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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ChuckGrody on Sat, 13 July 2019, 13:14:47

Title: Help identifying this board
Post by: ChuckGrody on Sat, 13 July 2019, 13:14:47
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ng0AAOSwtz5dG64m/s-l1600.jpg)
Got this off eBay because the layout was interesting and it had white alps. Unfortunately, it has zero identifying factors other than the "101+" slapped on the top left. Any ideas on what this is?
Title: Re: Help identifying this board
Post by: varszegimarcell on Sat, 13 July 2019, 13:32:12
Show Image
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ng0AAOSwtz5dG64m/s-l1600.jpg)

Got this off eBay because the layout was interesting and it had white alps. Unfortunately, it has zero identifying factors other than the "101+" slapped on the top left. Any ideas on what this is?

The keycap set reminds me to Focus a little bit, althrogh, I'm not sure what it is.

Nice buy if it had white Alps. ;) Even nicer if the board was clean. It matters a much in keyfeel.
Title: Re: Help identifying this board
Post by: ChuckGrody on Sat, 13 July 2019, 17:02:25
Show Image
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ng0AAOSwtz5dG64m/s-l1600.jpg)

Got this off eBay because the layout was interesting and it had white alps. Unfortunately, it has zero identifying factors other than the "101+" slapped on the top left. Any ideas on what this is?

The keycap set reminds me to Focus a little bit, althrogh, I'm not sure what it is.

Nice buy if it had white Alps. ;) Even nicer if the board was clean. It matters a much in keyfeel.
Yeah it has white alps, but they are not clean at all. There is rust on the metal plate where the switches are mounted and the switches themselves are very dirty. Unfortunately, even after blowing the dust out of the switches they are still stiff and a little scratchy. Going to see what lubing a slider does.
So, essentially, it is a fixer upper. I haven't done this with a board before so I'm cool with it. If someone here tells me it is a POS by default, then, well, I at least have a good amount of time to return it lol.
Title: Re: Help identifying this board
Post by: varszegimarcell on Sun, 14 July 2019, 07:03:18
Oh I'm sad to hear your board is dirty. :/

Well, you can restore them pretty good if the contact leaf springs not rusted. I had a Tai-Hao APC-8 PCB with clicky Apls clones in it. I harvested the switches, took apart all of them, cleaned the parts separately, and now they pretty nice. Take special care to clean the sliders, and the contacts.

If the keyfeel doesn't improve by cleaning the sliders, contacts and housings, you should consider lubing the switches, it helps a lot.

If the board is in a really bad condition, you should consider harvasting the switches, but you can clean the rust off the mounting plate, using a sandpaper. Unfortunately, you have to desolder all the switches to make you able work with the mounting plate. If the keyboard works nice, it would worth putting it together again, after you did the restoration job, but if that not the case, save just the switches, keycaps, satbilizers etc. and you can bulid a nice keyboard later.
Title: Re: Help identifying this board
Post by: ChuckGrody on Sun, 14 July 2019, 11:43:49
Oh I'm sad to hear your board is dirty. :/

Well, you can restore them pretty good if the contact leaf springs not rusted. I had a Tai-Hao APC-8 PCB with clicky Apls clones in it. I harvested the switches, took apart all of them, cleaned the parts separately, and now they pretty nice. Take special care to clean the sliders, and the contacts.

If the keyfeel doesn't improve by cleaning the sliders, contacts and housings, you should consider lubing the switches, it helps a lot.

If the board is in a really bad condition, you should consider harvasting the switches, but you can clean the rust off the mounting plate, using a sandpaper. Unfortunately, you have to desolder all the switches to make you able work with the mounting plate. If the keyboard works nice, it would worth putting it together again, after you did the restoration job, but if that not the case, save just the switches, keycaps, satbilizers etc. and you can bulid a nice keyboard later.
Thanks for the information. I've started lubing the switches and cleaning all parts of them with 99% alcohol rather than just air (unfortunately I have to go through everything I already cleaned, oof). Fortunately, the switches themselves are pristine and rust free. Not against cannibalizing it if the keyfeel doesn't improve; at least I will have a ton of clean lubed white alps.