Regarding the Cherry G80-2511 and the Kaihl Box switches

Red_October

21 Mar 2019, 00:30

Recently I purchased a Cherry G80-2511 keyboard on eBay, sight unseen besides a couple shitty pictures (seller was overseas and no matter how I phrased it I could not inspire in him understanding of the notion of removing a keycap that I might see what type of switch it had). Of course it turned out to be blacks, although at least they are the somewhat smoother "vintage" blacks rather than the severe modern ones. I am not at all a fan of linears unless they be huge and ancient and even then I'd prefer a clicking mechanism. So I went again to eBay and got myself a batch of 150 of the Box switches in navy blue (I find this ironic as I despise navy blue as a color even while I like almost every other shade of blue) and having received them yesterday I set about to begin the switch-over.

I should like to say that while I've never done this before I have had a lot of experience doing soldering in the past three years and last year came into a true treasure, an Ungar Hot-Vac desoldering station. While it required quite a bit of servicing on my part (the vacuum lines had perished, it was foul, and was missing all the tips and other accessories) it is now fairly reliable and performs its duties quite well. I also have a digital, adjustable soldering station and a spool of lead-bearing, silver-bearing solder. So I am well equipped for this undertaking. However, I removed the first switch and discovered that it's got four contacts, and the Kaihls only two. Opening it up revealed the other two to be for a diode(?) which I believes is what enables N-key rollover. Worse, on attempting to remove this diode to transplant it into the Kaihl, which seems prepared to receive it, it broke clean in half because there was still a little bit of solder on one of the legs which I had failed to notice.

To move forward, I would like to know about these diodes, if they are indeed diodes, and if I can just procure a roll of them and slap them on the back of the PCB or something instead of laboriously disassembling almost a hundred-and-thirty switches to install them or worse still, disassembling two-hundred-fifty to swap them over from the old to the new. What value would I need if they are standard parts? Furthermore, I have found no information about the 2511 itself and would like to know if I can get the extra spaces previously populated by blanking plates to work with the present controller, or if I would need to get a new controller for it or some such. Can the keys be re-programmed on this model? I would like to get it to match up to the layout of my F122 which I have grown used to.

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Myoth

21 Mar 2019, 00:43

Don't you put any BOX switches in any rare cherry keyboard. PERIOD. Don't think about it, don't try to. Sell it to some collector or anything. Just don't modify it, not only will it lose its value, but it'll also render it laughable by many members. Just don't.

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Mattr567

21 Mar 2019, 00:58

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com

Just...no. And it's not even documented. Buy a more common cherry board and do that instead.

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zrrion

21 Mar 2019, 01:05

Restore it and document the hell out of it before you do anything to it. If its something special you might be able to flip it for a profit and reinvest in a more common board to cut your teeth on.

samuelcable

21 Mar 2019, 01:09

No. Do not put fucking box switches into a g80. We've had atleast 3 threads on why this is a bad idea.

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Wodan
ISO Advocate

21 Mar 2019, 01:20

I love the idea. People have so many great ideas. That‘s also how AIDS somehow got transmitted from monkeys to humans.

samuelcable

21 Mar 2019, 01:25

To add to what I said earlier, you got the box switches from ebay so it's harder to tell if they've actually been retooled or not, as it's from a rnadom ebay seller not a trusted source (I assume atleast) so my suggestion is to keep the board the way it is and sell off or cancel the order on the box navy's. Please for the love of God don't do it

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mike52787
Alps Aficionado

21 Mar 2019, 01:30

god no.

what a waste of a rare cherry board

Red_October

21 Mar 2019, 02:07

People like these things that much? I've been consistently underwhelmed by Cherry boards, they are frighteningly lightly built and the switches aren't much to write home about. It's not like I would do anything destructive like those dickheads who chop the numpad off IBM boards or put RGB lighting in beamsprings. Everything I would do would be reversible with the same equipment I used, I don't even like to resort to destructive measures when I'm scrapping out equipment at work to go to the recyclers. Except Apple stuff, that often requires a discussion with Mr. Friendly Cold Chisel and his associate, Mr. 2.5lbs Engineer's Hammer. Otherwise I carefully unthread harnesses, unplug everything I can, etc. I like to think that at any point before it reaches the shredder or the furnace, someone could pluck it and say "I need one of those!" and put it back into service.

