IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

Findecanor

20 Jul 2019, 21:18

The Olivetti in the Wiki.
The keyboard under it could be a rebranded Monterey K208 rubber dome with at least Alps-compatible but printed keycaps.

cml

20 Jul 2019, 22:10

That one under the Olivetti made me think of Alps because of the layout.

What about the one on the left. Could it be a Model M late rubber-dome? I've never tried one of those, so if confirmed, might give it a try.


EDIT: NEVERMIND, seller just responded he's not shipping.

Findecanor

20 Jul 2019, 23:48

cml wrote:
20 Jul 2019, 22:10
What about the one on the left. Could it be a Model M late rubber-dome? I've never tried one of those, so if confirmed, might give it a try.
That looks very generic and with Windows keys. Unlikely that it would be mechanical. Likely a Key Tronic KT800 rubber dome, which has nice feel but very cheap construction.

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Keybug

21 Jul 2019, 09:26

I'd get that Olivetti board if it's no more than 5 - 10€. Should have interesting short travel switches.

The one behind that should be a Monterey K208 (rubber dome).

The rest is modern crap...

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BSKUA0

22 Jul 2019, 01:29

Can anyone identify the keyboard (and/or computer) in attached image, please?
The photo is dated 1993 (could be +-1 year or so). Also interested in mouse. And the thing behind the monitor must be the system unit, it seems to have maybe something like translucent dark plastic part on the right of front panel, looks pretty distinct if so, maybe someone seen such computers (long ago)? :)

Edit: after doing some research I'm thinking the box is SIEMENS NIXDORF PCD something.
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Untitled-1.jpg
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Last edited by BSKUA0 on 23 Jul 2019, 05:21, edited 1 time in total.

Lbibass

22 Jul 2019, 01:53

BSKUA0 wrote:
22 Jul 2019, 01:29
Can anyone identify the keyboard (and/or computer) in attached image, please?
The photo is dated 1993 (could be +-1 year or so). Also interested in mouse. And the thing behind the monitor must be the system unit, it seems to have maybe something like translucent dark plastic part on the right of front panel, looks pretty distinct if so, maybe someone seen such computers (long ago)? :)

The keeb is a cherry G8X-3XXX. Unsure about the mouse.

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Polecat

22 Jul 2019, 02:21

The mouse I believe is Logitech. They made 2 and 3 button versions with that shape. 2 button version currently on ebay under model "M-MD14-2". 3 button version under "Pilot Mouse Model 0230".

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BSKUA0

23 Jul 2019, 01:24

Lbibass
Polecat
Thanks! Looks like that's what they are.

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snacksthecat
✶✶✶✶

23 Jul 2019, 01:39

I had no idea that Logitech made mice prior to this

Image

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Polecat

23 Jul 2019, 06:08

snacksthecat wrote:
23 Jul 2019, 01:39
I had no idea that Logitech made mice prior to this
I believe that a mouse was their original product back in the '80s. My very first mouse was a Logitech C7, which I still have here someplace.

Findecanor

23 Jul 2019, 06:50

The mouse in the picture (a M-MB14, but one with two or three buttons?) is much newer than the C7.
And even the C7 is four years after Logitech's first mouse in 1981. See http://oldmouse.com/mouse/logitech/

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Darkshado

23 Jul 2019, 07:47

Logitech also made ADB mice for Apple in the mid-eighties

TicTocTom

24 Jul 2019, 01:16

Hello fellow DTs. Would like some help identifying this keyboard. It's one of many that I acquired in a recent "barn find" along with some WYSE 50s and Model Ms. It's branded HEXATEK, which seems to be a local IT company, and the PCB is marked Cherry 122. Thick AT cable. The switches appear to be vintage MX black, and the key feel is sublime. I've never felt anything like it. What do you all think? Only downside is that it's ISO. If it were ANSI it would be my battleship endgame.
Attachments
HEXATEK badged 122 keyboard MX Black
HEXATEK badged 122 keyboard MX Black
fullsizeoutput_297a.jpeg (2.57 MiB) Viewed 8323 times
Cherry 122 PCB
Cherry 122 PCB
fullsizeoutput_2a5b.jpeg (2.49 MiB) Viewed 8323 times

