IT'S ALIVE! Post your xwhatsit-resurrected beamspring/kishy

[JP!]

Here a album from installing the Xwhatsit in my IBM 3178:
http://imgur.com/a/JaR94

Thanks for the post. I haven't seen one of these converted before.

[xueyao]

Potato pic of my resurrected beamspring. Looking for replacement caps if anyone has any extras!

[seebart]

Looks awesome, good luck with finding some keycaps or just use Selectric caps.

[joc]

Here's my resurrected 75-key 3278 beamspring. The inside of the top case is marked with the date 10-10-79.

All of the switches were disassembled for cleaning and derusting of the switch stems (vinegar bath). The switch plate and bottom switch-housing plate were also derusted. I was originally planning on painting the plates with black hammered Rust-Oleum but decided to leave them bare for now. I would like to try electroplating the plates like this - has anyone on here tried this before? The original foam was also replaced since it was mostly disintegrated.

The only issue I ran into was during reassembly when I put all switches in backwards - it was an annoying and tedious fix, especially being so close to thinking you're done with everything.

The xwhatsit beamspring controller and solenoid driver work great. Thanks xwhatsit!

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[seebart]

Nice, here's mine, notice the single yellowed "Ü" keycap:

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[ccw]

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Finally a keyboard that I grew up with ... Just need to finish with the keymappings

[mr_a500]

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Finally a keyboard that I grew up with ... Just need to finish with the keymappings

Awesome - another APL beamspring. You "grew up with" this keyboard? I wish I grew up with this. I'm just the first person to have this IBM APL beamspring keyboard converted to USB - thanks to xwhatsit.

I wonder whatever happened to xwhatsit, "The #1 Hero of Converted Beamsprings in the History of Mankind."

I'm reminded of a Godfather quote... "...and there isn't even a plaque or a signpost or a statue of him in that town..."

[Muirium]

Well, his work lives on, inside these ancient beasts he himself restored.




viewtopic.php?p=494765#p494765

Have you seen Pandrew's amazing firmware update for Xwhatsit's controller? His TMK port has per-key thresholds, which has brought my 3276 from marginal into battle-ready reliability. Thoroughly recommended!

[Muirium]

Code: Select all

[quote=titanzop post_id=496731 time=1639568626 user_id=22126]
I have still one problem with the case of my 3278, that one mount of the bar of the door is broken off and my only plan is now to make some weird installation since glue does not work. [SIZE=1] [URL=https://spam/]spaz.com[/URL] [URL=https://spam]spamp app[/URL][/SIZE]
[/quote]

Our resident spammer's getting sneakier. I saw the spam links in the forum spy, but here on the thread itself they're invisible. Until you hit the quote button, that is. I've neutered them in my quote above, and reported the offending post.

Gotta expect more of this.

The size tag didn't used to let you hide stuff. Where'd the range limit go?

[Muirium]

Just a test.

Okay so there's still an upper limit at 200. But the floor needs raised to 50. Or sneaky fuckers gonna sneaky sneak all day.

[shine]

3278 APL

[Muirium]

It’s only ethical to hold onto those if you code in APL.

[Madhias]

Today I brought my Beamspring to work, and had to check if the bicycle ride didn't brake anything, and it works! Phew. But I do think that something isn't really 100% perfect, I hear sometimes when tapping on the case the solenoid sound. I have to check that in the next weeks, because I *really* want to use it here, maybe only 1-2 hours a day, or just once on a 'Beamspring-haha-take-that-co-workers-day'.



Here is an album too, since then I changed the wooden door / palmrest a little bit, made it longer on the front, and used a varnish to protect the wood: https://imgur.com/gallery/bg0ytRy

[Muirium]

Bikespring? I hope you have a sidecar!

Is the solenoid sounding loose, do you think? Does it make sounds when you move the keyboard around, and it's not plugged in? Or is it firing without valid keypresses? Mine used to go nuts, till I switched to Pandrew's firmware on my Xwhatsit controller.

[Madhias]

No sidecar, just a long one:



But every single bump on the road with the Beamspring in the back was very painful and scary

The solenoid is just lying inside, that is 'loose', but was always like this, I have not attached it to the case or plate – or should i? It doesn't fire keypresses, just 'tak tak tak' when I knock on the case for example. I'll have to check again.

I read about your firmware switch in that thread, and downloaded it – and also here have a closer look.

[headphone_jack]

Today I brought my Beamspring to work, and had to check if the bicycle ride didn't brake anything, and it works! Phew. But I do think that something isn't really 100% perfect, I hear sometimes when tapping on the case the solenoid sound. I have to check that in the next weeks, because I *really* want to use it here, maybe only 1-2 hours a day, or just once on a 'Beamspring-haha-take-that-co-workers-day'.



