12884.html

Thats the listing i was going to buy from, but im going to get the one with Chinese keycaps SKCL Greens are my favorite, cant wait to try these SKCC Greens outs

[bocahgundul]

so best caps for alps is :
Dell at 101
sgi bigfoot caps
AEK 2

anyother caps?

[Blaise170]

If standard keys isn't too important, the NEC PC-9801mk II SR has sweet keys.

[JinzoDefiler]

so best caps for alps is :
Dell at 101
sgi bigfoot caps
AEK 2

anyother caps?

Not as far as I know. Alps was never lucky enough to get adopted widely as much as cherry or mushbrane keyboards did. I know there is couple on this site. I dunno of their quality or anything sadly.

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/in ... ail&p=1362

[fohat]

This is a damn fine Alps switched keyboard. Dell At101w.

My primo AT101W is a black Dell body with transplanted lubed orange Alps and beige PBT keys from an older AT101 (except of the bottom row, of course). I also used the Dremel and transplanted the steel weight plate from the old one, and padded the interior.

It is my go-to PS/2 keyboard that sees regular use.

[mastermachetier]

Not as far as I know. Alps was never lucky enough to get adopted widely as much as cherry or mushbrane keyboards did. I know there is couple on this site. I dunno of their quality or anything sadly.

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/in ... ail&p=1362

I have used their cherry stuff. They are actually pretty decent especially for the money.

[Blaise170]

Oops.

[Tuntematon]

You can find some really nice doubleshots on some vintage laptops, but again, compatibility is somewhat limited. You can get yourself some nice alphas at least. There is the Toshiba T1100, 1200, 3100 and a few others, Zenith Supersport 286.

[Chyros]

so best caps for alps is :
Dell at 101
sgi bigfoot caps
AEK 2

anyother caps?

Those are just PBT ones (we have a fair amount of PBT lovers here). The SGI and Apple caps have weird italic legends that not everyone likes, and the Apple legends are printed in the wrong place. The Dell ones are the only normal-looking ones. All three were made by Alps themselves though. They probably also made the Zenith caps come to think of it.

Personally I like doubleshot ABS a lot, of which there is no shortage for Alps. Crisp, colourful, high-contrast legends and a deeper, bassier sound than PBT can give. Tai-Hao made (and still make) a huge amount of doubleshot ABS Alps caps.

[XMIT]

I've found a bunch of random terminal boards with Alps switches (green and yellow) with PBT caps. The layouts are funky so it can't quite cover ANSI but the alphas and some other keys are there. I'll experiment with this and post some photos.

[XMIT]

This is a damn fine Alps switched keyboard. Dell At101w.

My primo AT101W is a black Dell body with transplanted lubed orange Alps and beige PBT keys from an older AT101 (except of the bottom row, of course). I also used the Dremel and transplanted the steel weight plate from the old one, and padded the interior.

It is my go-to PS/2 keyboard that sees regular use.

As I mentioned earlier my best Alps board at the moment is a KBparadise V60 with Orange Alps.

I'm going to convert my V80MTS to something nicer when I get it back from a coworker who is borrowing it for the weekend. I want to experiment with white/cream damped sliders from an AEK II in an Orange switch body with the Orange tactile plate and spring. I'm hoping that it feels just like Orange Alps but quieter and perhaps with a slight travel reduction. In other words, I'm expecting it to be amazing.

[fohat]

It is just so hard to complete a proper set.

The old AT101 (+new AT101W bottom row) combo on the Dell is tolerable, but I have both the old Toshiba and new mk Dolch doubleshot sets that I can't put on my beloved Omnikey 101 or even my Filco Zero without compromise.

[seaworthy]

I want to experiment with white/cream damped sliders from an AEK II in an Orange switch body with the Orange tactile plate and spring. I'm hoping that it feels just like Orange Alps but quieter and perhaps with a slight travel reduction. In other words, I'm expecting it to be amazing.

You’re making an orange creamsicle. Of course it will be amazing.

