F104+SSK+122+62+77+50+Ergo orders now open! New Kishsaver+Industrial Model F Keyboards

User avatar
depletedvespene

25 Oct 2017, 03:57

Ellipse wrote: These keyboards will be worth the wait and they will be done the right way!
Good. Because I want to be AMAZED. And I want to write those keyboards into my will for my kid (using those keyboards, of course). :mrgreen:

Ellipse

25 Oct 2017, 23:52

Update on the springs - one factory has agreed to manufacture the old wire material standard for this project! Every other factory in recent weeks said no.

With the correct material and what was learned after the most recent sub-standard spring sample batch, hopefully the next batch of springs will match the originals.

Also the factory is returning the not-to-spec USB cable clamps to the clamp factory and they are re-making them.

User avatar
kekstee

25 Oct 2017, 23:56

So the most important piece of the puzzle that's still missing are the keycaps?

Ellipse

26 Oct 2017, 00:22

Yes the key caps and also I am working on the capacitive PCB material. I spoke to several experts and laminate suppliers this month and am looking into making the PCBs as close to the originals as possible.

User avatar
Elrick

26 Oct 2017, 04:28

Ellipse wrote: Yes the key caps and also I am working on the capacitive PCB material. I spoke to several experts and laminate suppliers this month and am looking into making the PCBs as close to the originals as possible.
If you could make this keyboard almost waterproof (coke and coffee) because let's face it, you will get those spilling their drinks into this masterpiece quite easily (early morning call outs or late night diversions).

So instead of losing this keyboard and tearing your own eyes out of your sockets, can you at least make sure this keyboard can still go on even if someone pours a cup of liquid into this keyboard?

Ellipse

28 Oct 2017, 18:35

Yes the Model F keyboards can be taken apart and cleaned whereas the Model M's require breaking off all the rivets to get inside the inner assembly.

Ellipse

29 Oct 2017, 15:58

We just passed $400,000 in orders - a major milestone for this project! Who would have expected so much awareness of the Model F!

User avatar
depletedvespene

29 Oct 2017, 16:08

WHOA. Congratulations!

User avatar
sgtpopwell

29 Oct 2017, 18:14

That's fantastic!

User avatar
enrique.aliaga

29 Oct 2017, 19:12

Hooray! Waiting eagerly for mine!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar
Mattr567

29 Oct 2017, 20:57

Congrats man!

Idk if anyone has asked this but could I put a solenoid in my F77? It uses an off the shelf xwhatsit so I just need the solenoid and the solenoid driver?

yac

30 Oct 2017, 00:44

I don't see why not, there should be plenty of room. I don't see why you'd want to however, hear a thud after every delightful musical ping, but to each his own.

pbw

31 Oct 2017, 03:32

Mattr567 wrote: Idk if anyone has asked this but could I put a solenoid in my F77? It uses an off the shelf xwhatsit so I just need the solenoid and the solenoid driver?
I was never able to find an original IBM solenoid, but instead I put a relay in my F122 together with the solenoid driver and it works like a charm. Any relay that can handle a 9V coil voltage and has a low enough resistance (25-30 ohms) to output 300mA-360mA should work. You can also use the xwhatsit GUI to program a key (or combination of keys using the function layers) to turn the expansion header (and therefore, the solenoid/relay) on and off. Hope this helps!

User avatar
consolation

31 Oct 2017, 04:03

pbw wrote: Any relay that can handle a 9V coil voltage and has a low enough resistance (25-30 ohms) to output 300mA-360mA should work. You can also use the xwhatsit GUI to program a key (or combination of keys using the function layers) to turn the expansion header (and therefore, the solenoid/relay) on and off. Hope this helps!
So, what you are saying is; I will be able to wire the keyboard into one of those force feedback chairs, so that it massages my nether regions as I type?

pbw

31 Oct 2017, 04:37

consolation wrote: So, what you are saying is; I will be able to wire the keyboard into one of those force feedback chairs, so that it massages my nether regions as I type?
With the right component, anything is possible. If you can find a relay that can use a 9V, 300mA signal to drive the motors on that chair, then by all means, go for it. I look forward to seeing your write-up of it!

User avatar
consolation

31 Oct 2017, 05:17

I think all that would be left is a dessicated corpse, merged with the chair, cradling a keyboard...

User avatar
Elrick

31 Oct 2017, 08:41

Ellipse wrote: We just passed $400,000 in orders - a major milestone for this project! Who would have expected so much awareness of the Model F!
NEVER under estimate the love of an authentic Model-F keyboard done to these specifications.

The F-Keyboard is very much loved and desired by all those that appreciate that particular sound and feel when used. Although it has now placed enormous pressure upon you to deliver it to everyone around this planet, to it's ideal description within these pages.

The expectation shall be HUGE and it will be very unforgiving, if you fail to accomplish this massive achievement.

User avatar
wobbled

31 Oct 2017, 09:17

Yeh we all have our eyes on you Ellipse :shock: , dont bugger it up!

User avatar
depletedvespene

31 Oct 2017, 11:48

Elrick wrote: The expectation shall be HUGE and it will be very unforgiving, if you fail to accomplish this massive achievement.
And even if he delivers 100% of what's expected, be sure that some critical voices will whine about not having it done in full-size and TKL versions. Oh, and a numpad, while we're at it, thank you very much. :mrgreen:

That said, I patiently wait, filled with hope, for the two units I'm in for. :)

User avatar
Elrick

01 Nov 2017, 01:30

depletedvespene wrote: And even if he delivers 100% of what's expected, be sure that some critical voices will whine about not having it done in full-size and TKL versions. Oh, and a numpad, while we're at it, thank you very much. :mrgreen:
Very happy with my F77 so that has a numpad of sorts and I am sick and tired of TKLs altogether (so mundane and boring).

