Author Topic: Displaywriter Beam Spring: $200-250? BIN (seller relisting when one sold) (Read 3970 times)

E TwentyNine · « **on:** Fri, 23 January 2015, 10:17:05 »

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-Clicky-Display-Writer-/221670584358?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339c98b026

White keys, looks to be in good shape.

Edit: Gone. Somebody here get it?

orihalcon · « **Reply #1 on:** Fri, 23 January 2015, 23:04:54 »

Yep, I got that one. This seller has actually sold 4 different Displaywriter beam springs this past week:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/bitsasd/m.html?_armrs=1&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=ibm&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc

Guess I only found out after the price increased by $40.

Had been watching that one that was at $110, but I figured a replacement space bar would be impossible to find.

orihalcon · « **Reply #2 on:** Fri, 23 January 2015, 23:54:12 »

Since he's listed so many of them, I asked if he has more. He replied that he is listing another Displaywriter tomorrow, so anyone that wants one should definitely be watching his items for sale in the next couple days!

nubbinator · « **Reply #3 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 00:08:17 »

Quote from: orihalcon on Fri, 23 January 2015, 23:54:12

Since he's listed so many of them, I asked if he has more. He replied that he is listing another Displaywriter tomorrow, so anyone that wants one should definitely be watching his items for sale in the next couple days!

Here it is, same price

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-Clicky-Display-Writer-/221671150685?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339ca1545d

blueSmoke · « **Reply #4 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 01:49:24 »

Its also gone...

Is this a real beam spring keyboard? Or the buyers are fooled and paying a high price and the seller is laughing to bank?

nubbinator · « **Reply #5 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 01:55:22 »

Yes, it's a beamspring.

orihalcon · « **Reply #6 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 09:39:38 »

He posted yet another one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-Clicky-Display-Writer-/321650210679?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae3d8b777

orihalcon · « **Reply #7 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 10:01:11 »

...Which is now also sold.

berserkfan · « **Reply #8 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 10:08:45 »

There was some guy who collected a ton (literally) of beam springs and hid them in his basement? Why would anyone not a geek want to collect multiple monsters like these?

echo0 · « **Reply #9 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 10:15:18 »

I got one. Thanks for posting.

faceyourfaces · « **Reply #10 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 11:21:01 »

Wow, he ended up selling the one with the cracked spacebar for $110? I messaged him a while back when the price was $200, told him that it was overpriced and that I would buy it if he lowered the price a bit. He only offered $175, so I didn't buy.

orihalcon · « **Reply #11 on:** Sat, 24 January 2015, 13:52:54 »

Quote from: faceyourfaces on Sat, 24 January 2015, 11:21:01

Wow, he ended up selling the one with the cracked spacebar for $110? I messaged him a while back when the price was $200, told him that it was overpriced and that I would buy it if he lowered the price a bit. He only offered $175, so I didn't buy.

Yeah, he kept lowering it in increments of $40 or so it seemed. It actually remained unpurchased for almost a week at $110 if I recall correctly.

Seems this guy mostly deals in antiques and other things that he finds at recyclers.

Kind of paranoid to do a frame-off-restoration though since I hear that the beams can break during disassembly for some reason:
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=11808.0

Anyone know a good source of spares beam spring switches or parts only beam spring boards?

orihalcon · « **Reply #12 on:** Thu, 29 January 2015, 17:09:21 »

Seller has yet another one that they just listed today, also looks to be in good shape:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221676634827

HighPlainsDrafter · « **Reply #13 on:** Thu, 29 January 2015, 22:15:55 »

Thanks for the heads-up, and a friendly hello to all from this newbie to GH. The posts throughout this site are fantastic-- you peeps rock!
Bought this latest auction via BIN after hesitating on the one last weekend. Are you all exploring using whatsit USB controllers for the type of DisplayWriter in that seller's batch? Or are there competing approaches?

orihalcon · « **Reply #14 on:** Thu, 29 January 2015, 23:48:17 »

Quote from: HighPlainsDrafter on Thu, 29 January 2015, 22:15:55

Thanks for the heads-up, and a friendly hello to all from this newbie to GH. The posts throughout this site are fantastic-- you peeps rock!
Bought this latest auction via BIN after hesitating on the one last weekend. Are you all exploring using whatsit USB controllers for the type of DisplayWriter in that seller's batch? Or are there competing approaches?

Welcome! I still feel relatively new myself given that I only have double digit numbers of posts! Saw one user the other day that had over 100,000 posts!

I think the Xwhatsit is what most go for. Have messaged Xwhatsit about having one made for me. Originally thought about the idea of wiring a Model F xWhatsit, since I have plenty of those, but turns out that the DisplayWriter's and other beam springs have different numbers of columns and rows which I'm thinking means that you can't wire an adapter to go from an F Xwhatsit to a DisplayWriter one. Beam springs usually have the pads making contact at rest which is the reverse of model F's, but I believe there is an option in the configuration utility to reverse the sensing, so that should not be the deal breaker.

Seems like with all of these display writers (pretty much all sold by this same seller) Xwhatsit will probably make a batch of them here pretty soon.

I think they are in the $60 range shipped from New Zealand, but totally worth it given the ease of programming through a graphical user interface that is supported by all major operating systems, not to mention all the work that Xwhatsit has put into developing it.

