deskthority

Found this on eBay:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/130541363513

Anyone know what these switches are? Or if they are compatible with MX caps? The slider has a cross mount, but other then that...

"Usually, will write only 1/2 actual value or less than $30 to your customs to avoid the possible import fee"

I love their honesty!

HA! I hadn't noticed that bit...I love it!

First I thought they are some older Cherry, but at the bottom there is some sign that does not appear on Cherry switches.

You must order them and find out yourself.


edit: 85 available


You must run a group buy!!!!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/500pcs-Pushbutt ... 20c190feab

Interesting!

Oh noes.

Nobody knows whose switch that is. It's fairly likely that the original was the [wiki]SMK vintage linear[/wiki], but we cannot prove it.

So far, we have:

• Black/black, brown/beige: SMK vintage linear, SMK lock ("SMK" branded)
• Black/blue: NEC ("NEC" branded)
• Blue/black (?): Maxi Switch ("Maxi" branded)
• Black/white: [wiki]HTK switch[/wiki] ("HTK" branded, could be Hottek but we don't know) — these are clicky instead of linear, using an Alps-style click leaf
• Black/black, maroon/black: [wiki]USw LXBB01[/wiki] and [wiki]USw LXRB01[/wiki] — these have a monogram for a logo, and it's not possible to be sure which order the letters are to be read in; the only known source keyboard is also unidentified
• Black/blue: uncertain switches, above — cannot read the branding on the base
• Black/black: first known unbranded switch, above
• Black/?: unclear logo, cannot identify brand from it — above

That's three new switches, and potentially three new clones, as we have no idea of the legitimacy of any of these designs. It also ties in with why the "Monterey" switch was not branded: it may be that SMK made switches under other names.

I just noticed that the plate retention clips on the NEC version are ribbed, i.e. the NEC switch does not in fact follow the SMK design:

http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/pc88 ... 8%20switch

Unlike Alps clones, which mostly followed Tai-Hao's or Himake's design, these switches all follow the original design very closely, almost identically in most cases.

(Odds of getting pics of these on the wiki? Very slim … Pity, as eBay auction images tend to vanish. I should archive them.)

OK, no, there's only two new switches. The blue slider ones (with the sort of concentric square branding) and the black slider one (unbranded on the base).

Allocations:

• [wiki]USw LXBB02[/wiki] — black/black
• [wiki]USw LXBU01[/wiki] — black/blue (couldn't think of a better letter for blue)

Both are listed on [wiki]Generic cross mount recognition[/wiki].

I have archived the photos from the eBay auction for when they inevitably disappear from the Internet.

I bought a similar looking item a few weeks ago. I removed the switches that came with it and replaced with Cherry MX switches and it works well as a cheap switch tester.

The switches on mine look very similar except that they have a white/clear stem rather than blue. They are linear and are compatible with MX keycaps. They have a concentric square branding on the bottom of them.

Mine look like these even down mirror/reverse numbers on the top of the switch but the branding on the bottom is different.

How are those caps? They look like relegendable sphericals from the picture.

padath wrote:I bought a similar looking item a few weeks ago. I removed the switches that came with it and replaced with Cherry MX switches and it works well as a cheap switch tester

Nice, thank you for confirming this. I thought from the diagram that they were 14mm but wasn't sure. I was thinking of using one to make a programmable keypad or something similar.

Muirium wrote:How are those caps? They look like relegendable sphericals from the picture.

Yes, they are relegendable sphericals. Similar in shape and size to R3 Signature Plastics SA caps.

However, even though MX keycaps fit onto the switch stems, these relegendable keycaps do not fit onto MX stems

Interesting caps! How do the switches compare to MX red and black, do you reckon?

Muirium wrote:Interesting caps! How do the switches compare to MX red and black, do you reckon?

They're more like MX black than red.

padath wrote:I bought a similar looking item a few weeks ago.

I was hoping you'd be in the UK. Do you want those switches, or would you prefer to sell them off?

It's almost looking like these are actually in production, which would be odd. Why copy an old SMK linear design from the 80s?

Daniel Beardsmore wrote: I was hoping you'd be in the UK. Do you want those switches, or would you prefer to sell them off?

PM me your details and I'll send you one of them.