Author Topic: Alps Appreciation Thread  (Read 2435631 times)

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Offline terrpn

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #100 on: Mon, 13 January 2014, 15:52:18 »
alps keycap set for those who are unaware...........

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=45879.0
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Luga G80-1865/MX Reds + Dolch G80-1813/MX Blues + G80-3700HQAUS + DK9008G2 Pro/MX Browns Thick PBT + DK9008G2 Pro/MX Clears Thick PBT +  QFR TKL/Ghetto Greens + Cherry G80-1800/MX Blues + IBM Model M SSK Bolt Modded + IBM Model M + IBM Model F + IBM AT F + Cherry G80-1000 (HAD)/MX Vintage Blacks + Razer BWU/MX Blues + Leading Edge DC2214/Blue Alps + Compaq MX11800/Browns + Chicony 5181/Monterey Blues + Chicony 5161/MX Black Cherry Clone + Focus 2001/White Alps + Chicony 5191/White Futabas + Olivetti ANK27-101 + Dell (Old Logo) AT101/Black Alps + NMB RT8255C+/Black Space Invaders + Unitek K260/Green Alps + Apple M0116/Orange Alps + AEK II M3501/Cream Alps + AEK M0115/Orange Alps + NEC  APC412/Blue Sliders + NEC APC410/Blue Sliders + Omnikey /White Alps + Wang/Yellow Alps (Omrons) + Laser/White SMK + Fame/Blue Aruz + AEK II M3501/Salmon Alps + Zenith ZKB-2R/Green Alps + Wang 724/Orange Alps + DK1087/Green Alps + Zenith ZKB-2/Yellow Alps + Dell Old Logo AT101/Salmon-Pink Alps + Leading Edge AK1012/White SMK's + Magitronic SK-1030/White (Linear) Futaba's + Packard Bell/White (Clicky) Futaba's + Datacomp DFK101/White  Alps + SGI AT101/Dampened White Alps + NMB AQ6RT-72511/Grey Space Invaders (Hi-Tek) + Datacomp/Blue Alps + Phillips 2812/White Space Invaders (Linear) + Dah Yang K251/Vintage MX Blues + Chicony 5161/DS Caps/Vintage MX Blue + Archie-NMB AQ659ZRT-725/Black Space Invader (Tactile) + IBM Model M 71G4644 (RD) Bolt Modded with Soarers Converter + IBM Model M Silver Label 1390131 + Cherry G80-1501/Vintage MX Clears + Focus FK8000/Linear Futabas + Gateway 2000 Anykey Programmable/Maxi-Switch + Dell GY13PVAT101/Dye Sub Caps/Salmon Alps + Chicony 5161/White Alps + AST K0B101/Slider over RD + Qtronix QX-32H + Everex/NMB RT8255CW+ Black Space Invaders-Split Erase + Tandon/NMB AQ659ZRT-101A/Beige Space Invaders + Cherry G80-11903 MNRUS/MX Blacks + Apple IIGS A9M0330/SMK Whites + WYSE PCE/MX Blacks + Chicony 5160AXT/Clicky Futaba + Cherry G80-0528/Vintage MX Blacks + Dell AT101/Linear (Modded) Black Alps+Topre 55g

Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #101 on: Wed, 15 January 2014, 19:56:01 »
I found a SiiG SunTouch, a MiniTouch wired for Sun boxes with some sort of blue ALPs (doesn't feel like my Chicony Montereys). It has a DIN5 connector, which is not apparently AT, since it doesn't convert to PS2 with my normal AT-PS2 adapter.

Can anyone say whether this might be XT or did Sun boxes use a special DIN5 connector? Bottom line: is there a converter somewhere for SunTouch to USB, or is this likely to be useful only for harvesting the switches and keycaps?

It would be interesting to know for certain — I didn't realise that was why it was called SunTouch Jr (and likewise the Chicony KB-5181/2 rebadged as the SunTouch K101).
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Offline illy865

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #102 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 13:30:51 »

The first Apple Extended Keyboard has orange or pink aka salmon Alps which are more tactile and nicer, in my opinion.