And I know about the issue with the Box switches stretching keycaps, the set I intend for it is second-hand and already stretched LOL. So it's no big deal if they're the old iteration.

But if anyone can point me towards something that is or can be adapted into the following, do let me know: 122 or more keys, heavily clicky, has or accepts available spherical keycaps. I have both MX mount and the larger cross-mount styles to hand in addition to all sorts of unlikely things like Stackpole mount and those flaky things for Keytronic that I don't think go on anything else.

What sort of documentation is desired? I can provide details about ICs but not dump ROMs, I can get PCB thickness with micrometer, etc. Or just like SN, dates, etc?

samuelcable

21 Mar 2019, 02:13

Red_October wrote:
21 Mar 2019, 02:07
People like these things that much? I've been consistently underwhelmed by Cherry boards, they are frighteningly lightly built and the switches aren't much to write home about. It's not like I would do anything destructive like those dickheads who chop the numpad off IBM boards or put RGB lighting in beamsprings. Everything I would do would be reversible with the same equipment I used, I don't even like to resort to destructive measures when I'm scrapping out equipment at work to go to the recyclers. Except Apple stuff, that often requires a discussion with Mr. Friendly Cold Chisel and his associate, Mr. 2.5lbs Engineer's Hammer. Otherwise I carefully unthread harnesses, unplug everything I can, etc. I like to think that at any point before it reaches the shredder or the furnace, someone could pluck it and say "I need one of those!" and put it back into service.

And I know about the issue with the Box switches stretching keycaps, the set I intend for it is second-hand and already stretched LOL. So it's no big deal if they're the old iteration.

But if anyone can point me towards something that is or can be adapted into the following, do let me know: 122 or more keys, heavily clicky, has or accepts available spherical keycaps. I have both MX mount and the larger cross-mount styles to hand in addition to all sorts of unlikely things like Stackpole mount and those flaky things for Keytronic that I don't think go on anything else.

What sort of documentation is desired? I can provide details about ICs but not dump ROMs, I can get PCB thickness with micrometer, etc. Or just like SN, dates, etc?
Pics of the back label, internal pics, pics of the entire board for a wiki entry wojld be good, also notes of any special feature like in switch leds. I still heavily advise you to not do it, but this hobby is opinion based so take what I say with a grain of salt. And yes many people here do like cherry boards. Vintage blacks are one of the favorite switches here. I much prefer vintage cherry to any vintage Alps board I've used (aek 1, 2, Zenith green alps board, omnikey, focus) but as I said this hobby is preference based

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mike52787
Alps Aficionado

21 Mar 2019, 02:24

Red_October wrote:
21 Mar 2019, 02:07
I would do anything destructive like those dickheads who chop the numpad off IBM boards
i'd much rather see a shitty, common as dirt model m be butchered than a undocumented vintage cherry board be modded.

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ZedTheMan

21 Mar 2019, 05:25

I say get some nice pictures for documentation and then feel free to put in new switches and caps. Keyboards are for enjoying, that is what I think. Since it seems a unique piece, make sure the original condition is documented for histories sake before changing it, but unlike others I see no problem. It's not like you are being destructive or anything.

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ZedTheMan

21 Mar 2019, 07:19

Oh, and as for your question, honestly, it might be easiest for you to try to desolder it all, remove the switches, cut the diodes if necessary, and then solder new diodes on the PCB In the correct orientation when you add the Kailh switches. Assuming the PCB allows for you to mount the diodes on the back, anyways...

Red_October

24 Mar 2019, 01:55

I will get these photographs as soon as I sort out what I think is a very dirty sensor on my Nikon D1, as the Micro-Nikkor is more suited to them than anything my D40 mounts that I have.

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