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Author Topic: Chicony mechanicals  (Read 5265 times)

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Offline Phaedrus2129

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Chicony mechanicals
« on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 15:10:08 »
What keyswitches did the Chicony KB-5161 use? I've heard Cherry MX blues, but the seller is claiming it has white sliders.

The KB-5191 has those neat imitation white Alps, right?

Given a choice, if the two are the same price, would you pick the KB-5161 or KB-5191?
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Daily Driver: Noppoo Choc Mini
Currently own: IBM Model M 1391401 1988,  XArmor U9 prototype
Previously owned: Ricercar SPOS, IBM M13 92G7461 1994, XArmor U9BL, XArmor U9W prototype, Cherry G80-8200LPDUS, Cherry G84-4100, Compaq MX-11800, Chicony KB-5181 (SMK Monterey), Reveal KB-7061, Cirque Wave Keyboard (ergonomic rubber domes), NMB RT101 (rubber dome), Dell AT101W

Offline ch_123

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 15:12:26 »
5191 had fake Blue Cherrys (which had white/clear sliders)

I think the 5161 might have used real white Alps... If you do a search you should be able to find it.

The 5181 used either SMKs or Montereys, depending.
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Offline Phaedrus2129

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 15:26:42 »
How do the imitation MX blues compare to the real thing?

I'm looking at:

KB-5161 - $14.99
KB-5181 - $22.40
KB-5191 - $17.99

And I'm really not sure what to get. These seem like my cheapest options for a decent clicky-switch, non-BS keyboard.
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Daily Driver: Noppoo Choc Mini
Currently own: IBM Model M 1391401 1988,  XArmor U9 prototype
Previously owned: Ricercar SPOS, IBM M13 92G7461 1994, XArmor U9BL, XArmor U9W prototype, Cherry G80-8200LPDUS, Cherry G84-4100, Compaq MX-11800, Chicony KB-5181 (SMK Monterey), Reveal KB-7061, Cirque Wave Keyboard (ergonomic rubber domes), NMB RT101 (rubber dome), Dell AT101W

Offline clickclack

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 15:43:20 »
Quote from: Phaedrus2129;173507
How do the imitation MX blues compare to the real thing?...


I think the chicony blue cherry clones are really nice, but I am not the biggest fan of the layout. I don't particuarly care for the small backspace key. I also think that by comparison the actual "board" is a bit on the flimsy side. Having said that though I have not had a problem with the many chicony boards that I have used.

There is also a chicony board that uses "REAL" blue cherries. I will go look for it in a bit to give you some specs =)
If I can't find it atm don't hate me =P

btw I feel that the blue cherry clones (the white ones on the chicony) are a little bit louder (due to the switch and the board) and I think they are a bit more tactile. They also require slightly more force to depress. I am really accurate on that board and I find it a joy to type on =)
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Offline Phaedrus2129

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 15:54:12 »
How do the blue Cherry clones compare to the Monterey/SMK switches?


It might be nice to get one that's Alps compatible, I'm trying to wangle a set of custom OCN keycaps for all the people who got the ABS M1.
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Daily Driver: Noppoo Choc Mini
Currently own: IBM Model M 1391401 1988,  XArmor U9 prototype
Previously owned: Ricercar SPOS, IBM M13 92G7461 1994, XArmor U9BL, XArmor U9W prototype, Cherry G80-8200LPDUS, Cherry G84-4100, Compaq MX-11800, Chicony KB-5181 (SMK Monterey), Reveal KB-7061, Cirque Wave Keyboard (ergonomic rubber domes), NMB RT101 (rubber dome), Dell AT101W

Offline Phaedrus2129

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 16:03:48 »
I know, I know! Can't always find what I'm looking for, and like multiple opinions.
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Daily Driver: Noppoo Choc Mini
Currently own: IBM Model M 1391401 1988,  XArmor U9 prototype
Previously owned: Ricercar SPOS, IBM M13 92G7461 1994, XArmor U9BL, XArmor U9W prototype, Cherry G80-8200LPDUS, Cherry G84-4100, Compaq MX-11800, Chicony KB-5181 (SMK Monterey), Reveal KB-7061, Cirque Wave Keyboard (ergonomic rubber domes), NMB RT101 (rubber dome), Dell AT101W

Offline ch_123

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 16:06:15 »
I'm pretty sure the Montereys are Alps compatible (from a keycap perspective). Although, there could be some 5181 that have Cherry clones.

