NMB Hi-Tek Space Invaders discussion topic

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I don't remember everything. If you guys would bother putting all this on the wiki we'd have somewhere reliable to look it all up instead of having to revert to Google in the hope we might be able to find something.

[dorkvader]

I don't remember everything. If you guys would bother putting all this on the wiki we'd have somewhere reliable to look it all up instead of having to revert to Google in the hope we might be able to find something.

if I can figure out how to get pictures up on the wiki, I'll be adding all the info on that new arabic unitek dah-yeng) KB

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Behold, the documentation:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Help:Uploading_images

[jacobolus]

Got a keyboard with “Gundam” style linear space invaders. PCB says “NMB” and “HI-TEK CORPORATION” on it.

The most interesting thing IMO is that these keycaps don’t have the little grabber clips, but only the diagonal corner ridges, so they’re much easier to remove than later space invader keycaps.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Production dates on the PCB and ICs?

[jacobolus]

No case, and no dates on the PCB, but the ICs are all 83/84.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

So now we just need the IC dates from the ones that don't say "Hi-Tek Corporation" on them.

[nubbinator]

I got some in the other day (linear white and tactile black) and will be taking pictures of them soon.

Pro-tip: If you get a board with the caps with the little legs on the side, use a ring type puller and don't pull straight up, but slightly to the side.  You won't ever have an issue with the switch top coming off with the cap.

[jacobolus]

Pro-tip: If you get a board with the caps with the little legs on the side, use a ring type puller and don't pull straight up, but slightly to the side.  You won't ever have an issue with the switch top coming off with the cap.

The way I pull these is with a butter knife or similar sturdy flat piece of metal. You want to pry upward from under one side (side, not front/back) of the keycap while pushing sideways from the other side of the switch. In other words, push the keycap in the direction of the side that you’re prying up from the bottom. One of the little clips that hold the keycap down will snap free (the one on the side you’re prying), and then you can pretty easily push the keycap back the other way to disengage the other clip.

This is probably easier to demonstrate than to explain in words. :-)

I’ve found the most efficient way to remove a bunch of caps is to do them in batches: first unclip one side of the keycap for (e.g.) every other keycap, then come back and lift those all off, then unclip the rest, then lift those off. It’s actually pretty fast once you get a system going.

Of course, the easiest is if you have the old “Gundam” style of switches; then the caps don’t have the little clips at all and you can just lift them straight off.

[fohat.digs]

I use the wire pullers (my Leopold is my favorite), and grab opposite corners, for everything else, but for Hi-Teks the kind that can grip the sides of the keys are the best. Avoid the corners of Space Invaders.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-White-Keycap-Puller-keypuller-for-gaming-keyboard-Filco-Cherry-Noppoo-PBT-/121315722001?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3efb0311

[nubbinator]

I've tried the wire puller from the corners, the ring puller is faster.  With the ring puller, you're literally rocking it one side then the other. It pops the cap off in seconds and is the fastest way to pull Space Invaders caps that I know of.  The one you linked to would be perfect.

Jacobulus, it's basically doing what you're doing, but it one fluid motion.  You rock to the side, then the other or pull up and it pops off.  I get each cap off about the same speed as a Cherry cap and faster than Alps caps or Topre.

[jacobolus]

Erase-ease in the mail http://www.ebay.com/itm/291296707809?orig_cvip=true

I’m going to try to make a custom space invader board with a layout similar to this https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=56095.msg1384819#msg1384819 (some keycaps won’t be the right legends; I might just dye many (or all) of them dark black and have them be blanks).

By the way the same seller has a non-erase-ease keyboard, quite yellowed, for cheap: http://www.ebay.com/itm/291296711230

[terrpn]

which are the gundam style switches again?

anybody gotta a link?

[nubbinator]

which are the gundam style switches again?

anybody gotta a link?

The "soap dispenser" version:

[terrpn]

ooohhh, i just got one of those, looks like an F XT

very smooth

[XMIT]

Hello GH - klikkyklik sent me a PM asking about how to remove Space Invaders key caps. I wrote him a long response and thought I would share it here:

What jacobolus said is mostly correct. Though, you'll have a tough time with a ring style puller on wider keys. Plus the nubs on the ring style pullers wear pretty quickly.

