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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: nilpt on Mon, 19 May 2014, 01:23:24

Title: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: nilpt on Mon, 19 May 2014, 01:23:24

I'm in the process of cleaning an AEK 2 (M3501). Done the dental tab on the keys and now waiting for them to dry.
But, I have no auxiliary spring for the spacebar...
This document http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/misc/adb_devices.pdf (http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/misc/adb_devices.pdf), mentions a spring in the adjustable keyboard.
Question is: Does the spacebar in the AEK 2 take an external spring?
If one of you guys with an AEK 2 could check under the spacebar I could get back to sleep :)
Thanks.

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: hasu on Mon, 19 May 2014, 02:26:59

Mine has no spring.

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: MAR82 on Mon, 19 May 2014, 03:01:16

Yeah I just looked, and there is no spring. But I'm also missing a few stabilizer clips, so the previous owner may have lost it. 
Does anyone know where I could find stabilizer clips?

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: jacobolus on Mon, 19 May 2014, 03:41:14

Only sure source I know for little Alps-style stabilizer clips is old Alps keyboards. Though you might be able to get some from one of the companies still making Alpslike-switch keyboards, e.g. Ducky or Matias.

As for the spacebar: it doesn’t need an auxiliary spring, but some lubricant on the little stabilizer post or the plastic cylinder it goes into can sometimes help smooth things out..

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: nilpt on Mon, 19 May 2014, 06:28:53

Thanks hasu, will also use your converter after the cleaning  :)
I read your docs on adb-usb and understood that the right alt will not output RALT, is this also true for a ISO keyboard?
Can I switch key positions to have: LCTRL - LWIN - LALT - SPACE - RALT - RWIN - RCTRL ?
RCTRL can be equal to LCTRL but RALT in ISO should give AltGr...
Thanks for your great work.

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: MAR82 on Mon, 19 May 2014, 07:07:10

Quote from: nilpt on Mon, 19 May 2014, 06:28:53

Thanks hasu, will also use your converter after the cleaning  :)
I read your docs on adb-usb and understood that the right alt will not output RALT, is this also true for a ISO keyboard?
Can I switch key positions to have: LCTRL - LWIN - LALT - SPACE - RALT - RWIN - RCTRL ?
RCTRL can be equal to LCTRL but RALT in ISO should give AltGr...
Thanks for your great work.

I also used Hasu's converter for an Apple Extended 2 ISO (AZERTY), and if you ever need to use the AltGr key just use Ctrl+Alt, it works them same way

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: nilpt on Mon, 19 May 2014, 07:50:51

Did you swap LALT / LWIN?
This is my first apple keyboard and would like to keep using ALT next to space, is it just a simple config file change?

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: MAR82 on Mon, 19 May 2014, 08:33:28

The keycaps are not the same size, so you can't just switch the two of them. 
By default the keys right next to the space bar will be Alt, but I use AutoHotKey to switch them with the command keys (Windows key). I like it when the legend on the keycap matches the function (even if the key isn't where it's supposed to be)

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: nilpt on Mon, 19 May 2014, 10:01:31

I was only thinking about software swap, not keycap swap.
Guess it will work fine then.
Thanks.

Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard 2 - spacebar spring?
Post by: nilpt on Mon, 19 May 2014, 14:58:08

Caps are still wet but I wired the teensy, et voilá, it works like a charm with hasu code. ;D
Great work hasu!
Thank you very much.