Alps Appreciation

[dafoomie]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy an Omnikey from Northgate Bob but I'm trying to decide on which one out of three gen 2's to get. There's a 102, a 101 I and a 101 N. I think the N has that weird nav cluster so that wouldn't be my first choice. The N and possibly the I have a plastic rear cover, which sounds uncommon and cool, but I feel like that heavy steel plate is part of the reason you get one and it might not sound or feel quite as nice. But maybe they'd have slightly earlier White Alps? I can't decide.

Maybe I should just ask for the one in the nicest condition?

[Jesseg]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy an Omnikey from Northgate Bob but I'm trying to decide on which one out of three gen 2's to get. There's a 102, a 101 I and a 101 N. I think the N has that weird nav cluster so that wouldn't be my first choice. The N and possibly the I have a plastic rear cover, which sounds uncommon and cool, but I feel like that heavy steel plate is part of the reason you get one and it might not sound or feel quite as nice. But maybe they'd have slightly earlier White Alps? I can't decide.

Maybe I should just ask for the one in the nicest condition?

whatever you do, ask for a photo. I learnt the hard way buying 'very good condition' boards from him. other than that, awesome bloke.

[fohat]

I have never seen an Omnikey without a metal back (but remember that it is powder coated beige and is the same color as the top shell). The only ones that I have kept are 101s because I require a straight-ANSI layout.

[dafoomie]

This was helpful in figuring out the difference between a 101I and a 101N, though I'm going with a 102.

[Polecat]

The 101-I and 101-N do have plastic bases. Pics attached. I haven't had a plastic base version in my hands so I don't know how it affects the sound and feel, but it appears to snap together at the edges, with a single screw in the middle, so it's probably not as solid as the metal base versions. As far as I know there wasn't an ANSI/metal base 101 until Gen3.

I have a fairly extensive database of Northgate keyboard info, well over 400 examples on record now, so I can help date one, if that would help, if you have the model and serial numbers from the label.

[shallot]

Yesterday's gamble that paid off: Sharp ZX-510 typewriter with Alps SKFF.

[zrrion]

Interesting that only the space bar is double action, usually backspace and/or return are also double action for skff typewriters

[JP!]

Yellow Alps

9B45A794-80A2-4D13-A862-8FDAE8D850CC.jpeg (389.08 KiB) Viewed 8440 times

[dafoomie]

My Omnikey arrived today. Not perfect by any means, there's a tiny bit of binding but I much prefer them to my bamboo alps that are in nicer condition. Pretty happy with it but it just makes me want a NIB one that much more.

[Polecat]

Congratulations, that's a very nice Northgate! And a very early Gen2 model. The earliest Gen2 I have on record is 89/06 (June 1989). The paper labels I believe were put on by Northgate after the keyboards were received from the manufacturer, so these aren't manufacturing dates. This early Gen2 numbering began around May or June, and ended around January 1990, with the numbers being sequential, so this is probably the 13,309th Gen2 Northgate with an assigned serial number (*not* the 13,309th one built!). The numbers ran up to over 60,000 by January. At that point the serial number format was changed. New style labels appear to have been applied by the manufacturer at that point, with small paper labels with dates or batch/internal numbers added by Northgate.The Gen2 models ran through mid-1991 or so.

[hellothere]

A little more appreciation.

I bought a keyboard with Pine White Alps a few weeks ago. I knew the keyboard had some issues and that it wasn't clean.

Challenge accepted.

I desoldered all the switches, ultrasonically cleaned the top housings and sliders, cleaned the bottom housings with compressed air, then lubed the sliders and top housing rails with RO-59 KT. They came out extremely well.

As I'm having some issues with the keyboard, itself, I think I'm going to install the switches in a (non-granite) Silicon Graphics case + controller I have. The case looks mostly like a Dell bigfoot and/or might be the same case, with just a different name stuck on.

Thanks to Chyros for his videos on restoring Alps switches! Thanks to orihalcon for his Alps Switch Opener tool. Both helped me immensely.

