deskthority

MrDuul wrote: 2017 year of the Beamsprings?

2016 was the year of the Beamsprings. 25+ 5251's showed up in Germany from one seller. I doubt something like that will happen again soon. But I have learned to "never say never" in this hobby. Of course many other users here found way more awesome Beamsprings long before that.

Beamspringa?

Slom wrote: beam me up
http://www.ebay.de/itm/G-alte-IBM-metal ... 2513450280

Thank you for sharing!

Is there anything in particular that bidders should know about this? The cut cable doesn't matter if you're installing xwhatsit's controller, correct?

Its a damn shame that scrappers will cut off the cord of all types of electronics for pocket change in scrap copper. If I ever run across someone doing this I will knock their block off.

Job lot of 4 Rafi keyboards. I would almost buy this to get one of them and resell the others, but I don't know if I could cover my costs reselling them, especially as one has missing key caps. And I already have a Rafi keyboard (but the layout is a bit annoying because it has a trackball and no navigation keys, so you have to use the num pad with num lock off). They are fascinating things though. My wife described it as looking like a keyboard that had been designed by someone who'd never seen a keyboard before!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122502626075

That's a nice usable layout, can you convert them for PC use ?

They're standard AT keyboards, all you need is an AT to PS/2 passive converter, and a PS/2 to USB converter if you don't have a PS/2 port on your computer. Anyone want to go in on these with me?!

thegoldenmandenis wrote: Job lot of 4 Rafi keyboards.

Ooo I just wanna one of them, but not all !

I noticed model F AT's have been scarce lately and there's one currently bid up to over $200 US with several days left in the auction. I'm glad I pulled the $100 trigger on mine when I did back in Feb. This year does seem to be full of beamsprings. A couple of members here grabbed 2 at once, each in the last several weeks.

Black NEC Oval switches:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEC-Mechanical- ... 2680942643

codemonkeymike wrote: Its a damn shame that scrappers will cut off the cord of all types of electronics for pocket change in scrap copper. If I ever run across someone doing this I will knock their block off.

I think when people are selling electronic items that they haven't tested, they sometimes cut the cord off so they can't be sued if the thing turns out to be lethal when plugged in.

thegoldenmandenis wrote: I think when people are selling electronic items that they haven't tested, they sometimes cut the cord off so they can't be sued if the thing turns out to be lethal when plugged in.

Didn't realize that. Thanks for the info!

I don't think thats why they are doing that, people are not getting sued from an ebay buyer because an untested item didn't work. They are cutting it of for the copper, I see it all the time. Walking down the street Ill see a tv and a vcr on the side of the road and the cables are cut off. I also used to go to the scrap yard all the time with my grandfather and all the electronics have the cables cut off and the cables are in a bin meant for copper cables with insulation and connectors on it.

Not getting sued because it didn't work, but getting sued because it hurt someone. For example on Bargain Hunt (UK antiques selling game show) they once cut the cable off an old hair dryer because it hadn't been tested and could be dangerous to try out. I think the risk from a keyboard would be very low but you can imagine that people could get carried away and cut it off anyway - the health and safety officer at my old job told me to take down som USB LED fairy lights because they were a "fire hazard"!

Not getting sued because it didn't work, but getting sued because it hurt someone. For example on Bargain Hunt (UK antiques selling game show) they once cut the cable off an old hair dryer because it hadn't been tested and could be dangerous to try out. I think the risk from a keyboard would be very low but you can imagine that people could get carried away and cut it off anyway - the health and safety officer at my old job told me to take down som USB LED fairy lights because they were a "fire hazard"!

I spent some time with one of Cindy's suppliers who could only be described as genuinely "cold" and I asked him.

He told me that legally recycling electronics was problematic and expensive, because, although there is intrinsic value (eg possibly a couple of dollars in copper and precious metals in a computer or monitor) extraction is fussy and time-consuming, and there are also toxic ingredients that require specialized disposal.

It costs money to get rid of electronics, aside from the physical work of moving them from your property to somewhere/anywhere else, so unless someone wants an electronic device for its intended purpose, it probably has negative value.

On the other hand, he says, a cable is worth a (positive) couple of cents for the copper in it, so that is a known quantity free from downside liabilities.

Some IBM Model M SSK's - all used.

$145 Open Bid
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-IBM-Model- ... SwKytZHMGi

$370 Buy It Now

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-Spa ... Sw~y9ZFJVY


$345 Buy It now

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-Spa ... SwB09YOfPL

removed

thegoldenmandenis wrote: Job lot of 4 Rafi keyboards. I would almost buy this to get one of them and resell the others, but I don't know if I could cover my costs reselling them, especially as one has missing key caps. And I already have a Rafi keyboard (but the layout is a bit annoying because it has a trackball and no navigation keys, so you have to use the num pad with num lock off). They are fascinating things though. My wife described it as looking like a keyboard that had been designed by someone who'd never seen a keyboard before!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122502626075

Quite interesting thanks for sharing.

Amazingly, with Model Fs becoming hot commodities, Orihalcon still has F107s with Xwhatsits for sale. I grabbed another one from him yesterday.

just_add_coffee wrote: Amazingly, with Model Fs becoming hot commodities, Orihalcon still has F107s with Xwhatsits for sale. I grabbed another one from him yesterday.

I once had one. Was just too huge for my taste.

snoopy wrote:

just_add_coffee wrote: Amazingly, with Model Fs becoming hot commodities, Orihalcon still has F107s with Xwhatsits for sale. I grabbed another one from him yesterday.

I once had one. Was just too huge for my taste.

I like big butts boards. I cannot lie.

Me too. But those are really expensive xD .

Chyros wrote: Me too. But those are really expensive xD .

Compared to what? I had been using an MS Ergonomic for years and when I first got the mech bug, I purchased a custom Ergodox with Cherry MX greens. I really like that board and don't regret it in the least, but it cost me USD325.

Orihalcon's been selling these with the Xwhatsit already installed also. So they work out of the box. And with a little TLC, they work splendidly, especially with magenta vinyl wrap ...


Really improves the keyfeel.

wtf did you do to those Model F's

just_add_coffee wrote:

Chyros wrote: Me too. But those are really expensive xD .

Compared to what? I had been using an MS Ergonomic for years and when I first got the mech bug, I purchased a custom Ergodox with Cherry MX greens. I really like that board and don't regret it in the least, but it cost me USD325.

Orihalcon's been selling these with the Xwhatsit already installed also. So they work out of the box. And with a little TLC, they work splendidly, especially with magenta vinyl wrap ...


Really improves the keyfeel.

UGH! What did you do to those poor keyboards???

wobbled wrote: wtf did you do to those Model F's

Model M space saving keyboard, UK seller: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192191526834

mike52787 wrote: UGH! What did you do to those poor keyboards???

I made them pretty! Duh!

seebart wrote:

wobbled wrote: wtf did you do to those Model F's

1a3o0v.jpg

My artistic inspiration came from DSA Borealis and this gorgeous BCBG tie ...