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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Mikelittoris on Mon, 13 June 2011, 09:33:12

Title: My IBM N2 and M
Post by: Mikelittoris on Mon, 13 June 2011, 09:33:12

I recently discovered the whole mechanical keyboard thing, so I decided to get one. Here's some pics on my Model M and my N2. I hope someone finds joy in watching them :).

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/mODELmFRNOVAN.jpg)
This is my IBM Model M it's a 1391411 manufactured 1995 in UK, it got the Swedish layout, a flat coiled non-detachable cable, all keys got black lettering and all the regular keys are 2-piece (if I got to chose i'd get one with detachable cable and "Alt" dyed green, feels a bit cheap not to have it, but it's not like there's a ton of M's to chose from where I live).

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/-N2Frnskyn.jpg)
And here's the N2, this was my first mechanical keyboard and I love it, just not as much as my Model M :P. Made by Lexmark (UK) in 1994. It got a flat straight non-detachable cable (is there thos who's got a detachable?), Black lettering on all keys, except for "SysRq" and "Alt" which are dyed green, the numpad got arrows, home etc. dyed in a greyish colour.

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/MbakomN2.jpg)
Here they are, cuddling on my bed. The perspective seem to be a bit wierd (Im no master at taking photos :P), now the M looks small, had another pic with the keyboards arranged the other way around in which the N2 looked very tiny.

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/Ghettokeypuller2.jpg)
I tried to bend my keys of with a screwdriver, but I aborted that mission when it felt like the whole stem was about to get crocked for life. While looking at some other threads on this forum I noticed how all the cool guys got a keycap puller, so I made a ghetto-keycap puller ^^. It's not a cute thing, but it gets the job done :).

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/Tangenteruneder.jpg)
A upskirt pic of the keys :]. Model M cap, stem and a N2 key.

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/Tangentersidan.jpg)
A pic of the keys from the side. Same order.

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/Tangenterprad.jpg)
And yet another pic comparing the keys.

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/ModelMfjder.jpg)
Here's the spring on my Model M.

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/N2Fjder.jpg)
And here's the N2 spring, notice how it appears to be much longer than the Model M's (atleast more of it stick out).

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/ModelMtangentpettN2bord.jpg)
I fitted a Model M stem + cap on the N2 board, it did actually work, the fel of it however wasn't that great since it tended to wobble around and felt very loose.

[video=youtube;b7VhWD4yCzA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7VhWD4yCzA[/video]
Here's a short clip I made, comparing the sounds of the two keyboards. I chose to click the arrow key since I felt that that key was a good representative of how the two keyboards sound.

Here's two more pictures of the keyboards mating, parental discretion is advised.
(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/Pvarandra.jpg)
(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/IBM%20model%20M%20och%20N2/N2pMbakifrn.jpg)

And that's it, Thanks for reading :)

Title: My IBM N2 and M
Post by: Mikelittoris on Mon, 13 June 2011, 11:22:30

Quote from: ripster;359904

Welcome to Geekhack.

My son dragged me once to see that pic.

Show Image

(http://www.woosk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/mike.jpg)

Nice pics!!  If you get a chance put some 20 cent Euros on your M2 per these RipOmeter (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6189) instructions.

Thanks! Im on to it, unfortunatly we've got no Euros in Sweden, still using our own currency :P. And even worse our smallest coin is to big to fit (Althought the 10kr might fit but it's to heavy to give a accurate measure). I might have some old coins laying around somewhere. They are worthless today, but they'll be perfect for measuring the actuation force with :).

i'll be back with pics if I find them :)

Title: My IBM N2 and M
Post by: Mikelittoris on Mon, 13 June 2011, 11:46:57

Found some 0.5kr coins from the 80's, the weight is 4.5 g/coin. Doing a test with these later. I might even be able to get some older easier coins, I know my father got a collection stached somewhere :P

Title: My IBM N2 and M
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 13 June 2011, 14:10:25

Another N2... I thought this was a typo on the other board I saw stamped as such, but now seems to be a fixture of IBM UK-made M2s made around that time (The Lexmark thing is a trademark, it was really made by IBM)

Title: My IBM N2 and M
Post by: Mikelittoris on Mon, 13 June 2011, 18:39:10

Just finished the measuring and i've got to say the actuation force required is very random.
I used the Swedish 50öre (4.5g, "silver") and 1öre (2g, bronze) to measure.
(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/Actuationforce%20rew%20N2/ActuationforcereqN2004.jpg)

First of I taped some coins together, a few 2g coins at the bottom since the 4.5g coins tended to stuck on to other keys.
(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/Actuationforce%20rew%20N2/ActuationforcereqN2003.jpg)

Weight of the base stack: 55g
(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/Actuationforce%20rew%20N2/ActuationforcereqN2002.jpg)

I came to find that most of the keys needed slightly less than 75g, but more than 73g to actuate.
75g: Ö, O and P
73g: A
71g: M (what a whimp lol)

And then there were thos who needed more than that.
79g: Ä
78g: J
Sledgehammer?: Numpad "+"
(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/Actuationforce%20rew%20N2/ActuationforcereqN2017.jpg)

Here's some pics of the other keys swimming in cash.
(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/Actuationforce%20rew%20N2/ActuationforcereqN2007.jpg)
J key with 55g stack + 2x4.5g coins + 7x2g coins = 78g

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/Actuationforce%20rew%20N2/ActuationforcereqN2019.jpg)
Ä key with 55g stack + 12x2g coins = 79g

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/Actuationforce%20rew%20N2/ActuationforcereqN2021.jpg)
Q key with 55g stack + 10x2g coins = 75g.

(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/slaktarnp90/Actuationforce%20rew%20N2/ActuationforcereqN2013.jpg)
Y key with 55g stack + 3x2g coins + 2x4.5g coins = 72

I feel like trying this on my Model M aswell but that will have to wait until another time :)

Oh! and btw, nice tips in that RipOmeter guide Ripster, that slight tap on the keyboard made wonders while measuring :D