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Keybug

24 Jul 2019, 23:46

Wow, that seems a pretty unusual board - quite distinct in layout from the Cherry-assembled G80-2XXXs. Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

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kbdfr
The Tiproman

25 Jul 2019, 08:09

TicTocTom wrote:
24 Jul 2019, 01:16
[…] Only downside is that it's ISO. If it were ANSI it would be my battleship endgame.
Modding it to ANSI would indeed be quite simple with practically no tampering with the keyboard itself (if, as I presume, it is not plate-mounted).
.
hexatek.png
hexatek.png (785.33 KiB) Viewed 8219 times
.
All you would have to do is:
- remove the keycaps shown in the pic
- find keycaps with the correct ANS size that would optically fit the keyboard (that's probably the toughest part)
- mod the keycaps as necessary so that they have one stem sitting on each of the existing switches
- for the caps with double switches, open the 1u switch, remove the spring and close the switch again

The springless switch will now work as a perfect stabilizer, and pressing the key will require actuating just one switch, i.e. the usual force.

Findecanor

25 Jul 2019, 09:54

I would also have suggested a conversion, if I had thought that it was PCB-mounted. However, there are no fixing pins or in-switch diodes/jumpers visible on the PCB above. Also, I can see no green between the keys, which makes me believe that there is a black plate.

You would have had to mod the plate as well, and doing that would be difficult without first removing all the switches. I consider myself an extreme ninja master with the Dremel but I would still shy away from modding a plate that is still attached to switches.

BTW. I would have proscribed drilling into the PCB over modding the keycaps. The ISO Enter key's switch is on the border between ANSI \ and Enter. It can also be difficult to get transplanted stems centred and at the right height.

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kbdfr
The Tiproman

25 Jul 2019, 10:14

Findecanor wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 09:54
[…] BTW. I would have proscribed drilling into the PCB over modding the keycaps. The ISO Enter key's switch is on the border between ANSI \ and Enter. […]
I must confess I hadn't thought of that :oops:

Lanrefni

25 Jul 2019, 12:05

kbdfr wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 08:09
TicTocTom wrote:
24 Jul 2019, 01:16
[…] Only downside is that it's ISO. If it were ANSI it would be my battleship endgame.
Modding it to ANSI would indeed be quite simple with practically no tampering with the keyboard itself (if, as I presume, it is not plate-mounted).
.
hexatek.png
.
All you would have to do is:
- remove the keycaps shown in the pic
- find keycaps with the correct ANS size that would optically fit the keyboard (that's probably the toughest part)
- mod the keycaps as necessary so that they have one stem sitting on each of the existing switches
- for the caps with double switches, open the 1u switch, remove the spring and close the switch again

The springless switch will now work as a perfect stabilizer, and pressing the key will require actuating just one switch, i.e. the usual force.
I tried the no spring idea on my BFO-9000 and the 2U POS caps I use were binding on the down/up stroke,I ended up using an MX Black spring cut down by a third and it worked perfectly.

Crown326

25 Jul 2019, 12:55

Hello all!
I recently made a trip to a local recycling center and picked up a few boards and these strange boards for FREE. I cant seem to find too much information on them, wanted to see if anyone had any knowledge on them.. :D The Honeywell board seems to have some sort of rubber domes in it and the manufacture date seems to be April 1988, it also has some pretty nice double shots. The Digitran board uses some sort of capacitive leaf spring. Not sure the manufacture date because the ink is too smudged to read. Its unfortunate this one is so smashed up and is missing a couple keys but I got them both for free so I'm not complaining too much :?
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IMG_3444.jpg
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IMG_3441.jpg
IMG_3441.jpg (226.5 KiB) Viewed 8147 times
IMG_3442.jpg
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IMG_3443.jpg
IMG_3443.jpg (676.58 KiB) Viewed 8147 times

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Chyros

25 Jul 2019, 14:15

The Digitran will be their Golden Touch switch. It's presumably their Z-leaf spring design, which was the older version. They're a very interesting switch - if mine wasn't in such bad condition, and if I could actually use the board, I'm pretty sure I'd like it a lot :) .

