Alps Appreciation

[Chyros]

I'm not sure they are different switches; this might just be an extreme case of Alps colourblindness xD . Possibly bleaching. I'm almost 100% sure the "creams" aren't cream, maybe bleached salmons (or even oranges) - normal SKCM cream has a much whiter and more opaque colour.

Oranges and salmons should be easy to tell apart as oranges are significantly lighter. Can you feel a difference in weighting between them?

[waldorf120]

I have seen dozens of M0116s and have never seen any with anything other than all oranges or all salmons (minus the lock switch). This is cool, looks like 7 grain cheerios.

[Polecat]

Hello everyone!! I have a question regarding Apple's m0116.
I've got this keyboard recently, and after disassembly, I found that this one has multiple different switches.
It seems that it has orange, salmon, and cream switches?
I do not think somebody had modded this one.
Is this a common phenomenon for m0116?
Thanks in advance!

The numeric digits on the mold numbers (upper right) on the upper housings appear to correspond to the slider color, but not to each other. This suggests to me that at least three different batches of switches were used on this keyboard, and that it probably didn't come that way.

[waseda]

Thanks for the helpful information guys!
So after further disassembly, looks like it does have different switches.
However, as you can see in the picture, the sticker which covers the middle screw is not broken(before my disassembly).
I wonder if this is a genuine sticker...

[cli]

Ahh.. those usefull stickers,
At work we peeled off the silver Designed for Microsoft Windows 95 stickers from our computers and put it on the toilet seats.
Yes,.. stupid childish developers.

[swampangel]

Thanks for the helpful information guys!
So after further disassembly, looks like it does have different switches.
However, as you can see in the picture, the sticker which covers the middle screw is not broken(before my disassembly).
I wonder if this is a genuine sticker...

Sliders/springs could have been swapped without disassembling the board.

Hard to imagine why someone would *want* a sprinkling of damped switches across a board

[SneakyRobb]

Thanks for the helpful information guys!
So after further disassembly, looks like it does have different switches.
However, as you can see in the picture, the sticker which covers the middle screw is not broken(before my disassembly).
I wonder if this is a genuine sticker...

Ahh.. those usefull stickers,
At work we peeled off the silver Designed for Microsoft Windows 95 stickers from our computers and put it on the toilet seats.
Yes,.. stupid childish developers.

Those stickers are there to prevent warranty claims if you overclock your keyboard and then try to RMA it. For fun I burned out an Apple Chicklet onetime by getting up to 5.5k WPM with passive cooling, it melted a bit and they refused to warranty it lol

[andrewjoy]

they refused to warranty it lol

Apple refused a warranty....... will imagine my shock.

[CountNoctua]

Just bought some loose SKCM blue switches off ebay, to go into an Lunar AEK build. Does anyone have experience with the Nexus sliders? I want to use MX keycaps with them.

[Guchay]

Just bought some loose SKCM blue switches off ebay, to go into an Lunar AEK build. Does anyone have experience with the Nexus sliders? I want to use MX keycaps with them.

I assume I'm the one that sold you them. For the Lunar AEK, the case was designed around the AEK keycaps due to their curvature and profile which is different than what you find with mx keycaps. I recommend sticking with AEK keycaps, they are pretty great and should serve you well.

[CountNoctua]

I assume I'm the one that sold you them. For the Lunar AEK, the case was designed around the AEK keycaps due to their curvature and profile which is different than what you find with mx keycaps. I recommend sticking with AEK keycaps, they are pretty great and should serve you well.

Ah, I should have realized that. I was hoping to find black or dark colored keycaps, but I guess I can live with AEK keycaps. I think I'll just order a sample pack then of the Nexus sliders, for a different project. Thanks for the quick response (and the switches ).

[fohat]

I was hoping to find black or dark colored keycaps,

Apple used thick high-quality PBT caps which dye well.

Look at reply #14 in this thread: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35 ... #msg658453

[SneakyRobb]

Just bought some loose SKCM blue switches off ebay, to go into an Lunar AEK build. Does anyone have experience with the Nexus sliders? I want to use MX keycaps with them.

Ah, I should have realized that. I was hoping to find black or dark colored keycaps, but I guess I can live with AEK keycaps. I think I'll just order a sample pack then of the Nexus sliders, for a different project. Thanks for the quick response (and the switches ).

If you put a nexus slider into a SKCM blue and one into a SKCM white switch, I am not sure there would be any difference in feel at all.

