The Oracle Answers

[DustGod]

O wise Oracle,
is there something fun and/or interesting to do with Selectrics- beside getting caps replacements for Beam springs or turn them into printers with unimaginable effort?
I own a non functioning one (something with the mechanism that controls the movement of the paper I think) and I have the chance to get two fully functional Selectrics for something like 15 to 20€ each.

[unxmaal]

Is there a canonical post describing how to ANSI mod an IBM Model M 122 keyboard?

I thought I'd bookmarked it, but I can't find it anywhere. I'm looking to convert the left Shift and right Enter keys into something much more betterer than ISO.

[0100010]

workshop-f7/ibm-model-f-122-key-termina ... 11102.html

[unxmaal]

This is for the Model F. I thought someone had written a guide for the M 122, that included where to obtain barrel stabilizer inserts, and showed which springs to move where.

[0100010]

Same for Model M, stab inserts can be ordered from Unicomp.

[alh84001]

Oh great oracle, do you know what the difference between pre July 2013 and post-July 2013 short unicomp spacebars is?

Judging from the pic in http://www.pckeyboard.com/mm5/graphics/ ... -25-13.pdf they seem the same. It seems they just shaved difference between old and new is 0,25U transfered between alt key and super key.

Also, it seems the size of the spacebar is 5,75U, correct?

[0100010]

Only 2 sizes of spacebars from Unicomp, 7x or 5.75x, old or new style.

Image :



KLE Raw :

[{a:7,w:1.5},"","",{w:1.5},"",{w:5.75},"",{w:1.25},"",{w:1.5},"","",{w:1.5},""],
[{w:1.5},"","",{w:1.5},"",{w:7},"",{w:1.5},"","",{w:1.5},""],
[{w:1.5},"",{x:1,w:1.5},"",{w:7},"",{w:1.5},"",{x:1,w:1.5},""],
[{w:1.5},"",{w:1.25},"",{w:1.25},"",{w:5.75},"",{w:1.25},"",{w:1.25},"",{w:1.25},"",{w:1.5},""]

[alh84001]

Only 2 sizes of spacebars from Unicomp, 7x or 5.75x, old or new style.

Yeah, I know. That's why I'm confused by their options

[0100010]

Wow! Yeah, got me there. Would open a support ticket with them and ask directly.

I am curious if they really have that Large Brilliant White spacebar though, at last check they said they didn't want to make them, citing a MOQ of like 7000 to even bother.

[Vax]

O' wise Oracle help me in my search for a new daily driver

For:
- Typical daily typing, Office stuff, Coding, Linux shells
- Afterwork gaming 2-3 hours every other night

Requirements:
- ISO!
- Full board no TKL
- RGB
- Topre/MX-Silent-Red/MX-Brown (in that order)
- Good quality
- Did I mention: ISO!

Dream Board:
- Topre Realforce RGB ISO (NOT AVAILABLE YET)

Candidates:
- Ducky Shine 6 RGB MX-Brown
- Corsair K70 LUX RGB MX-Silent-Red
- Corsair Strafe RGB MX-Silent-Red

Any other good alternatives?

[vivalarevolución]

Need some life advice. Should I buy a Vespa or a motorcycle? Motorcycle is cooler and garners more respect, but my heart seems set on owning a Vespa and it's more convenient. Thoughts, Oracle?

[The Keyboard Oracle]

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: That thee may retain thy self-respect, tis bett'r to displease the people by doing what thee knoweth is right, than to temp'rarily please those folk by doing what thee knoweth is wrong.

[gogusrl]

Translation : why not both ?

[vivalarevolución]

Translation : why not both ?

That's what I read as well, because both will please me. Unfortunately, I only have space for one.

[kbdfr]

Translation : why not both ?

Wrong translation, I think

My own translation of the Oracle's advice: follow your inner voice, not the public opinion.
Or: go for Vespa, even if you are going to make a fool of yourself

[vivalarevolución]

Translation : why not both ?

Wrong translation, I think

My own translation of the Oracle's advice: follow your inner voice, not the public opinion.
Or: go for Vespa, even if you are going to make a fool of yourself

That is another possible translation. But my inner voice is also telling me to get the motorcycle just to own one and see if I prefer it over a Vespa (as I have owned a scooter before and understand what I like/don't like). The ultimate solution is to buy a house with a big enough garage and own both.

This Oracle is one wise being.

[badziew]

Oh mighty Oracle,
where should I look for re. purchasing Matias keyboards in Europe?

[Nuum]

http://www.keyboardco.com/category.asp? ... de&rtv=100

[DustGod]

O all-knowing Oracle,
time for a noon question. What is the best products/method to clean the case of IBM stuff (plastic case of M/F and metal case of the beamers)?

[TuxKey]

O' wise Oracle and mighty Oracle , desperately wanting to move my girl to a nice keyboard in the hope that she can appreciate this awesome hobby i seduced here by getting here a big monitor so she can dock here Lenovo laptop and got here a nice PBT mouse and for the time being she's using my FC660M with mx-clears (stock keycaps i think cherry profile).

she complained about two things.

