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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 08:26:13

Title: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 08:26:13
I have been looking for a beam spring keyboard for over a month now. I had no luck after phoning and emailing every possible supplier I could find. A forum member said he would sell me one but then sold it to someone else. The only one I could find for sale anywhere in the world was on a classifieds site in Milan. Using Google Translate, I made a deal and after 14 hours of traveling, I finally have my beam spring keyboard. Now I have to clean it up, get a USB controller, and hope that it still works.

(https://i.imgur.com/oJNEhlF.jpg)
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: need on Sun, 26 March 2017, 09:39:41
That's in pretty good condition, I wonder how much you paid?
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: zslane on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:23:51
Does it have a working solenoid?
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:26:27
I paid €140 for it including the terminal. I could have tried to negotiate for less but the costs of travel and time spent made it insignificant. The previous owner used to work on it but he said he took it home and put it in his closet 20 years ago.

I don't see any damage to the body other than fine scratches. The only problems I see is the keyboard is slightly offset about 1 or 2 mm to the right of where it should be in the body, one screw is missing on the bottom, the rubber mat is flaking away, and the 5 key on the number pad is slightly angled.
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:27:41
Quote from: zslane on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:23:51
Does it have a working solenoid?

I hope so. I need to find a solenoid driver as well as a USB controller.
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: 3K on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:51:23
I'm jealous! But these guys seem to need quite a lot of work to make them work.

May I ask on what site exactly you found it? Just italian ebay?
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: romevi on Sun, 26 March 2017, 11:03:27
It's beautiful.
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: need on Sun, 26 March 2017, 11:18:01
Quote from: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:27:41
Quote from: zslane on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:23:51
Does it have a working solenoid?

I hope so. I need to find a solenoid driver as well as a USB controller.

There's currently a group buy for the controller and solenoid driver over at Deskthority.
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 13:04:20
Quote from: 3K on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:51:23
I'm jealous! But these guys seem to need quite a lot of work to make them work.

May I ask on what site exactly you found it? Just italian ebay?

It was on Subito.it. A craigslist style classified ads site but it's all in Italian and so was the ad. There's no others on there and the seller only had the one terminal. I found it on Google by searching every single keyboard part number and terminal number. It was the only beam spring keyboard for sale anywhere in the world. My backup plan was to keep checking eBay and prepare to have a bidding war once one went up for sale. There were none for sale on eBay.com, eBay.co.uk, eBay.de, or eBay.it. I checked everywhere. The online stores that have these keyboards listed will refund your money if you try to order them or the ones that make you contact them first will tell you they are out of stock.

Quote from: need on Sun, 26 March 2017, 11:18:01
Quote from: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:27:41
Quote from: zslane on Sun, 26 March 2017, 10:23:51
Does it have a working solenoid?

I hope so. I need to find a solenoid driver as well as a USB controller.

There's currently a group buy for the controller and solenoid driver over at Deskthority.

Thanks, I'll check it out. I also PMed xwhatsit.
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 13:07:33
The pictures and videos of these keyboards do not prepare you for how large and heavy it really is. Here is a picture of it next to my bolt modded Model M. The Model M at its thickest is thinner than the beam spring at its thinnest. I'll try to post some higher resolution pictures of it once I have it cleaned up and USB modded.

(https://i.imgur.com/GXKkeSB.jpg)
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: Puddsy on Sun, 26 March 2017, 14:06:51
beamspring #1
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: Neo.X on Mon, 27 March 2017, 11:21:08
Quote from: limelight on Sun, 26 March 2017, 13:07:33
The pictures and videos of these keyboards do not prepare you for how large and heavy it really is. Here is a picture of it next to my bolt modded Model M. The Model M at its thickest is thinner than the beam spring at its thinnest. I'll try to post some higher resolution pictures of it once I have it cleaned up and USB modded.

Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/GXKkeSB.jpg)


Holy ****!. It's a beast.

Really nice keyboard.
Title: Re: My New Beam Spring Keyboard
Post by: y11971alex on Mon, 27 March 2017, 23:02:58
 :D