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Author Topic: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)  (Read 2071 times)

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Offline Masterchief79

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ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 09:27:04 »
Hey guys,
posted this in the simple questions - simple answers thread earlier but didn't really get a response, so maybe you can help me here now.

It's about this keyboard I just bought on eBay:









I'm wondering about the caps and especially the switches. The seller claims it's mechanical and I think there's a good chance it really is, but unfortunately we couldn't check (keycaps don't seem to be removable). Caps: are they dyesubbed or doubleshot, what do you think? Just let me know :)
« Last Edit: Sat, 13 July 2013, 09:29:02 by Masterchief79 »
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Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 09:36:24 »
You posted one picture in the thread and I actually thought you posted a broken keyboard. Should probably link more information next time besides a single picture and no further information.
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Offline Masterchief79

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 09:40:45 »
xD will do, if you promise me to get some glasses at least ;)
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Offline keymaster

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 09:42:15 »
The keycaps should be removable. How do you know it's mechanical? Does it have tactility or click? It may just be a rubber dome.
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Offline Masterchief79

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 10:12:05 »
Not all keycaps are removable, the one of my Apple M0118 aren't for instance (salmon ALPS, only the spacebar is removable, rest seem to be glued in or something).
It may be rubber dome, that's right, but it wasn't that expensive and I just hope for a luckshot there. Was hoping anyone had every seen something like this before.
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Taiwanese Fake-Model F with MX black copies (1984) | Apple Keyboard (salmon Alps 1987) | G80-1000HDD vintage blacks (1987) | G80-1000HFD vintage blues | G80-1800HFD | QPad MK50 browns | AEK II

Offline bigx333

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 10:22:12 »
I think it's unlikely that it's mechanical, a pcb for this would be too much trouble...

Why don't you just open and see? :p
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Offline Masterchief79

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 11:17:57 »
I will as soon as I get it^^
Ok I understood, guess ima just be waiting.
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Offline IvanIvanovich

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 12:34:24 »
I've seen one of those before. It had white clicky Alps switch, pad printed keys. Not sure who was the maker.
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Offline Masterchief79

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 12:37:34 »
That'd be good news :) I don't know, look at the second pic, does that look pad-printed to you? If so, must be a good print quality...
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Offline Techno Trousers

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 12:42:12 »
That's a pretty nice looking and unusual board. It must have been stored folded or out of the light--looks like there was no yellowing of the keys at all.
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Offline Masterchief79

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #10 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 12:44:50 »
Yea, now as you're mentioning it, the only boards and caps I know which aren't yellowed after 30 years are Cherrys... I have a similar-looking Mitsumi and a 1984 Model F copy which are almost like brown instead of light grey^^
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Offline dorkvader

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #11 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 14:04:35 »
There's a perfectly visiable FCC ID on there. Let's see if it yields anything interesting:
k5zfkb-01

K5Z seems to be for "goldframe computer ltd" (hong kong) and the FKB-01 and the filing action date was 11/03/1993.

Reading the documents, it was filed as a "foldable keyboard" under the notes. Compliance testing appears to have been done in San Jose, California.

That's it for now, We'll see the rest when it arrives.
---
My Slectric typewriter (1977) has no signs of yellowing on the keycaps. Neither does my model F PC/XT from 1981-1983. Come to think of it, my hall effect keycaps from 1976 don't have any yellowing either. In fact, the only keycaps I have which are yellowed are all my WYSE sets.
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Offline Techno Trousers

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #12 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 15:11:00 »
I believe ABS plastic is susceptible to yellowing when exposed to sunlight, and PBT isn't, or at least it's much less. The yellowing happens because of bromine migrating to the surface of the plastic, and that's what retr0brite reverses.
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Offline Masterchief79

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #13 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 16:09:47 »
Nice research there dorkvader ;) I googled a little myself but didn't really find anything and thought it was easier to ask you guys :P
Will report when I get it, I'm excited now =D
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #14 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 16:11:12 »
Quote from: Techno Trousers on Sat, 13 July 2013, 15:11:00
I believe ABS plastic is susceptible to yellowing when exposed to sunlight, and PBT isn't, or at least it's much less. The yellowing happens because of bromine migrating to the surface of the plastic, and that's what retr0brite reverses.

This is false. Certain types of ABS are susceptible to yellowing as a result of UV exposure due to bromine migration (or whatever the chemist folks figured out there.) ABS however, is not universally susceptible. There are many different types of ABS and not all of them will react or behave the same way.
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Offline Techno Trousers

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Re: ID this board for me plz (foldable mechanical?)
« Reply #15 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 16:37:20 »
Yeah, I generalized. I was mostly trying to say that PBT caps shouldn't yellow (Model Ms and some older Cherry boards, for instance). Thanks for clarifying, though.
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