[dafoomie]

Congratulations, that's a very nice Northgate! And a very early Gen2 model. The earliest Gen2 I have on record is 89/06 (June 1989). The paper labels I believe were put on by Northgate after the keyboards were received from the manufacturer, so these aren't manufacturing dates. This early Gen2 numbering began around May or June, and ended around January 1990, with the numbers being sequential, so this is probably the 13,309th Gen2 Northgate with an assigned serial number (*not* the 13,309th one built!). The numbers ran up to over 60,000 by January. At that point the serial number format was changed. New style labels appear to have been applied by the manufacturer at that point, with small paper labels with dates or batch/internal numbers added by Northgate.The Gen2 models ran through mid-1991 or so.

Was hoping for what you'd call a gen 1.5 but his wasn't working. The chips on the controller have 8924 on them so the dates line up.

Keys with stabilizers seem to be a little stiff, is there a trick to resolving that? Enter would just stick down at first even though the switch was fine and the stabilizer bar wasn't bent, but it has loosened itself up through use over the last couple days.

[Polecat]

Congratulations, that's a very nice Northgate! And a very early Gen2 model. The earliest Gen2 I have on record is 89/06 (June 1989). The paper labels I believe were put on by Northgate after the keyboards were received from the manufacturer, so these aren't manufacturing dates. This early Gen2 numbering began around May or June, and ended around January 1990, with the numbers being sequential, so this is probably the 13,309th Gen2 Northgate with an assigned serial number (*not* the 13,309th one built!). The numbers ran up to over 60,000 by January. At that point the serial number format was changed. New style labels appear to have been applied by the manufacturer at that point, with small paper labels with dates or batch/internal numbers added by Northgate.The Gen2 models ran through mid-1991 or so.

Was hoping for what you'd call a gen 1.5 but his wasn't working. The chips on the controller have 8924 on them so the dates line up.

Keys with stabilizers seem to be a little stiff, is there a trick to resolving that? Enter would just stick down at first even though the switch was fine and the stabilizer bar wasn't bent, but it has loosened itself up through use over the last couple days.

Sounds like you need a bit of lube on the stabilizers. Little bit goes a long way, and anything that doesn't dry will attract dirt and dust. I used a tiny bit of Vaseline on the stabilizers on one of my boards a while back. I wouldn't use it on switches, but the stabilizers are exposed and easily cleaned and Vaseline is inert and won't attack the plastic like some lubes.

Thanks for the confirmation on the date. I'm still trying to make sense of the later Gen2 numbers.

[ppCircle]

My converted ansi AEK with orange alps

[ntv242ver2]

Hi folks,

Found something pretty fun so i thought i would share.

When cleaning a m0116 i found this pretty interesting switch in the place of the power button





Now i don't have that much experience like veterans in DT so i don't know what this is, but i have had about 7-8 m0116 and this is the first time i have seen this. I presume that this is alps attempt to cope with a taller than regular cap at the time. Later on they just scrape this idea and put a regular switch there horizontally as we commonly see in m0116 and AEK and AEK II

Some vid of me pressing on the switch
https://i.imgur.com/00alMr1.mp4

[hellothere]

I happen to have an m0116 with orange Alps about three feet from me. There's an orange Alps switch for the power button and it's popped up, like all the others. I think you probably have a compressed or broken spring in that switch. Or no spring at all.

Orange Alps are some nice switches ...

EDIT: I promise I'll wake up sometime today. The switch on my keeb is in the same orientation as yours, i.e. rotated 90 degrees.

[hellothere]

Just saw your edit. I'll add, maybe a spring replaced with something chopped down?

[ntv242ver2]

You are not the first one to mistaken this as a broken switch it is not a broken switch. That is just how it is. Hence why i take many pictures from diff angles so people can compare and contrast. The housing is very very different

[ppCircle]

So my black FK-3002

[hellothere]

You are not the first one to mistaken this as a broken switch it is not a broken switch. That is just how it is. Hence why i take many pictures from diff angles so people can compare and contrast. The housing is very very different

Yup. Housing very different. Sorry that I didn't notice that before. I also didn't notice that it has two "hash bars" instead of four.

