BTC -5100

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

19 Nov 2016, 16:00

IMGP4028.JPG
IMGP4028.JPG (954.29 KiB) Viewed 6642 times
IMGP4029.JPG
IMGP4029.JPG (896.75 KiB) Viewed 6642 times
IMGP4038.JPG
IMGP4038.JPG (968.74 KiB) Viewed 6642 times
IMGP4047.JPG
IMGP4047.JPG (965.36 KiB) Viewed 6642 times
Notice how mine is the BTC -5100 version with DIN five pin connector unlike y11971alex's BTC-5100C. Unlike y11971alex's mine is used and has some yellowing on the keycaps and the top part of the case. The spring over slider switches for the function row feel horrible BTW.
IMGP4042.JPG
IMGP4042.JPG (952.48 KiB) Viewed 6642 times
IMGP4037.JPG
IMGP4037.JPG (887.72 KiB) Viewed 6642 times
wiki/BTC_5100

There is a slight update in order here...
Last edited by seebart on 20 Nov 2016, 08:16, edited 1 time in total.

hkrak

20 Nov 2016, 03:05

According to the wiki these were also sold with BTC foam and foil switches. Is there any way to distinguish the two versions from each other without opening the board up? I believe the FCC id on the early boards are identical no matter the switches.

User avatar
y11971alex

20 Nov 2016, 05:15

Isn't this the BTC-5100, which is foam and foil? The 5100C seems to be the rubber dome version.

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

20 Nov 2016, 08:29

You are in fact right y11971alex, this is the BTC-5100 and it is BTC foam and foil (tactile). Now what threw me off is that I NEVER THOUGHT any foam and foil switch could feel sooo nice and sooo much like Topre. But it's the BTC dome that threw me off. Remember that this is only my second foam and foil keyboard and the other one from 1980 does not have any domes...
Spoiler:
IMGP1137.JPG
IMGP1137.JPG (959.62 KiB) Viewed 6564 times
Learnt something again...

Anyone dismissing all foam and foil switches across-the-board needs to try this tactile BTC foam and foil switch and rethink, in this case the dome makes all the difference to the spring for the function row. In fact this is sooo striking that I should start a BTC-5100 community world tour for this little keyboard!

User avatar
y11971alex

20 Nov 2016, 08:32

Yeah... I had suspected it ;)

But after dropping $100 on this 5100C (of which only $15 was keyboard), I can't justify purchasing another mini keyboard for at least a month :!: It's probably the biggest shipping blunder ever found on DT and GH combined (other than the berserkfan fiasco of course).

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

20 Nov 2016, 08:47

Yeah you got ripped on that shipping. I'm still blown away by the tactile BTC foam and foil switch at this point...just had a look to be sure:
IMGP4075.JPG
IMGP4075.JPG (964.01 KiB) Viewed 6556 times
People really need to stop generally dissing foam and foil until they have tried this switch!

User avatar
Chyros

20 Nov 2016, 12:46

Yeah, BTC foam and foil is a lot better than Key Tronic's version of it. I haven't tried the tactile one yet, only the linear one, which I tactile -modded, works a treat.

hkrak

20 Nov 2016, 13:43

Ah, I thought the earliest dome with slider version shared model number with the foam and foal board. Guess I have to check out the latter as well. ☺

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

20 Nov 2016, 13:55

hkrak wrote: Ah, I thought the earliest dome with slider version shared model number with the foam and foal board. Guess I have to check out the latter as well. ☺
I really don't know, what I do know is that the foam is obviously the weak link and if it is damaged or degraded that's it unless your crafty enough...in this case its fine but that's just coincidence if you ask me.

User avatar
drevyek

20 Nov 2016, 21:08

Does anyone have a force curve for F&F switches? The only thing I've heard about F&F switches is that they feel spongey at the end (which makes perfect sense).

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

20 Nov 2016, 21:18

drevyek wrote: Does anyone have a force curve for F&F switches? The only thing I've heard about F&F switches is that they feel spongey at the end (which makes perfect sense).
I can tell you you don't feel the foam on these just the dome. Key Tronic is said to be "mushy" although I only have a really old Key Tronic FF and that's actually not so bad for it's age so I cannot really judge that.

A force curve comparison between these and Key Tronic would be interesting, the striking difference can be felt on this keyboard as the small function row uses springs instead of domes.

User avatar
y11971alex

21 Nov 2016, 00:33

Is it possible to use normal cherry keycaps on these?

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

21 Nov 2016, 10:13

y11971alex wrote: Is it possible to use normal cherry keycaps on these?
While the MX keycap does fit, the dome does not fit properly with the MX keycap and hence does not work the way it's supposed to. Has anyone ever tried cleaning these domes? These need cleaning... :?

