Alps Appreciation

Blaise170 · 06 Aug 2018, 15:21

bujorc wrote: ↑Has anyone ever tried to take Matias click leafs and bend them similarly to blue-alps leafs? Well, you could just use a blue alps leaf, but that's not the point I've played a bit with this until my eyes hurt and then also minimized the second tactile event and... the result is great. If only I could do this consistently for the next 60 times...

Anybody asked Matias why they don't diversify their offering, would it be too expensive? Even better, has anybody asked those mx clones companies out there why they don't try to recreate the colorful Alps world?

Technically the manufacturer of Matias switches already does MX clones - Gaote.

SpacemanToby · 09 Aug 2018, 04:53

Gambled on a videowriter and it paid off. It's a very complete unit, with the original box, instructions, floppy disks, and extra ribbons. I'm thinking about replacing the switches with skcl greens or something and trying to find someone who really wants a complete functional videowriter.

xtreg · 10 Aug 2018, 04:39

But why? Skcm browns are much harder to find, afaik.

SpacemanToby wrote:Gambled on a videowriter and it paid off. It's a very complete unit, with the original box, instructions, floppy disks, and extra ribbons. I'm thinking about replacing the switches with skcl greens or something and trying to find someone who really wants a complete functional videowriter.

Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk

701c · 10 Aug 2018, 04:40

xtreg wrote:But why? Skcm browns are much harder to find, afaik.
SpacemanToby wrote:Gambled on a videowriter and it paid off. It's a very complete unit, with the original box, instructions, floppy disks, and extra ribbons. I'm thinking about replacing the switches with skcl greens or something and trying to find someone who really wants a complete functional videowriter.

Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk

So they can be used in another keyboard without making the videowriter useless

xtreg · 10 Aug 2018, 05:59

701c wrote:
xtreg wrote:But why? Skcm browns are much harder to find, afaik.
SpacemanToby wrote:Gambled on a videowriter and it paid off. It's a very complete unit, with the original box, instructions, floppy disks, and extra ribbons. I'm thinking about replacing the switches with skcl greens or something and trying to find someone who really wants a complete functional videowriter.

Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk
So they can be used in another keyboard without making the videowriter useless

Oh now I see

Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk

Blaise170 · 29 Aug 2018, 22:05

So... Apparently there was a group buy for PBT Alps keys.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=96448

//gainsborough · 29 Aug 2018, 23:03

I vaguely remember that GB and thinking to myself "$165 damn that's expensive." With the way the hobby has gone, though, it's not too bad all things considered...

Elrick · 30 Aug 2018, 01:49

Blaise170 wrote: ↑So... Apparently there was a group buy for PBT Alps keys.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=96448

So what, it's only for the tiny 60% keyboard

.

When they run a full 101 or 104 key set, then I'm in all the way.

Pity no one is yet running a complete PBT dye-sub key-set for OmniKey keyboards, now that would be worth buying no matter the cost.

BlindAssassin111 · 30 Aug 2018, 04:20

Elrick wrote: ↑
Blaise170 wrote: ↑So... Apparently there was a group buy for PBT Alps keys.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=96448
So what, it's only for the tiny 60% keyboard .

When they run a full 101 or 104 key set, then I'm in all the way.

Pity no one is yet running a complete PBT dye-sub key-set for OmniKey keyboards, now that would be worth buying no matter the cost.

It was run along with the M0110 GB, hence not needing many key options, they purposely left everyone else out sadly....Was really nice looking but that decision killed it.

SpacemanToby · 30 Aug 2018, 13:02

That was the first group buy I've been seriously tempted by, as I tend to mostly use 60% boards. I didn't end up pulling the trigger in the end though. Too rich for my blood.

Hypersphere · 01 Sep 2018, 00:28

Blaise170 wrote: ↑So... Apparently there was a group buy for PBT Alps keys.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=96448

Today I was finally able to check DT and GH after being buried for months in work. I just saw the GB for PBT Alps and wished I had seen this sooner. However, I have been able to cover my 60% Alps boards with PBT alphas from vintage boards, and I use blank black ABS caps from Matias for mods. I agree with others that it would be nice to see a GB for a full-size PBT set for an Alps keyboard.

