Great/Interesting Finds

[Polecat]

What’s the deal with this Omnikey 101? Made by LITE-ON?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325662138118

I found something similar several years back.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17761

Mine has a different case and badging. In addition to the Omnikey models Northgate also sold other "C/T" (Clicky/Tactile) Alps-based keyboards, as seen in a couple brochures posted here in the past. We've seen Northgate-badged Focus and Monterey models as well as Lite-On/Silitek. This is the first time I've seen an Omnikey-style badge on one, instead of a small square or rectangular Northgate badge. From the date this was towards the end of the Gen2 time frame, but not quite into Gen3 when the more familiar ANSI 101 model came out. Northgate keyboards can not be easily summed up in a sentence or two, no matter how badly we want that to be true.

[goomba_]

What’s the deal with this Omnikey 101? Made by LITE-ON?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325662138118

I found something similar several years back.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17761

Mine has a different case and badging. In addition to the Omnikey models Northgate also sold other "C/T" (Clicky/Tactile) Alps-based keyboards, as seen in a couple brochures posted here in the past. We've seen Northgate-badged Focus and Monterey models as well as Lite-On/Silitek. This is the first time I've seen an Omnikey-style badge on one, instead of a small square or rectangular Northgate badge. From the date this was towards the end of the Gen2 time frame, but not quite into Gen3 when the more familiar ANSI 101 model came out. Northgate keyboards can not be easily summed up in a sentence or two, no matter how badly we want that to be true.

was waiting to see your post on this one lol Northgate god polecat

[Polecat]

... In addition to the Omnikey models Northgate also sold other "C/T" (Clicky/Tactile) Alps-based keyboards, as seen in a couple brochures posted here in the past. We've seen Northgate-badged Focus and Monterey models as well as Lite-On/Silitek. This is the first time I've seen an Omnikey-style badge on one, instead of a small square or rectangular Northgate badge. From the date this was towards the end of the Gen2 time frame, but not quite into Gen3 when the more familiar ANSI 101 model came out. Northgate keyboards can not be easily summed up in a sentence or two, no matter how badly we want that to be true.

Here's an old brochure, which hellothere posted in the wiki for us. This is an earlier version and shows two other "C/T" Northgate keyboards that weren't in the Omnikey series. One is a Focus FK-727 or FK-747 (84 key). The other I believe is a Focus FK-555 (101 key). You can see the small square gold badges on these. As time went on the models changed, and at some point the Silitek became the "C/T 101 model". Probably only until Northgate came out with their Omnikey 101 version. The ebay one may be the missing link for that transition.

wiki/images/3/32/Omnikeygen1ad.jpg

edit: some beautiful examples of early Northgates:

viewtopic.php?f=62&t=19769&p=423775

[thefarside]

Monterey K104 with German layout:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266258793523
Looks clean and has a nice logo:

IMG_8110.jpeg (456.54 KiB) Viewed 166740 times

I’m going to guess the switches are white alps.

[thefarside]

Another interesting alps derivative - KPT-102 with blue KPT switches:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/304902601203

IMG_8111.jpeg (351.07 KiB) Viewed 166692 times

Way too much for me; especially since the build quality is considered to be flimsy, but interesting.

[zrrion]

yeah, that's a 20 dollar keyboard max IMO. I think they're hoping some schmuck will confuse it for blue alps

[Muirium]

As did KPT in the first place.

[Polecat]

Monterey K104 with German layout:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266258793523
Looks clean and has a nice logo:
IMG_8110.jpeg
I’m going to guess the switches are white alps.

The features say this is a relatively late K104. About equal odds of white SKCM or blue SMK based on that. But the title of the listing may help narrow it down a bit.

[engr]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155570357371
Is there a way to determine if it has rubber domes or space invaders?

[zrrion]

that's domes, caps don't look right for SI

[robinsonb5]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155570357371
Is there a way to determine if it has rubber domes or space invaders?

The FCC ID is generally the best lead - the NMB RT-101 WIKI page ( wiki/NMB_RT-100/RT-8200_series ) says "If the FCC ID contains "MEMB" or "MTN", the keyboard uses dome with slider..."

On the other hand, the seller clearly describes it as clicky, so if it turned out not to be you I guess could make a case that it's "significantly not as described".

[Go-Kart]

FLS Data General board in the U.K.: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325674556427 ... media=COPY

[robinsonb5]

FLS Data General board in the U.K.: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325674556427 ... media=COPY

Very interesting - and the seller appears to have three of them for sale.