It's neat. I'd love to desolder and see if there's an actual Alps stamp on it. It looks a little like the SKCL compact switches, but they use a non-standard mount and the "north" and "south" sides of the switch are different thicknesses. It doesn't look like it's a one-off custom.

Maybe you've found a new entry for the Alps lore. Maybe you could name the switch!

[ntv242ver2]

dear PP,

Stahp hoarding all the cool focus in our continent!!

The Eu people.

JK, congrats on the black focus, it is dope my friend.

Yup. Housing very different. Sorry that I didn't notice that before. I also didn't notice that it has two "hash bars" instead of four.

It's neat. I'd love to desolder and see if there's an actual Alps stamp on it. It looks a little like the SKCL compact switches, but they use a non-standard mount and the "north" and "south" sides of the switch are different thicknesses. It doesn't look like it's a one-off custom.

Maybe you've found a new entry for the Alps lore. Maybe you could name the switch!

Aha I like that, but seriously need some approval from the community first lol. And I will not be desoldering this switch, since i have agreed to give it to one of my dear friends in Germany, he appreciate orange alps much more than I do. I am a linear kind of dude. I would like this board to be completely unmoded coming to his hands. To desolder this and make further inspection, I will leave it up to him. Once it gets to him then I will ask him to do so.

[mcmaxmcmc]

Sorry to ruin your discovery there @hellothere and @ntv242ver2, but that's just a cover Alps used for the very tall Apple keycaps. They clip in to a standard Alps switch, in this case an SKCM Orange.

Still, though, it's a rather uncommon piece to find, so it's a neat find nonetheless.

[hellothere]

Sorry to ruin your discovery there @hellothere and @ntv242ver2, but that's just a cover Alps used for the very tall Apple keycaps. They clip in to a standard Alps switch, in this case an SKCM Orange.

Still, though, it's a rather uncommon piece to find, so it's a neat find nonetheless.

So, if you took off this "cover," it's a standard Alps switch underneath?

[ntv242ver2]

Sorry to ruin your discovery there @hellothere and @ntv242ver2, but that's just a cover Alps used for the very tall Apple keycaps. They clip in to a standard Alps switch, in this case an SKCM Orange.

Still, though, it's a rather uncommon piece to find, so it's a neat find nonetheless.

no worries, TIL XD

[mcmaxmcmc]

Sorry to ruin your discovery there @hellothere and @ntv242ver2, but that's just a cover Alps used for the very tall Apple keycaps. They clip in to a standard Alps switch, in this case an SKCM Orange.

Still, though, it's a rather uncommon piece to find, so it's a neat find nonetheless.

So, if you took off this "cover," it's a standard Alps switch underneath?

Yep, standard.

[TNT]

After cleaning, retrobrighting and converting, this is my Zenith Z-150 black label (green ALPS). Caps are dye sublimed PBT and the non standard german caps are doubleshot ABS with secondary lettering in front. The legends and caps look slighty different on those. Love this board so far, but I still have to get used to linear switches

z150.jpg (153.1 KiB) Viewed 7318 times

z1502.jpg (80.07 KiB) Viewed 7318 times

Sorry for the mediocre image quality, my phone camera isn't the best :/

[Chyros]

Very nice, love the badged converter box too .

[TNT]

Very nice, love the badged converter box too .

Thanks! That's actually just a lapel pin like the ones you wear on your jacket. It's not even glued in place or anything, I just drilled small holes and used the original pin base to clamp it in place

I couldn't find one with the old style logo sadly, but if I ever need to convert a different board, I can just exchange the badge and am good to go

Jokes aside, if I actually wanted to use the teensy for a different board, would I have to exchange the DIN-socket? I had to solder in those pull-up resistors to make it work, do they somehow interfere with other "normal" XT keyboards?

[Polecat]

Focus FK-2001 I bought recently. Very early white Alps SKCM with unbranded upper housings. Alps logo on the bottom, same as blues. I did a minor restoration, mostly cleaning and painting the plate. Switches were like new, so I didn't touch those. This is an early Focus, with the Ctrl/Caps Lock swap option. I kept this one bone stock, other than the painted plate.

[Hanslau]

Hey I remembered long ago you were gonna compare old white alps with blues. How does this focus switches feel?