Here is an album too, since then I changed the wooden door / palmrest a little bit, made it longer on the front, and used a varnish to protect the wood: https://imgur.com/gallery/bg0ytRy

Phew, that wooden door looks beautiful. Really gives e a 70's vibe. Fitting for such an ancient beast!

[darkcruix]

After seeing this, I brought out my 3278 as well and typing this now
(With updated photos)

Before

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After

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[TNT]

I really like that "modded" numblock. Those 3278 are already very good looking to begin with, but the little hint to the 5251 gives it a lot of character

[Muirium]

Also: my respect for resisting the perennial temptation to put an inverted T in that very cluster. Restraint!

[darkcruix]

I really like that "modded" numblock. Those 3278 are already very good looking to begin with, but the little hint to the 5251 gives it a lot of character

I wish I could have found black on white keycaps for those, but in this way it is "my" 3278 instead of "a" 3278...

[darkcruix]

Also: my respect for resisting the perennial temptation to put an inverted T in that very cluster. Restraint!

I have to admit that I have a layer toggle, where I can switch to a more modern T-nav

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[Muirium]

I read about your firmware switch in that thread, and downloaded it – and also here have a closer look.

Just wrote an update there about how and why I have here mine setup as it is. I find Pandrew's QMK just peachy on my 3276. Very powerful, and never any misfires! Goodness, this board needed it all along.

As for your solenoid: it shouldn't be lying loose. I've never altered mine, think it's just well attached to the case as originally installed. (A recent pic.) Never rattles on me. I mostly keep it mute, with a toggle key to turn it on and off. Muted, it does still fire once on keyboard power-up, just to remind me it's still live! Turning it on for actual typing reminds me why I'm glad I'm not at a bloody typewriter, ow!

[Madhias]

Just wrote an update there about how and why I have here mine setup as it is. I find Pandrew's QMK just peachy on my 3276. Very powerful, and never any misfires! Goodness, this board needed it all along.

As for your solenoid: it shouldn't be lying loose.

Oh thanks µ for the update! I definitely have to fix the solenoid, also after reading the manual about it. Regarding Pandrew's QMK, I guess I have to re-flash the firmware? I have to find out here how that works out.

[Muirium]

I’d disconnect the solenoid driver till you fix it. That thing steps up the keyboard voltage to send the necessary surge of power to the solenoid. Bad Things can happen if it were to short.

As for flashing: yes, Xwhatsit’s utility has a button to let you do just that. He used to update his own firmwares quite frequently back when he was around. It’s quite easy. You just need to bake your QMK with Pandrew’s helpful web app.

As I wrote today: I don’t even need the separate QMK configurator tool now I built firmware update mode into my keyboard itself via a layer. Though I advise playing with it anyway because it’s so cool to watch your keyboard’s live data!

[jsheradin]

My photography's not up to par for this thread but I break this guy out whenever I can.

Spoiler:

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[Muirium]

Could stop a freight train with a wristrest the like of that.

Photography is really just *lighting*. Take your beamer out into the sun and you'll see just how different it gets. All my recent pics have been done by phone. The hardware's all really quite good now. What still makes the difference, but, is learning how to play with light.

[ironicmoustache]

I've made many poor financial decisions in my life, but this must rank as one of the best-worst...



The spacebar is a bit hard to actuate, needs a real firm press to register. Is that just part of how these 5251s are?

[Bjerrk]

My photography's not up to par for this thread but I break this guy out whenever I can.

Spoiler:

IMG_20211225_101640.jpg

Looks great! I'm curious about the palmrest, though. Seems like it would lend itself to a terribly uncomfortable typing angle, compared to the floating hands style of typing that usually works well with typewriters and tall keyboards?

[xxhellfirexx]

The spacebar is a bit hard to actuate, needs a real firm press to register. Is that just part of how these 5251s are?

To quote photekq from another thread, not all beamsprings are equal even when they were manufactured in the same factory within the same year. The key weighting and amount of ping may vary between keyboards but are consistent throughout so much so that you can tell which switches have been replaced.

The spacebar weighting can also vary. The spacebar for one of mine may not reset if grease has been applied to the stabilizer wire.

1) Beamsprings. Not all beamsprings though, there's a huge variation between the ones I've owned. Some are middling, but my 3278 is a dream.

[jsheradin]

My photography's not up to par for this thread but I break this guy out whenever I can.

Spoiler:

IMG_20211225_101640.jpg

Looks great! I'm curious about the palmrest, though. Seems like it would lend itself to a terribly uncomfortable typing angle, compared to the floating hands style of typing that usually works well with typewriters and tall keyboards?

With the keyboard being so tall it actually matches the angle of your forearms pretty nicely (for me at least). The floating hands thing is fine for a while but it gets a bit fatiguing after a full day of doing actual work with a keyboard (again, for me at least).

The core of its all 3D printed so it wouldn't be too hard to alter the model to get whatever angle one wanted.