I've recently gone back into mechanical keyboards and I brought out my old AEK from the garage, got a ADB to USB adapter and it's working perfectly now.  Going back to these Alps switches, the tactile response is awesome.  I cleaned out the inside and bent back the switch actuators and the response is pretty much back to new.  I'm typing better as a result and I feel like the response of the orange Alps even works well for my gaming purposes.  Just glad this wasn't a victim of many years of spring cleaning.
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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #103 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 14:11:11 »
Just got something looking like some of the first "Dell 101-like" keyboards, same casing as Dell or SGI, made in Japan for the french Bull company (no longer selling PCs), the PCB is made by ALPS, black first gen complicated switches... I've never tested blue switches, but these black switches are pretty nice to type on, I just feel this keyboard needs some silicone grease...

51501-0

The switches, my camera has a dust detection system^^ :

51503-1

The ALPS PCB :

51505-2

Under a keycap :

51509-3

Sticker :

51507-4

It's not the best typing feeling I had, but in second place, just after BS model M, I would surely have prefered blue ALPS, but for 10 euro, not a so bad deal :)
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #104 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 15:06:58 »
So that's got no model number, FCC ID, serial, anything? Any year on the PCB?

Original black Alps switches (with slits) are pretty uncommon.
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Offline bcg

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #105 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 16:03:37 »
Just sold a Chicony 5181A 5161A with complicated blues last week on ebay... nice switches if buckling spring is too over the top for you :)  Plus that board was true NKRO.  Was insanely yellow though, ran it through retrobrite a couple times and still didn't get it back to normal... I'm sure if I kept at it though I could have gotten it back to 100%, but I ran out of H2O2 :)  I kind of regret selling it but my keyboard-to-money ratio was getting pretty far out of whack

51529-0

51531-1

51533-2

51535-3

51537-4

EDIT:  PS - I got this board off of Craigslist, I was actually buying a IBM PC 5170 hoping to get a AT Model F (it had a silver label model M tho) and the guy threw in the Chicony board for $5 more :)
« Last Edit: Sat, 18 January 2014, 16:18:22 by bcg »
:wq!

Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #106 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 16:11:26 »
That's a 5161A. The 'A' was the NKRO series with blue Alps, Omron B3G-S and Mitsumi switch versions.
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Offline bcg

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #107 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 16:20:39 »
That's a 5161A. The 'A' was the NKRO series with blue Alps, Omron B3G-S and Mitsumi switch versions.

I stand corrected; as does my previous post :)

In other news I just check the board I'm typing on right now and it has black Alps with slits... they are rare you say?
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #108 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 16:27:17 »
Yes. Slits disappeared around 1993, but black Alps are typically only found in the Dell AT101 series, and frequently that's the AT101W/102W which was sold at the very end of the lifetime of black Alps, after the slits were gone. (Black Alps has been found from 1988 to 1996 — http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/alpsk.htm)

That's why I'm so curious about kilogeek's keyboard. Most of those were salmon Alps, which for several years was sold as an alternative along with orange. I don't know what the difference is between the three tactile series. We now know that there are two more tactile Alps switches: grey or ivory (SKCMAF, contemporary with blue (SKCMAG) — not 100% sure on the colour from the photo alps.tw posted), and green (listed in a 1994 catalogue with a different force curve).
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Offline daerid

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #109 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 17:22:35 »


OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

I'm soooooo excited for this (ErgoDox + Alps)

Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #110 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 17:43:07 »
So that's got no model number, FCC ID, serial, anything? Any year on the PCB?

Original black Alps switches (with slits) are pretty uncommon.

Yes it does, but did not found any information on the web :
TYPE : KBU 1971
XPU LAR 43667
SKB 1971A-001

I believe this keyboard to be uncommon because the Bull company did not sell PCs for long (86 to 89) and mainly (or only ?) on french market, they were expensive and mainly government or big companies could afford these. They then bought Zenith Data Systems company thus no longer selling 'Bull Micral' PCs ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenith_Data_Systems ).

