Four interesting Alps switches
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
First of all, let me say I'm not sure if this are keyboard switches. The metal one in particular seems quite weird (I'll explain why later).
I saw them pop up on ebay and my curiosity got the best of me so I bought them. Cool little addition to my small switch collection I figure.
I've got the rest of my evening set aside to take them apart and photograph them. Anything in particular you guys want to see?
Perhaps these are already documented. In my cursory look through the wiki I wasn't able to find them.
Here are some pictures of each one.
Switch #1
Switch #2
Switch #3
Switch #4
I saw them pop up on ebay and my curiosity got the best of me so I bought them. Cool little addition to my small switch collection I figure.
I've got the rest of my evening set aside to take them apart and photograph them. Anything in particular you guys want to see?
Perhaps these are already documented. In my cursory look through the wiki I wasn't able to find them.
Here are some pictures of each one.
Switch #1
Switch #2
Switch #3
Switch #4
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
I thought this would be a novel way to show these.
Switch #1
Switch #2
Switch #3
Switch #4
Switch #1
Switch #2
Switch #3
Switch #4
- //gainsborough
- ALPSの日常
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: some kind of alps keyboard
- Favorite switch: clk: SKCM blue, lin: SKCL cream, tac: SKCM cream
- DT Pro Member: 0188
Woah!! Is this time lapse? Very well done and super cool!
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
Thanks! Yes, I put them on a turntable and took a bunch of photos to make those gifs.
Also, these things are so hipster. Like, what is this mechanism?!
-
- Location: America
- Main keyboard: It varies.
- Main mouse: MX Ergo
- Favorite switch: VINTAGE SHIT
- DT Pro Member: -
It looks almost like a capacitive Shitsumi Miniature Mechanical! Very funky.snacksthecat wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 05:13Thanks! Yes, I put them on a turntable and took a bunch of photos to make those gifs.
Also, these things are so hipster. Like, what is this mechanism?!
-
- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- DT Pro Member: 0011
I suppose the gold spring is supposed to slider against the contacts and close the circuit...snacksthecat wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 05:13Also, these things are so hipster. Like, what is this mechanism?!
Or does the spring roll?
How is the key feel? I can't imagine that sliding contacts would be any good.
I would not shit on Mitsumi. I have got only one of their standard Mechanical tactile switches that use the same tactile mechanism as the miniature switches, but it feels very nice.
Last edited by Findecanor on 28 Jul 2019, 10:42, edited 1 time in total.
i assume these types of switches are for push buttons in like cars , or other industrial applications rather than keyswitches for keyboards. very cool stuff, i love those spinning gifs
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- Location: Madison, WI, USA
- Main keyboard: Tecware Phantom 87 | Affirmative 1225T
- Main mouse: Rosewill M62 NEON | Microsoft Intellimouse Pro
- Favorite switch: IBM beamsprings
- DT Pro Member: -
That's the catch with Mitsumi miniature mechanical. They feel amazing as loose switches, but when you actually use them in a keyboard, they bind like you accidentally got your Krytox mixed up with Krazy Glue and decided to go ahead with lubing them anyway.Findecanor wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 06:46I would not shit on Mitsumi. I have got only one of their standard Mechanical tactile switches, but it feels very nice.
In the eternal words of Chyros: "The keyfeel of these is absolute, perfect, crystalline FUCKNESS."
- Chyros
- Location: The Netherlands
- Main keyboard: whatever I'm reviewing next :p
- Main mouse: a cheap Logitech
- Favorite switch: Alps SKCM Blue
- DT Pro Member: -
On top of that, don't confuse their standard (and actually considerably rarer) switches with the miniature ones. The tall ones are OK. The miniature ones are an eldritch abomination.brainandforce wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 07:31That's the catch with Mitsumi miniature mechanical. They feel amazing as loose switches, but when you actually use them in a keyboard, they bind like you accidentally got your Krytox mixed up with Krazy Glue and decided to go ahead with lubing them anyway.Findecanor wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 06:46I would not shit on Mitsumi. I have got only one of their standard Mechanical tactile switches, but it feels very nice.
