Great/Interesting Finds

[Redmaus]

Nope

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=4853.0

[kbdfr]

Cherry folks like these NCR boards for their cases, right?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-NCR-RS3 ... 2518.l4276

[pic]

Sure, but not in this… case as it is a G83 (i.e. rubberdome), where the case is completely different from a G80 or G81 and cannot even be used to take their PCBs.

[emdude]

Nope

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=4853.0

I saw that post too, the OP said it was a "quiet touch" keyboard in his initial post. Deskthority wiki says it's a rubber dome as well.

[Wodan]

I'm pretty sure all this talk here about the Alps Blue hype is just supporting the hype. I haven't been in the "biz" too long myself and I support the theory that it's mostly new players raising the prices here. When You're new to mechanical keyboards, you will suck up any statement you can find about the superiority of any switch and thankfully jump on any hype train you can find. After all there are a million different switches and you're really struggeling to get a clue. Alps are a special mystery of their own since there's no switch testers and hardly and "Overview" objectively comparing all the more common Alps variants. I have a few alps board myself and still haven't figured out why some are hot and others aren't. Pine/Bamboo is just one of the many indicators and people will hold on to anything to funnel/channel their money into one direction. Following the herd is just a way to stay safe.

This is what happens when there's alot of highly opinionated talk about switches - especially in this thread. Best way to beat the hype would be ... Science
Is there an objective overview of the different Alps flavours somewhere to be linked here ? Pros and cons ?

Every time we have a circle jerk here about a sweet deal on a bunch of blue Alps, prices for regular sales go up by 10% simple said.

[Muirium]

For what it's worth: I've tried a lot of switches in my time in the community. I've settled into IBM for clicky switches (all three generations of buckling spring plus I've got a beamspring) and Topre for tactile. I don't like clicky MX one bit. Matias switches disappoint me. And I'm not sold on Zealios either. I'm not much into hype.

With all that perspective laid on the table: in my view blue Alps is a very promising switch. This is how I know them so far:



I'll be building a 60% with this little army soon. In the hand, they feel excellent. And I already have quite a fondness for complicated Alps like orange and cream, so I reckon we'll get along just fine.

Hyperventilating fanboys aren't necessarily a counter-indication to something being good.

[Scarpia]

EU find: Compaq MX11800 AZERTY, as new:
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Compaq-clavier- ... nav=SEARCH

[Chyros]

I guess my view of "rare" is somewhat skewed. For every 4 pallets I sort, I can come up at least 1 pallet of mechanical boards. Maybe it is the source where the scrap comes from, or maybe it is just sheer volume. I have only found 1 industrial M, and 0 Kishsavers Those are rare to me

Haha yeah blue Alps aren't that rare really, just not that easy to find. I'm sure many eBay notifiers are set to the Leading Edge DC-2014 and Acer KB-101A as they always come with them AFAWK. They can be found in many other boards but much more randomly.

As of late Alps and in particular blue Alps prices have soared due to a market hype. A blue Alps NOS board went recently for £300 or something, even. If you've got any blue Alps boards, now is a good time to sell .

Someone on GH even attributed the market hype and inflation to my Acer review . Blue Alps are my favourite switch so far so I gave it very high praise, especially since mine was brand new.

[shreebles]

EU find: Compaq MX11800 AZERTY, as new:
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Compaq-clavier- ... nav=SEARCH

I wouldn't buy a new MX11800!

Because the Brown switches won't be nicely old and worn

[Scarpia]

EU find: Compaq MX11800 AZERTY, as new:
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Compaq-clavier- ... nav=SEARCH

I wouldn't buy a new MX11800!

Because the Brown switches won't be nicely old and worn

Pro tip: Buy new, lend 'as fun clicky toy' to local preschool for 3 months, then collect and clean. Like a dog burying a bone.

[hypkx]

interesting german seller, gmk stuff and (overpriced)switches (btw know anyone from which drop the rgb set is?)
http://www.ebay.de/sch/shopon854/m.html ... pg=&_from=

[Wodan]

Mitsumi switches for 5€:
KKR-E99AC Keyboard Tastatur, 5 €
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... ium=social

[Wodan]

Hyperventilating fanboys aren't necessarily a counter-indication to something being good.

Oh I never meant to imply that. But that's definitly something that will narrow the perspective of people fresh to the subject. After all, picking a switch is something very personal and other people's opinion should barely be more than a hint what else to consider. With Alps,that unfortunately means getting a keyboard with those switches

We need alps switch testers

[bocahgundul]

For what it's worth: I've tried a lot of switches in my time in the community. I've settled into IBM for clicky switches (all three generations of buckling spring plus I've got a beamspring) and Topre for tactile. I don't like clicky MX one bit. Matias switches disappoint me. And I'm not sold on Zealios either. I'm not much into hype.

