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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: niubio on Fri, 07 February 2014, 04:48:47

Title: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: niubio on Fri, 07 February 2014, 04:48:47
Told you in Zbrojovka post I've something really special to show...? Well, the time has finally come! Introducing Siemens TD 81610 - Loch Ness beast digged up from polish flea market:

(http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/1.jpg)


[Pic 2 (http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/2.jpg)] [Pic 3 (http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/3.jpg)] [Pic 4 (http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/4.jpg)] [Pic 5 (http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/5.jpg)] [Pic 6 (http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/6.jpg)] [Pic 7 (http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/7.jpg)] [Pic 8 (http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/8.jpg)] [Pic 9 (http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia/siemens_td-81610/9.jpg)]

What can I say about it...? Almost nothing! It weights a tone, has THE BEST switch mechanism EVER (for me of course!), it feels almost like a light typewriter! Interior of the switch is hysterical - thick, steel contacts with ultra-complicated design. Caps are doubleshots. Plug at the end of the thick cord is a freakin' MONSTER (see photos). Under blank caps there are special "blocking" plastic clips, but they also have 100% working switches.

I've absolutely no idea where this guy crawled out from. I've found this site (http://www.digitaltmuseum.no/things/printer/LMU/AVM.0370?name=S+12&search_context=1&count=7&pos=6), which ?I think? is a component from the same set... Even have problems with getting the idea about the year it was made! Any clues? Wild guesses? My bet is ~'78.

I'm in a middle of video compression, stay tuned folks :)

EDIT: Fixed links pointing to my server, as old hosting domain does not belong to me...
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: niubio on Fri, 07 February 2014, 05:13:06
Here it is! Enjoy :) And be sure to check the size comparsion with modern slim ACME keyboard @ the end of the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le7KA4ehNP4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le7KA4ehNP4)
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: HaaTa on Wed, 12 February 2014, 16:08:47
Sorta like this one, but not :D

Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: CPTBadAss on Wed, 12 February 2014, 16:10:15
Wtf niubio :P. Making me jealous of those Polish flea markets @.@

Really lovely board, thanks for sharing pictures. Wish I could tell you more about the keyboard.
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: dorkvader on Wed, 12 February 2014, 16:16:38
Excellent find!

My favorite part was where you opened the switch in the video.

The blank keys have a blocker under them to keep you from pressing them, I have a honeywell hall effect keyboard with a similar thing, though yours is older by far.
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: HaaTa on Wed, 12 February 2014, 16:45:37
I usually look at a bunch of the ICs and take the latest date and make that my manufacturing estimate.
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: niubio on Thu, 13 February 2014, 01:39:37
Quote from: HaaTa on Wed, 12 February 2014, 16:08:47
Sorta like this one, but not :D (Youtube)

Wow, that's a lovely board too! But those keys... naaaah, that's a different mechanism. On this 22241 model it's some kind of plate mounted switch... Those wicked photos... (link (http://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaata/sets/72157640870068864/)) - WOW, beautiful! It's not simililar to my board tho :) Those switches have a very distinct "metallic" feeling when they bottom, as if a "type bar" would hit a paper sheet on a typewriter (but with much less resistance).

Quote from: CPTBadAss on Wed, 12 February 2014, 16:10:15
Wtf niubio :P. Making me jealous of those Polish flea markets @.@

Yeah, the same thing can be said about german "Flohmarkts" - you can buy really crazy stuff like decomissioned nuclear plant equipement and sh1t like that :)

Quote from: HaaTa on Wed, 12 February 2014, 16:45:37
I usually look at a bunch of the ICs and take the latest date and make that my manufacturing estimate.

... I'm really stupid :D Thanks HaaTa! Dates on ICs: from 74 up to 79 (There's only one chips with that year), so I was almost right - 1979 it is!
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Thu, 13 February 2014, 19:07:36
The TD 81610 switches look really familiar, but I can't place who has something very similar. I've ruled out MouseFan and rzwv, as they have actual pages of all their switches for reference.
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: niubio on Tue, 25 February 2014, 07:00:14
I've posted a PC question in Classfields section, but I'm thinking maybe "experienced" users rarely visit that one, as I didn't get any answer... So I guess I'll try my luck here.

I'm thinkng about selling my Siemens.To be fair, it's rather hard to find it's current price range on the market :D Maybe you can suggest something guys? Or maybe it's a waste of time - no one's really interested in this kind of postapocalyptic stuff?
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Tue, 25 February 2014, 12:31:22
Is that something you could send overseas by parcel, or would it need its own boat?
Title: Re: Siemens TD 81610
Post by: niubio on Tue, 25 February 2014, 12:35:33
Lol, i guess i'll try to negotiate a standard shipment @ the post office :D

EDIT: In case of failure... we're gonna need sth. bigger than a boat... A barge maybe?