Your very best bet is a Topre style stainless steel puller. That should work nicely. I usually use a wire key cap puller.

But yes: if you pull straight up you will remove the slider and possibly lose the spring and damage the hands. This is bad. Instead you want to roll the key cap off of the slider. I wouldn't use a rocking motion so much as a rolling motion.

I usually hold the key cap puller with the handle straight up and down (north/south) aligned with the center line of the key cap. Get the wires just barely under the left and right hand sides of the keycaps: enough to get a good grip but no more. Apply upward pressure until both wires have tension in them but not so much that you remove a key cap. Then, while still maintaining upward pressure, start moving the key cap puller to the right, rotating around the point where the right wire touches the key cap. lifting only the left wire.

That overly complicated explanation is, IMO, the best way to do it.

Watch out for the space bars. Most of the stabilized keys just pull right off. But the space bar uses something like a Costar mount. You may end up pulling inserts out of the sides of the spacebar on the underside of the spacebar. Be careful!

[Altis]

XMIT, I also found the metal keycap puller easier to use. This is because the keycap and the slider are both flush at the bottom. I used the metal one and just grabbed the very edges and pulled up (not squeezing it all the way) and found this worked really well. Tough to explain.

[chyros]

With some practice, you can use wire pullers to more or less "roll" the caps off the sliders. Sometimes you can get it loose enough to pull it off yourself, sometimes it just comes off completely.

[jacobolus]

For space invader switches, I’d skip the puller, and just use a single butter knife (or some similar flat piece of metal that won’t accidentally scratch the keycaps). The trick is pushing sideways and downward on one side of the keycap while prying upward on the opposite side. You can’t really effectively do that with any kind of standard keycap puller.

If you try pulling the caps upward with a standard keycap puller you’ll either break the plastic clips on the keycaps, or yank the slider out of the switch.

[hkrak]

For space invader switches, I’d skip the puller, and just use a single butter knife (or some similar flat piece of metal that won’t accidentally scratch the keycaps). The trick is pushing sideways and downward on one side of the keycap while prying upward on the opposite side. You can’t really effectively do that with any kind of standard keycap puller.

If you try pulling the caps upward with a standard keycap puller you’ll either break the plastic clips on the keycaps, or yank the slider out of the switch.

I use the exact same tool and method, minus the pushing sideways and downward part. Works great.

[fohat.digs]

For me, the hard part to re-learn was to avoid corners. On other styles, I always use wire pullers and try to get the wire well under opposite diagonal corners.

Absolutely the wrong thing to do with Hi-Teks - avoid the corners or you will be grabbing the wrong pieces. Only pressure the flats.

[chyros]

For me, the hard part to re-learn was to avoid corners. On other styles, I always use wire pullers and try to get the wire well under opposite diagonal corners.

Absolutely the wrong thing to do with Hi-Teks - avoid the corners or you will be grabbing the wrong pieces. Only pressure the flats.

I'm not sure exactly what corners you're referring to but I've found that if you use wire pullers to pull off the far corners of the key CAPS (so not the sliders) it's pretty easy to dislodge the caps without pulling the slider.

[jerue]

Before joining GH, I found an RT-101 for .54 at a thrift store. I cleaned/disassembled it and played around with actuation forces and whatnot (all beige switches w/pink for lock switches and green for spacebar). The Green space invader is probably one of my favorite switches...it's too bad I had no idea how to pull off the spacebar and ended up destroying the switch beyond repair. Then I did something even worse...and threw the whole board away. Caps and all. I now realize the grave error I made 

I'll have to post some pics soon. Even did the good ol' nickel trick as shown from...that other forum.

[False_Dmitry_II]

I use a PCI slot cover. Just pry em up from the sides.

Not sure how you destroyed the spacebar, I can pull that with just fingers. And yes, throwing it away was a travesty. That even sounded fairly rare, all of mine are clicky black besides the white linear I also have.