[meanderingthalweg]

These ProXellent boards don't seem to pop up often... this one has a very similar layout and caps to a Northgate Omnikey Ultra/Ultra-T or Focus FK-5001. But it's prominently labeled "MADE IN U.S.A.", so I guess they weren't made by Focus?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134610949196

[Polecat]

These ProXellent boards don't seem to pop up often... this one has a very similar layout and caps to a Northgate Omnikey Ultra/Ultra-T or Focus FK-5001. But it's prominently labeled "MADE IN U.S.A.", so I guess they weren't made by Focus?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134610949196

There were a few Focus keyboards labelled "Assembly in USA", but the ProXellents were made, or at least designed by CVT (Creative Vision Technologies), the folks who reissued the Northgate 101P and Ultra-TP as the Avant Prime and Avant Stellar. They were also involved in the Kinesis keyboards at some point.

edit: The CVT Northgates and Avants, as well as some of the earlier Northgates were designed by Interfatron BBC, which was Bill Ingold's company. Mr. Ingold was in charge of Northgate's keyboard division at one point. Interfatron has also been connected to the ProXellent and to at least some of the Kinesis models, not CVT as I stated above.

[Polecat]

Another Northgate missing link:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134611177764

I wish this one still had the other label present. It's badged as "101" but it's not the Gen 3 ANSI 101 that we usually see. This one has the BAE layout of the 101I, which may have just been called 101 before the 101N with the expanded nav keys came out.

The FCC ID is interesting - GT6OMNIKEY03. The 101I and 101N both carried the ID of GT6OMNIKEY01. A few Gen2 102 models were GT6OMNIKEY02. So that raises the possibility of this being later rather than earlier. Perhaps the 101N was discontinued first, and this was a late Gen2 101 version before the Gen3 101 came out? But this one appears to have a plastic base, which was a feature of the early 101I models, the later ones having a metal base.

Whatever it is it's the first one I've seen, out of over 750 Northgates in my database.

[Polecat]

Another Northgate missing link? This one shoots to hell a couple previous ideas about the 101 models and the model numbers in general.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115840331977

This is a 101N model (Gen2) with BAE, but with some weirdnesses. First, the badge says "101". This makes four distinct Northgate keyboards with a plain 101 badge. 1) This 101N. 2) The 101I above. 3) the Silitek SK-0002 with the 101 badge. And 4) The Gen3 ANSI 101 that we're most familiar with. Second, the label on the back is a sort of hybrid, with the "-N" printed separately from the 101. This suggests they were using the same label for the 101I and 101N, as well as the same 101 badge for both. This one appears to have a plastic base, which I believe was used on the earlier 101I and 101N models. The serial numbers changed formats a couple times during this period, so it's difficult to put them in any kind of order by that. But the "0F" suggests June 1990 for this one.

edit: Looking at some saved photos the 101P (Gen4 programmable with Windows keys) also has a 101 badge, so that makes five different versions of Northgates badged as 101.

[meanderingthalweg]

Northgate-branded Focus FK-555

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155641277141

[Muirium]

Quality board. Love mine.

[JP!]

XMIT Mega Sale: https://www.ebay.com/usr/jsoltren

[fohat]

Awesome! I wish I had some spare cash these days.

I would recommend #363 to someone who wants to try clicky black Hi-Tek "Space Invaders" - I once had one of these and, as I remember, it was plug-and-play PS/2 (mini-DIN6) - but my memory might not be perfect.

[Muirium]

Letting go of a lot of his prototypes, too, I see. It's the Big One.

[inozenz]

Awesome! I wish I had some spare cash these days.

I would recommend #363 to someone who wants to try clicky black Hi-Tek "Space Invaders" - I once had one of these and, as I remember, it was plug-and-play PS/2 (mini-DIN6) - but my memory might not be perfect.

Yep clicky Spaceinvaders are crazy underrated and super under the radar. Anyone who joined the space invasion groupbuy knows how good these switches are.

[engr]

A NIB Ortek MCK-142. Not as rare as the listing makes it sound, and I'm pretty sure I've seen them listed for less, but nevertheless.

On a side note, if Chyros received a small commission any time his YouTube channel was mantioned in these eBay listings, he could probably purchase a small building and open a keyboard museum there... Or this Xerox with pine neon green Alps.

[XMIT]

XMIT Mega Sale: https://www.ebay.com/usr/jsoltren

Please check again! I ran into some issues with eBay, but everything is back up. Thanks!

See also viewtopic.php?f=55&t=28210

[june bug]

nos chicony ergo with alps skcm white for pretty cheap

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256153379153?h ... SwdbdktY-B

[hellothere]

nos chicony ergo with alps skcm white for pretty cheap

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256153379153?h ... SwdbdktY-B

Remember: if the ad doesn't show the switch, it's probably not Alps. Mind you, it's an enticing price. Shipping's a bit high.

[podgen]

nos chicony ergo with alps skcm white for pretty cheap

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256153379153?h ... SwdbdktY-B

Remember: if the ad doesn't show the switch, it's probably not Alps. Mind you, it's an enticing price. Shipping's a bit high.

Ah I don't know about that, most of my Alps keyboards came from an educated guess without proof

[june bug]

haha i guess i should have mentioned that i bought one from one of their previous listings which did have white alps, apologies

[hellothere]

Yah. You need to lead with that .

Well, sold. I'll find out in a few days what this thing's got. If it's got white Alps, it'll be interesting to compare with my other NIB white Alps from about 1990.