Wang 725 speaker switch

macboarder · 14 Jul 2017, 00:37

I recently got a Salmon Alps-powered Wang 725 (thanks //gainsborough for the trade), which I enjoyed quite a bit. I wanted to start using it at work, but that would mean I would have to kill off the built-in speaker.
Instead, I decided to replace one of the switches (which wasn't working as its solder pads were busted) with an SKCL Lock switch from an AEK and wire the speaker to it instead.

(potato camera warning)
Just in case, I used some electrical tape to separate the SKCL Lock switch contacts from the PCB:

I sliced up one of the speaker's original cables, but on reflection, I should have just desoldered it from the speaker and use it for one of the switch contacts:

Here's how it turned out:

Overall, I love this board. The soundtrack, keyfeel and orange LEDs are fabulous, and now I have a way to use it at work for longer than it would take my co-workers to organize a lynch mob

seebart · 14 Jul 2017, 14:57

Interesting, is the speaker not adjustable on your Wang 725 then or did you just want to do this anyway?

macboarder · 14 Jul 2017, 17:27

It has the volume control working fine, but even on the lowest setting it still makes a noise (granted, drowned out by the switches themselves, but still). I wanted to add a way to turn the speaker off without making it permanent nonetheless.

just_add_coffee · 14 Jul 2017, 18:37

Thank you for sharing your beautiful Wang!

It always strikes me as strange how far we've come (or regressed) regarding keyboard noise. Up until sometime in the 80s or early 90s, so many manufacturers were trying to figure out how to make them louder with speakers and solenoids. And the noise didn't bother us; we did great and wonderful things on these keyboards, perhaps spurred on by the rhythmic beats of others working.

Today, people lose their minds if they can hear you typing on the board at all.

This might be the only thing, at least for me, in which the "good ol' days" were indeed better than today.

a47.jpg

seebart · 14 Jul 2017, 20:11

macboarder wrote: It has the volume control working fine, but even on the lowest setting it still makes a noise (granted, drowned out by the switches themselves, but still). I wanted to add a way to turn the speaker off without making it permanent nonetheless.

OK understand. Nice little project BTW. I'd say my 725 is one of my favorite keyboards, the combination of the tactile orange Alps with the clicker is very satisfying to me. Of course my question to you is do you prefer the speaker on or off?

Spoiler:

macboarder · 14 Jul 2017, 20:20

It's more fun when it's on

seebart · 14 Jul 2017, 20:41

macboarder wrote: It's more fun when it's on

Same here.

Hope you like those Salmons.

macboarder · 14 Jul 2017, 20:59

I sure do! I still prefer Oranges, but this is my favorite Alps board so far.

seebart · 14 Jul 2017, 21:14

macboarder wrote: I sure do! I still prefer Oranges, but this is my favorite Alps board so far.

Same here. The tactile feedback is a bit too faint for me on my Salmons, I got an old logo Dell AT101 with Salmons recently where they feel better than in my Apple Standard Keyboard.

macboarder · 14 Jul 2017, 21:17

How's the sound? In my experience, the Bigfoot case tends to undersell the switches in that regard.

Mattr567 · 14 Jul 2017, 21:28

SKCM Brown is the ultimate switch for the Wang.

I love mine

seebart · 14 Jul 2017, 21:32

macboarder wrote: How's the sound? In my experience, the Bigfoot case tends to undersell the switches in that regard.

That's true, the sound is underwhelming in the Bigfoot case. I'm in the process of cleaning it now I just got it so I can't really say 100% yet.

Mattr567 wrote: SKCM Brown is the ultimate switch for the Wang.

I love mine

Yeah I wish I had some.

emdude · 15 Jul 2017, 00:59

seebart wrote: That's true, the sound is underwhelming in the Bigfoot case. I'm in the process of cleaning it now I just got it so I can't really say 100% yet.

I have to agree, the case is not quite hefty enough to produce as nice a sound as one like the AEK's.

I do love me some Salmons though!