Blaise170 · 01 Sep 2018, 01:48

I'm in the (very) early stages of making a full PBT Alps set, preferably dye sub or doubleshot. I'm leaning towards SP since it seems like Tai Hao won't respond.

Elrick · 01 Sep 2018, 02:58

Blaise170 wrote: ↑I'm in the (very) early stages of making a full PBT Alps set, preferably dye sub or doubleshot. I'm leaning towards SP since it seems like Tai Hao won't respond.

PLEASE keep us informed about this.

If it can fill either a Dell Big Foot as well as NorthGate keyboards, then this will indeed be something FANTASTIC

.

fohat · 01 Sep 2018, 03:03

Elrick wrote: ↑
If it can fill either a Dell Big Foot as well as NorthGate keyboards, then this will indeed be something FANTASTIC.

My experience is that Tai Hao fails on the space bar and CapsLock.

Hypersphere · 02 Sep 2018, 19:57

Blaise170 wrote: ↑I'm in the (very) early stages of making a full PBT Alps set, preferably dye sub or doubleshot. I'm leaning towards SP since it seems like Tai Hao won't respond.

Very interested!

Doubleshot PBT has been problematic, but Ducky has recently issued a nice-looking set for mx switches.

If you go with SP, my vote is for a sculpted profile such as DCS rather than a flat profile such as DSA.

klennkellon · 06 Sep 2018, 20:21

I finally snagged an AT-101w for $30 and just got it today. Very nice keyboard and SKCM Black are better than I was expecting.

The seller cleaned the board so it looks quite good, but there is some yellowing and the switches are a little scratchy but otherwise I'm happy with it. Really don't want to clean the switches because I always end up messing up Alps.

//gainsborough · 06 Sep 2018, 20:29

klennkellon wrote: ↑I finally snagged an AT-101w for $30 and just got it today. Very nice keyboard and SKCM Black are better than I was expecting.

The seller cleaned the board so it looks quite good, but there is some yellowing and the switches are a little scratchy but otherwise I'm happy with it. Really don't want to clean the switches because I always end up messing up Alps.

Try your hand at cleaning! The AT-101W is a great board to learn on as far as cleaning and modding switches go!

ZedTheMan · 07 Sep 2018, 00:43

Blaise170 wrote: ↑I'm in the (very) early stages of making a full PBT Alps set, preferably dye sub or doubleshot. I'm leaning towards SP since it seems like Tai Hao won't respond.

Blaise if you can somehow get them to get a Big-ass enter into the set, I'll have to be a happy person.

klennkellon · 07 Sep 2018, 01:44

//gainsborough wrote: ↑
klennkellon wrote: ↑I finally snagged an AT-101w for $30 and just got it today. Very nice keyboard and SKCM Black are better than I was expecting.

The seller cleaned the board so it looks quite good, but there is some yellowing and the switches are a little scratchy but otherwise I'm happy with it. Really don't want to clean the switches because I always end up messing up Alps.

Try your hand at cleaning! The AT-101W is a great board to learn on as far as cleaning and modding switches go!

I've also got a M0116 with linearized Salmons (as the tactile leafs were ruined)

Those tops are very clean and also are Pines with slits so I wonder if they could enhance the feel of these bamboo blacks in any ways.

BlindAssassin111 · 07 Sep 2018, 02:36

klennkellon wrote: ↑ I've also got a M0116 with linearized Salmons (as the tactile leafs were ruined)

Those tops are very clean and also are Pines with slits so I wonder if they could enhance the feel of these bamboo blacks in any ways.

Pine housings will make the bamboo blacks feel better, the older housings are much tighter fitting around the slider so you will have less wobble even.

klennkellon · 07 Sep 2018, 05:30

I am confused by the keycaps on my AT-101w. They are still thin ABS but the legends don't seem to be lasered. What kind of printing could it be?

This is a AT-101w GYUM92SK specifically btw!

//gainsborough · 07 Sep 2018, 09:50

klennkellon wrote: ↑I am confused by the keycaps on my AT-101w. They are still thin ABS but the legends don't seem to be lasered. What kind of printing could it be?

