Laser keyboard (Laser is the brand): what switch could it be?

[Paranoid]

I've found two of  these in my country on the internet recently, but I'm wondering what kind of switch they are. They come from an old Laser x286 PC I think. The people selling it live to far away for me to go and test it..
I'll ask them if they can take a picture from the switch but most people are reluctant to do this for me ^^

anyways, here's a pic

[Djuzuh]

Seems like a rebranded cherry board.

[terrpn]

the laser i have has futaba switches, very loud, clacky and tactile

i actually like the board though. took mine completely apart, cleaned, blacked out just around the keys and works great, did an oxy soak to get rid of the yellow from age

mine will accept cherry keycaps except i think the space bar is a weird size and it has the huge enter key

I've found two of  these in my country on the internet recently, but I'm wondering what kind of switch they are. They come from an old Laser x286 PC I think. The people selling it live to far away for me to go and test it..
I'll ask them if they can take a picture from the switch but most people are reluctant to do this for me ^^

anyways, here's a pic

[Paranoid]

I got a reply from the seller, took some good pics. They are indeed Futaba switches and they have doubleshot keycaps, which seem to be cherry compatible

[Quarzac]

I'm pretty sure those aren't Futaba switches- back when the vintage switch wiki existed, I used it to ID a board I had with Futabas, which are different- The keycap crucifix is a +, and the switch has the receiver. Kinda like the opposite of what you have there. I know I've seen those before, but I don't remember what they are. BTC, maybe?

[Djuzuh]

http://imgur.com/a/UupKX#0

[Daniel Beardsmore]

OK now that's interesting. Those SMK switches have almost identical housings to Monterey switches. Is that why people originally assumed that SMK made Montereys?

[terrpn]

Well...........on the old GH wiki they had those exact switches listed under Futaba switches and DT has them as Futaba, however the 1 shot I just saw has them as SMK- go figure

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Futaba_Switch

They the same ones I have on my Laser keyboard, double shot caps that except cherry caps. Regardless I like them.............

My blue montereys take ALPS caps.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

No, re-read what Quarzac posted: Futaba is the inverse of SMK. Futaba switches are "female" where SMKs switches (of this variety) are "male", if you like – only SMKs will take Cherry keycaps. Besides, the switches themselves look nothing like each other.

Besides, compare the switch cases/shells: the shell of the Monterey switch is almost identical to the shell of an SMK switch. It's not proof, but there's a strong implication that SMK made both, with different internals. I don't know myself why it was originally assumed that SMK did make Montereys, and why that theory has been since disregarded.

[terrpn]

Gotcha....will go back and look

No, re-read what Quarzac posted: Futaba is the inverse of SMK. Futaba switches are "female" where SMKs switches (of this variety) are "male", if you like – only SMKs will take Cherry keycaps. Besides, the switches themselves look nothing like each other.

Besides, compare the switch cases/shells: the shell of the Monterey switch is almost identical to the shell of an SMK switch. It's not proof, but there's a strong implication that SMK made both, with different internals. I don't know myself why it was originally assumed that SMK did make Montereys, and why that theory has been since disregarded.

[Paranoid]

What's your experience with SMK switches? Are they nice to type on? (linear, tactile, clicky, ..)

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I'd like to see the insides, see how they compare to Montereys.

[KeyboardRookie]

the laser i have has futaba switches, very loud, clacky and tactile

i actually like the board though. took mine completely apart, cleaned, blacked out just around the keys and works great, did an oxy soak to get rid of the yellow from age

mine will accept cherry keycaps except i think the space bar is a weird size and it has the huge enter key

I've found two of  these in my country on the internet recently, but I'm wondering what kind of switch they are. They come from an old Laser x286 PC I think. The people selling it live to far away for me to go and test it..
I'll ask them if they can take a picture from the switch but most people are reluctant to do this for me ^^

anyways, here's a pic

Would you please tell me what else keyboard is using Futaba switches?
I haven't heard futaba before. Now, I'm very interested in futaba switches.
Looks it's compatible with MX switch keycaps, isn't it?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

No, SMK switches take Cherry keycaps. Futaba switches are the opposite way around – the "male" piece is the keycap, and the switch is "female", the reverse of Cherry, SMK and various rubber dome boards with the same size slider/plunger interface as Cherry as well as other incompatible switches such as the BBC Micro Type 1 switch.

[terrpn]

dude you sure seem to have it figured out than- I guess ripster was wrong from what i remember reading on the old GH wiki. he might have had smk, but i think he had the futaba switch accepting female caps which from what i can see now is wrong. i don't know as he is usually pretty dead on.

i actually have both then- smk and futaba. i have the smk which is male switch taking a female cherry type cap and i have a futaba (magic something keyboard) that has a female switch taking the reversed male (+) cap.

simply aesthetically looking they are just reversed opposites.

the futaba (vintage) that i have then at least action wise is linear and the smk is clicky and tactile, but actually very nice to type on i've replaced all the keys except the big honking enter and space with keys bought here at GH and it is a nice looking board. 

i would think that both are somewhat hard to find?

No, SMK switches take Cherry keycaps. Futaba switches are the opposite way around – the "male" piece is the keycap, and the switch is "female", the reverse of Cherry, SMK and various rubber dome boards with the same size slider/plunger interface as Cherry as well as other incompatible switches such as the BBC Micro Type 1 switch.

[Djuzuh]

For Futabas, male and female versions are possible.

But the housing of the switch indicates that those are SMKs, and not futabas.

http://imgur.com/a/5w9fv#3 those are the futaba (see the other image in the album for the reversed model)

http://imgur.com/a/H8B0K#0 here are the SMKs

Credit for the pics to ripster.

[KeyboardRookie]

Still, it looks like that it's compatible to Cherry switch though.
I'm very comfusing whether it's compatible or not.

For Futabas, male and female versions are possible.

But the housing of the switch indicates that those are SMKs, and not futabas.

http://imgur.com/a/5w9fv#3 those are the futaba (see the other image in the album for the reversed model)

http://imgur.com/a/H8B0K#0 here are the SMKs

Credit for the pics to ripster.

[terrpn]

yes...........it will take cherry keycaps although the enter and bottom row take the older style caps.

Still, it looks like that it's compatible to Cherry switch though.
I'm very comfusing whether it's compatible or not.

For Futabas, male and female versions are possible.

But the housing of the switch indicates that those are SMKs, and not futabas.

http://imgur.com/a/5w9fv#3 those are the futaba (see the other image in the album for the reversed model)

http://imgur.com/a/H8B0K#0 here are the SMKs

Credit for the pics to ripster.

[KeyboardRookie]

yes...........it will take cherry keycaps although the enter and bottom row take the older style caps.

Still, it looks like that it's compatible to Cherry switch though.
I'm very comfusing whether it's compatible or not.

For Futabas, male and female versions are possible.

But the housing of the switch indicates that those are SMKs, and not futabas.

http://imgur.com/a/5w9fv#3 those are the futaba (see the other image in the album for the reversed model)

http://imgur.com/a/H8B0K#0 here are the SMKs

Credit for the pics to ripster.

Thank you for clarifying..
I should get one to try.