Monterey whites?

486

16 Sep 2012, 00:04

I started digging around for my IIgs board I harvested a few years ago. I found all the DS caps, switch and case.
The switches are weird. They are exactly the same as Monterey Blues except in white and non clicky but tactile.

What are these? Found them on an "Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard".
Last edited by 486 on 19 Dec 2014, 11:52, edited 1 time in total.

Findecanor

16 Sep 2012, 01:35

... and it does not say "SMK" on the bottom?

486

16 Sep 2012, 01:53

Findecanor wrote:... and it does not say "SMK" on the bottom?
True.

woody
Count Troller

16 Sep 2012, 11:59

Is this from a "Made in Taiwan" A9M0330 keyboard?

486

16 Sep 2012, 22:41

You are correct.

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Daniel Beardsmore

29 Dec 2012, 03:05

Out of curiosity, any chance of top-down photos of both switches? I'd like to compare the shapes of the switches, and it will help me correct my recognition diagram: http://deskthority.net/wiki/File:Switch ... nterey.svg

I'm really guessing with this one as I can't find a single decent photo showing the whole switch, and I know it's not quite right.

BTW, in the new year I'm going to chase up Monterey, see if I can get any info from them about these switches, who made them, etc. There's a tiny chance we *may* get an answer. BTW, Monterey now use Cherry MX switches ;-)

woody
Count Troller

29 Dec 2012, 08:48

I only have the left switch, and it is mounted on keyboard, so not sure how much a photo would show?
There is this small distinctive recess in one side of the slider, unlike the blue Monterey. Housings were similar, IIRC, but don't trust me on that.

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Daniel Beardsmore

29 Dec 2012, 15:43

The blue ones have the same recess in the slider -- http://deskthority.net/wiki/File:Montereyswitch.jpg -- it's just not clear from the photo above. A photo of the switch in a keyboard is fine; that's all I need. Just taken from above, so that I can see the entire of the shell and get its specific shape (and how it differs from other SMKs/SMK-style switches). I'm also trying to determine if those bars down the side are the full length of the slot in both those and SMKs. Seems to vary, really, really hard to tell.

woody
Count Troller

30 Dec 2012, 13:40

Right, my mistake on the Montereys, they also have the recess.
Sent you PM about the pictures.

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Daniel Beardsmore

31 Dec 2012, 00:47

For the benefit of everyone else — woody sent me some pics. The switches are externally different. Possibly the white one is genuine SMK, but I don't know. I've drawn a separate diagram of the white one, and you can see the differences:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Z_mount_rec ... lps_clones

Granted, neither diagram is completely accurate as, due to perspective in photos, I would need measurements to get it correct. However, they're pretty close.

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Daniel Beardsmore

18 Jan 2013, 19:16

I noticed that the Chicony KB5181 keyboard PCB says "SMK SW" on it: http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/chicony_kb-5181.html

I've checked with Chicony and Monterey. Chicony don't (yet) know, but Monterey have told me that they got their switches from SMK.

As a triple-check, I've had another go at asking SMK directly, but this time about this switch directly, and I've included a link to Sandy55's page (and of course the SMK guys read Japanese!) I mentioned in my e-mail that there are also white ones, plus the latching lock ones.

It's starting to look like they may be genuine after all.

Edit: Chicony also confirm SMK as the switch manufacturer.

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