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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Lammie on Fri, 27 June 2014, 12:43:44

Title: Military keyboards?
Post by: Lammie on Fri, 27 June 2014, 12:43:44: Was thinking about, what sort of keyboards military uses. Like in tactical and in the field situations. Last time I went to the Marine in Amsterdam, just saw normal Dell rubberdome kb's.
Having googled. There seems to be a paradise/heaven of Tenkeyless keyboards available..well..for military personnel at least. For example:

http://militarykeyboards.com/
http://www.cortroninc.com/
http://www.stacosystems.com/data_entry_systems/

Anyone has experience with these type of keyboards?
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:11:41: The cortron military keyboards are either hall effect or rubber dome, depending. They are also super expensive.

General Dynamics seems to have used alphameric (now part of devlin, in the UK) as their keyboard supplier. They are a fully sealed rubberdome with NKRO, something like topre. Here's some photos of mine. (the welded magnesium case and dyesubs are especially nice)
http://imgur.com/a/mg86H
(http://i.imgur.com/Kk9Tbmn.jpg)

I don't have much experience outside that though.

The above keyboard is from an 8 wheel military troop transport. I believe my example is from the early 2000s.

A lot of those other ones look like the KB that data911 switched to when they ditched TG3 and the BL82. I guess it's a TI?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281002895348
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: BlueBär on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:22:36: How about a Bundeswehr keyboard: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Marquardt_Military_Keyboard_7069.3111

(http://deskthority.net/w/images/1/16/Marquardt_military_keyboard_7069-3111_topview.jpg)

It's mechanical and has a metal case.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: luisbg on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:31:45: Quote from: BlueBär on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:22:36
How about a Bundeswehr keyboard: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Marquardt_Military_Keyboard_7069.3111

Show Image
(http://deskthority.net/w/images/1/16/Marquardt_military_keyboard_7069-3111_topview.jpg)

It's mechanical and has a metal case.

How much does that beast weigh?
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: BlueBär on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:35:21: The Wiki entry I linked says 3,38kg.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: luisbg on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:38:13: Quote from: BlueBär on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:35:21
The Wiki entry I linked says 3,38kg.

Damn. Heavy but was expecting heavier. It is so monstrous it has some charm to it.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:49:20: Quote from: luisbg on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:38:13
Quote from: BlueBär on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:35:21
The Wiki entry I linked says 3,38kg.

Damn. Heavy but was expecting heavier. It is so monstrous it has some charm to it.

Like most military keyboards of old, it's actually really awesome! see the two sides fit together with a small channel with a sweet braided grounding thing between them.... it's amazing: I have always wanted one.

The alphameric is actually quite light what with the magnesium case and all. I don't have any, but I think the cortron ones aren't too heavy either.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: Lammie on Fri, 27 June 2014, 14:06:07: That's literally a Tank of a keyboard. Found one on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LZNW0A/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2AY2HBVI35DB9&coliid=I249QHR3JOP9I7

Reminds me of those outdoor rugged laptops. Panasonic thoughbooks. Probably more or less the same keyboards used.
Don't think the switch type is really that great on this keyboard? Price probably lies in the fact it is made rugged and outdoor friendly.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: luisbg on Fri, 27 June 2014, 14:09:49: Quote from: dorkvader on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:49:20
Quote from: luisbg on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:38:13
Quote from: BlueBär on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:35:21
The Wiki entry I linked says 3,38kg.

Damn. Heavy but was expecting heavier. It is so monstrous it has some charm to it.

Like most military keyboards of old, it's actually really awesome! see the two sides fit together with a small channel with a sweet braided grounding thing between them.... it's amazing: I have always wanted one.

The alphameric is actually quite light what with the magnesium case and all. I don't have any, but I think the cortron ones aren't too heavy either.

Can they be bought by civilians?
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: BlueBär on Fri, 27 June 2014, 14:10:44: Quote from: luisbg on Fri, 27 June 2014, 14:09:49
Can they be bought by civilians?