I think using Nexus Sliders with specifically SKCM Blue Alps is a HUGE waste of your money and the switches. Please don't do it.

Blue Alps are best when they are NOS, clean, and with the factory lubricant on the slider intact. The nexus slider removes that blue slider from the switch entirely.

There is nothing wrong with that for most alps switches perhaps, but doing it to specifically blue alps is not useful.

That blue slider is a huge reason they are excellent to begin with.

It's like buying a vintage car with a super nice engine and transmission instead of the one with the regular tier engine/transmission , and then doing a mod that replaces that super nice engine and transmission.

[waldorf120]

I dub thee "Nexios"! Nexus sliders in Matias housings with respective springs and leaves. They are super tactile although the click leaves don't always click in them. Some of the nexus sliders are too big for some of the Matias top housings, the tolerance is really tight, but most fit well and the lubricant that Matias includes with their switches helps to keep the sliders moving smoothly. The top housings do have to be filed but only slightly, it probably takes about 20 seconds per housing to get them large enough to accept cruciform mount caps. I tested with Signature Plastics SA and GMK caps. Of note I found that I did not have to shave the stems of these to avoid breaking the SP or GMK caps. I used Nuclear Data and Terminal respectively.

[flowerlandfilms]

Hello.
What is this?
Thank You.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-w- ... MOY7pFkOaY

[ZedTheMan]

Hello.
What is this?
Thank You.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-w- ... MOY7pFkOaY

Fake model Ms made by some unknown company. The caps get really tall because the keyboard plate is flat unlike the curved real Model M, and are pad printed. Overall, the build quality is kinda mediocre from what I can tell but they come up from time to time and are a very cool blue Alps ANSI board.

[Guchay]

Pretty cool SKCM Blue keyboard in a compact F77-like asian layout with an integrated trackball(similar to the Rabbit 286 with blue alps minus the trackball). Despite it's dirt and mucked up case and keycaps, the internals are surprisingly clean and it feels nice(not great) and consistent enough to type on without wanting to slam this keyboard into another dimension. The implementation of the trackball isn't ideal(sits on top of a sensor but isn't locked down well). It has macro keys above the trackball, which I assume are the "mouse key" that are shown in the lock lights. Also doesnt have blockers like on most keyboards of this era(wkl) but instead has another set of macro keys. Don't know if I have the time to do a full restore(cut cable), so if anyone wants to tackle this project let me know and I can give more info.

[abrahamstechnology]

I dub thee "Nexios"! Nexus sliders in Matias housings with respective springs and leaves. They are super tactile although the click leaves don't always click in them. Some of the nexus sliders are too big for some of the Matias top housings, the tolerance is really tight, but most fit well and the lubricant that Matias includes with their switches helps to keep the sliders moving smoothly. The top housings do have to be filed but only slightly, it probably takes about 20 seconds per housing to get them large enough to accept cruciform mount caps. I tested with Signature Plastics SA and GMK caps. Of note I found that I did not have to shave the stems of these to avoid breaking the SP or GMK caps. I used Nuclear Data and Terminal respectively.

When I saw the photo I got excited and thought for a second Zeal was releasing their own Alps clones.
Then again they would probably be $5.00 a piece or something if that were the case.

[waldorf120]

I dub thee "Nexios"! Nexus sliders in Matias housings with respective springs and leaves. They are super tactile although the click leaves don't always click in them. Some of the nexus sliders are too big for some of the Matias top housings, the tolerance is really tight, but most fit well and the lubricant that Matias includes with their switches helps to keep the sliders moving smoothly. The top housings do have to be filed but only slightly, it probably takes about 20 seconds per housing to get them large enough to accept cruciform mount caps. I tested with Signature Plastics SA and GMK caps. Of note I found that I did not have to shave the stems of these to avoid breaking the SP or GMK caps. I used Nuclear Data and Terminal respectively.

When I saw the photo I got excited and thought for a second Zeal was releasing their own Alps clones.
Then again they would probably be $5.00 a piece or something if that were the case.

I'm honored my work was good enough to be mistaken for Zeal's!

