IDENTIFY THE KEYSWITCH thread

[JP!]

Japan never fails to impressive me with all of their unique vintage keyboards. I would love to hear a typing demo of these boards. At the very least get some pictures of the PCB if you do create a wiki post.

[Findecanor]

I've only got a single loose one of those Mitsumi's and liked its feel. Good to hear that someone likes them on keyboard. Thanks!

Finally, i would like to contribute to the wiki but i want to avoid dissasembling if needed and i don't have a while picture box for taking demo pix.

By all means, do add small bits of info if it is an addition. You'll never know when evern a tidbit could become useful to a collector.

[HerbalNekoTea]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdIPCG4wp0o

Here's the sound test.

I still need some help to in a video call for how to open the switch so i can take pix and the community can name it. Was thinking of "Mitsumi Quality Vintage" but that probably a bad name. XD

PS : Tried to use the youtube balise but it was not working, probably my post number might be too low.

[OleVoip]

Linear switches in a keyboard that was found lying outside a textile factory. The keyboard appears to have been part of a computerised weaving machine, and I can't find anything about the switches that it uses. Has anyone seen them before? They've got a pretty short travel, are fairly smooth, and the keycap also serves as the top housing

These are RAFI RS 76 M switches (mechanical, not: C, hall effect) with RAFI keycaps. RAFI is a German manufacturer and so is Stoll.
The bitpaired ISO layout is typical for European industrial keyboards from the 1970s/80s.

[hellothere]

Hi guys, i am not a really a big forum poster but i am fairly actif in the discord. So i recently received my sixth Yahoo Auction Japan. I need to send my seventh one soon. So, this order had a lot of fucking switch who are fucking wild one, 2 unknow not on the wiki but one's from a know series, idk if that the one which was missing but we had the model number. The other one's a wild unknow one with super quality vintage board.

Here's the pix... of the less wild board...

Spoiler:

This is from a PC98 board, probably a missing Alps SKFR switch not in the wiki, but not the one missing on the wiki... Why, well, it's fucking the same than White... Well, why you ask, i also nailed that one.



Yeah, kinda identical, otherwise, maybe a 10g difference that i cannot notice... Welp.



Also super heavy variant for the Stop key.

I noticed that one of the keyboards was an NEC. Might these be a "square" variant on the NEC Oval? Either way, I'm sure they're nice switches.

[HerbalNekoTea]

Hi guys, i am not a really a big forum poster but i am fairly actif in the discord. So i recently received my sixth Yahoo Auction Japan. I need to send my seventh one soon. So, this order had a lot of fucking switch who are fucking wild one, 2 unknow not on the wiki but one's from a know series, idk if that the one which was missing but we had the model number. The other one's a wild unknow one with super quality vintage board.

Here's the pix... of the less wild board...

Spoiler:

This is from a PC98 board, probably a missing Alps SKFR switch not in the wiki, but not the one missing on the wiki... Why, well, it's fucking the same than White... Well, why you ask, i also nailed that one.



Yeah, kinda identical, otherwise, maybe a 10g difference that i cannot notice... Welp.



Also super heavy variant for the Stop key.

I noticed that one of the keyboards was an NEC. Might these be a "square" variant on the NEC Oval? Either way, I'm sure they're nice switches.

Technically, Alps SKFR... but man... is Alps SKFR supposed to be mushy and "Like SKFR but Tall" being clicky and a travel style of IBM Model on your finger (but lighter)... So, i am curious if those are really SKFR because they kinda feel rubberish. I would not be surprise if Oval was a rebrand or redesign clone of SKFL and those SKFR are not SKFR but NEC's redesign or rebrand of them. Finally, it's probably like the SMK Vintage Linear Powder Blue Rebrand from NEC made by SMK in the early 80'S for the og PC88 Brown Board.

On discord, i am the crazy dude who list every decent listing on ebay and yahoo auction, i hunted almost everything i wanted from Japan (except those Chicklet Topre and other weight Stock Topre and a JIS HHKB and a JDL Topre), i already got 3 Topre and Stock, i would say the HHKB's the best one but with the BKE Dome Redux Heavy, it's the best of everything. If you got no money to buy Topre and invest in BKE Dome Redux, BTC Dome with Slider are way superior to Stock 45g Topre.

