geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Carnage on Mon, 11 July 2016, 19:41:03
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Anybody have any information about this board or maybe just a general price range of it? I stumbled upon it the other day and realized it had white alps so I grabbed it but. I can't find any information at all on it not even sure what series of alps they are.
I'm not sure if I want to sell it or take all the switches out and transplant them worse thing about it is I don't have a mac so I can't even test if it works. :))
Anything would be appreciated thanks!
edit:
I just noticed the weird switch that was under caps lock never seen anything like it before when you press it down it hold's the key in place lower down till pressed again.
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I don't have any info for you, but I do have questions:
ADB cable? Removeable? Are the function key switches turned sideways?
Too bad about the bigass Enter.
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ADB yes detachable yes I think It did not come with a cable just this connector on both side's of the keyboard.
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not sure if you know what the caps lock is yet, but i instantly knew it looked like a futaba, and after a little research on deskthority wiki, it appears to be a futaba lock mark II.
also as to the keyboard, i did some digging and can pretty much say that it is a clone of an apple AEK. there were a few posts about it on this forum.
-Aran
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not sure if you know what the caps lock is yet, but i instantly knew it looked like a futaba, and after a little research on deskthority wiki, it appears to be a futaba lock mark II.
also as to the keyboard, i did some digging and can pretty much say that it is a clone of an apple AEK. there were a few posts about it on this forum.
-Aran
I see thank you so much! I'll look up the apple AEK and see what I can find. At this point I'm trying to decide if the switches/board are of value and If I feel like transplanting the switches, or just selling them because the entire board appears to be in great condition. But without a mac for me to test it I'm not even if the keyboard even works.
On the plus side all the switches seem to be intact in good condition with very little use.
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firstly, are they genuine alps? do they have alps branding? they will be worth more money but i heard that this keyboard may have clones. secondly, its up to you. if you want to sell, i'm assuming its for some profit. it's more about the buyer i.e. can you find someone after the switches or the whole keyboard but sell it for a reasonable price? and what will you do with the pcb after the switches are removed if you do desolder them.
to test it with windows, you would need a teensy and to use TMK keyboard ADB (apple desktop bus connection)firmware. if you like the whole keyboard, i would recommend buying a teensy 2.0 and follow instructions on how to make the converter to USB, all you need is some prior knowledge as to soldering (if you can desolder switches, i'm sure you can solder 3 wires xD). i did this with my apple IIgs and it worked perfectly, and if your keyboard is standard ADB pinout (it should be) then i don't see why you shouldn't make it work on windows.
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i see the alps branding now :D. looks like SKCM whites / white dampened. you could always go to deskthority wiki and take a look for yourself (comparing logos etc and see what you think it is)
-Aran
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I see and it would be for profit I picked up it up for 2 dollar's figuring I could just solder the switches into another board I had but. All I have laying around is two cherry mx keyboards might just be best to find somebody who's interested in the switches and want's to trade.
Think I might just have to trade them though now that I think about it because finding a TKL alps PCB sound's like it would be a mission then all the soldering and a case... Thanks though I guess I can just get a teensy really quick test to make sure they work and if everything's good trade them. Kind of a bummer though thought I got a steal and was going to be able to make/have a alps keyboard that worked with windows for cheap. :))
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i had a keyboard the looked pretty much identical to this board, however it was made by Micro Warehouse, and it had all white alps. I cannibalized it for its switches and cut the plate into a tkl. I have it all wired up and plans for a wooden case but ive never gotten around to completing the firmware for it.
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i had a keyboard the looked pretty much identical to this board, however it was made by Micro Warehouse, and it had all white alps. I cannibalized it for its switches and cut the plate into a tkl. I have it all wired up and plans for a wooden case but ive never gotten around to completing the firmware for it.
I'd love to do something like that with these switches but not sure I have the skills required to do that. Taking them out and transplanting them into a tkl board would be amazing. :(