[SOLD] NIB unbranded Monterey K110, $45.41 shipped

[ander]

PC keyboard old style with mechanical keys and 5-Pin DIN connector











BIN $35.00 + 10.41 shipping

The FCC ID indicates these are unbranded SIIG MiniTouches, so the switches should be either Hua-Jie AK series (well-regarded Alps clones) or SMK Alps mount (AKA "Monterey" switches).

A lot of you like this type of compact layout, and these are gen-u-wine NIB vintage Alps-type boards, so they seemed worth mentioning.

[Belfong]

Kinda curious to try but seller does not ship International, does he?

[TalkingTree]

seller does not ship International, does he?

United States only.

[ekeppel]

Several over at DT had made lowball offers of $10 and $15 and they were accepted.  I made an offer yesterday for $10 and it hasn't been accepted or declined, but there were 15 other offers pending at the time, so others must have decided to try the same thing. :-)

[JP]

Several over at DT had made lowball offers of $10 and $15 and they were accepted.  I made an offer yesterday for $10 and it hasn't been accepted or declined, but there were 15 other offers pending at the time, so others must have decided to try the same thing. :-)

Yep, that's precisely why I offered a few dollars more. Even at $35 this seems like a good deal.

[ander]

27 sold—nice.

So what switches did these have? Someone post when you get yours?

[JP]

Just got mine today 

[digi]

DAMN IT!! I paid a lot more than that for mine, if those are Monterey Blues, that was an absolute steal.

[JP]

DAMN IT!! I paid a lot more than that for mine, if those are Monterey Blues, that was an absolute steal.

This seller accepted a lot of offers. Hardly anyone paid full price. I heard of one person getting one for $10. I got mine for $17 plus shipping.

[intelli78]

🙀🙀🙀😭😭😭

[ander]

Just got mine today  ;D

(Attachment Link)

Nice score, JP!! Monterey blues are wonderful switches, IMHO—and you just got yourself a set of pristine ones. Way to go.

[Belfong]

Are all keyboards Monterey Blues? I manage to get one too for $18+shipping... although I will need to ship from proxy to Malaysia which I hope is not going to cost a bomb.

[ander]

Are all keyboards Monterey Blues? I manage to get one too for $18+shipping...

Heck of a deal!! This seller obviously didn't realize they were MKs.

To a. your q.: Since they're NIB, they're probably all from the same production run, so I'd guess they all have MBs... Sure wish I'd ordered one now!  :?|

[Belfong]

Um, stupid question - that connector seemed to big to be a PS/2 connector - from the photo, I thought it is a PS/2. I guess I will need a converter or something?

Edit: it’s an AT connector and I will need this converter.

[chyros]

Um, stupid question - that connector seemed to big to be a PS/2 connector - from the photo, I thought it is a PS/2. I guess I will need a converter or something?

Edit: it’s an AT connector and I will need this converter.

Show Image

That's an adapter, not a converter, but as long as you can handle PS/2, a simple adapter will do :) .

[Belfong]

Well, I’m not sure where I can find such adapter.

Anyway, I note that the keyboard was made in Taiwan, and base on wiki, Monterey was made in Taiwan, wasn’t it? Ugh, now I have the keyboard but have no adapter to use it.

[JP]

Well, I’m not sure where I can find such adapter.

There are a couple options. The cheapest route I think would require two separate adapters. You would need the AT to PS2 adapter as you pointed out earlier. You would also want an active PS2 to USB converter. These are usually less than $15. I would not recommend the cheap passive adapters, but those might work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sabrent-USB-to-Dual-PS-2-Active-Converter-Cable-for-Keyboards-Mouse-SBT-PS2U-/361936303427?hash=item544515b543:g:FFgAAOSw4CFY1abs

You could also get one of these fancy XT/AT Soarer's converter which is on the expensive side considering what you paid for your keyboard. You likely could get this adapter a few bucks cheaper if you pm Orihalcon. There is also a PS2 variant of these as well. You could also build your own Soarer's converter if you are really into diy.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-XT-AT-to-USB-Soarers-Converter-Remapping-Macros-NKRO-Support-IBM-Model-F-/282575691272

[Belfong]

My new Asus Z270 has a PS/2 port. I’m surprise that such modern mobo still have one, so, honestly I don’t need a AT to USB. But now that you mention it, USB will be really nice.

Thanks @JP

[ed_avis]

I have found that the cheaper active PS/2 to USB converters don't work with the SIIG Minitouch.  It usually works when plugged into a real PS/2 keyboard port (via a simple passive AT to PS/2 adaptor); or Soarer's converter works.