In the eternal words of Chyros: "The keyfeel of these is absolute, perfect, crystalline FUCKNESS."
And yeah, they definitely feel very different as loose switches.
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
Someone once told me they’re perfectly fine once lubed. I’d believe that when I see it. But I already gave my fairy cursed board away for your enjoyment!
The super shitty flexy case and literally every other aspect of the thing besides the switches did not exactly instil a sense of being likely.
The super shitty flexy case and literally every other aspect of the thing besides the switches did not exactly instil a sense of being likely.
- zrrion
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: F122
- Main mouse: Microsoft IntelliMouse
- Favorite switch: ALPS SKCC Cream
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
So you're the one who beat me in getting those pop. Glad to see they went to someone who is documenting them.
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
They feel okay. But the travel is so short on these that most of the scratchiness doesn't have a chance to come out.Findecanor wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 06:46How is the key feel? I can't imagine that sliding contacts would be any good.
I'm the rascal! There's actually another set of these up right now. That set doesn't include the metal-slider one but I think mine is missing some parts anyways (no spring and no contact leaf). Or, once I'm done playing with these, you can have them for a more reasonable price if you're really interested.
Yeah, the more I look at these I'm more and more convinced of the same.samuelcable wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 06:50i assume these types of switches are for push buttons in like cars , or other industrial applications rather than keyswitches for keyboards.
lsoelxi a few months back posted a 1993 Alps switch catalog. First of all, it's amazing to look through. Unfortunately I didn't see anything resembling these switches in the catalog, despite the variety of different switches it has. Probably these pre-date that catalog.
Have any other similar catalogs surfaced ever? I'd be really interested to look through those as well if they exist. Bitsavers is surprisingly sparse, only containing a patent for achieving n-key rollover.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Alps-power-pus ... Swx9lcJuBssnacksthecat wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 20:33They feel okay. But the travel is so short on these that most of the scratchiness doesn't have a chance to come out.Findecanor wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 06:46How is the key feel? I can't imagine that sliding contacts would be any good.
I'm the rascal! There's actually another set of these up right now. That set doesn't include the metal-slider one but I think mine is missing some parts anyways (no spring and no contact leaf). Or, once I'm done playing with these, you can have them for a more reasonable price if you're really interested.
Yeah, the more I look at these I'm more and more convinced of the same.samuelcable wrote: ↑28 Jul 2019, 06:50i assume these types of switches are for push buttons in like cars , or other industrial applications rather than keyswitches for keyboards.
lsoelxi a few months back posted a 1993 Alps switch catalog. First of all, it's amazing to look through. Unfortunately I didn't see anything resembling these switches in the catalog, despite the variety of different switches it has. Probably these pre-date that catalog.
Have any other similar catalogs surfaced ever? I'd be really interested to look through those as well if they exist. Bitsavers is surprisingly sparse, only containing a patent for achieving n-key rollover.
this one for example is for some sort of audio equipment as a push button, the spring reminds me of some of the ones you found....
- mcmaxmcmc
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Boring Box
- Main mouse: Endgame Gear XM1
- Favorite switch: Hirose Clears
- DT Pro Member: -
Gonna be a bit of a necro on this post, but it looks like these switches are already documented by our man Beardsmore himself.
Seems to be Alps AKC and Alps SCK switches; maybe something along the line of AKC Plastic Blue, AKC Plastic White, AKC White, and SCK in order.
https://telcontar.net/KBK/Alps/AKC
https://telcontar.net/KBK/Alps/SCK
Seems to be Alps AKC and Alps SCK switches; maybe something along the line of AKC Plastic Blue, AKC Plastic White, AKC White, and SCK in order.
https://telcontar.net/KBK/Alps/AKC
https://telcontar.net/KBK/Alps/SCK