[jacobolus]

Actually the damped sliders don’t work very well in the housings for undamped switches. There are different little plastic pieces which the rubber dampers are designed to land on.

You could certainly swap the tactile leaf and spring from the orange switch into the cream switch if you want. Not sure there’s much point though.

[jacobolus]

Alps was never lucky enough to get adopted widely as much as cherry or mushbrane keyboards did.

Alps switches were more widely used than Cherry switches in the 1980s and early 1990s. At some point in the mid 1990s though they decided that the keyboard business wasn’t profitable, and got out of the game. Similar story for many other vendors, who also either switched to rubber domes or exited the market entirely.

[XMIT]

Actually the damped sliders don’t work very well in the housings for undamped switches. There are different little plastic pieces which the rubber dampers are designed to land on.

You could certainly swap the tactile leaf and spring from the orange switch into the cream switch if you want. Not sure there’s much point though.

Ah, thanks. I'll try to get some nice macro shots in good light when I do this.

[JinzoDefiler]

Alps was never lucky enough to get adopted widely as much as cherry or mushbrane keyboards did.

Alps switches were more widely used than Cherry switches in the 1980s and early 1990s. At some point in the mid 1990s though they decided that the keyboard business wasn’t profitable, and got out of the game. Similar story for many other vendors, who also either switched to rubber domes or exited the market entirely.

I didn't know they had big of adoption rate. Cause the only ones I've seen was the occasional Early Dell one or an Off brand no name 80286 clone PC. And they only used the non branded alps switches. I only every really saw the mushbrane or the model M and Apple keyboards.

[Blaise170]

ALPS was definitely more widely used, but you have to consider that what most people consider "Alps" is just their SKCM/SKCL series. They also had the earlier SKCC, the later SKBM/SKBL, Alps plate spring, Alps integrated domes, Alps slider over membrane, etc.

[JinzoDefiler]

ALPS was definitely more widely used, but you have to consider that what most people consider "Alps" is just their SKCM/SKCL series. They also had the earlier SKCC, the later SKBM/SKBL, Alps plate spring, Alps integrated domes, Alps slider over membrane, etc.

Roger that, I see that. I guess that stuff gets lost in annuals of time or got less press then the Model M

[Chyros]

Alps was never lucky enough to get adopted widely as much as cherry or mushbrane keyboards did.

Alps switches were more widely used than Cherry switches in the 1980s and early 1990s. At some point in the mid 1990s though they decided that the keyboard business wasn’t profitable, and got out of the game. Similar story for many other vendors, who also either switched to rubber domes or exited the market entirely.

I didn't know they had big of adoption rate. Cause the only ones I've seen was the occasional Early Dell one or an Off brand no name 80286 clone PC. And they only used the non branded alps switches. I only every really saw the mushbrane or the model M and Apple keyboards.

The Dell AT101W has probably been made in at least equal numbers as the Model M, the vast majority of Apple boards were Alps-based, and Alps made IBM's keyboards for the Asian market. That already should be an indication of the scale we're talking here.

But seriously, just about everything I find at the recycling centre from the late 80s or early 90s is Alps or ot least Alps-mount. They were huge back in the day, way bigger than Cherry was (or even is to this day, possibly). You know how many Cherry clones there are nowadays? Well back the all the clones were Alps clones. The only reason Cherry has the monopoly now is because everyone else quit . Cherry was smallfry, they make other switches but keyboards are a big thing for them. IBM, Alps, Minebea, they're all multi-billion dollar corporations that barely knew they even had a keyboard division, so when profits were going down in that segment, they just got out.

[Muirium]

Exactly!

[XMIT]

just about everything I find at the recycling centre from the late 80s or early 90s is Alps or ot least Alps-mount.

This is somewhat true for me. I find a large number of Gateway programmable rubber dome boards, BTC foam and foil boards, IBM Model Ms, and Compaq foam and foil boards as well. But, sure, Dell AT101s, Apple boards, and various Chicony and Focus boards are pretty common finds.