Alps Appreciation

[Anakey]

edited my above post

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Curious, it's definitely got an orange tint — the official Himake pictures show vivid red. The Hua-Jie site is presently down, but you can see the red type here:

http://ccn.mofcom.gov.cn/182718

Red ones have been seen a few times but never inspected; whether they are the same as your orange-almost-red, I'm not sure.

The Himake website only shows the green type, but the samples I got were all cream. The Himake website shows AK-CN2/DN2 while I was told that these days it's only AK-CN2 (2) and DN2 (2) where "(2)" seems to denote a similar, cheaper type; the old CN2/DN2 are gone.

I need a fluent/native Chinese speaker to try to find out more, as Himake don't seem to have anyone who speaks good English.

[Mattr567]

Packard Bell is back! And with a new look SKCM Orange

[Menuhin]

Packard Bell is back! And with a new look SKCM Orange

With your boards suffered from so many iterations of their switches being desoldered and soldered again and again, and again and again ... - how do the round O-shape conducting patches around the switch pin-holes on the PCB hold?

And how do you usually avoid damage to them during desoldering?

[Mattr567]

With your boards suffered from so many iterations of desoldering and soldering again and again - how do the round O-shape conducting patches around the switch pin-holes on the PCB hold?

And how do you usually avoid damage to them during desoldering?

Well this is a different Packard Bell then my old one. I got this as a carcass. Originally SKCM White/crap pad printed caps.

This one had some damage from Mike who originally desoldered it. Eventually they will start to lift, but as long as the side that attaches to the trace is still there it really doesn't matter.

The only board I have swapped more than once was a Focus FK-3001. They do get weaker over time but you just gotta be careful with the heat. I have a fairly basic iron (no heat controls) so I do what I can. If I do happen to completely lift a pad than a quick jumper wire solves the problem.

The worst was a KBP V60 (which are known to be horrid to desolder). The first one I did was one of my first ever solder jobs and I completely messed it up. Ran a billion jumper wires but it worked. By the time I got a used one on ebay to do it again I had a ton more experience, and I did it perfectly I can't imagine redoing that one, but with SKCM Amber I don't see myself ever doing that, that board is absolutely fantastic with Canon spherical keycaps.

[Menuhin]

Does using more flux help with avoiding lifting the pad with unnoticed incomplete desoldering jobs?

[Mattr567]

Does using more flux help with avoiding lifting the pad with unnoticed incomplete desoldering jobs?

I've never used more flux, just what's already in the solder I use.

[Myoth]

I should grab an ISO-FR AT102 to mess with it, I love Orange Alps, but boy do they get expesnive hese days ! I have a M0118 with Orange Alps but I won't desolder those, this board just is about the coolest stock one I got

Good luck me trying to find an AT102 FR hahaha

[Wingklip]

midori alps desu <3

[terrycherry]

edited my above post

Yes,it's linear of T8 but I rename it to Himake E&E switch(alps.tw Type T8).
Could I have chance to see your entire keyboard and label on back case?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

What is "E&E"?

I think the linear version would be classified as T8 if I understand alps.tw's classification correctly. I can no longer ask him as KBtalKing has been absorbed into cool3c and I can no longer log in.

[terrycherry]

See it whatever I deleteed it.
https://www.tapatalk.com/topic/17382-de ... a1-and-oa2
photos-f62/e-e-101md-blue-sliders-linea ... 14511.html

E&E is the series of 深圳特力(ShenZhen Tellus) keyboard. The earlier various Himake switch appeared on this series but some China made keyboard(PCB also brand E&E but logo and model is not) or KB-6251 and Ortek will have some Himake switch.
It's not known on China keyboard collector or worldwide. I decided to make more information about the keyboard and switches history on my future e-book.

[pixelheresy]

Packard Bell is back! And with a new look SKCM Orange

Nice, I have the same Thai/English keycaps on my Dell AT102W (albeit my K is a little scratched up). Took them from a super crappy SuperGate board I got for $1 shipped.

[pixelheresy]

Actually on the subject... I know there are a bunch of non-Alps but Alps compatible keyboards with nice double/triple shot international caps and I can't find the thread/pictures. Don't know if I am just crap as searching, but can't find it here on DT (and pretty sure it wasn't ok GH)...

Does anyone remember so I can search better (or have a link if handy)?

[pansku]

I do have to say that NOS Alps on my Pingmaster are just divine to type on. When I build my Alps64 with Greens I thought they were great switches, especially compared to Red Cherries. But these, these are just buttery smooth and the perfect weight kinda like I'd imagine how linear buckling springs should be.

The keycaps also make a big difference as I prefer the heavier profile kinda like on my 5251 which is waiting to be fixed. Always when I have time I somehow end up trying to kill it and now that I don't I'm hurrying up on trying to finish all the projects I was going to spend the summer working on Despite the name "Pingmaster" this keyboard actually pings less than my Alps64. The thick and big doubleshots combined with the sturdy case give it a pleasant sound. The original cable is also really nice so I decided to keep the converter external.

Now I have to add a NOS SKCM Blue board to my bucket list next to OG 62-key Kishsaver I highly recommend picking one of these up while they still are available. IMHO it is still worth even after the roughly 50€ shipping.

Now I'm just super annoyed by one single key that is in the wrong place as I for some reason can't get the pro micro go to bootloader and show up on COM-ports so I can't fix it

[Mattr567]

So I opened one of the extra Green SKCC's I had laying around from my P77 mod, and I was shocked to discover that it had a tall white switchplate!