TicTocTom

26 Jul 2019, 02:48

All you would have to do is:
- remove the keycaps shown in the pic
- find keycaps with the correct ANS size that would optically fit the keyboard (that's probably the toughest part)
- mod the keycaps as necessary so that they have one stem sitting on each of the existing switches
- for the caps with double switches, open the 1u switch, remove the spring and close the switch again

The springless switch will now work as a perfect stabilizer, and pressing the key will require actuating just one switch, i.e. the usual force.
Thanks! I’ll try this.

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kbdfr
The Tiproman

26 Jul 2019, 08:35

TicTocTom wrote:
26 Jul 2019, 02:48
All you would have to do is:
- remove the keycaps shown in the pic
- find keycaps with the correct ANS size that would optically fit the keyboard (that's probably the toughest part)
- mod the keycaps as necessary so that they have one stem sitting on each of the existing switches
- for the caps with double switches, open the 1u switch, remove the spring and close the switch again

The springless switch will now work as a perfect stabilizer, and pressing the key will require actuating just one switch, i.e. the usual force.
Thanks! I’ll try this.
Don't, because I made a mistake:
kbdfr wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 10:14
Findecanor wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 09:54
[…] BTW. I would have proscribed drilling into the PCB over modding the keycaps. The ISO Enter key's switch is on the border between ANSI \ and Enter. […]
I must confess I hadn't thought of that :oops:

Crown326

26 Jul 2019, 12:14

Chyros wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 14:15
The Digitran will be their Golden Touch switch. It's presumably their Z-leaf spring design, which was the older version. They're a very interesting switch - if mine wasn't in such bad condition, and if I could actually use the board, I'm pretty sure I'd like it a lot :) .
Yep those are the switches! I have my fingers crossed on finding a non destroyed example from this era some day.

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kps

30 Jul 2019, 23:27

Crown326 wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 12:55
The Honeywell one is from a TI Explorer LISP machine.

Encased

Crown326

31 Jul 2019, 06:41

kps wrote:
30 Jul 2019, 23:27
Crown326 wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 12:55
The Honeywell one is from a TI Explorer LISP machine.

Encased
Interesting, thanks for the info!

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karlmartin95

05 Aug 2019, 15:07

Image

What keyboard is this?

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User101

05 Aug 2019, 15:33

karlmartin95 wrote:
05 Aug 2019, 15:07
Image

What keyboard is this?
Data General terminal keyboard uses fujitsu 3rd gen leafspring.

4_404

10 Aug 2019, 05:48

Hi, does anyone know anything about this keyboard? Apparently it is 'clicky', but that might mean nothing. I can't seem to find much information on the Optima brand (the only one in the wiki is a rubber dome). Thanks
Attachments
WP_20190810_13_06_12_Pro_LI.jpg
WP_20190810_13_06_12_Pro_LI.jpg (3.46 MiB) Viewed 7541 times

HC514

10 Aug 2019, 12:46

Well it's certainly nothing to do with the one on the wiki. That's about two decades newer than this.

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Muirium
µ

10 Aug 2019, 13:52

The caps look PBT dyesub to me. Sort of like old Acer boards. While a good sign of old age, it’s just a hint, not a guarantee about the switches. They could be domes, or not. The caps may be useable elsewhere, or not too!

Could be worth a chance if it’s cheap.

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