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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: MissileMike on Sat, 22 January 2011, 13:32:35

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: MissileMike on Sat, 22 January 2011, 13:32:35

Here (http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-IBM-5170-PC-Clicky-Keyboard-/150552738900?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230da47c54)

Looks very clean!

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: Sam on Sat, 22 January 2011, 20:47:31

Not all that bad of a deal for someone looking for one of these.  It's $5 cheaper than the ncbound10 one that went unsold recently.  Still not a great deal though, IMHO, and when factoring in the ridiculous shipping charge, it makes the deal much worse than it would be otherwise.

Seller is the same who just very recently sold two NIB Model M's, one of which was a rubber dome.  See this thread:
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=13733 (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=13733)

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: lootbag on Sat, 22 January 2011, 20:56:06

ahhh too bad seller will not ship to Canada.
Maybe I should ask...
I was about to buy the one ncbound10 had for sale... then it disappeared today.

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: Sam on Sat, 22 January 2011, 21:20:05

That's weird about the ncbound10 one.  I wonder if someone finally bought it.  I saw it was still available several hours ago, but you're right, it's gone now.  He had it listed, then relisted once as an auction with a starting bid of I think $75.  After not selling for two consecutive auctions, he put it up for BIN at $89 and I think it only had a day or two remaining.  Don't quite understand the logic in increasing the price for something that doesn't sell, but maybe in this case it worked.

Don't worry though, I'm sure there will be others in the not too distant future.  This wasn't the first AT board that ncbound10 sold, and I doubt it'll be the last.  Clickykeyboards has them at times, though they seem to be sold out also at the moment, and sometimes they're available here on Geekhack in the classifieds.

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: ricercar on Sat, 22 January 2011, 21:44:00

So is this F using buckling spring, beam spring, capacitive switches, or another magical technology?

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: msiegel on Sat, 22 January 2011, 21:50:02

the F/AT is capacitive buckling-spring :)

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 22 January 2011, 21:51:52

Yep, capacitive buckling springs. You get NKRO with the F unlike the M, and is also a lot louder due to the capacitive design. Basically, on an M, you have a spring actuating a small hammer that slaps against a membrane. On an F, you have this much larger hammer that slaps against a nice, hard PCB. Much noisier.

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: Sam on Sat, 22 January 2011, 21:56:04

And it should be noted for those not familiar with the Model F AT, it is compatible with modern PC's.  Cheap adapters are readily available to convert the large 5-pin connector to a PS/2 connector (same lines, just the connector is different), or via a PS/2-to-USB converter.  Other Model F boards are not so readily usable with a PC.  That's one of the reasons why the Model F AT command a significant premium over other Model F's.

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 22 January 2011, 21:59:53

Also, other Fs (XT, 5291-2, etc.) generally had far worse layouts. I mean, the one on the AT is okay, but the XT layout looks practically unusable.

I think some of the 122-key terminal boards could be adapted to AT though.

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: Sam on Sat, 22 January 2011, 22:23:11

Quote from: Pylon;283122

I think some of the 122-key terminal boards could be adapted to AT though.

Yes, Kishy has some information on this if you look in his signature.

Title: Model F AT BIN 69$
Post by: microsoft windows on Sun, 23 January 2011, 09:28:17

Kishy did a lot with the 122-key terminal keyboards. That was the original reason  why he  came here.

One  of these days,  though, it  would be  nice to  find a 122-key Model F and use that.