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geekhack Community => geekhack Media => Topic started by: TalkingTree on Sun, 01 April 2018, 13:42:35
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I recently bought this Cherry G80 keyboard from eBay since it came with a Beige ISO-IT keyset, albeit in a grime condition.
It features a Zenith logo on the top right of the upper half, although there's no mention of the company on the backside label.
Despite having an X as layout in the article number code, it undoubtedly features and Italian ISO keyset, which is the main reason for me buying this keyboard.
Also, by the code, I can tell it was made between October 15 and 21, 1990.
(https://i.imgur.com/VL1tsIg.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/FePLiSN.jpg)
It features Cherry MX Black switches with diodes, hence probably NKRO. It's a multiprotocol keyboard given the DIP switch on the bottom side.
(https://i.imgur.com/kgu94MS.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/lZvFTJY.jpg)
As stated, both keycaps and case were in poor condition. There were pen marks on some keycaps and dirt all around the keyboard. Nothing than a good soapy bath couldn't fix.
(https://i.imgur.com/IimRzRS.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/co0lynH.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/Ag9QGYR.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nz3ouRr.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/SCgg7KZ.jpg)
No wonder the keyboard was so heavy. There's a 4mm thick iron bar screwed on the bottom half of the case.
(https://i.imgur.com/9Ztid4i.jpg)
One thing that quickly caught my eyes was the PCB mounting prongs, which are basically the same of any other G80 case, hence the case would accomodate a GH80-3000 (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=92962.0) PCB.
For this reason I didn't even bother testing the original PCB, at least for the time being.
Strangely enough, there's an opening in the shell that aligns perfectly with the USB port of my PCB.
(https://i.imgur.com/JkLL7Wr.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/Ws652EH.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/Qx0RWOk.jpg)
Then I quickly put a PCB together and flashed the firwmare.
Forgive the black cable but I ran out of beige ones. It's temporary and will be surely replaced in the future.
As you can tell, switches are Cherry MX Silent Blacks.
(https://i.imgur.com/cTeq9ia.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/t2l9IBb.jpg)
I gotta say this case feels very sturdy and it's way better than any 3000 case I've came across so far.
Final result.
(https://i.imgur.com/e5zJpNa.jpg)
Thanks for reading.
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love that there's just a bar screwed into the case, that seems very anti-cherry
but this is a good project, well done
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Awesome. That case has quite the vibe going for it too, looks more rugged than other G80s. The miracle USB cutout had me smiling, too.
Made in West Germany
Been a while since I read that on a label. Yay vintage!
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Great find, hard to tell it's not new after a good clean.
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Hello, I got one of these old keyboards in Spanish layout.
(https://i.imgur.com/gSKUy6ml.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/gSKUy6m.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mXsyfvyl.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/mXsyfvy.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/o7MJlSRl.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/o7MJlSR.jpg)
I am not a keyboard guy, but this one looks very good and I am waiting for a PS/2 adaptor to be able to use in my main computer.
I have checked that it works in a 486 PC. By the way, do you know what the dip switch legend mean ? PC/XT is clear and AT too (although I am not sure about the "O2") ? But the "MF" is unknown to me.
Anyway the keyboard is set to "MF" and works with the 486.
It has an annoying beep that sounds everytime you type anything and although you can disable using alt+ º (key above TAB), it seems to get reset after reboot.
Would you recommend to open it and physically disconnect the beeper ?
I hope this post may be useful to other people, because there isn't too much info about this specific model around internet.
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Awesome. That case has quite the vibe going for it too, looks more rugged than other G80s. The miracle USB cutout had me smiling, too.
Made in West Germany
Been a while since I read that on a label. Yay vintage!
Been a loooong time since then, crazy to see it now-a-days knowing there are multiple generations that would have no clue to that.
Nice project and I hope those MX Blacks are super smooth.