User avatar
y11971alex

25 Nov 2016, 10:39

I bought one of these from Hypersphere! :geek:

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

25 Nov 2016, 10:41

y11971alex wrote: I bought one of these from Hypersphere! :geek:
Cool, so do you like it?

User avatar
y11971alex

25 Nov 2016, 10:42

seebart wrote:
y11971alex wrote: I bought one of these from Hypersphere! :geek:
Cool, so do you like it?
It hasn't arrived yet :?

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

25 Nov 2016, 10:44

y11971alex wrote:
seebart wrote:
y11971alex wrote: I bought one of these from Hypersphere! :geek:
Cool, so do you like it?
It hasn't arrived yet :?
Right, well let us know when you get it. ;)

User avatar
y11971alex

25 Nov 2016, 23:15

I'm now letting you know that it's arrived!

It actually produces this vey interesting noise...

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

25 Nov 2016, 23:43

y11971alex wrote: I'm now letting you know that it's arrived!
:P Great.
y11971alex wrote: It actually produces this vey interesting noise...
:? Noise?

User avatar
y11971alex

25 Nov 2016, 23:52

seebart wrote:
y11971alex wrote: It actually produces this vey interesting noise...
:? Noise?
It's virtually silent on the downstroke, but when it comes back up, I think the dome actually forces the slider to "top out".

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

26 Nov 2016, 00:02

Well there is a Topre-esque "thump" of sorts that's right. Hell I don't know how to describe it, anyway hope you like the feel of it.

User avatar
y11971alex

26 Nov 2016, 00:06

seebart wrote: Well there is a Topre-esque "thump" of sorts that's right. Hell I don't know how to describe it, anyway hope you like the feel of it.
While I've never actually used Topre before, I'd suggest that you try out the dome over PCB version. I would say that it has a cleaner feel that this, particularly in new condition.

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

26 Nov 2016, 08:50

Not something that I'll be consciously looking for, if I want a clean feel I'll use this...
Spoiler:
IMGP4107.JPG
IMGP4107.JPG (954.85 KiB) Viewed 6295 times
I suggest you try Topre. :ugeek:
Last edited by seebart on 06 Dec 2016, 09:32, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
y11971alex

26 Nov 2016, 08:57

RF tour wanted!

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

26 Nov 2016, 09:59


User avatar
y11971alex

26 Nov 2016, 10:06

Canadian ;)

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

26 Nov 2016, 10:13

y11971alex wrote: Canadian ;)
8cd0ce45b70a799153f175809b36f97a8c3d69c11bf1713751a208afa17a71ad.jpg
8cd0ce45b70a799153f175809b36f97a8c3d69c11bf1713751a208afa17a71ad.jpg (240.26 KiB) Viewed 6275 times

User avatar
Ail

27 Nov 2016, 05:53

seebart wrote:
y11971alex wrote: Is it possible to use normal cherry keycaps on these?
While the MX keycap does fit, the dome does not fit properly with the MX keycap and hence does not work the way it's supposed to. Has anyone ever tried cleaning these domes? These need cleaning... :?
Yes, I pulled all of the rubber domes, both the connected mats and individual ones off of my BTC5100C and soaked them in warm water and dawn. They cleaned up nice and went back on fine.

My experience was the same with the keycaps which is why I decided to part with mine. I thought it felt nice overall, but the fact that I couldn't add different keycaps was a deal-breaker for me. Cool little board, though.

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

05 Dec 2016, 20:50

Finally got around to cleanig the whole keyboard, for most of the alphas there is one large dome sheet. The dome for the spacebar is red, slightly different in shape and heavier.
IMGP4183.JPG
IMGP4183.JPG (917 KiB) Viewed 6170 times
IMGP4218.JPG
IMGP4218.JPG (951.63 KiB) Viewed 6170 times
Left shift and spacebar are the only keys stabilized. Aligning the single domes is a little fidgety but there is no way to mount the keycaps the wrong way as the dome won't work properly otherwise.
IMGP4221.JPG
IMGP4221.JPG (902.48 KiB) Viewed 6170 times
The function row switches are slightly smoother after cleaning but still horrible compared to the domes.
IMGP4172.JPG
IMGP4172.JPG (943.57 KiB) Viewed 6170 times
Retrobright candidate although not a bad one. I really like this little keyboard.
IMGP4230.JPG
IMGP4230.JPG (941.06 KiB) Viewed 6170 times

Post Reply

Return to “Keyboards”