With all that perspective laid on the table: in my view blue Alps is a very promising switch. This is how I know them so far:



I'll be building a 60% with this little army soon. In the hand, they feel excellent. And I already have quite a fondness for complicated Alps like orange and cream, so I reckon we'll get along just fine.

Hyperventilating fanboys aren't necessarily a counter-indication to something being good.

No love for linear bro?

[zuglufttier]

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Unicomp-Model-M- ... Sw5IJWg1Cs

Pretty cheap Model M... Just needs some new caps.

[alh84001]

a "great" find
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Japanese- ... SwB4NWzfz6


What is interesting though, is that Caps Lock and Control are switched. I thought only M0116 had them switched.

[Blaise170]

I can find plenty of those from Japan... In fact, I have at least one if those on the way to me now, and I paid much less than $999.99. More like $9.99 (plus shipping).

[HzFaq]

Probably not worth much more than $9.99 either, they're really not all that great.

[rddm]

@hypkx looks like RGBYK drop.

[hypkx]

@hypkx looks like RGBYK drop.

I also thought this, but there are some extra keycaps I cant assign. Btw the rgb kits are gone now.

[E3E]

I can find plenty of those from Japan... In fact, I have at least one if those on the way to me now, and I paid much less than $999.99. More like $9.99 (plus shipping).

Yep, Japan has a ton of SKCL Green and SKCM Blue. Ebay is so NOT the place to look if you want those switches cheap. The US market is more suited toward getting switches like SKCM Orange and Salmon rather cheaply.

If you want a switch that can compare to blue Alps' sort of rarity but on a even more difficult-to-find level, I'd point towards SKCL Brown. From what I've read, it ran for like 2-3 years tops alongside SKCL Green, then was pulled from Alps' selection.

It can be found in a lot of the same boards that come with SKCL Green from around 1984-1986 but like blue Alps, you'll likely never know if a board has them unless ya pop a cap.

I know they came with Texas Instruments Low Profile Keyboards, but those can also have SKCM Brown of SKCL Green, I think.

Also in the Leading Edge DC-3014, probably the absolute earliest variant (mine is from 1989 and has blue Alps).

Also in a rare Packard Bell with an 84 key Model F layout that's probably a bit more common in Japan.

Since SKCL Brown is just a linear with a heavier spring, it's hard to argue that it's all that different or worth finding. It's got a 65g spring from what I've measured, which is the same weight of blue Alps. Still, kinda cool to have some. I got mine from a trade with sth, but I have yet to find a full board with them.

[rddm]

I bought the last one. The guy added a few caps, and take others. 1u windows keys are in purple, 1,25u are in yellow. Missing shifts and alt's


Maybe I will get lucky and get 1,5 mods in Cherry Profile A (R5)

[seebart]

With all that perspective laid on the table: in my view blue Alps is a very promising switch.

Blue Alps may be promising to you, more like legendary to myself and others! Just make sure that crop you got right there is clean for the click. Looking foreward to you custom 60%.

[hypkx]

I bought the last one. The guy added a few caps, and take others. 1u windows keys are in purple, 1,25u are in yellow. Missing shifts and alt's

Spoiler:

Maybe I will get lucky and get 1,5 mods in Cherry Profile A (R5)

He wrote that all keycaps included are R4, btw I bought the other set.

[ohaimark]

Since SKCL Brown is just a linear with a heavier spring, it's hard to argue that it's all that different or worth finding. It's got a 65g spring from what I've measured, which is the same weight of blue Alps. Still, kinda cool to have some. I got mine from a trade with sth, but I have yet to find a full board with them.

XMIT has one he might sell you.

[Muirium]

That's a phrase worthy of a dedicated macro if I ever saw one!

With all that perspective laid on the table: in my view blue Alps is a very promising switch.

Blue Alps may be promising to you, more like legendary to myself and others! Just make sure that crop you got right there is clean for the click. Looking foreward to you custom 60%.

I checked every one of Halvar's switches. They were all good. (One or two weren't but after I opened them and blew out the invisible dirt they went back together just great.) I've got one of Hasu's PCB's ready, and no less than 3 Alps 60% plates coming in the mail! (Flabbergast cut me a metal one in the time Sth took to get his acrylic GB in gear.) Once those show up, I'll be looking for a Poker compatible case, or few.

Recommendations welcome.

[guk]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-1393387-Mod ... 1744472676

Wallet: "No."

[E3E]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-1393387-Mod ... 1744472676

Wallet: "No."

"HELP" and "STOP" pretty much sum up the addictive quality of this hobby.

[Redmaus]

Wtf dude its a model f!

Look at the barrel

[Muirium]

This?



Everything else about the board says Model M, literally so! I'm not great with such bad pictures. But if you're just going by colour, plenty of Model Ms have black barrels. Especially Greenock models

[Madhias]

I would also say it is a Model M! Nice, I'd be interested in such a numpad!