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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: patrickgeekhack on Wed, 13 April 2016, 12:47:46

Title: Need help with Black ALPS keyboard
Post by: patrickgeekhack on Wed, 13 April 2016, 12:47:46
Hello everyone,

I got a no name left-handed black ALPS keyboard from an e-waste place. I only paid CDN $10.00 for it. It has black ALPS which seems clicky to me. I had a DELL AT101W in the past, but the keys were "quieter." Anyway, while I was very happy to have found this keyboard, my happiness was short lived. Some of the keys output more than one keystroke when pressed. Do you guys think it's a problem with the controller or with the switches themselves? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Need help with Black ALPS keyboard
Post by: FoxWolf1 on Wed, 13 April 2016, 13:10:17
Hello everyone,

I got a no name left-handed black ALPS keyboard from an e-waste place. I only paid CDN $10.00 for it. It has black ALPS which seems clicky to me. I had a DELL AT101W in the past, but the keys were "quieter." Anyway, while I was very happy to have found this keyboard, my happiness was short lived. Some of the keys output more than one keystroke when pressed. Do you guys think it's a problem with the controller or with the switches themselves? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Have you cleaned it yet? Cleaning off the PCB and the inside of each switch would be a good first step, since then you could eliminate any dirt-related problems as suspects.
Title: Re: Need help with Black ALPS keyboard
Post by: patrickgeekhack on Wed, 13 April 2016, 13:14:39

Have you cleaned it yet? Cleaning off the PCB and the inside of each switch would be a good first step, since then you could eliminate any dirt-related problems as suspects.

No, not yet. I should start by cleaning the board and switches first. Thanks.
Title: Re: Need help with Black ALPS keyboard
Post by: merlin64 on Wed, 13 April 2016, 13:35:11
Put some pictures up!

What you may have are actually the SKBM variant of Black Alps switches. The Dell AT101W had SKCM.
Title: Re: Need help with Black ALPS keyboard
Post by: patrickgeekhack on Wed, 13 April 2016, 13:45:43
Put some pictures up!

What you may have are actually the SKBM variant of Black Alps switches. The Dell AT101W had SKCM.

Maybe they are the simplified version. I have not kept up to date on keyboard stuffs. I was really into keyboards between 2009 and mid-2011. From October 2010 to now, I have used a Realforce at home, and a Das Model S (Cherry MX Blue) at work. From time to time, I would use an AEK or an AEK II at work. It's amazing how time flies. It does not feel like (almost) 6 years have passed.

I will post some pictures, but only after I have cleaned the keyboard sometimes next week. I have too much to do this week. You just don't know where keyboards from recycling places/thrift stores have been :-)
Title: Re: Need help with Black ALPS keyboard
Post by: patrickgeekhack on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:46:03
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/pngpingching/Blog/IMG_20160413_153714_zpsfm6kbzcf.jpg)