Where to harvest Alps Blues

[_rubik]

I know Deskauthority has a full list of boards to find Alps Blues, but I generally feel pretty awful tearing apart a nice board just for their switches. What are the cheaper boards that still have those lovely blues?

[fohat.digs]

What are the cheaper boards

Cheaper than what? These things have not been made for almost 30 years, and were not common even in the 1980s.

[Puddsy]

You kinda just gotta get whatever you can find

[_rubik]

I guess what I'm after is a less sought after board. But I guess I just need to bite the bullet and watch another 30+ year old board die.

[Puddsy]

I guess what I'm after is a less sought after board. But I guess I just need to bite the bullet and watch another 30+ year old board die.

welcome to mechanical keyboards

[digi]

DC-2014 gonna the easiest route, good luck and make sure your Paypal account is plump.

[SneakyRobb]

I know Deskauthority has a full list of boards to find Alps Blues, but I generally feel pretty awful tearing apart a nice board just for their switches. What are the cheaper boards that still have those lovely blues?

When i see a keyboard bought just for the keycaps and then the keycaps appear on some spiffy board at reddit mechanical keyboards imgur, I feel a pain. I am sort of reminded of a tiger that was skinned alive or an elephant killed for ivory. The vanity. What a waste. What a shame a disrespect. The once proud now empty board a shadow of its former self. Defaced. Humiliated.

At the same time rather morally inconsistently, I don't think taking the switches is the worst thing you can do. They are more of the heart of the keyboard. It feels more respectful to take a old keyboard and repurpose the switches. A bit elitist of me, but even the minor skill required to transplant switches seems to impart some respect for these synthetic fauna.

I can't reconcile these opinions totally though.

[_rubik]

I know Deskauthority has a full list of boards to find Alps Blues, but I generally feel pretty awful tearing apart a nice board just for their switches. What are the cheaper boards that still have those lovely blues?

When i see a keyboard bought just for the keycaps and then the keycaps appear on some spiffy board at reddit mechanical keyboards imgur, I feel a pain. I am sort of reminded of a tiger that was skinned alive or an elephant killed for ivory. The vanity. What a waste. What a shame a disrespect. The once proud now empty board a shadow of its former self. Defaced. Humiliated.

At the same time rather morally inconsistently, I don't think taking the switches is the worst thing you can do. They are more of the heart of the keyboard. It feels more respectful to take a old keyboard and repurpose the switches. A bit elitist of me, but even the minor skill required to transplant switches seems to impart some respect for these synthetic fauna.

I can't reconcile these opinions totally though.

That's why I tend to buy two boards when I harvest. One for the switches etc. Another to use and enjoy. Obviously this isn't too nice on the wallet...

[klennkellon]

You just have to get lucky I guess.

It depends on the keyboard but I'm not usually against just harvesting the switches from a good vintage keyboard. As long as you leave the keyboard intact or replace the switches with some cheaper or more common Alps switch so the keyboard is still at least usable.

What I cant stand is when people take a nice keyboard like a Focus or an Omnikey and harvest the caps and switches then throw the rest of it out. They're such nice keyboards :C

[mike52787]

keep your eyes open. I recently snagged 3 possible blue alps boards for ~50$ each.

[Tuntematon]

keep your eyes open. I recently snagged 3 possible blue alps boards for ~50$ each.

That's a lot of luck all at once! eBay?

[mike52787]

keep your eyes open. I recently snagged 3 possible blue alps boards for ~50$ each.

That's a lot of luck all at once! eBay?

si

[sth]

you could also look for boards that are already built the way you like with blues - i just sold one a few months ago. it's not hard to swap a pcb+plate into a different case or move a few switched based on the layout (if you have an alps64 or infinity).

[ander]

It's always a conflict, taking good parts from a vintage board that you know will never be made again. If the donor board wasn't very well made to begin with, though, it's not as bad... It's better to have good switches in a good board, IMHO, rather than leaving them in a crappy one where they can't be appreciated as much.

That's why I tend to buy two boards when I harvest. One for the switches etc. Another to use and enjoy...

I can't remember the last time I saw more than one Blue Alps board for sale at a time... Maybe you know something I don't.