geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: cwilson on Mon, 30 November 2009, 01:01:08
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http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/643970/1/KB?h=21927d (http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/643970/1/KB?h=21927d)
I bought this keyboard back in the 80's and it has served me well. I absolutely love the feel of the keys; I chose this over the buckling spring IBM's of the time. However, I've been wanting to switch to a mini keyboard of late because it makes more ergonomic sense to me. I never use everything right of the Enter key anyway. If I could just put this thing on a table saw and cut off the stuff I don't need it would be perfect.
I don't know what kind of switches it uses though, or if they're still made. Can anyone help me out? Is there a mini keyboard out there that has keys like this one?
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Complicated white ALPS, maybe?
If you're planning on getting rid of that 2001, I'll take it :)
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FK-2001 has either complicated or fake clicky Alps. The Filco Zero has very similar switches.
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http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/643970/1/KB?h=21927d (http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/643970/1/KB?h=21927d)
I bought this keyboard back in the 80's and it has served me well. I absolutely love the feel of the keys; I chose this over the buckling spring IBM's of the time. However, I've been wanting to switch to a mini keyboard of late because it makes more ergonomic sense to me. I never use everything right of the Enter key anyway. If I could just put this thing on a table saw and cut off the stuff I don't need it would be perfect.
I don't know what kind of switches it uses though, or if they're still made. Can anyone help me out? Is there a mini keyboard out there that has keys like this one?
No windows key, so it likely uses real complicated alps. You can tell without even taking the switch apart, if they say alps on them they're complicated.
The closest compact that uses this that is at all relatively available is the siig minitouch, but it uses fakes, so it's a much more clicky feeling than that board. What you can do like me, and what I'm typing on right now, take the complicated ones out of the 2001, and put em in the siig, and you'd be good to go.
Bob has a few left it appears:
http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com/ (http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com/)
He's a the best consistent source around for siigs still. He's a good source for them especially if you plan to do a switch transplant because his used siigs don't always have the freshest of switches.
If you don't want to pay his prices you can wait around for one on ebay. I just got one last night for about $40, but they're fairly rare, they only come up for auction maybe once a month if that on average.
Another alternative if you're really good with soldering, and have a lot of patience is to make a mini like I or others here have done. You can find a lot of hacks for minis in the mod section. They're really popular around here.
Noone makes a clicky compact unfortunately, except maybe deck, but theirs is a $200 board and uses cherries. The filco tenkeyless's as ch_123 mentioned are the other alternative but they're a bit larger, and the alps version is still in the same price range as the used siig.
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Awesome, thank you guys for the help. How on Earth do you take apart these switches? I tried prying at it a bit with a flathead screwdriver but couldn't figure out how it comes out. It sucks that they don't make the complicated switches anymore, but I've never tried the simplified ones, maybe they're not too different. From what I've read here the Fukkas in the Filco Zero are simplified. Those Tenkeyless boards aren't fully minified though and I think that would bother me. If you are going to go compact, then go compact, dammit, don't make an in-between board.
I've been tossing around emails to companies with clicky boards asking about minis...so far I've learned that the pckeyboards is coming out with a re-designed Mighty Mouse in early 2010, Das Keyboard gave me a strange "we don't discuss future plans with outsiders like you" kind of reply, and Edgar Matias emailed me back himself. He said "Your timing is good. We actually are thinking about doing a compact keyboard. We welcome your feedback..." He asked me stuff like, what kind of connection would you want, why do you want a compact, what OS do you use, and so forth. So if you're interested, send him lots of mails.
I hadn't considered cobbling together a new keyboard but that's an interesting idea. I've only soldered a few times though, and I'd be afraid of taking apart my precious 2001 and ruining it. I'd have to do it with a spare board. But I do like the idea of having a personally modded frankenstein board. I'll have to check the mod section. Thanks for that northgate repair link, I'll have to get in touch with him.
I really need to try out these blue cherries that everyone raves about. All the keyboards I can find in stores though are those cheap-ass membranes that I despise.
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I've got an old Focus like that with a calculator; it was made in 1989. It's the polar opposite of a space saver; I call it the "Space Hog" (No, not from the Muppets).
If you're interested in a space-saving keyboard with ALPS keyswitches, I found an old SIIG Minitouch (http://cgi.ebay.com/SIIG-Mini-Touch-Keyboard-KB1903_W0QQitemZ130348120559QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item1e595a79ef) on ebay. I'm not sure it it's got the complicated switches though.
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Awesome, thank you guys for the help. How on Earth do you take apart these switches? I tried prying at it a bit with a flathead screwdriver but couldn't figure out how it comes out. It sucks that they don't make the complicated switches anymore, but I've never tried the simplified ones, maybe they're not too different. From what I've read here the Fukkas in the Filco Zero are simplified. Those Tenkeyless boards aren't fully minified though and I think that would bother me. If you are going to go compact, then go compact, dammit, don't make an in-between board.
I've been tossing around emails to companies with clicky boards asking about minis...so far I've learned that the pckeyboards is coming out with a re-designed Mighty Mouse in early 2010, Das Keyboard gave me a strange "we don't discuss future plans with outsiders like you" kind of reply, and Edgar Matias emailed me back himself. He said "Your timing is good. We actually are thinking about doing a compact keyboard. We welcome your feedback..." He asked me stuff like, what kind of connection would you want, why do you want a compact, what OS do you use, and so forth. So if you're interested, send him lots of mails.
I hadn't considered cobbling together a new keyboard but that's an interesting idea. I've only soldered a few times though, and I'd be afraid of taking apart my precious 2001 and ruining it. I'd have to do it with a spare board. But I do like the idea of having a personally modded frankenstein board. I'll have to check the mod section. Thanks for that northgate repair link, I'll have to get in touch with him.
I really need to try out these blue cherries that everyone raves about. All the keyboards I can find in stores though are those cheap-ass membranes that I despise.
Don't pry at them, you need to desolder them. I can do an entire board in about 30 minutes, it's not that big of an operation.
Radioshack has the best desolderer for the price:
This one works best:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731 (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731)
$11, works great, they have them at most local radio shacks as well.
You won't be able to turn a simplified into a complex without completely removing the switch, so don't bother taking them apart.
(http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1C-2160644w345.jpg)
You feel like I do about compacts, interesting news that a company might finally give the people what they want.
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I wouldn't go tearing up that Focus just yet. I'd find another old keyboard in poorer condition first before I start de-soldering. There are plenty of people who would love to have that keyboard the way it is!
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I wouldn't go tearing up that Focus just yet. I'd find another old keyboard in poorer condition first before I start de-soldering. There are plenty of people who would love to have that keyboard the way it is!
Yeah, like the one that Ripster just bought for $12. lol
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The 6 key on the number pad of my Focus just died. NO idea why, the connection appears to be good. Guess it's just a bad switch.
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Thanks for the clip offer, Ripster. SCTony had his clips in the mail before I could even reply to him. And then he refused to take any payment for them. Amazing guy!
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He was kind enough to send me a free adapter for my keyboard too.
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maxlugar was kind enough to send me an AT to PS/2 adapter, and it serves its purpose, I am using it on my only AT keyboard, the crappy rubber dome that the guy sent me the wrong keyboard, I was suppose to get one with fake white alps.
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He just doesn't strike me as a redneck.