The Cherry clones have been described as inferior to the real thing. The Montereys and SMKs usually get good reviews, although as pointed out before, the keyboards themselves aren't great.
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Offline Mental Hobbit

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 17:01:45 »
Keyb_gr has a 5182 with Futabas. I have a 5192 with Futabas and a 5182 with Montereys (xxx2 instead of 1 just indicates ISO version.) There's no way to predict the switch type of a Chicony without looking at the board.
Montereys, which are the best switches you can get in a Chicony, appear to be most common in 5181/5182s though.
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Typing on blues.

Offline clickclack

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Chicony 5181 with REAL blue cherry switch =)
« Reply #8 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 17:18:33 »
Quote from: ch_123;173505

...The 5181 used either SMKs or Montereys, depending.

I think there are two other switches in addition to what you have mentioned.

Quote from: Mental Hobbit;173550
...There's no way to predict the switch type of a Chicony without looking at the board.
Montereys, which are the best switches you can get in a Chicony, appear to be most common in 5181/5182s though.


I think you can help narrow it down somewhat as some of the cases have ever so slight differences, how realiable this is I don't know but it has worked for me in the past.

As far as the best switch in a Chincony I think it would be hard to top the "Real" blue cherry's in some 5181 boards (I just found mine that had them yay)
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Offline clickclack

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« Reply #9 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 17:31:10 »
Quote from: ripster;173561
Real Blue Cherries?  Those are more fake than Amy Winehouse's breasts.


Haahaa, yup some 5181's actually use a REAL blue cherry switches... AND they are metal plate mounted! =)
I was just sort of using it a few minutes ago =P
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Offline clickclack

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #10 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 18:09:24 »
Quote from: ripster;173572
Chicony with real Blue Cherries????


ugh! haahaa ok, ok gimme a sec... =P
When I find the other one (I have two) I will tell you if there are any differences number wise or plastic wise.

...scurries off.... ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.............
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Offline clickclack

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so how bout dem blue apples
« Reply #11 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 18:41:44 »
=) here ya go-









and one more...
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Offline clickclack

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Kaaaaabam!!!
« Reply #12 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 18:43:36 »
heehee =P



=)
I don't lie my friend

iirc I desoldered one of the switches a long, long time ago to see if it was actually cherry internals and indeed it was.
« Last Edit: Mon, 19 April 2010, 18:46:23 by clickclack »
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Offline Phaedrus2129

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #13 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 18:48:55 »
ClickClack... Can I buy one of your hundreds of keyboards? :p
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Daily Driver: Noppoo Choc Mini
Currently own: IBM Model M 1391401 1988,  XArmor U9 prototype
Previously owned: Ricercar SPOS, IBM M13 92G7461 1994, XArmor U9BL, XArmor U9W prototype, Cherry G80-8200LPDUS, Cherry G84-4100, Compaq MX-11800, Chicony KB-5181 (SMK Monterey), Reveal KB-7061, Cirque Wave Keyboard (ergonomic rubber domes), NMB RT101 (rubber dome), Dell AT101W

Offline clickclack

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #14 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 19:26:39 »
Quote from: Phaedrus2129;173593
ClickClack... Can I buy one of your hundreds of keyboards? :p

I was doing this many months back, but at the moment given how many of my boards don't work either because of me having dismantled them or they arrived that way initially, it makes this kind of transaction difficult. I need many of them for a project that I have been working on for about a year. My free time is also divided trying to make custom keys and boards.
Hmmm... ya know what, I will keep ya in mind when I work on some more of them =)

Quote from: ripster;173594
Hahaha!  Those crazy Taiwanese.  It musta been "Switch of The Month" over at Chicony.


Haahaa, no kiddin! That is exactly what I thought =P
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Offline Henry

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #15 on: Mon, 19 April 2010, 21:04:07 »
Quote from: ripster;173594
Hahaha!  Those crazy Taiwanese.  It musta been "Switch of The Month" over at Chicony.

For instance, I've got a KB-5161 with green linear ALPS.
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Offline keyb_gr

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Chicony mechanicals
« Reply #16 on: Tue, 20 April 2010, 07:46:39 »
It looks like they did a new board revision about once a year - ALPS for '87 (the green ones were new to me though), Futaba for '88, Cherry for '89, Montereys / SMKs for '90, and then they apparently went back to ALPS for '91 and Montereys for '92.
« Last Edit: Tue, 20 April 2010, 07:52:54 by keyb_gr »
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Hardware in signatures clutters Google search results. There should be a field in the profile for that (again).

This message was probably typed on a vintage G80-3000 with blues. Double-shots, baby. :D
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