There won't be any complaints in regards to layout or design of this forth coming keyboard BUT the QUALITY, has to be there within this product. Anything out of place or it doesn't work as intended will be an immediate 'Pitchfork and Flame' issue occurring without hesitation.

Hence I can only guess his situation, with all this PRESSURE to deliver, any sane man would drop everything and run to the Hills immediately before hell is unleashed everywhere. Parakeets humping Cats, Goldfish eating Mice, Politicians telling the truth, a Post-Apocalyptic World where everything you know to be true has changed forever into never-ending nightmares.

That is what will happen, if my F77 fails in any regard to meet my expectations ;) .

User avatar
depletedvespene

01 Nov 2017, 01:41

Elrick wrote: … a Post-Apocalyptic World where everything you know to be true has changed forever into never-ending nightmares.
Whoa! When (how?!) did you meet my ex-wife?

User avatar
Alpinist

01 Nov 2017, 02:15

I just joined DT a few hours ago and found about this, on the very last day to make an order, which I just did.

I assume that it is possible to get an ISO Layout with a split-right SHIFT (apart from the split-left SHIFT)?

Also, if we go for ISO, will we be miss on your XT-keycap set? I'm a bit underwhelmed with the recent Unicomp ones (most long-name legends, like Print Scrn, Page UP, etc, seem to be de-centered). I understand that a few keys might have to come from Unicomp but perhaps the common Alpha and Command ones could come from your XT-keycap set?

Regardless... Congratulations on this initiative. Ellipse. Looks like a lot of hard-work, especially for somebody with high standards not willing to compromise on quality.

User avatar
Zed

01 Nov 2017, 02:42

Montblanc wrote: I just joined DT a few hours ago and found about this, on the very last day to make an order, which I just did.

I assume that it is possible to get an ISO Layout with a split-right SHIFT (apart from the split-left SHIFT)?

Also, if we go for ISO, will we be miss on your XT-keycap set? I'm a bit underwhelmed with the recent Unicomp ones (most long-name legends, like Print Scrn, Page UP, etc, seem to be de-centered). I understand that a few keys might have to come from Unicomp but perhaps the common Alpha and Command ones could come from your XT-keycap set?

Regardless... Congratulations on this initiative. Ellipse. Looks like a lot of hard-work, especially for somebody with high standards not willing to compromise on quality.
I can't speak directly for Ellipse, but as the guy who is doing the artwork for the F XT repro legends I can say that I am working up a number of ISO sets including: Swedish/Finnish, German, Norwegian, Spanish, Swiss French/German, French, UK English and US International.

User avatar
depletedvespene

01 Nov 2017, 03:02

Zed wrote: I can't speak directly for Ellipse, but as the guy who is doing the artwork for the F XT repro legends I can say that I am working up a number of ISO sets including: Swedish/Finnish, German, Norwegian, Spanish, Swiss French/German, French, UK English and US International.
Uhhhh... which one of the two? Or both?

User avatar
Zed

01 Nov 2017, 04:37

depletedvespene wrote:
Zed wrote: I can't speak directly for Ellipse, but as the guy who is doing the artwork for the F XT repro legends I can say that I am working up a number of ISO sets including: Swedish/Finnish, German, Norwegian, Spanish, Swiss French/German, French, UK English and US International.
Uhhhh... which one of the two? Or both?
I didn't even know there were multiple Spanish layouts but this is the one that Ellipse sent me.

https://support.pckeyboard.com/knowledg ... article=11

User avatar
depletedvespene

01 Nov 2017, 05:07

There are two main Spanish-language layouts: "Spanish (Spain)", which is the one you linked to, and "Spanish (Latin America)", which is this one https://support.pckeyboard.com/knowledg ... article=15.

The former layout is the official one in Spain (duh), although it sees some degree of usage in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries; the latter layout is the most used one in said countries, and is actually the official one in several; both layouts should be supported. As you'll note, the differences are minor, so it's not too much work to craft one layout based off a completed version of the other.


Besides those, there are several other Spanish language layouts, which can be safely ignored; the ones you might encounter are:
  • "Spanish variation", included by Microsoft in Windows 7 onwards... but that I have NEVER seen printed on a keyboard. I truly don't know whether anyone actually uses it (or, for that matter, where it came from).
  • "Latin American Extended", a fantastic, graceful, superduperwhooper extension of the "Spanish (Latin America)" layout, if not too well-known.
  • "Apple Spanish" layout on the old Macintosh keyboards (think M0110E).
Hope this helps!

User avatar
Zed

01 Nov 2017, 05:19

Thanks for the education! From a quick, late-night look at the differences, it seems like about 6 extra keys would cover both layouts. At this point, a few more keys isn't going to be a problem for me to work up but it is up to Ellipse to make the call.

User avatar
depletedvespene

01 Nov 2017, 05:23

Let's hope he does, because I definitely want the "Spanish (Latin America)" layout on my units. This is, of course, personal preference, but I like it much better than the other one, as it is much more programmer-friendly.

Then again, if it were for me... I'd have everyone adopt the Iberoamerican layout that I'm designing these days (... months) that addresses the shortcomings in both main layouts. But let's not dwell on that for now. :mrgreen:

User avatar
Zed

01 Nov 2017, 17:00

Well, it's not like Ellipse is really paying attention to the finer details on this project so I am sure we could sneak it past him! ;)

User avatar
Myoth

01 Nov 2017, 18:01

Zed wrote: the artwork for the F XT repro legends I can say that I am working up a number of ISO sets including: Swedish/Finnish, German, Norwegian, Spanish, Swiss French/German, French, UK English and US International.

When is that going to come out ?? I want some of those sweet french F XT keyset :oops:

Post Reply

Return to “Group buys”