The Marquardt can be found on German Ebay from time to time.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 27 June 2014, 14:31:34: Quote from: luisbg on Fri, 27 June 2014, 14:09:49
Quote from: dorkvader on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:49:20
Quote from: luisbg on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:38:13
Quote from: BlueBär on Fri, 27 June 2014, 13:35:21
The Wiki entry I linked says 3,38kg.

Damn. Heavy but was expecting heavier. It is so monstrous it has some charm to it.

Like most military keyboards of old, it's actually really awesome! see the two sides fit together with a small channel with a sweet braided grounding thing between them.... it's amazing: I have always wanted one.

The alphameric is actually quite light what with the magnesium case and all. I don't have any, but I think the cortron ones aren't too heavy either.

Can they be bought by civilians?

I've seen one on eBay after I bought mine (on eBay). There's also a few non PS/2 ones (mainly SUN protocol I think) on eBay.

I want to get another one 'cause I friend the joystick on the bottom by misapplying voltage to it :( KB works great though!
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: Kmynis on Fri, 27 June 2014, 16:49:30: I saw a Cherry ML in some documentary about a submarine. Makes sense, because it's compact, sturdy and everything is accessed without the function layer.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: fohat.digs on Fri, 27 June 2014, 17:06:05: I bet this Logic Controls is tougher, what are these switches, anyway?
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 27 June 2014, 17:20:08: Quote from: Kmynis on Fri, 27 June 2014, 16:49:30
I saw a Cherry ML in some documentary about a submarine. Makes sense, because it's compact, sturdy and everything is accessed without the function layer.

except the numberpad

Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 27 June 2014, 17:06:05
I bet this Logic Controls is tougher, what are these switches, anyway?
I dunno... some of those military keyboards are really tough.

Anyway, those metal domes are very commonly seen in laptop trackpad buttons and industrial keyboards.

One of the "toughest" industrial keyboards I've seen is just a huge capacitive trackpad-like thing with an overlay. It's got a controller that "interprets" keypresses and outputs PS/2.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: Data on Fri, 27 June 2014, 20:43:09: Never saw a keyboard that fancy during my service. :D
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: PointyFox on Fri, 27 June 2014, 21:06:59: Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 27 June 2014, 17:06:05
I bet this Logic Controls is tougher, what are these switches, anyway?

They're called "metal dome" and they're pretty terrible to type on.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: fohat.digs on Fri, 27 June 2014, 21:59:30: Quote from: PointyFox on Fri, 27 June 2014, 21:06:59
They're called "metal dome" and they're pretty terrible to type on.

It would be insane to try to type on something like that!

I am trying to sell it to a restauranteur or other high-abuse venue.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: Lammie on Sat, 28 June 2014, 13:02:32: Metal domes look very HARD to type on :eek:
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: PointyFox on Sat, 28 June 2014, 13:07:31: Quote from: Lammie on Sat, 28 June 2014, 13:02:32
Metal domes look very HARD to type on :eek:

They require an average amount of force to actuate, however it ends up being a lot more force since they bottom out very quickly and you usually have to press them pretty close to the middle to get them to work.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: Lu_e on Sat, 28 June 2014, 17:22:36: Not military, police, but I saw this from a friend on facebook who went on a ride-along. I notice keyboards way too much now, gas stations, hardware stores and stuff lol

(http://i.imgur.com/5vEidOw.jpg)
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: User Was Banned on Sat, 28 June 2014, 17:55:05: For some reason that Commodore replica set on pmk looks really military to me. I think SA in general gives me that vibe though.
Title: Re: Military keyboards?
Post by: dorkvader on Sat, 28 June 2014, 22:08:25: Quote from: Lu_e on Sat, 28 June 2014, 17:22:36
Not military, police, but I saw this from a friend on facebook who went on a ride-along. I notice keyboards way too much now, gas stations, hardware stores and stuff lol

Show Image
(http://i.imgur.com/5vEidOw.jpg)

TG3 (who made the BL82 keyboard in the photo) are one of the only OEMs capable of making a keyboard to military spec. I should have mentioned them before.

They are horrible to type on, partly because they have a silicone sheet "blood spatter guard" that makes them spill-resistant, though on older models of the BL82, they just had like a saran-warp layer that was terrible but didn't feel too bad to type on.