[JP!]

So here is a rather interesting one. I know what it is but does anyone care to take a guess? If this stumps you guys I will provide more clues. Also, yes the keys are MX compatible.

s1.JPG (362.21 KiB) Viewed 9477 times

s2.JPG (69.8 KiB) Viewed 9474 times

[PlacaFromHell]

So here is a rather interesting one. I know what it is but does anyone care to take a guess? If this stumps you guys I will provide more clues. Also, yes the keys are MX compatible.


s1.JPG

s2.JPG

Deyi clicky foam and foil. Sorry XD

[JP!]

So here is a rather interesting one. I know what it is but does anyone care to take a guess? If this stumps you guys I will provide more clues. Also, yes the keys are MX compatible.


s1.JPG

s2.JPG

Deyi clicky foam and foil. Sorry XD

That was too fast.

[PlacaFromHell]

So here is a rather interesting one. I know what it is but does anyone care to take a guess? If this stumps you guys I will provide more clues. Also, yes the keys are MX compatible.


s1.JPG

s2.JPG

Deyi clicky foam and foil. Sorry XD

That was too fast.

It's a very unique design, something rare but easy to remember.

[SmallRedBoi]

This keypad is from an old machining center (lagunamatic something). I pulled this when the machine was being scrapped over a year ago. The back of the board says keytronic but can't seem to find this sytle and it doesn't look like their foil style to me.

[Chyros]

Looks like Micro Switch ST to me.

[imdatperson]

Looks like Micro Switch ST to me.

I concur with Chyros- looks like Micro Switch ST with a sort of contamination shield over the switches.

[SmallRedBoi]

Thanks! Thats exactly what they are. Glad to have these identified!

[HerbalNekoTea]

Anyone recognize the switch ? It's from a typewriter.

[4_404]

Anyone recognize the switch ? It's from a typewriter.

SMK dome/spring & slider?

[PlacaFromHell]

Anyone recognize the switch ? It's from a typewriter.

Fake Romer G, dunno the name.

[zrrion]

its giving me an ALPS vibe, but thats mostly the caps TBH

[4_404]

its giving me an ALPS vibe, but thats mostly the caps TBH

Caps look like SMK, see the keycap photo here wiki/SMK_inverse_cross_mount

edit: similar typewriter? viewtopic.php?t=17573

[HerbalNekoTea]

wiki/SMK_spring_over_dome
They really look that one with the SMK proprietary mount... Hum... It's a Canon AP-160

[JP!]

Here is a picture from my SMK Inverse Cross board

smk.jpg (127.2 KiB) Viewed 9077 times

And one with SMK Spring over dome

smk2.jpg (40.33 KiB) Viewed 9071 times

[Chyros]

That's the clicky version of the switch.

[John Doe]

Does anybody come across what this should be?
Thanks.

E1390542-B8CB-4E22-9F60-91E998FAC9CF.jpeg (1.6 MiB) Viewed 8855 times

[-Space-NATO-]

Spoiler:

Seems like alps.tw Type OD1 right?

[zrrion]

Looks like some sort of KPT clone

[Lekrafter]

What is this?

Screenshot_20200822-131643_eBay.jpg (31.84 KiB) Viewed 8750 times

[hellothere]

Keytronic is headquartered in Spokane. Doesn't look like foam and foil to me, tho.

[Slom]

What is this?

Screenshot_20200822-131643_eBay.jpg

I'd put my money on some sort of Keytronic Magnetic Reed
wiki/Key_Tronic_magnetic_reed

[hellothere]

What is this?

Screenshot_20200822-131643_eBay.jpg

I'd put my money on some sort of Keytronic Magnetic Reed
wiki/Key_Tronic_magnetic_reed

I think that could be a winner!

[Polecat]

Found these going through forty years of storage. No identification on the switches or caps. Switches are linear, very mushy. Black and white sliders feel the same. Caps are blank, and have what's almost an inverted Alps mount. I have about a dozen in total, and no clue what they are.