Great/Interesting Finds

[Muirium]

Three beamspring keyboards for 2500 euro plus more...
https://www.marktplaats.nl/v/computers- ... liefhebber

I would def bite but the shipping cost is just way too much

You could ask them to just leave all the other heavy crap.

[Heikkonen]

Three beamspring keyboards for 2500 euro plus more...
https://www.marktplaats.nl/v/computers- ... liefhebber

I would def bite but the shipping cost is just way too much

You could ask them to just leave all the other heavy crap.

i wont lose my dignity for a deal

[Muirium]

Be honest! What would you do with those glass teletypes: coffee tables? C’mon!

[Go-Kart]

I love the look of this Nec PC-8801: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165338404823

I recognise the switch but I can't think of what is... 13 pin DIN too, anyone had any joy getting something like this working?

[Lalaland124]

I love the look of this Nec PC-8801: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165338404823

I recognise the switch but I can't think of what is...

Wasn’t this something smk-ish?

[inozenz]

I love the look of this Nec PC-8801: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165338404823

I recognise the switch but I can't think of what is...

Wasn’t this something smk-ish?

wiki/NEC_vintage_linear

[jsheradin]

Yep, SMK clones/licensed copies. Just as scratchy/bindy as normal SMKs but a bit of lube helps. The short travel and high actuation point throws me off. They're like 1.5mm shorter stroke than a 'normal' switch, have quite light springs, and activate at the slightest press. Result is a bunch of accidental keypresses just by resting fingers on the board.

The board can be run off a Soarer's Controller just fine. Let me know if anyone wants the pinout/config.

PC8801

Spoiler:

[Go-Kart]

I bloody love DT. Thanks all. It sounds like it may be a bit style over substance for my taste but still, prettier enough for me still be considering it

[hellothere]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-8800_series

I know I have an NEC 8800 series keyboard with the 13-pin DIN, so I asked jsheradin for the info. Mine's a newer one. IIRC, it has NEC cream oval switches. I also have an NEC PC-8801mkIIsr KB that has blue Alps.

[jsheradin]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-8800_series

I know I have an NEC 8800 series keyboard with the 13-pin DIN, so I asked jsheradin for the info. Mine's a newer one. IIRC, it has NEC cream oval switches. I also have an NEC PC-8801mkIIsr KB that has blue Alps.

MMcM actually made a QMK converter for it recently: https://github.com/MMcM/qmk_firmware/tr ... ec_pc_8801

Pinout and everything seems to match what I set up. If you still want the Soarer's stuff let me know.

[hellothere]

Thanks much! I'm not sure when I'll get around to this KB because I have several projects going on. I may ask you for the Soarer's stuff because I haven't used QMK before. I'll have to read up on it.

[kbdfr]

Two typewriters I suppose are IBM Selectrics are on offer free of charge
provided you also take all the other stuff - and pick it up in Bavaria
viewtopic.php?p=502784#p502784

[hellothere]

I think the black "briefcases" in the back corner are also typewriters. I've bought a couple typewriters made by Triumph-Adler and their cases look pretty close. I agree that those look like Selectrics. Don't know about the manual typewriter. Hmmm. Soldering gun or engraving tool in top left?

[Muirium]

Is the rug included?

[kbdfr]

Is the rug included?

Sorry if you intended to make the trip to Bavaria because of the rug.
The ad text says:

Teppich ist nicht dabei.

[Muirium]

Damn it. I'm out.

[xxhellfirexx]

NOS Honeywell SW switches.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/203920428798


NOS Soviet DEC clone keyboard.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224948879485


Vintage Bloomberg Chiclet keyboard

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224953349148

[meanderingthalweg]

There’s got to be some Northgate Omnikey or Focus connection to Proxellent… lots of similarities here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125282319257

[Polecat]

There’s got to be some Northgate Omnikey or Focus connection to Proxellent… lots of similarities here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125282319257

We've suspected that before, but you've found the first actual proof I've seen. On the floppy disc in the ebay listing you'll see "InterFatron-BBC, Ltd." That company was directly involved with Northgate keyboards in the Gen2-Gen3 time frame, and in fact some Northgates say "BBC" on the PC boards. Nice find.

edit: attached is a clip showing the Northgate-Interfatron connection.

[meanderingthalweg]

There’s got to be some Northgate Omnikey or Focus connection to Proxellent… lots of similarities here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125282319257

Gone already… anybody here snag it?

[Polecat]

A bit of quick googling popped up the name William Ingold as president of Interfatron-BBC, Inc. Another reference said that when Northgate bought Interfatron they made Ingold Vice President of Keyboard Engineering. It appears Mr. Ingold passed away a few years back. But that at least puts a name on the Northgate-Interfatron connection. Interestingly Interfatron-BBC appears to have been involved in Kinesis keyboards, and also in the Avant Stellar and Avant Prime successors to the Northgates. There's probably a lot more if someone really wants to do the research.

[orihalcon]

Not sure how "great" the find is, but this has the display writer main computer and beamspring keyboard with the illusive BAE that some really want as it's about as close to ANSI as you can get in an original beamspring:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284790458696

[shine]

$400 NOS M122 (1995 Lexmark) APL spanish caps.

Even though i'm Spanish i won't buy it. I was about to pay but i saw the APL legends are... yellow ¿?

https://www.clickykeyboards.com/product ... styrofoam/

[fohat]

the APL legends are .... yellow

It may be the pictures or lighting, I have seen orange legends a few times.

That must be a mega-rare specimen with the 1st generation case but "Built for IBM by Lexmark"

[XMIT]

That looks like a first generation M122 converted by the Kentucky plant some time in the 90s.

[thefarside]

Sanyo Model MBC-555 with third generation Fujitsu leaf Springs:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125181188886

The seller is open offers, but some quick research sounds like it’s hard to convert to a modern protocol:
viewtopic.php?t=22601

[thefarside]

Interesting “portable” IBM keyboard. More like a crazy num pad:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/195035898829

[davkol]

Kinesis Contoured with an unique case

[thefarside]

Interesting Podworld 292 keyboard with possible KPT derivative switches:

4A6892F0-CA14-498B-9A40-99CC683FDDEC.jpeg (556.11 KiB) Viewed 5336 times

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154985455215
Also being sold from an interesting part of the world…

[Muirium]

Help Ukraine: buy a keyboard!

Idea: maybe I could get our local politicians to bring it back for me when they inevitably show up in Kiev like absolutely everybody else. Well, besides that one guy, and he really really wanted to…