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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: RiGun on Sun, 27 March 2011, 20:36:22

Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: RiGun on Sun, 27 March 2011, 20:36:22: Hello everyone, I've found an old mechanical keyboard and I was wondering out of curiosity what brand switches it has, it might be some sort of generic, in the back of the keyboard it says:

TWC International Corp. K-160
Made in Taiwan.

The switches are black and the center is yellow, each switch has a number that might have something to do with the position on the keyboard and nothing else, also I think these are linear switches, there is no bump or click when you press keys.

Also the keyboard is beige and over the lights it has the colors of the French flag.

The only issue with it is that the Z doesn't work perfectly, I might open the switch and clean it, I wish I had a camera here to show some photos, but I don't :(
Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: CurtisLeon on Sun, 27 March 2011, 22:12:32: We can't really help you much without pictures. Any way to take any, at all?
Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: berzerQer on Sun, 27 March 2011, 22:49:29: maybe yellow fake cherry mx
Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 28 March 2011, 01:32:59: If the stem has a cross-shaped profile, the feel is linear and the rest of the board was made in Taiwan, then it is likely a fake Cherry MX made in Taiwan.

On some of these fake Cherry switches, the plastic used for the housing is more brittle than on the original Cherry MX. Opening it may break it. Be careful.
Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: Capt_Falcon on Mon, 28 March 2011, 02:48:48: I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have the same question as OP. It seems kind of redundant to make another thread.

Could anyone identify this switch, these are the only pictures I have. I'm suspecting it's not mechanical and rather the white part is just a plunger over a rubber membrane?

(http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5305/cimg2498e.jpg)
(http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/9223/cimg2499.jpg)

Thanks.
Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 28 March 2011, 06:59:24: Ouch. It seems like the owner has broken the Caps Lock key ...

That plunger looks the same as the ones in my Monterey K-208 which has the plungers over rubber domes.
Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: BucklingSpring on Mon, 28 March 2011, 09:00:10: Peel another layer - take the cover off and let see the board
Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: RiGun on Mon, 28 March 2011, 11:36:52: Hello again, I opened one switch and the mechanism is similar to the cherry red or black but it has some differences, the plates that make contact both come from the bottom of the switch but the moving one isn't shaped like an inverted j like in the cherry black, instead it is more like a mirrored 7.

I'll try to take a picture of one of the switches when I have some time.

At least it's better than my old rubber dome keyboard, at least for some games but kind of dull to type on, I don't get a lot of feedback from it.

EDIT: I've searched for the yellow fake cherry mx and it's very similar so I guess that's it, anyone knows anything about this switches? are these any good?
Title: Unknown mechanical keyboard and switches
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 28 March 2011, 13:10:29: I would have guessed rubber domes with sliders for those things. Would like to see pics of the innards.