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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 16:13:25

Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 16:13:25: Link (http://cgi.ebay.ie/Digital-2683239-IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-630X-91-XX24_W0QQitemZ150403628087QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item2304c13c37#ht_3780wt_1165)

I put in a $10 offer, although I get a funny feeling that might be rejected. For those of you who don't have to put up with insane shipping charges, you could probably get it on an offer of $100.

Here's another one -

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Display-Writer-System-Keyboard-Vintage_W0QQitemZ190361754184QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100101?IMSfp=TL100101012009r3684 (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Display-Writer-System-Keyboard-Vintage_W0QQitemZ190361754184QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100101?IMSfp=TL100101012009r3684)
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 16:50:34: I think it was ak_nala who got the $20 one... That's because $10 was the starting bid and no one else was interested. Shame it didn't ship overseas.

I somehow don't think RecycledGoods of all people will go down from $150 to $10.
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: msiegel on Sat, 09 January 2010, 18:18:07: look how dirty it is
;)
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 18:46:23: I hear the rubber sheet wears away on them, and they become useless.
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ak_nala on Sun, 10 January 2010, 05:52:31: Quote from: kishy;149673
I dunno, someone mentioned at some point that RG responded asking for a price closer to their asking price. I suppose that could be automated but a simple rejection would likely be easier.

That was me, too. I offered, IIRC, $42 plus shipping and their response was, "We are looking to get closer to our asking price."

I followed up, however, as recently there had been one sold for approx. $10 + ship and another for approx. $44 + ship on e-bay, bringing this to their attention. The response I got was interesting, they said that all they could say was perhaps put links to those auctions in the comments/conditions section as part of the offer and that "might" make a difference.

I was being particularly psychic at that point and didn't pursue as somewhere in the back of my head I felt another $10 special coming down the pike. Fortunately, one did and it wasn't labeled as a DisplayWriter so few noticed it.

For anybody wanting to try the "but it's only worth $10.00" bit, here is the link to the auction I won back at the end of November (be forwarned, however, that RecycledGoods HAVE sold at least one at their full asking price a few months ago, so don't know how well this will work):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320449900600&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320449900600&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT)

Good luck! And may the beam-spring be with you.
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ak_nala on Sun, 10 January 2010, 06:05:31: Quote from: ch_123;149594
Link (http://cgi.ebay.ie/Digital-2683239-IBM-Displaywriter-Keyboard-630X-91-XX24_W0QQitemZ150403628087QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item2304c13c37#ht_3780wt_1165)

I put in a $10 offer, although I get a funny feeling that might be rejected. For those of you who don't have to put up with insane shipping charges, you could probably get it on an offer of $100.

Here's another one -

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Display-Writer-System-Keyboard-Vintage_W0QQitemZ190361754184QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100101?IMSfp=TL100101012009r3684 (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Display-Writer-System-Keyboard-Vintage_W0QQitemZ190361754184QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100101?IMSfp=TL100101012009r3684)

That last one looks border-line disgusting. Perhaps it came out of "waste management."
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 10 January 2010, 06:26:00: Somewhat offtopic, but given how similar the capacitive plate looks, I wonder if you can somehow connect a beam spring keyboard to a Model F controller...
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: JBert on Sun, 10 January 2010, 06:53:01: That won't work. For one, the make/release codes would be switched. Second, the layout is quite different.
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ak_nala on Sun, 10 January 2010, 06:59:04: Yeah, normal resting position of hammers is up on the F and down for the equivalents (fly-plates) on the beam-springs.
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 10 January 2010, 07:03:21: The first part could be solved by writing a custom driver/layout for the PC where the make and break codes are reversed.

The second one is a problem, but I still wonder whether it would be able to pick up at least some of the keyboard.
Title: Beam Spring Alert - Displaywriter Keyboard
Post by: ak_nala on Sun, 10 January 2010, 07:12:52: Well, if the electronic issues can be solved, since the switch modules are modular it might be possible to engineer a new top half of an AT board to hold the beam-spring module in proper position over the AT's pads.

Or just make a new, flat capacitive PCB in whatever layout you want, but using the AT matrix (again, if the signaling/detection probs can be resolved) - noting that a flat PCB would be easiest for these modules anyway.