This is a AT-101w GYUM92SK specifically btw!

There was a recent post about this somewhere (I'd have to look for it) but I think the consensus was that it was either silk screen printing or UV printing of some kind.

klennkellon · 09 Sep 2018, 09:02

I replaced the top housings and the sliders on a few of my SKCM Black with Pine tops from some linearized SKCM Salmon I never use. It really enhances the feel. They seem slightly lighter and the tactility is more pronounced.

I have to get some proper tools to do this but I would like to do this to all of the alphas.

abrahamstechnology · 09 Sep 2018, 22:08

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abrahamstechnology · 09 Sep 2018, 22:20

While I'm here I might as well say that I hate when Alps boards get harvested for their keycaps and switches, then landfilled. Just for some 60% keyboard that can be made out of new switches and keycaps anyway. If you must have Alps then re-fit the old board with an in-production clone like Matias, then resell it!

Elrick · 10 Sep 2018, 02:13

abrahamstechnology wrote: ↑While I'm here I might as well say that I hate when Alps boards get harvested for their keycaps and switches, then landfilled.

Should be marked as a serious crime

.

Any person even contemplating doing this type of heinous activity in "Harvesting" switches and throwing away the original keyboard, needs to be beaten with a heavy sock-filled with glass marbles.

zrrion · 10 Sep 2018, 05:02

These two galls are together at last. Glad I managed to snag both of them in such good condition.

On the subject of molesting old keebs, if there wasn't any chance of the thing being used in its original form like a lot of the luggables w/ brown alps then harvest away since on the off chance that someone actually needs one they can be repaired with new matias switches, but if you're after a board that's already in a perfectly usable state then don't harvest it just use it as is. Old boards are often full of character that newer boards just don't quite manage to do justice.

For example that Heathkit still works just like it did in '83 so if I ever convert it you can be sure that the usb keyboard won't replace the morse code keyboard but will work in addition to it.

BlindAssassin111 · 10 Sep 2018, 08:05

Elrick wrote: ↑
abrahamstechnology wrote: ↑While I'm here I might as well say that I hate when Alps boards get harvested for their keycaps and switches, then landfilled.
Should be marked as a serious crime .

Any person even contemplating doing this type of heinous activity in "Harvesting" switches and throwing away the original keyboard, needs to be beaten with a heavy sock-filled with glass marbles.

I am not against harvesting of certain boards, some boards are better for that than others. AT101's and Apple boards I have no problem seeing harvested because they are so common and are better for parts imo. I have harvested a few AT101's in order to have stock of switch plates to repair my alps switches that may have corroded or had the plastic rivets fail, mainly to keep my omnikeys running nicely. As for the apple boards since they have so nice tactiles that I would like in other layouts I have no issues seeing those harvested either.

As for rarer/nice boards, it is a shame to see this done, like omnikeys for example...that hurts me to see.

XMIT · 10 Sep 2018, 13:56

If someone is harvesting a mostly workable Omnikey for switches, PLEASE, send me the rest of the board. I *will* make something useful from it.

abrahamstechnology · 10 Sep 2018, 14:02

BlindAssassin111 wrote: ↑
Elrick wrote: ↑
abrahamstechnology wrote: ↑While I'm here I might as well say that I hate when Alps boards get harvested for their keycaps and switches, then landfilled.
Should be marked as a serious crime .

Any person even contemplating doing this type of heinous activity in "Harvesting" switches and throwing away the original keyboard, needs to be beaten with a heavy sock-filled with glass marbles.
I am not against harvesting of certain boards, some boards are better for that than others. AT101's and Apple boards I have no problem seeing harvested because they are so common and are better for parts imo. I have harvested a few AT101's in order to have stock of switch plates to repair my alps switches that may have corroded or had the plastic rivets fail, mainly to keep my omnikeys running nicely. As for the apple boards since they have so nice tactiles that I would like in other layouts I have no issues seeing those harvested either.

As for rarer/nice boards, it is a shame to see this done, like omnikeys for example...that hurts me to see.

To get rid of rust easily, you can soak the plates in vinegar, scrub, sand them, then Rust-Oleum them (See my AT101 plate above)