Great/Interesting Finds

[Polecat]

I'll repost my warning: I bought a lot of switches from him. IIRC, I wanted Alps cream damped. He ended up sending me a handful of random Alps cream and white switches. I complained and his response was along the lines of, "I'm an old guy and can't tell colors apart anymore." I also know that there's one poster that bought a case/PCB/mounting plate set and they said that the PCB was a jumble of lifted pads.

I'm the one who bought the case and PC board from him. I didn't complain, because I was only after the case, but I would have been pretty upset if I had expected a usable PC board. And from the guy who writes articles on desoldering Alps switches, and who included copies of said articles with the sale, I would have expected better than that. I'm sure he's sincere and a nice guy, but he is not the expert he presents himself to be.

[hellothere]

Yup. I just corrected myself. Thanks, Polecat.

I mentioned in the WTB section that I have an Apple Extended Keyboard II with Mitsumi mechanical switches (not Mitsumi miniature mechanical -- that's a completely different switch), but I'm missing the stabilizer for the space bar, so I haven't been able to test the KB that much. I think I heard in a Chyrosran22 video that he compared them to salmon Alps. I'd place it more of a combination of salmon Alps and cream damped Alps.

Answering the question of, "How long do they come along?" I'll use the wiki for which KBs used the switch (I'm not including computers, like the C64):

Some Apple M0110A keyboards (type 1)
Some Apple Extended Keyboard II (type 2, Alps mount)
Monterey K7S
Tono Θ-7070 terminal keyboard
Sears The Electronic Communicator 2

There are generally a bunch of M0110A keyboards on ebay at any moment. I know there's one other AEK II currently on ebay. I bought my AEK II last month. I haven't been specifically looking for K7S KBs, but I don't see any closed ads for them. That sorta means that one wasn't posted in the last two months. The Tono and Sears thingies appear to be ham radio equipment.

[Polecat]

Yup. I just corrected myself. Thanks, Polecat.

I mentioned in the WTB section that I have an Apple Extended Keyboard II with Mitsumi mechanical switches (not Mitsumi miniature mechanical -- that's a completely different switch), but I'm missing the stabilizer for the space bar, so I haven't been able to test the KB that much. I think I heard in a Chyrosran22 video that he compared them to salmon Alps. I'd place it more of a combination of salmon Alps and cream damped Alps.

Answering the question of, "How long do they come along?" I'll use the wiki for which KBs used the switch (I'm not including computers, like the C64):

Some Apple M0110A keyboards (type 1)
Some Apple Extended Keyboard II (type 2, Alps mount)
Monterey K7S
Tono Θ-7070 terminal keyboard
Sears The Electronic Communicator 2

There are generally a bunch of M0110A keyboards on ebay at any moment. I know there's one other AEK II currently on ebay. I bought my AEK II last month. I haven't been specifically looking for K7S KBs, but I don't see any closed ads for them. That sorta means that one wasn't posted in the last two months. The Tono and Sears thingies appear to be ham radio equipment.

I've been keeping a database of Monterey (and Northgate, Focus, and a couple others) keyboards for three or four years now, and logging every example I see. I have only two other Monterey K7S keyboards on that list, compared to 102 examples of the K104, which seems to be the most popular Monterey model.

[hellothere]

Looks like the K7S might have a speaker, too. Hmmm.

[CallmeJohn]

Maybe a Focus keyboard but NOS alps clones according to the seller. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/29422029793 ... 0229.m3211

[Weezer]

www.ebay.com/itm/393391491064

This is NOT a good deal.

[ZeFritz]

Tellervision GP101 - everyone who has seen the video of Chyrosran22 about it will know why it’s “sold as is for parts”

https://youtu.be/soczgynrBIo

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Tellervision-Ta ... 3920000861

[kelvinhall05]

Maybe a Focus keyboard but NOS green alps according to the seller. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/29422029793 ... 0229.m3211

Those are very obviously four-tab clones. Neat board tho

[MMcM]

SW-10217

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294220195027

Thick double-shot, bright blue keycaps. Looks like the one that was pulled off for the photo maybe got nicked in the process. I wonder whether it went form QWERTY to QWERTZ by just swapping a keycap; otherwise looks USA. One of the stepped shift keys is on upside down.

150-pin board-to-board interconnect for the controller. Do you build the matrix Lite-Brite style?

ETA: Looks like it's this board after some rearrangement to modernize layout.

[hellothere]

www.ebay.com/itm/393391491064

This is NOT a good deal.

$1750 + 0 feedback = stay away.

[Weezer]

www.ebay.com/itm/393391491064

This is NOT a good deal.

$1750 + 0 feedback = stay away.

Not to mention the actual keyboard is a crusty pile of rust. For $1,750 you can buy a much nicer 5251.

[hellothere]

I bet it sells, though.

[Jesse9766]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294204840852

Some Hall Effect keyboard, has the manual with a wiring diagram

[John Doe]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294204840852

Some Hall Effect keyboard, has the manual with a wiring diagram

It's convertible but not that easy.

[Jan Pospisil]

These seem to go for crazy prices on eBay, I see them for 1/4 or less on Czech auction sites.

[TNT]

Looks like ALPS to me (and it's allegedly like new)

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... 0-225-8403

[Bjerrk]

Looks like ALPS to me (and it's allegedly like new)

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... 0-225-8403

I believe it's a BTC dome with slider board with FCC ID E5XKBM10140.

[an_achronism]

I believe it's a BTC dome with slider board with FCC ID E5XKBM10140.

Agree, have a Viglen like this. They're decent but I wouldn't expect too much.

[TNT]

I think you might be right. But the keycaps look so much like alps Tai Haos

[Bjerrk]

I think you might be right. But the keycaps look so much like alps Tai Haos

I guess! But did Tai Hao ever make 1.25U Escape keys? (I'm asking out of ignorance )
That Esc key was (part of) what lead me to say BTC.

[TNT]

Yeah, my Focus FK 5001 has one! (Shameless plug ). But this is a BTC, like you said. The F-row gives it away

[Bjerrk]

Yeah, my Focus FK 5001 has one! (Shameless plug ). But this is a BTC, like you said. The F-row gives it away

Shit, I even own one of those boards myself. That shows you how good my memory is. What were we talking about again?

[nearsky]

IBM MAG CARD II / Model 6616: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234045002920

An utter behemoth in person.

[Weezer]

IBM MAG CARD II / Model 6616: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234045002920

An utter behemoth in person.

Very cool, but I think it is only the size of a regular full sized Selectric II

[TNT]

Wang 725:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... -225-17287

[kelvinhall05]

Wang 725:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... -225-17287

Foam and foil, avoid

[TNT]

Wang 725:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... -225-17287

Foam and foil, avoid

Since it's the later generation, yes.

[Rayndalf]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304029804597?
Shameless self promotion

[raoulduke-esq]

This is definitely the right time to sell SI before the market gets flooded with supply!

[Rayndalf]

This is definitely the right time to sell SI before the market gets flooded with supply!

Yeah, I really really need to clean out some space before I get 40 of those buggers.