1) to heavy.. and doesn't look nice with those dark grey keycaps.
easily fixed i ordered here a nice pink "Ducky MIYA Pro Sakura" with mx-browns.
(hasn't arrived yet expected December)
Almost forgot the keyboard i ordered is mentioned on the best keyboard forum ever of course ..DT
keyboards-f2/a-lovely-keyboard-of-varmi ... 17678.html

2) i can't type as fast, keep missing keys.. the keys are to far apart on my Lenovo keyboard i can type way faster.
That's where my question comes in..What am i to do???

so this is the famed laptop keyboard.. she normally types on

Spoiler:

Lenovo Build in keyboard.

current_laptop.png (353 KiB) Viewed 8169 times

i looked at trying to get this keyboard as an external usb-keyboard but all i could find was a newer version and it's arround €65 a waist for a rubberdome / scissor type board i would say..
This is how it looks.

Spoiler:

external usb newer option

external_crap_usb.png (723.12 KiB) Viewed 8169 times

i was thinking perhaps a different key cap option could help?
The distance between the letters aka the gap between keys is rather large for someone with tiny hands.
i asked a similar question on slack a couple days ago.. and they pointed me to XDA profile /
i thought DSA profile would do the trick..
But the gap between the keys on XDA look smaller..

As i have no experience with both keycap set i thought i'l ask for your help..
i do know that getting XDA printed keycaps is not easy. DSA is a tad easier..
Or should i just grab the Lenovo external keyboard.. and hope it feels the same as here build in laptop keyboard.
And forget about switching here to a mechanical keyboard..

Your thoughts / advice is appreciated..

Almost forgot the keyboard i ordered is mentioned on the best keyboard forum ever of course ..DT
keyboards-f2/a-lovely-keyboard-of-varmi ... 17678.html

TuxKey.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

This is a strange but seemingly common misconception. Key spacing is standard, at 0.75 in (19.05 or 19.0 mm). The top surface of the keycap is typically 12–13 mm: 12 mm on my Poker II, 13 mm on my ThinkPad T43. For an island keyboard, the top surface will be wider, around 14–15 mm (14 and 15 mm measured from Trust and Apple keyboards respectively).

Her ThinkPad keyboard has the keycaps slightly more closely spaced than mine, but I figure that the keycap surface will be fairly standard width.

I'm wondering if the difference in key travel is causing trouble, if she is unaccustomed to using a full-travel keyboard. Conversely, I find trying to type on an Apple (Aluminium) Keyboard unsettling as it's as though my fingers aren't moving, and I can't feel anything. Compared to that typing on full travel might feel like your fingers are falling it a chasm. However, those wretched things are exceptionally nasty, and a ThinkPad keyboard should I hope offer a lot more tactility and more travel.

Also, MX Clear is … interesting. At first, it felt nothing like any other keyboard I'd ever used and it took some getting used to. Going back to clears recently felt nothing remotely like how I remember them, and it's not switch wear as the disused keys felt the same; trying to type on MX Clear after using MX Red for years was difficult.

I found the switch most conducive to typing to be Topre — something about that was just right. However, I still preferred the feel of Cherry.

[Laser]

Does anyone (Oracle, or mortal) have something like a datasheet for the NMB Hi-tek Space Invader switch? (not the patent) One that shows dimensions, distance between pins etc. I am away from my keyboards for a few days, but I could use that info to learn some KiCAD.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Talk to Engicoder — he's got a load of printed literature about Series 725. I don't know if any dimensions are in there, as I've not seen the documents.

[Laser]

Thanks!

[Menuhin]

The collective Oracle:

What is the best way to repair / fix a 0.5mm open-circuit damage to a circuit in a PCB?
Will a drop of solder be sufficient? After opening a bit on both ends with a scraper to expose the circuit (~1.5-2mm) for flux and tinning.

These damages (there are 2) are just right at the location where a switch will land.

[Halvar]

The classic and secure way of fixing that would be to find the solder spots at both ends of the broken path and solder in a piece of wire between them that bridges the gap.

[Menuhin]

The classic and secure way of fixing that would be to find the solder spots at both ends of the broken path and solder in a piece of wire between them that bridges the gap.

Right, otherwise the solder may not hold securely. I can see the open circuit gap is smaller than a piece of sand, and I don't want to scratch more than 2mm expose on both sides of the open circuit.



And I am using the Lidl 10€ (bought even used) solder with a not so sharp tip to fix that - will look for a used wire to strip for those < 0.5mm copper wire, preferably in the 0.1-0.25mm range, otherwise either the switch will not sit flush, or that for one broken trace that is supposed to be power supply so I don't want those 0.02mm wire.

[wafflepc]

Oh oracle, what is the best heavy switch with tons of tactility that is also easily obtainable?

[xxhellfirexx]

Oh oracle, what is the best heavy switch with tons of tactility that is also easily obtainable?

Try BKE Redux Heavy domes. They are around 60g of force with lots of tactility.

[wafflepc]

Oh oracle, what is the best heavy switch with tons of tactility that is also easily obtainable?

Try BKE Redux Heavy domes. They are around 60g of force with lots of tactility.

Topre? How do they compare to 'normal' mechanical switches and how easy is it to make custom boards?

edit: found people saying they were TOO tactile. That sounds like exactly what I want haha.