[Chyros]

Pretty cool SKCM Blue keyboard in a compact F77-like asian layout with an integrated trackball(similar to the Rabbit 286 with blue alps minus the trackball). Despite it's dirt and mucked up case and keycaps, the internals are surprisingly clean and it feels nice(not great) and consistent enough to type on without wanting to slam this keyboard into another dimension. The implementation of the trackball isn't ideal(sits on top of a sensor but isn't locked down well). It has macro keys above the trackball, which I assume are the "mouse key" that are shown in the lock lights. Also doesnt have blockers like on most keyboards of this era(wkl) but instead has another set of macro keys. Don't know if I have the time to do a full restore(cut cable), so if anyone wants to tackle this project let me know and I can give more info.

Haha dmn yours does have blue Alps xD . I gambled on a NOS one of those a while ago but it turned out to have Alps clones. Not sure which ones off the top of my head but they're actually surprisingly good. Congrats on your SKCMAG find though!

[Rezene]

After putting paper in my orange alps to stop them from clicking on the upstroke I got the idea to try and do the same thing with click leaves. My thought process was that if it silenced tactile leaves why would it not silence click leaves. I don't have a board with any clicky alps but I do have loose switches and I tried it on a blue alps switch. I've never tried undamped cream alps but I assume this is what they would feel like. There is a little bit of pre travel and then it forces you to bottom out pretty much. It feels a little more rounded than blue alps. Not sure why anyone would want to get rid of the click sound especially with blue alps. I've always heard that you can click mod tactile switches, and linear mod any switch while it is impossible to tactile mod clicky switches. Has anyone else tried this before? I would like to know what they are like in a full board.

[snacksthecat]

Warning: Shocking

Spoiler:

Sometimes you've got to get a little bit morbid to gain some perspective. Really makes you appreciate the boards that make it out in one piece!

[E3E]

Warning: Shocking

Spoiler:

Sometimes you've got to get a little bit morbid to gain some perspective. Really makes you appreciate the boards that make it out in one piece!

Certainly makes me appreciate the keyboards I have! <3 RIP Omniboi

[E3E]

Pretty cool SKCM Blue keyboard in a compact F77-like asian layout with an integrated trackball(similar to the Rabbit 286 with blue alps minus the trackball). Despite it's dirt and mucked up case and keycaps, the internals are surprisingly clean and it feels nice(not great) and consistent enough to type on without wanting to slam this keyboard into another dimension. The implementation of the trackball isn't ideal(sits on top of a sensor but isn't locked down well). It has macro keys above the trackball, which I assume are the "mouse key" that are shown in the lock lights. Also doesnt have blockers like on most keyboards of this era(wkl) but instead has another set of macro keys. Don't know if I have the time to do a full restore(cut cable), so if anyone wants to tackle this project let me know and I can give more info.

This appears to be a keytrak. Shame it's not the oddball one with the FAME-style Cherry profile keycaps. Nice find though! Very surprising that it feels as good as it does for you, but I've been host to boards that have looked better but felt worse as well as boards that have looked worse but felt great. Nice.

Certainly a quirky keyboard that isn't quite my cup of tea, mainly because of the trackball implementation. If I had it, I'd likely hand it over to someone who could appreciate it more, salvage the blues from it for a project (not really into building with blues as much as I am having vintage blue alps boards anyway), or salvage the caps if they were Cherry profile.

[Redmaus]

Warning: Shocking

Spoiler:

Sometimes you've got to get a little bit morbid to gain some perspective. Really makes you appreciate the boards that make it out in one piece!

Ok now imagine this but with a kishy

[Chyros]

Warning: Shocking

Spoiler:

Sometimes you've got to get a little bit morbid to gain some perspective. Really makes you appreciate the boards that make it out in one piece!

Ok now imagine this but with a kishy

Grinder = rekt

[dss]

Check out this keyboard I picked up NIB from ebay recently...

A Monterey K104 with a Northgate (!!) badge.





It has SKCM White Alps and feels really excellent.

In fact I'm not sure I could tell the difference between these switches and the Blue Alps in my Northgate 102.

My Northgate 102 is in excellent condition but I suppose its not new like this one.

[//gainsborough]

woah that's rad!!! Blue or white alps?

[dss]

woah that's rad!!! Blue or white alps?

Thought it might have blue alps but alas it has white alps. They feel really excellent though!

[//gainsborough]

nice! I just got a NIB one off eBay as well - also whites. NIB whites though are still pretty nice! Does yours work well, BTW? I have to hot-swap mine in to actually be able to type on it. Generally, I'll start my PC with like an omnikey plugged in, then once it's booted up I'll unplug the omnikey and plug in the k104. It's very annoying.