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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: urbanus on Fri, 23 November 2012, 23:42:58

Title: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: urbanus on Fri, 23 November 2012, 23:42:58
Does this look like a good deal?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260902522660 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/260902522660)
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: boost on Sat, 24 November 2012, 00:23:08
Nice. $15 for a alps tenkey is pretty sweet.
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: dorkvader on Sat, 24 November 2012, 00:51:03
It'd be a better deal if they were consistant about the keycaps. They show a Doubleshot keycap underside, but the ones are obviously not DS when viewed on the product. They look lasered.
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: urbanus on Sat, 24 November 2012, 04:05:33
It'd be a better deal if they were consistant about the keycaps. They show a Doubleshot keycap underside, but the ones are obviously not DS when viewed on the product. They look lasered.

Yes, I was thinking exactly the same thing!  Another give-away is that in the close-up, you don't see the same ridge around the key area you see in the other shots.  It looks like they've found a generic picture of an ALPS switch from some keyboard and put that in their listing.
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: Caaaarrrt on Sat, 24 November 2012, 04:35:24
I bought this because I was after a cheap tenkey, and I wanted to try ALPS, it's not bad at all for the price. It does have lasered keys, not double shot.
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: hluo87 on Thu, 29 November 2012, 09:56:45
i want to try....
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: xavierblak on Fri, 07 December 2012, 00:22:02
I picked one of these up. Figured it'd be the cheapest way to try out some Alps switches. But after playing with it for a while I popped off the keycaps and I noticed there is no alps logo on the switches so I'm guessing these probably aren't legit alps.

The feel is a very tactile click. It's stiffer than an mx blue possibly even more than a green.

Some other things to note. Is it has no feet to raise it up so it will sit pretty flat next to a keyboard that has it's feet extended. It's actually even even lower than my filco when fold the filco's feet up. It looks cheap but it feels solid enough, the keys are plate mounted so the feel is decent.

Over all I'd say it was worth the 15 bucks.
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 07 December 2012, 02:10:28
Pretty sure these are the same switches that are in my ALPSulator, no logo, white slider, very loud. Are they White XM's? Comparing side-to-side, mine are less than a cherry green, though.

Thanks for the info, xavierblak.
---
Edit: I meant comparing white xm to cherry green. I don't have any green alps.
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: kaiserreich on Fri, 07 December 2012, 05:34:38
They are very loud.
And selling for 3 times less in Taobao.
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: xavierblak on Fri, 07 December 2012, 11:14:48
Pretty sure these are the same switches that are in my ALPSulator, no logo, white slider, very loud. Are they White XM's? Comparing side-to-side, mine are less than a green, though.

Thanks for the info, xavierblak.

Yes they do have a white stems so they are probably white xm's. The greens I compared it too are loose, I don't have them mounted on a board yet so it's a little hard to tell. But it does feel like these switches are stiffer than the greens. But with these being clones who knows how much the feel is going to vary from switch to switch anyway.
Title: Re: Cheap ALPS keypads on eBay
Post by: korne on Fri, 07 December 2012, 14:54:19
Bought 1 of those, wanted to try them