Did not see the year on the PCB, only could see one side, and switches are solded on the PCB and fixed on a thick metal plate in between... Also this PCB seems to have more ICs than on DELL 101 pics I've seen, making me think it could be one of the first series of this kind. Does someone knows which company designed these keyboards ? Not Dell, not SGI, not Bull, so who, ALPS ? Bull could not have bought these to Dell, it's made in Japan and it's a ALPS branded PCB...

51539-0

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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #111 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 17:51:00 »
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micral

Built before 1989 and after 1988 (SKCMAP started in 1988).
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #112 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 17:51:01 »
According to the Deskthority wiki, some AT101 keyboards were made by Alps USA, and others (presumably most of them) by Silitek in Taiwan. There are no dates given, only that they were made in the 1990s. I don't know whether it was created as a reference design by Alps, or whether it was originally commissioned by someone like Bull, and then sold to other customers afterwards.

Looks like yours would be 88 or 89, when combining the switch and PC date ranges.

I have a similar curiosity about the SMK second generation platform — a design similarly used by several companies, with no clear history.
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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #113 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 18:13:26 »
http://www.histoireinform.com/Histoire/+infos6/chr6inf12.htm

This is the computer it was sold with : Bull Micral 200 - 1989

But as internet came to life in 1990 (I mean out of U.S. DOD) it's hard to find informations, although Deskauthority deals with Dell brand but they don't say Dell designed them, when you see many brands having the exact same plastic case models (rear of mine is 100% like SGI granite or DELL 101), IMO this model was made by another company and sold to DELL, SGI, Bull, ... but who and where ? IDK :p
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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #114 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 18:53:10 »
Although it looks close to the FCC-ID GYUM97SK it's not :
http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/dell_29858.html
(the steel plate shown here is just there to add weight)

My keycaps use 2 or 3 tinted plastics and they are reinforced, all the alt graph symbols are on front of keys, not top.

sorry for blured pics :

51545-051547-1
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #115 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 18:57:05 »
Here's the other one:

SMK second generation platform

I am assuming that SMK made them all.

Dell AT101 keyboards were made by Alps USA and Silitek. Here's an early AT101:

http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/dell_43197.html

Label confirms US manufacture. The FCC grantee (GYI) is Alps Electric (USA) Inc.

I am guessing that Alps designed the keyboard themselves for someone (Bull maybe), and when other companies approached Alps for a keyboard, they decided to purchase an existing product to save the expense of having a new keyboard designed and tooled. It's cheaper to just have your company's logo placed onto an existing product than to have a whole new keyboard designed. It's only with designs such as the banana keyboard (Micral 200/AT101/Granite) that companies don't seem to care that they're shipping a distinctive keyboard that was not their design. Apple always had custom-designed keyboard made.

I don't know how the design got moved to Silitek though — did they sell the tooling, or did Silitek retool from scratch? I know that, with the AppleDesign keyboard, the Alps and NMB versions were very similar yet clearly different, so each company had tooled up independently with separate production lines.

Also, it looks like Alps USA used salmon Alps, while Silitek used black Alps, which is curious.

Silitek's FCC IDs are weird:

GYUM90SK   06/13/1997
GYUM91SK   10/11/1995
GYUM92SK   06/26/1995
GYUM93SK   10/28/1994
GYUM95SK   02/01/1994
GYUM96SK   09/09/1993
GYUM97SK   01/09/1992
GYUM98SK   11/06/1991
GYUM99SK   04/02/1991

Looks like M for mechanical, R for rubber dome.

The earliest one used for the Dell keyboard was the GYUM97SK, from 1992, which is exactly when orange and salmon Alps were last seen. I don't know if Alps forced the decision to move production to Silitek Taiwan, or whether some decision relating to this move led to the discontinuation of salmon and orange Alps. Tactile Alps were not that common, and by 1992 Apple had moved over to the damped switches. I don't know what GYUM99SK and GYUM98SK were; Google suggests GYUM98SK does not exist, and GYUM99SK is mentioned as a "SILITED" keyboard in some motherboard manual.

