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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: vsirvent on Tue, 11 December 2012, 04:17:18

Title: IBM Model F 122 keys buckling spring?
Post by: vsirvent on Tue, 11 December 2012, 04:17:18

Hi,

Is there any direct way to know if a model F is buckling spring or rubber dome? May be by means of the part number? I have googled hard and only found a wiki with some part numbers but not the one I'm looking for.

Cheers!

Title: Re: IBM Model F 122 keys buckling spring?
Post by: ed_avis on Tue, 11 December 2012, 05:11:51

Do rubber dome Model F keyboards even exist?

Title: Re: IBM Model F 122 keys buckling spring?
Post by: Soarer on Tue, 11 December 2012, 05:32:01

For a start, I think all the 122-key Model Fs have the square silver IBM label - I don't think any rubber domes have it - the problem is that some of the Model M versions do! Those are impossible to tell apart using pictures of the top, but the bottom of an F is metal, often black. F model numbers tend to begin with '6', '14', or '138', whereas M's often begin with '139'.

Title: Re: IBM Model F 122 keys buckling spring?
Post by: fohat.digs on Tue, 11 December 2012, 07:13:35

Good to know. All my F-122s are part numbers 611xxxx, I didn't know that the 14xxxxx and 138xxx models existed.

You might clarify: the bottom half of the case (shell) is a black metal pan on the F-122 and XT models, but both halves are plastic on the AT model.

Title: Re: IBM Model F 122 keys buckling spring?
Post by: vsirvent on Tue, 11 December 2012, 08:02:48

Ok, I asked it because of this link:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/IBM_Enhanced_Keyboard

Here they talk about buckilng springs and rubber dome keyboards. As they talk also about 122 keys keyboards I  assumed they were model F keyboards.

It's very confusing, as there are a lot of part numbers. I bought a 122 key terminal keyboard and I expect it to be a buckling spring one. I'll check it asap I receive it.

Title: Re: IBM Model F 122 keys buckling spring?
Post by: Soarer on Tue, 11 December 2012, 08:32:43

Hmm, from that I'd have to correct myself and say that '138' could be either F or M, and so doesn't help much!

There were quite a lot of 101/102-key 'boards made with rubber domes. I'm not sure how many, if any, 122-key were though - I can't even see a RD variant on the unicomp website.

Title: Re: IBM Model F 122 keys buckling spring?
Post by: vsirvent on Tue, 11 December 2012, 08:39:07

Ok, so it seems there is no really way to know, I hope the are no RD for 122 keys model. By the way, congratz for the job with the Teensy, you did an amazing job. Did you write the code running on the Teensy? Is the source code available?

Regards!

Title: Re: IBM Model F 122 keys buckling spring?
Post by: dorkvader on Wed, 12 December 2012, 22:22:37

Quote from: fohat.digs on Tue, 11 December 2012, 07:13:35

Good to know. All my F-122s are part numbers 611xxxx, I didn't know that the 14xxxxx and 138xxx models existed.

You might clarify: the bottom half of the case (shell) is a black metal pan on the F-122 and XT models, but both halves are plastic on the AT model.

I'm pretty sure all the 1* numbers are the Lexmark refurbished ones.

The 104-key space unsaver F can be 1387033 for example.