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Author Topic: Found a Unitek K-260  (Read 7493 times)

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Offline caribear

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Found a Unitek K-260
« on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 02:13:54 »
I found this keyboard in a storage container and I don't know much about it.
I have a few pictures of it:

Overview of the entire thing


One of the keys is missing, which reveals the switch underneath


A picture of the sticker on the back
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Offline 1391406

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 04:41:33 »
Here's another one:



Apparently it's an AT board that uses Cherry MX Yellow switches, which are linear. You'll need a 5 PIN DIN -> PS2 -> USB adapter to get it working(assuming it works).
« Last Edit: Sun, 23 June 2013, 05:05:26 by 1391406 »
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Offline llovro

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 05:24:24 »
yellow switches??
awesome find
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Offline AKIMbO

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #3 on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 08:01:53 »
MX yellow switches....linear....this is madness!
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Offline BlueBär

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 08:54:34 »
Yellow Cherry MX? Only seen fake ones from Kaihua and I don't really find any "proof" that cherry ever made yellow sliders. DT has an entry on Yellow Cherry MX, but there's no source for that, not much data about it and I don't know if they're actually referring to the Kaihua one since that one is Cherry MX compatible in terms of mounting and keycaps.

Does the top housing have the Cherry logo? Can't really see much of the switch in the photo.
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Offline IvanIvanovich

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #5 on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 09:40:00 »
Right, those are Taiwanese yellow axis. Right away you can see it is not MX as the stem has a square and MX is rectangle. They have a mostly stolen design of MX switch, fairly similar to blacks but a bit lighter.
I have had a few Dah Yang aka Unitek boards. I thought they were of a good build quality but mine had actual MX switch. Depending on the model, some of them are worth cleaning up. If they happen to have Taiwanese switch they are pin compatible with MX on the PCB, so you could always swap them out. Would be a good starter project to step into modding.
« Last Edit: Sun, 23 June 2013, 09:44:01 by IvanIvanovich »
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Offline caribear

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #6 on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 10:23:01 »
I'll have to get an adapter, but i'll test out the keyboard sometime today or tomorrow and get back to this thread about how well it works.
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Offline caribear

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #7 on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 10:24:51 »
Quote from: BlueBär on Sun, 23 June 2013, 08:54:34
Yellow Cherry MX? Only seen fake ones from Kaihua and I don't really find any "proof" that cherry ever made yellow sliders. DT has an entry on Yellow Cherry MX, but there's no source for that, not much data about it and I don't know if they're actually referring to the Kaihua one since that one is Cherry MX compatible in terms of mounting and keycaps.

Does the top housing have the Cherry logo? Can't really see much of the switch in the photo.

I'll take a closer look at the switches and see if I can get a decent camera for more high res pics.
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Offline caribear

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #8 on: Sun, 23 June 2013, 16:58:16 »
I tried to hook up the keyboard and the lights flash on for a second, but then the keyboard doesn't work.
I am trying to plug it into usb however, and I don't think the setup I have is working.
« Last Edit: Sun, 23 June 2013, 17:14:09 by caribear »
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Offline IvanIvanovich

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #9 on: Mon, 24 June 2013, 07:30:46 »
Those old boards often have a mode switch somewhere. Make sure it is on AT mode.
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Offline Quarzac

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 25 June 2013, 19:17:28 »
If it's an XT board, you will probably need a Soarer converter. You may also need an active PS2 to USB adapter. That one looks passive.
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 10:44:13 »
Quote from: BlueBär on Sun, 23 June 2013, 08:54:34
Yellow Cherry MX? Only seen fake ones from Kaihua and I don't really find any "proof" that cherry ever made yellow sliders. DT has an entry on Yellow Cherry MX, but there's no source for that …

That's my fault. I didn't visibly link back to the source page; I'll de-redlink them all in a minute. See here:

http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8/yab8433408-s-cherry-switches-t2149.html

Cherry MX Yellow exists and is linear. There are a lot of extremely rare Cherry MX variants that even Cherry have forgotten about. However, the one pictured above is very clearly a clone. There's another photo somewhere that shows all the clones that yab8433408 owns, and many of them are also yellow. The only clone brands identified so far are Aristotle AKA Yali (bought by Chicony) and Kaihua AKA Kailh. Aristotle no longer make keyswitches.

(It remains possible that someone cloned Cherry MX switches to perfection including the Cherry logo, but that is unlikely.)

What we need is someone who speaks Chinese and any European language who can discuss with yab8433408, as his Cherry MX collection is second to none.
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Offline BlueBär

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 10:54:11 »
Whoa that's mind blowing. Most seem to differ only in color brightness and saturation, however this is the first time I've seen MX Yellow, those awkward white and black sliders (second picture, second row from the bottom) and those Alps compatible (?) sliders. Very impressive collection.
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #13 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 11:01:29 »
The "awkward" ones are MX-M8 adapter switches:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX-M8_Adapter
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Offline Lupizza

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #14 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 15:25:19 »
>Everybody finds Model Ms and AEKII and other rare keyboards all the time
>I never find any
mfw  :'(
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Offline Sifo

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #15 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 15:26:05 »
^ same
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #16 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 15:28:40 »
Quote from: caribear on Sun, 23 June 2013, 16:58:16
I tried to hook up the keyboard and the lights flash on for a second, but then the keyboard doesn't work.

Probably a bit late for me to ask what on earth that PS/2 to USB cable is that you've got :) Can you really get active converters in that form factor?

Quote from: Lupizza on Sun, 21 July 2013, 15:25:19
>Everybody finds Model Ms and AEKII and other rare keyboards all the time
>I never find any
mfw  :'(

I wouldn't call those "rare" keyboards. If you want rare, try Futaba switches :) Even tactile NMB is pretty rare.
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Offline BlueBär

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Re: Found a Unitek K-260
« Reply #17 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 16:03:06 »
It's most likely passive.
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