By the way, I've only used bamboo blacks (no slits) in my AT102W and they suck, but it may be that pine blacks (early, with slits) are OK.

As for the double-shot keycaps — that's another mystery: who made them? The moulding style is very distinctive.
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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #116 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 19:40:34 »
Keycaps may have been made anywhere following Bull requirements, even in France... the fact it's written "made in Japan" does not mean Bull bought ready-to-sell keyboards, who knows ? The fact they look old is because they are, and also because they yellowed, and as I'm lazy I first tried to bleach them (retrobright method for keycaps ?) but with a bit too much % chlore, anyway, camera flash shows them older then you see them...^^  The only thing I can say ATM is typing is a bit less clicky than on model M, but roughly the same, as is the weight : 1.5 Kg
I really have a tactile feedback and a firm shock when key is fully down (not like on rubber domes).
You may not see it on pics but they also added small black rubber pads under space bar and enter keys to make them a bit less noisy (I guess), you can see one of these on my 1st post, the black switches pic. Also, keycaps feel like heavy, even if they are not, exactly the feeling I had with my IBM model M. Forgot to say it's a 5 pins big DIN connector and a curled cable.
But taking a look at the PCB, for sure it's not NKRO.
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #117 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 19:54:49 »
Keycaps may have been made anywhere following Bull requirements, even in France...

Those keycaps are fairly common, and the moulding technique is very distinctive. I've just checked MouseFan's site, and the only examples I could find were from the same keyboard:

Mitsubishi version: http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/sharpax.htm
HP version: http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/c1414a.htm

Toshiba examples:

http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8/toshiba-t3100-t5200-t4711.html

Instead of stripes, the whole inside is the legend colour, with a row of square holes down each side. A single company is likely to have been responsible, but I have no idea who.

Most doubleshots seem to have been made by Tai-Hao, and they're still made to this day exactly as they were over 20 years ago.

The only thing I can say ATM is typing is a bit less clicky than on model M

They're not clicky switches, but you're right that they're loud. I've replaced most of the black Alps uppers in my AT102W with the uppers of blue Alps from an old Monterey keyboard.

I really have a tactile feedback and a firm shock when key is fully down (not like on rubber domes).

That sounds like pine blacks were superior, then. My AT102W is actually less tactile than a typical rubber dome. The switches really are horrible. The keyboard sounds nice, but feels bad.

I don't understand what MouseFan thinks changed when the slits disappeared (Google Translate can't deal with Chinese and Japanese to English), but something necessitated creating new moulds. Also, a lot of later white switches had the mould numbering hand-carved into the moulds, indicating cheaper production values; I've never seen this with blank switches though. I'm guessing that whatever they did, also destroyed the feel of the switches. It's possible that production was moved to Forward Electronics in Taiwan at this time, who were Alps's manufacturing partner for 30 years, and the company responsible for simplified Alps. This could have resulted in retooling and therefore new moulds.

It's all speculation though.

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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #118 on: Sat, 18 January 2014, 22:53:26 »
Yes they are exactly the same kind of keycaps, 100% identical inner reinforcements, doubleshooting 2nd plastic is top and front on small keys but top and all sides on large keys like Enter or Del key. Could be done by the company you are mentionning, but plastic injection can be done in Japan too, as long as the 3D pattern is not patented (I don't see how you can patent that, it's not an invention, just a design), as this is automated production. Anyway, they seem to have interesting current ALPS stuff there : http://www.tai-hao.com/
no they don't :/

So that's good news, meaning I could replace my keyset, even if this type of keycap is not the most common.

