IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

[Chyros]

I strongly suspect some kind if foam and foil design related to Key Tronic's, possibly Alphameric.

[terrycherry]

And what is this Italy made strange switch? It seems like the mechanical.(I knew there have the membrane version but don't remember the switch name)
[Italy[1984]AT&T 6300 keyboard(KBD 302)

[mars]

I fear it's a very convoluted rubberdome, like Olivetti's

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[Blaise170]

Olivetti made a bunch of AT&T boards so that'd be my guess.

[ohaimark]

I second the rubber dome theory.

[Chyros]

Olivetti dome with slider.

[zeitg3ist]

love the legends color, but i'm pretty sure its a rubber dome, can anyone confirm?

[ohaimark]

Yeah. All the HPs/knockoffs with those 3/4 profile keys on the numpad are rubber dome.

[Brot]

Can somebody find something about this Keyboard?

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[ohaimark]

Does anyone recognize the brand logo in the upper left hand corner? Or what system this went to? I don't feel like sleuthing right now...



More photos here: https://imgur.com/a/Rgcg4

[Crazy Canadian XXIV]

Does anyone recognize the brand logo in the upper left hand corner? Or what system this went to? I don't feel like sleuthing right now...



More photos here: https://imgur.com/a/Rgcg4

According to /g/ and the FCC ID (turns out you can look the buggers up, the more I know), this was made by... VTech, of all people. Originally shipped with the PC Partner XI, too.

[ohaimark]

You motivated me to dig. It looks like it's a PCPartner branded keyboard, as you said. The caps are speculated to be from the manufacturer that made Wyse's.



VTech's offerings have declined, it appears...

[gogusrl]

Doesn't Wyse have only thin doubleshots ? These look like GMK/Cherry caps. Anyway, awesome find.

[Crazy Canadian XXIV]

You motivated me to dig. It looks like it's a PCPartner branded keyboard, as you said. The caps are speculated to be from the manufacturer that made Wyse's.



VTech's offerings have declined, it appears...

Spoiler:

What happened to the keyboard industry in a shellnut, really.

[ohaimark]

Doesn't Wyse have only thin doubleshots ? These look like GMK/Cherry caps. Anyway, awesome find.

I think Wyse only had thin caps, at least on the majority of their models. It's the font that seems similar.

[jacobolus]

That PC Partner thing is the same type of keyboard and keycaps used on Laser keyboards, with PCB-mounted MX-mount SMK switches on a PCB that supports both inverted T and plus layouts for the arrows. The case looks slightly different, but made by the same OEM. I think “Video Technology Computers Ltd” was the OEM?

I really like the switches and keycaps, but I’m not convinced about the PCB mounting or the cases (very echoey).

Still though, I’m sorry I didn’t accept that seller’s offer before he accepted ohaimark’s. I dig the purple, and those caps are apparently less yellowed than they appeared in the auction.

Here’s another "PC Partners": https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35471.0

Also, http://park8.wakwak.com/~kaineko2/keybo ... 11022.html

https://fccid.io/BNX84H80-2269-1

[ohaimark]

The yellowing was surface residue. Whoever owned the keyboard before the seller (who snagged it at an estate sale) smoked around it, but not enough to ruin the board. After a thorough cleaning with denture tabs and my super-secret scrubbing agent, the keyboard changed from yellowed mess to nice grey-purple goodness.

I'm starting to think that tar and nicotene surface deposits protect plastic from UV rays and other wear conditions, reducing overall discoloration. Finger and wrist contact locations from heavy smokers would likely see more yellowing from physical staining, though.

[ramnes]

Does anyone recognize the brand logo in the upper left hand corner? Or what system this went to? I don't feel like sleuthing right now...



More photos here: https://imgur.com/a/Rgcg4

Very nice find! It's funny, LED legends really look like AEKII ones...

It's just like if a Wyse, an AEK and GMK had a threesome. And maybe Olivetti was in also.

Too bad about the big ass enter.

[scottc]

That definitely looks like one of SP's fonts to me - do you think they were able to create nice, thick doubleshots like that before?!

[jacobolus]

I’m guessing these keycaps were produced by some Chinese vendor in late 80s / early 90s, but who knows. A lot of keycap producers used similar engraving machines to make their legends. Not too surprising that they look similar. (Check out Key Tronic caps for instance.)

Keycap profile of these VCTL keycaps:


SP’s DCS for comparison:


The precursor company to Signature Plastics was able to make thick doubleshots at some point though. See early WYSE boards for example.

You can get your own if you want: http://www.ebay.com/itm/151938070867

[Brot]

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[ohaimark]

Likely NMB rubber domes. Could be Space Invaders, but it's highly unlikely. My opinion is based on the case's shape.

[Crazy Canadian XXIV]

Doesn't that look like a cherry logo in the corner? Kinda hard to tell from this far away, but it sure looks like it to me.

[guk]

G80 or G81 3000, 3081 if it is a Highscreen logo in the top left corner.

[photekq]

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It's definitely a Highscreen rebranded Cherry G81. These are most common with German doubleshots or dyesubs.

[ohaimark]

My bad. I'm accustomed to that case shape being NMB.

[Brot]

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[gogusrl]

G83 rubberdome. You can tell by the curve of the bottom case and the ridge (not sure this is the best word) on the directional keycaps.

[Brot]

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[gogusrl]

rubber dome and even if it's not, those are some crappy looking caps