The other capsense controller you might look into is the DPH controller, but I am not sure if it supports Displaywriters.

orihalcon · « **Reply #15 on:** Wed, 11 February 2015, 07:31:16 »

Seller posted yet another one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-Clicky-Display-Writer-/221688090065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339da3cdd1

Touch_It · « **Reply #16 on:** Wed, 11 February 2015, 11:32:54 »

I don't have the money for one

but I would really like to own one. As far as the Xwhatsit controller, I think he said he had ordered 10 controllers since display writers have been selling like hotcakes on ebay.

orihalcon · « **Reply #17 on:** Fri, 20 February 2015, 11:35:14 »

He lowered the price to $229.99:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-Clicky-Display-Writer-/221688090065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339da3cdd1&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

Also, Xwhatsit got his Displaywriter PCBs in, shipped mine a few days ago! Be sure to contact him if you need one of his controllers before he runs out again!

fohat.digs · « **Reply #18 on:** Fri, 20 February 2015, 16:59:10 »

I am really glad to know that this is a layout that I could never live with.

0100010 · « **Reply #19 on:** Fri, 20 February 2015, 17:16:58 »

Wasn't someone talking making a custom PCB for a beam spring?

EDIT : Nope, it was just about a custom 3278 case.

blueSmoke · « **Reply #20 on:** Fri, 20 February 2015, 18:17:10 »

Quote from: orihalcon on Fri, 20 February 2015, 11:35:14

He lowered the price to $229.99:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-Clicky-Display-Writer-/221688090065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339da3cdd1&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

Also, Xwhatsit got his Displaywriter PCBs in, shipped mine a few days ago! Be sure to contact him if you need one of his controllers before he runs out again!

Did you order a PCB only or a whole assembled controller board? If he has some ready boards I want one.

orihalcon · « **Reply #21 on:** Fri, 20 February 2015, 20:11:59 »

Quote from: blueSmoke on Fri, 20 February 2015, 18:17:10

Quote from: orihalcon on Fri, 20 February 2015, 11:35:14
He lowered the price to $229.99:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-Clicky-Display-Writer-/221688090065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339da3cdd1&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

Also, Xwhatsit got his Displaywriter PCBs in, shipped mine a few days ago! Be sure to contact him if you need one of his controllers before he runs out again!

Did you order a PCB only or a whole assembled controller board? If he has some ready boards I want one.

They are fully assembled and firmware is already loaded! With beam springs, there is no soldering either since it just plugs into the cap sense PCB. Think they are $45 plus shipping. Well worth it!

orihalcon · « **Reply #22 on:** Fri, 20 February 2015, 20:17:05 »

Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 20 February 2015, 16:59:10

I am really glad to know that this is a layout that I could never live with.

There is that other semi ANSI version with the big ass L shaped enter and full size left shift key displaywriter that you might want to look out for. I got one of those from him, so there's probably more.

XMIT · « **Reply #23 on:** Tue, 03 March 2015, 09:24:55 »

Oh this seller. It's funny how he refused to budge on his $249 price when I eBay messaged him but is now down to $199. It's a reverse auction! :-D

I would really like to own a beam spring keyboard one day. I even thought about trading my Industrial Model M for one.

Touch_It · « **Reply #24 on:** Tue, 03 March 2015, 09:57:39 »

Quote from: XMIT on Tue, 03 March 2015, 09:24:55

Oh this seller. It's funny how he refused to budge on his $249 price when I eBay messaged him but is now down to $199. It's a reverse auction! :-D

I would really like to own a beam spring keyboard one day. I even thought about trading my Industrial Model M for one.

If I were to purchase one too use, I would definitely want this one. Close enough to ANSI, I don't think it would be hard to adapt.

jacobolus · « **Reply #25 on:** Tue, 03 March 2015, 15:24:15 »

This is one of the most effective/reasonable ways to use ebay as a seller, if you’re not in a hurry. Especially since he seems to have a few of these, this way he can make as much as possible and find the “market price” over time.

I’m sorry I didn’t notice the $110 one. I would have totally bought it for that.

faceyourfaces · « **Reply #26 on:** Tue, 03 March 2015, 17:08:17 »

Quote from: XMIT on Tue, 03 March 2015, 09:24:55

I even thought about trading my Industrial Model M for one.

I would much rather have a beam spring keyboard than an Industrial Model M.

orihalcon · « **Reply #27 on:** Tue, 03 March 2015, 17:36:46 »

The $110 one had a poorly repaired spacebar and that is why it remained un purchased for so long. I would have bought it too knowing that I would end up needing spare switches and possibly a new PCB since one of thedisplaywiterers I got from him did not work. May need internal cleaning, but I hear there is risk of breaking switches when disassembling...

E TwentyNine · « **Reply #28 on:** Thu, 05 March 2015, 08:02:51 »

I updated the topic, wonder how many this seller still has hidden away...

HighPlainsDrafter · « **Reply #29 on:** Thu, 05 March 2015, 10:19:43 »

I recently asked that seller if any more 82-key varieties were still available (current one on auction is the 84-key, but think an 82-key was also sold before the seller). Seller's reply to the 82-key question was "no." Wish I'd also asked how many 84-keys seller has. Then again, unclear whether seller might have a big batch, even with some 82-keys that seller didn't double-check (I'd mentioned a quick way to visually tell the diff between them by the shape of the RETURN key).

orihalcon · « **Reply #30 on:** Thu, 05 March 2015, 17:46:30 »

I have the 82 key that he put up on ebay actually. Ironically, that is the one that does not work. Anyhow, still am paranoid to open it as I hear that can lead to more broken beams for some reason. Will need to make a new foam pad for the inside if I take it part since it seems that it could definitely use one given that the switches are all quite loose in the switch plate. Will need to set aside a lot of time for the project so as not to break anything further. Kind of wanting to wait until I have some spare switches before opening though, since I am pretty sure that I am going to need them.

I asked him if he had any parts units and his answer was exactly the same "no." Also asked how many he had a long time ago and he just told me that he would be resisting one later after the current one I was asking about sold. Like 10 boards later, he's still relisting!

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Author Topic: Displaywriter Beam Spring: $200-250? BIN (seller relisting when one sold) (Read 3970 times)