These black switches are definitely better than any even good dome I've tried, so as you said there may be 2 quality level. But maybe if you make me try blue switch I'll tell you black sucks. The only thing I can say is I like these 100x more than cherry linear switches (black or red) where you just have 0 feedback, only the spring force when you have to hold on a key for a while...
I must receive an almost new Compaq soon (10 euro, good deal), the one with trackball and cherry brown, will then know if I'm ALPS for ever or not^^

thanks :)
« Last Edit: Sat, 18 January 2014, 23:02:00 by kilogeek »
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #119 on: Sun, 19 January 2014, 07:11:56 »
Tai-Hao still make Alps clone switches and Alps keycaps, and Alps clone keyboards. I don't know if you saw the recent group buy of Cherry MX doubleshot keycaps from Tai-Hao? They also still do Alps doubleshots, so there is the option of a group buy of those. Reviews of one of their keyboards suggest that their keyboards are quite unreliable — I don't know if the switches fail, or the soldering. The switches seemed pretty robust to me.

I still believe that those keycaps all come from a single company, quite possibly Alps themselves.

At the moment, I am not aware that anyone has been keeping track of keycap style per keyboard; I just happen to recognise that style as I've seen it so many times before, but I don't have a list of where I've seen it, and likely companies to have made the keyboards, or whether any of the keyboards had switches that were not made by Alps.
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #120 on: Fri, 24 January 2014, 18:14:17 »
These keyboards do indeed appear to be designed and manufactured by Alps. Sandy notes that they were listed in the 1994 Alps catalogue as OEM keyboards with part numbers KFCMEA and KFCLEA, totalling six variants. This is the "Big Foot" keyboard, that gave Alps SKCL/SKCM switches their "Big Foot" name. These keyboards were supplied with the AX architecture computers, from various vendors, and were also sold to Dell, Bull etc.

We're uncertain as to what happened with the Dell keyboards. There is a possibility that Silitek cloned it and Dell took their business away from Alps. It appears that the Silitek AT101 keyboards were on sale before Alps discontinued the KFCMEA/KFCLEA keyboard series. This is speculation; it's also possible that Alps licensed the design rights to Silitek, and that everything was conducted above board. All we know is that Silitek started selling keyboards that seemingly look identical to Alps "Big Foot" keyboards, but with reduced quality. I don't think I've ever taken mine apart to check the PCB.
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Offline Melvang

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #121 on: Thu, 27 February 2014, 18:26:47 »
So in picked up an apple AEK with what appears to be white alps.  My question is this, are the supposed to be clicky or just tactile?
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Offline nubbinator

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #122 on: Thu, 27 February 2014, 18:41:30 »
AFAIK, White Alps should generally be clicky, but sometimes you can find dampened White Alps.  And old White Alps can  sometimes age to the color of Cream Alps.

Offline niubio

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #123 on: Thu, 27 February 2014, 19:06:32 »
Thanks to a random coincidence, I've tried green linear Alps today (or some sort of a clone - for details see my NTC thread). What can I say, they rock! I've used whites and blacks before and have a huge sentiment for them, but OMG, those greens... They are the best "linears" in the world! Like they were designed for me!

I've read the whole thread. You guys have some fantastic units or even collections! Now I must try blue Alps :)

Offline jacobolus

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #124 on: Thu, 27 February 2014, 19:24:39 »
So in picked up an apple AEK with what appears to be white alps.  My question is this, are the supposed to be clicky or just tactile?
AEK or AEK II? I don’t know any AEKs with clicky switches, but it’s possible.

Most AEKs used orange tactile switches. Most AEK IIs used cream dampened tactile switches.

The “cream” color is pretty light, but cream sliders distinctly different from the white sliders.

It’s of course also possible that someone swapped the switches. :)

Offline Melvang

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #125 on: Thu, 27 February 2014, 20:13:21 »
So in picked up an apple AEK with what appears to be white alps.  My question is this, are the supposed to be clicky or just tactile?
AEK or AEK II? I don’t know any AEKs with clicky switches, but it’s possible.

Most AEKs used orange tactile switches. Most AEK IIs used cream dampened tactile switches.

The “cream” color is pretty light, but cream sliders distinctly different from the white sliders.