[Belfong]

Yeah, I prefer the passive adaptor.  Don’t want the keys to fail to register. I located an adaptor from a seller in UK for $4 shipped, so that’s pretty reasonable to me!

[SamirD]

Congrats on the lovely new kb!  And now that you have a AT to ps2 adapter, you can buy even more AT connector keyboards. 

[Belfong]

Congrats on the lovely new kb!  And now that you have a AT to ps2 adapter, you can buy even more AT connector keyboards. 

Ha ha ha, thanks. But I hope my keyboard addiction ends here. I have too many boards at this moment.

[chyros]

Technically this isn't a SIIG or a MiniTouch, but a Monterey K110 instead, but I guess most people know the MiniTouch a lot better xD .

[SamirD]

Congrats on the lovely new kb!  And now that you have a AT to ps2 adapter, you can buy even more AT connector keyboards. 

Ha ha ha, thanks. But I hope my keyboard addiction ends here. I have too many boards at this moment.

I think technically anything more than one keyboard for each computer is too many, so after I had one more than the number of computers, it didn't matter if I had 100 more. 

[chyros]

Congrats on the lovely new kb!  And now that you have a AT to ps2 adapter, you can buy even more AT connector keyboards. 

Ha ha ha, thanks. But I hope my keyboard addiction ends here. I have too many boards at this moment.

IT'S NEVER ENOUGH!

[pixelpusher]

I have one of these now too.  Love the switches.  I have a ps2 port on my computer but I sit too far away to use it without an extension cable.  (On it’s way).  I am using a DIN to mDIN adapter o plug it in at the moment. 

This weekend I decided to finally get a nice powered usb hub and run everything through it.  When I did that I picked up an active ps2 to usb cube on amazon. Works great on my model M.  Not so great on the minitouch

When I use the minitouch with the active converter I get randomly missing keystrokes. I’m guessing it has something to do with the adapter?  I’ve decided to just use the extension ps2 cable for now, but I sure wish I could run it over usb.

The cable is solderd inside.  I might get crazy and see about directly wiring a mDIN cable to it. Have to research. 

Love those Monterrey blues.  So light and crispy. 

[SamirD]

When I use the minitouch with the active converter I get randomly missing keystrokes. I’m guessing it has something to do with the adapter?  I’ve decided to just use the extension ps2 cable for now, but I sure wish I could run it over usb.

Love those Monterrey blues.  So light and crispy. 

Strange.  Maybe you got a bad one?  Do you have any other usb adapters to try?  I'd be curious to know what's going on.

Sound like really nice switches!

[pixelpusher]

When I use the minitouch with the active converter I get randomly missing keystrokes. I’m guessing it has something to do with the adapter?  I’ve decided to just use the extension ps2 cable for now, but I sure wish I could run it over usb.

Love those Monterrey blues.  So light and crispy. 

Strange.  Maybe you got a bad one?  Do you have any other usb adapters to try?  I'd be curious to know what's going on.

Sound like really nice switches!

It works fine with my model M.  I ordered a long PS2 cable so I can use it with my current setup.  Hope the day doesn't come in the near future when I don't have a PS2 port on my machine. 

[ed_avis]

Yup, it's a general problem with the active PS/2 to USB adaptors like the "blue cube" and the SIIG Minitouch board.  You can use a Soarer's converter to convert it to USB reliably, or you can just plug it into a PS/2 keyboard port.  (After adapting from the big DIN plug to the small PS/2 plug, of course.)

[pixelpusher]

Yup, it's a general problem with the active PS/2 to USB adaptors like the "blue cube" and the SIIG Minitouch board.  You can use a Soarer's converter to convert it to USB reliably, or you can just plug it into a PS/2 keyboard port.  (After adapting from the big DIN plug to the small PS/2 plug, of course.)

Thanks for confirming. I’m going to just do ps2 until the day comes when I no longer have that port 

[ander]

For what it's worth, I've always found these cable-style mouse + keyboard converters the most reliable:






And they're guilt-inducingly cheap on eBay—like this one, $1.29 shipped. Mine works great with my MiniTouch. Add a passive AT -> PS/2 adapter and you should be all set.

Technically this isn't a SIIG or a MiniTouch, but a Monterey K110 instead, but I guess most people know the MiniTouch a lot better xD .

Thanks—I'll have to correct this thread's subject then (he said, compulsively).

[ed_avis]

Thanks ander, that's a useful thing to know.