The chips on the PCB date it between 1983 and 1984. Kinda confused here White plates were introduced around 1989, and SKCC was out by that point.

[Chyros]

So I opened one of the extra Green SKCC's I had laying around from my P77 mod, and I was shocked to discover that it had a tall white switchplate!

The chips on the PCB date it between 1983 and 1984. Kinda confused here White plates were introduced around 1989, and SKCC was out by that point.

wat Oo

[Daniel Beardsmore]

So I opened one of the extra Green SKCC's I had laying around from my P77 mod, and I was shocked to discover that it had a tall white switchplate! :o

The chips on the PCB date it between 1983 and 1984. Kinda confused here :?: White plates were introduced around 1989, and SKCC was out by that point.

There are lots of little subtleties that we don't yet understand, but that may provide clues as to age. The sides of the switch are sometimes chamfered just above the bottom, both in SKCC and S950. SKCCBJ001 and SKCCBK001 have separate recesses around each terminal with hemispherical ends, while most SKCC switches have a single rectangular recess, such as SKCCAF002A. What does that "002" denote — version 2, or form 2? SKCCAF002A also has a small guide to hold the switchplate that is normally absent. Some have terminal sealant and some do not — that seems to be an option during manufacturing.

In my case, I don't have dates for most switches, so I can't make anything of this information. SKCCAF002A is the only SKCC type I have with a manufacture date of any kind.

[Harshmallow]

Maybe they had tall switchplates that just lacked pigmentation? I don't know much about those details. My blue alps Monterey K2AX is from early 89 and those have tall white plates though.

[Mattr567]

There are lots of little subtleties that we don't yet understand, but that may provide clues as to age. The sides of the switch are sometimes chamfered just above the bottom, both in SKCC and S950. SKCCBJ001 and SKCCBK001 have separate recesses around each terminal with hemispherical ends, while most SKCC switches have a single rectangular recess, such as SKCCAF002A. What does that "002" denote — version 2, or form 2? SKCCAF002A also has a small guide to hold the switchplate that is normally absent. Some have terminal sealant and some do not — that seems to be an option during manufacturing.

In my case, I don't have dates for most switches, so I can't make anything of this information. SKCCAF002A is the only SKCC type I have with a manufacture date of any kind.

The switch in question:

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Hm ... so that's chamfered and unified roundy recess. SKCCBK001 shown on [wiki]Alps SKCC Green[/wiki] has segregated roundy recesses and is also chamfered, while the type found in the Heathkit keyboard is non-chamfered and has a rectangular recess.

My 1987 NOS tall cream switches are like yours: unified roundy recess, and chamfered. Grey switchplate.

My side-angled switches have a black switchplate, a more squary recess (neither roundy nor rectangular), and are chamfered.

Very tentatively yours would seem to be a later issue — does the base have a guide ridge to hold the switchplate?

If you've got consistent dates off multiple chips, that suggests that you're reading them correctly. Replacement switch added later?

Another dated example, this time from 1979: http://imgur.com/a/BUJCJ — non-chamfered, and rectangular recess.

There may be a general pattern to the changes.

[Mattr567]

Hm ... so that's chamfered and unified roundy recess. SKCCBK001 shown on [wiki]Alps SKCC Green[/wiki] has segregated roundy recesses and is also chamfered, while the type found in the Heathkit keyboard is non-chamfered and has a rectangular recess.

My 1987 NOS tall cream switches are like yours: unified roundy recess, and chamfered. Grey switchplate.

My side-angled switches have a black switchplate, a more squary recess (neither roundy nor rectangular), and are chamfered.

Very tentatively yours would seem to be a later issue — does the base have a guide ridge to hold the switchplate?

If you've got consistent dates off multiple chips, that suggests that you're reading them correctly. Replacement switch added later?

Another dated example, this time from 1979: http://imgur.com/a/BUJCJ — non-chamfered, and rectangular recess.

There may be a general pattern to the changes.

There from a NOS Pingmaster, so I dont think its a replacement. It could be possible that they had a large run of PCB's and then slowly used them up as needed for the 4704 Asian market, not sure though.

Switch details:

[Daniel Beardsmore]

It does seem like that is a newer part. 1989 does seem highly unlikely, though … I would expect the switchplates to be the same colour as SKCL/SKCM as they appear to be the same parts, so this is curious. I guess we won't know until we have more dated examples.

[Anakey]

edited my above post

Yes,it's linear of T8 but I rename it to Himake E&E switch(alps.tw Type T8).
Could I have chance to see your entire keyboard and label on back case?

Sorry that it took a few days, have been busy with things but its Friday so i have time now

As you can see its pretty much just a standard Ortek MCK-101 case and pcb. the switch plate is plastic instead of the usual steel i guess taht was an economy option, though they did use the doubleshot keycaps. The keyboard sticker on the back is i guess some cheak knockoff from China?

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[seebart]

There from a NOS Pingmaster, so I dont think its a replacement. It could be possible that they had a large run of PCB's and then slowly used them up as needed for the 4704 Asian market, not sure though.

Very good pictures Mattr567. I can have a look at mine also.

[Mattr567]

Heyyyyyy

[seebart]

Retrobrighted my AEK on the weekend:

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[mike52787]

Retrobrighted my AEK on the weekend:

IMG_20170807_124430.jpg

looking good man! I love the icon mods.

[mike52787]

Got to play with this baby for a while. Thanks leon!

[Wingklip]

Got to play with this baby for a while. Thanks leon!

Are those clicky amber alps?