It’s of course also possible that someone swapped the switches. :)

Well I just looked at it again and it is an AEKII.  I have pulled a couple switches apart.  I didn't take that close of a look at them.  I just followed a link from Simple Q&A thread then to Ripsters guide.  It is complicated I just don't remember if it had the 2 or the 4 legs on the leaf.  Modifying this post as soon as it is posted to add a pic from my phone.  To lazy to get the cord and move the file over.

55820-0

Here is a shot of it from the top before I tore into it.

55822-1
« Last Edit: Thu, 27 February 2014, 20:17:34 by Melvang »
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Offline jacobolus

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #126 on: Thu, 27 February 2014, 22:58:41 »
Well I just looked at it again and it is an AEKII.  I have pulled a couple switches apart.  I didn't take that close of a look at them.
Okay, well the dampened switches are relatively quiet to type on, because the slider has a little piece of black rubber stuck in each side, which is what hits the plastic at the bottom or top of the switch housing (dampening the sound).

By contrast, clicky switches will have a metal leaf which makes a loud click when it springs back, after being released when the slider passes the actuation point (tactile switches have a similar leaf, but it doesn’t do the same kind of clicky snapping).

They’re pretty hard to get confused for one another, once you try typing on them.

Apparently later versions (~1995) of the dampened tactile switches have white colored sliders instead of cream (“ivory”) color: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Alps_SKCM_White_Damped

Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #127 on: Fri, 28 February 2014, 02:50:55 »
Just post a photo of the switch : )
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Offline qnaal

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #128 on: Fri, 28 February 2014, 23:49:46 »
I've got a beat-up focus 2001 keyboard, which I guess has alps-clone switches- could anyone tell me what it might be worth?
For parts or something- missing tilde and f2 keycaps, and the tilde's mount post is chipped.

Offline nubbinator

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #129 on: Fri, 28 February 2014, 23:54:59 »
I've got a beat-up focus 2001 keyboard, which I guess has alps-clone switches- could anyone tell me what it might be worth?
For parts or something- missing tilde and f2 keycaps, and the tilde's mount post is chipped.

Hit up the price check thread in classifieds.  The fact that it's missing caps and is an Alps clone, however, will make a cheap board even cheaper.

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #130 on: Sat, 01 March 2014, 09:06:52 »
I've got a beat-up focus 2001 keyboard, which I guess has alps-clone switches

Does it have Windows keys? The later ones are OK but less desirable, the earlier ones have really nice multi-color keys.
"It turns out that for a decade, whenever Trump wanted to get a loan, or make a deal, he would inflate the value of his real estate. For instance, suggesting that his 11,000-square foot penthouse was a 30,000-square foot penthouse.
And the attorney general of New York knew that Trump's property values were inflated because when it came time to pay taxes, Trump undervalued the very same properties.
It was all part of a very sophisticated real estate practice known as “lying.”
- Jon Stewart 2024-03-28

Offline qnaal

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #131 on: Sat, 01 March 2014, 12:31:11 »
I've got a beat-up focus 2001 keyboard, which I guess has alps-clone switches

Does it have Windows keys? The later ones are OK but less desirable, the earlier ones have really nice multi-color keys.

It has windows keys- no colors or anything just black doubleshot.
And the switches are white.

Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #132 on: Sat, 01 March 2014, 12:40:06 »
You should find that the Windows and menu keys are pad printed, while the rest are doubleshot.

That's from my assumption that they're Tai-Hao doubleshots, and from Tai-Hao only being able to pad print those keys presently.

The switches will presumably be the T1 type shown here (compare the numbering):

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Focus_FK-2001
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Offline qnaal

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #133 on: Sat, 01 March 2014, 14:12:26 »
You should find that the Windows and menu keys are pad printed, while the rest are doubleshot.

That's from my assumption that they're Tai-Hao doubleshots, and from Tai-Hao only being able to pad print those keys presently.
Correct- I couldn't tell at first, because of the lack of a decal-like splotch, but the printing on those has a different texture from the rest of the board.

