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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: RoflCopter4 on Thu, 22 January 2015, 13:38:06
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I desperately need a decent set of Alps keycaps to replace the awful, awful, terrible, dirty, useless ones on my "new" keyboard. I could harvest the caps from my AEK, but I actually like using that board and anyway the caps are a bizarre profile and not all of them are compatible. I could harvest from my FK-2001, which has very nice, almost pristine doubleshots with coloured modifyer keys, but that seems almost sacralige. I could harvest from my Dell AT101W, but considering that I lost one of the numkeys (somehow...) that is only a partial solution, and anyway those keycaps aren't great.
So I'm in a bit of a problem. My best bet is probably to just do the 2001 thing, but I figured I'd look around first. Apparently Acer 6311 keyboards had PBT caps that were Alps compatible. Is that true? There are a few of them on eBay right now for obsene prices, but I might be willing to pay an obsene price for PBT caps.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271747669417
www.ebay.com/itm/380525270441
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I paid $18 (shipping) for an Acer 6311 which had Chinese ANSI legend dye-subbed PBT caps for my Kingsaver (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35864.msg1471185#msg1471185). AFAIK, they are dye-subbed PBT caps but as I learned yesterday, it might not be the same material for *all* of the Acer 6311 caps. These should be Alps compatible caps but the switches are Acer which are an off-shoot of the Alps switches.
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I paid $18 (shipping) for an Acer 6311 which had Chinese ANSI legend dye-subbed PBT caps for my Kingsaver (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35864.msg1471185#msg1471185). AFAIK, they are dye-subbed PBT caps but as I learned yesterday, it might not be the same material for *all* of the Acer 6311 caps. These should be Alps compatible caps but the switches are Acer which are an off-shoot of the Alps switches.
I bought an Acer keyboard in eBay looking to try Acer switches, and the keycaps that it had were all yellowed and discolored, and the legends had that faded glossy look that old laptop keyboards sometimes have. But the switches were kinda like clicky topre, which is pretty cool.
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So yay or nay on buying one of those boards just for the caps?
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If I was me? I'd wait and hunt for a better price.
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That's probably a good idea. Shipping is unusually cheap for those sales, shame the price is so inflated.
Are the keycaps on those worth bothering keeping an eye out?
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If they're the same quality as the Chinese dye-subs I have on my board, I would say they're worth it.
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Then I'll do that.
Incidently, I've heard the keycaps on these things are pretty good as well. Ever tried them? I kind of doubt I'd be able to convince the buyer to sell just the keyboard, but on the off chance I could...
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Are the keycaps on those worth bothering keeping an eye out?
Incidently, I've heard the keycaps on these things are pretty good as well. Ever tried them? I kind of doubt I'd be able to convince the buyer to sell just the keyboard, but on the off chance I could...
What? Did you just ask the same question twice?
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****. I forgot to actually, you know, paste the link. Now I look like a goddamn idiot.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281571674328
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I saw that IBM listing this morning - decided to pass on that since seller has 0 feedback and the picture is from 2009. According to someone on here/dt, they are one of the nicest pbt caps for alps though.
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I have got an Acer 6312K which is the same keyboard as in the eBay auction but ISO. I did the Acetone Test inside on the the keycaps and it left a mark: they are not PBT.
The stabilised keys are not compatible with Alps or Costar stabilisers - they are rather like Cherry MY stabilisers with the the stabiliser wires snapped to the keycaps.
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I have got an Acer 6312K which is the same keyboard as in the eBay auction but ISO. I did the Acetone Test inside on the the keycaps and it left a mark: they are not PBT.
The stabilised keys are not compatible with Alps or Costar stabilisers - they are rather like Cherry MY stabilisers with the the stabiliser wires snapped to the keycaps.
Sorry to necro this thread, but I just read this comment. Are you sure? I found one of these Acer keyboards for a decent price, but if they're not PBT afterall then it's not really worth it. Anyone else?
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Sorry to necro this thread, but I just read this comment. Are you sure? I found one of these Acer keyboards for a decent price, but if they're not PBT afterall then it's not really worth it. Anyone else?
Apparently some are PBT and some are not, probably depending on the exact model.
I have seen differences in the case: wedge-shaped vs. reverse curve, and that the Sys Rq and Break legends are front-printed on some keyboards and top-printed on others.
My keyboard with ABS keycaps have the wedge case and front-printed legends, just as the keyboard in the auction in the first post.
There are picture of PBT keycaps on Deskthority (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Acer_6310_series), but those keyboards have reverse-curve cases and top-printed legends.
I would wager that if the keyboard has reverse-curve case and top-printed legends then it is more likely that the keycaps are PBT.
However, I still haven't seen any keyboards with Acer-switches where the stabilisers are compatible with either Alps or "Costar"-stabilisers.
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I saw an Acer 6511 with Alps-mount PBT dyesubs, but slider over rubber dome, not Acer switches.
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Which would you all guess this one has? The SysRq and Break and printed on the top of the key, but I don't think this one has the curvey shape (hard to tell) and it has the four LEDs instead of three.
http://utensilia.tk/urzadzenia_en/acer_accufeel-6312-k.html