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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: didjamatic on Tue, 16 November 2010, 14:03:06

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: didjamatic on Tue, 16 November 2010, 14:03:06

Auction link (http://cgi.ebay.com/Keypunch-Keyboard-Main-frame-INVAC-CORP-/170565586814?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b6804f7e#ht_500wt_1156).

It has a completely different mechanism than anything I've ever seen.  It's like the one in my avatar which I haven't received yet so I can't comment on what the guts of this awesome keyboard look like.

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: microsoft windows on Tue, 16 November 2010, 14:04:25

Hope you show us some pictures when you get it!

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: didjamatic on Tue, 16 November 2010, 14:22:46

You can count on it!  I haven't been this excited about buying a keyboard in a long time.  Anything with Nixie tubes is cool, but an entirely different TYPE of switch, one that uses light is awesome.

I'm guessing it's vintage is early to mid 70's but could be earlier.

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: didjamatic on Tue, 16 November 2010, 14:31:55

Patents were from 1962 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=YpNSAAAAEBAJ&printsec=drawing&zoom=4#v=onepage&q&f=false) and 1963 (http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=019qAAAAEBAJ)

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: microsoft windows on Tue, 16 November 2010, 14:32:57

This will be a neat thing to play around with! Is it the entire card-punch machine?

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: Parak on Tue, 16 November 2010, 14:33:17

I wonder if the seller has a forgotten warehouse of these like that other seller that keeps listing ancient ibm mainframe terminals.

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: HaaTa on Tue, 16 November 2010, 14:34:52

Damn, that would be cool.

I'm far over budget this year though.

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: kps on Tue, 16 November 2010, 15:03:52

Quote from: ripster;247671

Do the Nixie Tubes sound like the Dixie Chicks?

Better. They're silent.

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: didjamatic on Tue, 16 November 2010, 15:30:19

Haha!  Silent is better indeed.


EDIT: The seller posted here on GH (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=11957).  I thought it was the same seller, then for some reason I got confused but it's definitely the same.

Title: Vintage Photoelectric Switch Keyboard. Nixie Tubes!
Post by: Parak on Thu, 06 January 2011, 11:05:46

Quote from: didjamatic;247657

You can count on it!  I haven't been this excited about buying a keyboard in a long time.  Anything with Nixie tubes is cool, but an entirely different TYPE of switch, one that uses light is awesome.

I'm guessing it's vintage is early to mid 70's but could be earlier.

So where are our promised pictures? And the one with the desko in it doesn't count :D

*cracks whip*