The switches will presumably be the T1 type shown here (compare the numbering):

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Focus_FK-2001
Yup- they each have four characters printed on them like that t1 picture.
"2F76" and "1H37" and whatnot.

Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #134 on: Sat, 01 March 2014, 14:55:11 »
Ah, so that does appear to confirm Tai-Hao caps. Seems like they never created doubleshot tooling for those extra keys.

And yes, Alps clones.
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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #135 on: Sun, 02 March 2014, 19:28:02 »
I got another Model M which looks new once washed, but I have it on a shelf and plugged back my lubbed black ALPS !
I find it now much more a pleasure to use than the model M !

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Offline simon_C

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #136 on: Sun, 02 March 2014, 22:34:09 »
Whoa is that thing covered in astroturf?


Offline Techno Trousers

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #137 on: Sun, 02 March 2014, 22:38:44 »
I have a bowling ball with texture like that. It's funny because last week I just switched from a Model M to a Dell AT101W at work. I wouldn't say I prefer it to the Model M, but I like to change things up from time to time for variety.

Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #138 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 00:02:34 »
It's an epoxy-sugar layer (you can't have it slide from your hands lol) but it's a glossy epoxy, so I'm gonna add a mate clear layer to give it a real tanky look :p
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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #139 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 00:06:37 »
I have a bowling ball with texture like that. It's funny because last week I just switched from a Model M to a Dell AT101W at work. I wouldn't say I prefer it to the Model M, but I like to change things up from time to time for variety.

did you lubbed your AT101 switches ? I recommand, you'll get 2x the pleasure to type !
(mine has the 1st gen complicated ALPS and was all lubbed silicon, awesome result)
None of my collection KBs have such a nice typing feeling, even my compaq g80-11800 (brown MX) sucks compare to this one !
« Last Edit: Mon, 03 March 2014, 00:09:35 by kilogeek »
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Offline Pacifist

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #140 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 00:39:50 »
I should probally lube my at101w

what kind is best?

Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #141 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 00:50:50 »
IDK, I used LOUISE DIFF OIL 7000 and I'm glad with the results.

But I know RO-59 to be the best and I can't get it in France, maybe online shop...

I'll post here an ALPS lubbing guide because the one you may find on Deskthaurity is not top IMO,
need to take pics again to show exactly which parts must be lubbed for best result.

++
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Offline Pacifist

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #142 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 00:54:37 »
cool thx :thumb:

Offline jacobolus

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #143 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 04:23:42 »
Sounds great. Even just a couple sentences of text explaining which parts you lubricated would be helpful.

Here's one Deskthority post: http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/pink-vs-orange-alps-t1181-30.html#p57053
« Last Edit: Mon, 03 March 2014, 04:25:47 by jacobolus »

Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #144 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 07:29:44 »
First of all, last shot of the final result with a mate clear added : tank theme :)

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The guide is coming, I will start a thread just for it.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #145 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 07:38:15 »
Yours has certainly beat mine out of the park.
"It turns out that for a decade, whenever Trump wanted to get a loan, or make a deal, he would inflate the value of his real estate. For instance, suggesting that his 11,000-square foot penthouse was a 30,000-square foot penthouse.
And the attorney general of New York knew that Trump's property values were inflated because when it came time to pay taxes, Trump undervalued the very same properties.
It was all part of a very sophisticated real estate practice known as “lying.”
- Jon Stewart 2024-03-28

Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #146 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 07:53:54 »
Yours has certainly beat mine out of the park.

Great one too^^

But the best is to come : Desert Storm  with epoxy and sand on a Model M , haha
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Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #147 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 09:56:36 »
I've written the ALPS lubbing guide here : http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=55456.msg1244670#msg1244670

enjoy !
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Offline nubbinator

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #148 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 10:04:49 »
FYI, it's lubing, not lubbing and lube, not lub. 

Offline kilogeek

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Re: Alps Appreciation Thread
« Reply #149 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 10:52:25 »
FYI, it's lubing, not lubbing and lube, not lub.

Viens me parler en français tu fera moins le malin XD
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