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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Kirm on Wed, 19 March 2014, 16:49:23

Title: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: Kirm on Wed, 19 March 2014, 16:49:23
Hi everyone !

I have just read some interesting topics but I couldn't find what I was searching for.
I have this NMB keyboard and I want to use it because I really like the clicking sensation as I type and the sound it produces  :)
(And why not pimp it a little bit!).

[attachimg=1]


I have a few questions :
Because I found the GND and the alimentation wires but for the others... (It was the easiest part !  ;) )

Thanks !

PS : Sorry for my bad english...
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 19 March 2014, 16:58:01
If you are lucky, those are black Hi-Tek switches.

I love those Return keys!
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: Kirm on Wed, 19 March 2014, 17:20:42
Unfortunately it's white Hi-Tek switches, but for my first mechanical keyboard it will be great !
I also like the return key. The Alpha lock is a pushbutton ;)
I really like the layout !

I guess I will have to clean it  ;D
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 19 March 2014, 17:34:03
Quote from: Kirm on Wed, 19 March 2014, 17:20:42

I really like the layout !


I have its big brother up for sale on ebay now but I better not link it.

Mine has PBT caps and seems very sturdy. Just be careful if you pull the keys so that you don't lose the springs or mess up the leaves.
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: Kirm on Wed, 19 March 2014, 17:53:31
Quote from: fohat.digs on Wed, 19 March 2014, 17:34:03
Just be careful if you pull the keys so that you don't lose the springs or mess up the leaves.

Thank you for the advice !

In fact PBT caps seems sturdy ! They are not discoloured, just very dirty (I've found this keyboard in an abandoned place)

Any ideas to make it works with USB ?
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Wed, 19 March 2014, 19:51:57
I don't know what "Series 725" means — it may just be Hi-Tek's name for their space invader keyboards. Lots of them say "Series 725" on the PCB. Every attempt I've made to reach NMB has met with failure.

Switches:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/NMB_Hi-Tek

Colours are even more confusing than Alps, and white clicky switches do exist:

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=48305

The click is caused by an arm at the back of the switch being driven around a track on the slider, and a sharp ramp within that track causes the click.

The PCB says "TELEVIDEO" so the odds are it won't talk any PC protocol. TeleVideo made terminals and Z80-based computer systems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TeleVideo

The layout of yours matches the 965 terminal keyboard, but the keyboard pictured below isn't quite the same shape:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Terminal-tvi965.jpg

It could be like Wyse with similar keyboards that aren't compatible! Check out the TeleVideo part number given.
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: Kirm on Thu, 20 March 2014, 06:53:14
Thank you for your response !
This is really helpful !


Quote from: Daniel Beardsmore on Wed, 19 March 2014, 19:51:57
Lots of them say "Series 725" on the PCB

I wasn't able to find the id name of the keyboard, i just have this information written on the PCB : NMB Hi-Tek  -  Series 725

Quote from: Daniel Beardsmore on Wed, 19 March 2014, 19:51:57
Colours are even more confusing than Alps, and white clicky switches do exist

It seems that it's the linear ones :
[attachimg=1]


Quote from: Daniel Beardsmore on Wed, 19 March 2014, 19:51:57
The PCB says "TELEVIDEO" so the odds are it won't talk any PC protocol

This is what I feared... I guess I will have to create my keyboard from scratch then, using the mechanical parts. Maybe I can use the PCB of an other keyboard, I will think about it.

Thanks !
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: fohat.digs on Thu, 20 March 2014, 07:16:17
Those are nice switches, unless you need the click (I do).

Do you see the leaves, where the white bar separates the brass fans (the upper one has 3 fronds and the lower one is a single paddle shape)?

If you take off the "face" part and replace it, make sure that the white bar goes neatly between those 2 leaves. If they are bent, the switch can sometimes be cobbled into operation, but it will never be completely "right" again.
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Thu, 20 March 2014, 17:16:26
Got a photo of the whole keyboard? Are there any dates anywhere on it? The PCB may have a 7-segment four-digit number indicating the year and week of production.

It's all useful information for Sandy:

http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/nmb_hitek_sw.html
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: terrycherry on Mon, 23 November 2015, 12:37:50
Hi, I'm late to see this post. This keyboard is TeleVideo 905 keyboard. Very rare to see it.
As you see the alpha lock has the rare latching lock inside which was appeared on this TeleVideo model only. You got the luck!
I have the 905, 935, 955 keyboard with different of NMB Hi-tek switches and lots of detail pictures about them.
Will post them to the deskthority forum in Q1 2016.
Title: Re: NMB keyboard - Series 725 ?
Post by: Kirm on Mon, 23 November 2015, 20:15:03
Hi!

Thanks y'all for the answers!
Glad to hear that I am a lucky one and thanks for identifying the keyboard :)

Unfortunately I cannot work on it right now, I left it in France (I am studying for 6 months in the USA).
I definitely want to create a new keyboard from this one, I will do it as soon as possible and keep you in touch ;)