Race to Keycon: Two Build Logs - Siig Minitouch And Filco Zero Mods

[CPTBadAss]

At Keycon Midwest I'm giving a talk about Alps switches. I wanted to have my collection sorted so I'd have good examples for everything. My goal was to swap my Siig Minitouch GH Spacesaver to Orange Alps and Filco Zero to Green Alps. Mission accomplished. Here's a photodump since it was just switch swapping and a very very easy controller swap.

Filco Zero:



Before: just a stock board with a custom top from Photoelectric




First thing I did was take the top off (one screw and snap fits) then pop in the Pegasus Hoof controller from bpiphany. Just wanted to test it out to see if it would fit at all.







Take the plate/PCB out (unscrew two screws), desolder the simplified White Alps, and replace with Complicated Green Alps. I like to desolder all the switches then pull the PCB off. Then push the switches out of the plate with my thumbs. I didn't have enough Complicated Green Alps so I put some Matias Clicky in the Print Screen/Pause area. I rarely use those buttons anyways.





Test it with Aqua Key Test. I was so happy with this because I managed to do this in one take. I pulled the Pegasus Hoof with the stock controller in order to Aqua Key Test it. No touch up solders or re-doing joints. Shoutouts to LastPilot's LZ-S.




Swapped the indicator LEDs to teal ones. Then replace the stabilizers. My trick is to pry the wire out of the little clips then pull the caps off. THEN I'll remove the wire from the holders. Pretty safe. I'm destroyed stabilizers in the past by trying to manmode it. Next put the caps back on. I then programmed my Pegasus Hoof with EasyAVR, nubbinator's Flip guide, and bpiphany's info on DT Wiki on his controllers. Remember to hold the magnet over the controller! Then pop the top back on and the caps back on.




Siig Minitouch Geekhack Spacesaver:



Apple M0116 with Complicated Orange Alps


Filco Zero with Simplified White Alps

Started with an Apple M0116 aka Apple Standard Keyboard and a Siig Minitouch Geekhack Spacesaver. It's just a Siig Minitouch with some custom Geekhack Alps caps and simplified White Alps or Fukka Alps.







Unscrewed the six screws holding the case halves together on the M0116. Then took the caps off and took the plate/PCB out. Yay Orange Alps! I'm getting into NEC Consoles and just picked up a Turbografx. So it's cool to see the NEC chip!






Desoldered the switches out of the board





The switches were dirty so I dumped them into a little plastic bin and doused them in isopropyl alcohol. Like salting fries! Now that the Orange Alps are out, now I work on Siig Minitouch.






Unscrewed the four screws holding the Minitouch together. These two boards actually came apart very easily. They're some kind of Alps mount switch. Not simplified Alps. They were actually not bad. But they're no complicated Alps.




Desoldered the switches and removed them.





Now I take the previously desoldered Orange Alps and put them into the plate. First time around I used a Matias Alps to fill in the last switch but I found the Cream Lock Alps switch. Use that on the FN switch. Replaced the top and put the screws back on. The function caps needed some plastic bag shims like SP caps do. Which was really weird because usually Alps are *super tight*. Put the caps and stabilizers back on and then we're set. Minitouch with Orange Alps!

[Lastpilot]

This keycon will be my first time trying Alps switches. I ordered my first ever Alps PCB in the Orion GB, so I am really curious. Oh man, I can't wait to try them and learn more about these switches. Thanks so much for putting all this together in time!

[CPTBadAss]

Keycon? More like Alpscon 

[sprit]

Keycon? More like Alpscon 

Wow!  Amazing builds   

[nubbinator]

Keycon? More like Alpscon 

So much happy to see Alps love.

[Blaise170]

Love Alps. Wish they were more common. I own several Alps boards but no Cherry boards.

[romevi]

That's a pretty cool Minitouch.

[Sup]

Glad to see a other Filco Zero in the wild. Modded mine with NOS yellow alps  . Ps it wasn't me this time reviving a dead topic