Chyron Duet Project

just_add_coffee · 23 Jul 2018, 16:52

I like big boards. I cannot lie.

And I like curves. And blue. AND LOUD!!!

So when I discovered that this keyboard existed, my OCD kicked into overdrive.

Before:

I wanted to replace the archaic, vastly inferior ISO layout with a modern, far superior ANSI layout, complete with the standard bottom row. I first attempted to cut out the switch holes with a Dremel, but couldn't achieve the necessary precision.

Instead, I cut out the alpha-numeric portion of this keyboard's switch plate and replaced it with the alpha-numeric portion of a Das' switch plate. It's held in place with copious amounts of Loctite Metal and Concrete Epoxy. Will it hold long-term? We'll see I guess.

I also replaced the crappy Cherry crappy MX crappy white (or is it "clear"???) switches with Kailh Thick Click Box Jades and one Box Navy for the spacebar. The Jades seem to feel better with Krytox on the clickbar and slider notch.

I handwired everything and used hot glue to secure the switches to the plate so that I could pull keycaps without ripping out the entire switch. I'd love to find a more elegant solution to this issue.

I also cut the case tabs that obstructed the GUI keys on the bottom row.

The base of this board is a ridiculously huge, empty metal box. Originally, it only had a small controller bolted in it. But that metal box is one hell of an echo chamber/megaphone.

Put it all together, SA Dancer Dasher keycaps ...

REAL keyboards have curves!

With the solenoid on, this keyboard is louder than any keyboard that I have ever experienced ... I cannot imagine a louder keyboard out there, though I have a decent imagination and will keep trying.

andrewjoy · 23 Jul 2018, 16:58

Man i love it.

Lots of work has clearly gone into that!

Chyros · 23 Jul 2018, 16:59

Ah, a Duet! I've had my eyes on them for a long time. I wonder how heavy they are. Also didn't know they came with a solenoid.

Looks kickass with the Dancer caps, too

.

Dingster · 23 Jul 2018, 17:00

Woa what a beauty. Could we get a typing test?

just_add_coffee · 23 Jul 2018, 17:05

Chyros wrote: Ah, a Duet! I've had my eyes on them for a long time. I wonder how heavy they are. Also didn't know they came with a solenoid.

They didn't.

I don't have a scale to weigh it but, from experience, the weight is certainly in the ballpark of an F122.

just_add_coffee · 23 Jul 2018, 17:11

Dingster wrote: Woa what a beauty. Could we get a typing test?

Maybe! First I need to figure out how to record everything and upload it. And probably clean stuff around here so that y'all don't see how much of a slob I am.

mike52787 · 23 Jul 2018, 18:35

Glad someone finally decided to do this, those boards are pretty neat. The grey version (I believe its called the maxine) actually has an all metal top case. Those boards are amazing to harvest for vintage clears as well, in fact I am typing on a board built with some chyron v clears.

just_add_coffee wrote: also replaced the crappy Cherry crappy MX crappy white (or is it "clear"???) switches

apparently you weren't a fan of the vintage clears though :0

Myoth · 23 Jul 2018, 18:42

I didn't appreciate your IBM restoration job at all, but this ... this is magnificent.

Good job JAC

zslane · 23 Jul 2018, 18:43

Chyros wrote: Looks kickass with the Dancer Dasher caps, too .

There, fixed that for you.

JP! · 23 Jul 2018, 19:04

That's very cool. Do you call it the blue battleship?

just_add_coffee · 23 Jul 2018, 19:42

mike52787 wrote: apparently you weren't a fan of the vintage clears though :0

I was just kidding around. What constitutes a good switch is a subjective experience really.

But personally, I do like the clears (and vintage blacks) a heck of a lot more than the Cherry or Gateron MX browns, and I despise greens and especially ESPECIALLY the blues.

just_add_coffee · 23 Jul 2018, 19:46

JP! wrote: That's very cool. Do you call it the blue battleship?

How about The Blue Whale?

snuci · 23 Jul 2018, 20:06

just_add_coffee wrote:
JP! wrote: That's very cool. Do you call it the blue battleship?
How about The Blue Whale?

I already call it the "Blue Wave".

JP! · 23 Jul 2018, 21:47

snuci wrote:
just_add_coffee wrote:
JP! wrote: That's very cool. Do you call it the blue battleship?
How about The Blue Whale?
I already call it the "Blue Wave".

It can't be the blue whale since JAC painted a Display Writer blue. The Blue Wave is a good one though. Now someone just needs to Photoshop a picture with a surfer riding the wave which is the profile of this board.

Chyros · 23 Jul 2018, 23:51

just_add_coffee wrote:
Chyros wrote: Ah, a Duet! I've had my eyes on them for a long time. I wonder how heavy they are. Also didn't know they came with a solenoid.
They didn't.

I don't have a scale to weigh it but, from experience, the weight is certainly in the ballpark of an F122.

Jaysis Fookencroist. Chyron definitely liked their heavy keyboards - the 4044 was in the 8 kg ballpark as well xD . Apparently that thing cost $50,000 in the 80s.

I only know of large boards that they used with that weird-shaped nav cluster.

Bass · 24 Jul 2018, 00:53

Gorgeous. Would love to hear a typing test video with the solenoid on!

Findecanor · 24 Jul 2018, 01:12

Several of thems fighting words in the OP, but the result looks nice indeed.

just_add_coffee · 24 Jul 2018, 17:04

Findecanor wrote: Several of thems fighting words in the OP, but the result looks nice indeed.

It's what the youngins call bait.

Seriously though, I feel that the new Kailh switches have been superior to Cherry/Gateron in every instance that I've been able to make a comparison. And the box switches in particular have meant that stabilizers aren't absolutely necessary for any of the multi-unit keys except the spacebar. I'm using a stabilizer on the numpad 0 key but not on the Bkspc, Enter, L & RShift, etc., for the sake of comparison.

Tha_Pig · 25 Jul 2018, 03:49

So you rebuilt the whole thing? How much of the original is left besides the case?
I'd like to know more about this.

just_add_coffee · 26 Jul 2018, 01:05

Tha_Pig wrote: So you rebuilt the whole thing? How much of the original is left besides the case?

Ummmm ... most of the switch plate and ummmm ... yep ... that's about it.

Once I decided that I wanted to put these keycaps on it, I needed a standard bottom row and that necessitated ditching the PCB and altering the switch plate and the top of the case the way I did.

I still have everything, including the original keycaps, which aren't bad at all. Just not as awesome as SA Dasher.

Tha_Pig · 26 Jul 2018, 22:24

just_add_coffee wrote: Ummmm ... most of the switch plate and ummmm ... yep ... that's about it.

Once I decided that I wanted to put these keycaps on it, I needed a standard bottom row and that necessitated ditching the PCB and altering the switch plate and the top of the case the way I did.

I still have everything, including the original keycaps, which aren't bad at all. Just not as awesome as SA Dasher.

And what did you use for the circuit board?

just_add_coffee · 27 Jul 2018, 23:04

Tha_Pig wrote:
And what did you use for the circuit board?

Nothing. I handwired it, essentially following Orihalcon's guide. The Xwhatsit allows for 8 rows and 16 columns for a total of 128 keys and so you have to wire accordingly. There's certainly a smarter way of doing that than I did and the result would look a whole lot prettier, but I wasn't smart enough to think of it.