Great/Interesting Finds

[Chyros]

The caps on that Monterey look just like the caps on my Zenith btw. I wonder who made them. They don't look like they were made by Tai-Hao.

Yeah, exactly. I was thinking the same thing. I had always just imagined that the ZKB-2 used Alps-made caps like the Zenith Z-150, much like the Leading Edge DC-3014 and DC-2014 both used Alps-made caps. I was surprised when a friend of mine told me that they were different and showed me some pictures.

They do look very similar to those found on the Monterey as well as on my NTC 6151N and I think even some Chicony boards, but that's at a glance, since I've never handled a Chicony.

They're lower profile than standard Alps and Tai Hao profile.

I'd be surprised if the Zenith caps were Alps-made. Those have a very distinct moulding profile on the inner mould. Similarly Tai-Hao use a mould quite unlike the Zenith, it seems.

My NTC uses Tai-Hao caps iirc. Don't think I've ever found a Chicony with doubleshot caps.

[timmo]

Cheap Dolch: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dolch-PAC-62- ... 1534595925
Not as cheap, but comes with extra stuff you probably don't want: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dolch-PAC-62- ... 2211936565
More expensive and even more stuff you probably don't want: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dolch-PAC-64- ... 2193603232

[gogusrl]

crap, that 24$ dolch is already sold. 12 mins to late

[lolpes]

crap, that 24$ dolch is already sold. 12 mins to late

Don't worry, I came here 10 min before you and it was already sold XD

[Scarpia]

Sorry for veering offtopic a bit, but I just had to share my excitement -- I used an auto-sniping tool for the first time today, and I won! Not only that, but my max bid was just 20 pence higher than the second highest bid (another last-second snipe), so I am feeling lucky.... punk!

(although now I realize that the person I beat for it is probably someone in here, so if you just got outsniped on an ANSI AEKII, I apologize; next time post a kitten and it's yours)

[timmo]

I saw that unfold. I didn't bid btw, I just have too much time on my hands . Congrats on the win.

[E3E]

I'd be surprised if the Zenith caps were Alps-made. Those have a very distinct moulding profile on the inner mould. Similarly Tai-Hao use a mould quite unlike the Zenith, it seems.

My NTC uses Tai-Hao caps iirc. Don't think I've ever found a Chicony with doubleshot caps.

No, no, I said the Zenith Z-150, the 84 key that preceded the ZKB-2. I've never handled a ZKB-2, but I've owned a Z-150 and they are Alps-made caps. They changed this during the move to the ZKB-2 and my friend considers the ZKB-2 to actually be of lower quality overall.

Yeah, it seems that NTC might've used different caps on certain models. I noticed yours looked a bit different and you mentioned colored legends on the Alt keys. Mine did not have those. I'm practically certain they're a different make. The 6151N was a very strange divergence in and of itself, but also, if you look at some promo material for the NTC 6151, you can see it with caps that are exactly the same as the Monterey K101's with the "DDR-style" fat arrow legends.

I've seen maybe one or two on eBay with that key set, but just like with everything else on the NTCs, there's a lot of possible variance from model to model.

So what I do know for sure is that the Z-150 with ABS caps, at least, does have Alps-made key caps, and that the 6151N I had and the Monterey both share the same profile key caps.

[Blaise170]

There are some who keep asking if I have my Apple Japanese dyesubs for sale yet; now I do. Four AEK2s.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291738237738?

[Khronokrator]

A NIB Monterey K104:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Find-VTG-N ... 2080751016

Before anyone celebrates, I asked the seller to pull a keycap. While he wouldn't do it for this one (he claimed he wanted to 'preserve' its NIB status) he also claims to have another of the same make and model, and he did pull that one:



So it appears it's just Cherry clones, and he's going to be disappointed.

[jacobolus]

That’s a mini Mitsumi switch. Not really much of a Cherry clone.

[jacobolus]

Chyros: which Zenith keycaps are you talking about? I’ve seen Zenith Z-150s with Alps-made dyesub printed PBT and Alps-made doubleshot ABS.

Chicony KB-5161 with doubleshot caps:


By the time of the KB-5181, etc., they had started cutting as many corners as possible.

[Chyros]

Chyros: which Zenith keycaps are you talking about? I’ve seen Zenith Z-150s with Alps-made dyesubs and Alps-made doubleshots.

The ones on my ZKB-2R. Skip to 9:26.

[Scarpia]

So it appears it's just Cherry clones, and he's going to be disappointed.

Actually he's probably not. But the buyer sure is.

[Scarpia]

Box with 18 keyboards for 5€. The top one looks like a nice IBM Model M (QWERTZ layout, though).

I just got these this morning. It was an orgy of rubber dome G83 boards the IBM Model M was there though, with the original cable and everything in very good condition. Also, two G81s with foul Cherry MY whites, which I'll harvest for MX keycaps.

All in all, it was just about worth the price plus shipping costs, but I could have done without the long walk home from the post office this morning lugging 31.5kgs of keyboards

[ramnes]

What kind of G81, Scarpia?

[Scarpia]

I forgot to check, but I'm thinking lasered PBT caps. I'll check later

[kbdfr]

[…] A Chicony KB-5582 (Wiki) with Cherry MX Blues and a non-existent description.

Had already contacted the seller before, and after some dealing and delaying finally got it today.
First time I get a trackball keyboard with the trackball apparently intact

[gogusrl]

Peacock and Tandon

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Vintage-Computer ... 2053426266?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/alte-Peacock-Tas ... 2167456767?

[Ray]

@kbdfr: I am glad I didn't ruin that deal for you.

[seebart]

Congrats on that Chicony KB-5582 kbdfr! Seems like a rather small keyboard for you?!? I just got my mint Monterey K104.

[Scarpia]

What kind of G81, Scarpia?

One G81-3000LRNDE and one G81-3000LAD. The LAD one seems to have thick thick ABS? caps, while the LRNDE has thin PBT? ones.

[Khronokrator]

Actually he's probably not. But the buyer sure is.

Right. Someone should update the K104 entry on the wiki to warn people of the danger of Mitsumi switches.

[E3E]

Actually he's probably not. But the buyer sure is.

Right. Someone should update the K104 entry on the wiki to warn people of the danger of Mitsumi switches.

Please be advised: Misuse of Mitsumi switches may result in maiming and loss of fingertips. Use caution when determining whether or not your keyboard has Mitsumi switches.

[Ray]

That made my day E3E

[lolpes]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-RB-2001-C ... nav=SEARCH

[ohaimark]

I just bought that. XMIT has one but the eBay seller's appeared to be in slightly better shape.

[lolpes]

Those are KPT switches right?

[seebart]

Those are KPT switches right?

Yes.

wiki/KPT_switch

[Hak Foo]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Focus-Electro ... 2083362086

A lifetime supply of very late FK-2001s. Notice they have Windows keys AND those stupid power keys that displace things in the editing block area.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chicony-Mechani ... SwKfVXDv2X Looks to be Blue SMK Alps-Mount (is that what we're calling Monterrey Blues now?)

[Engicoder]

Never mind