IBM 6052141 Model F for the IBM 3178 $59.95 SHIPPED on eBay

[ekeppel]

Not a bad deal if you are looking for one of these...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182428793733

[ander]

Nice! I've always liked the look of these—it's essentially a Model F-AT with extra keys and a more usable layout. Looks like this one's in excellent shape, too.

How hard it is to get these working with a PC? I see this thread goes into some detail... Is such a hack still necessary? Or has someone developed an adapter that works?

[jerue]

This isn't really a "true" F, they call this the Model C. It has a plastic case and if not shipped correctly can be easily damaged in transit. It also doesn't feel nearly as nice as an F XT/F AT or 4704 Model F. On the upside, these almost always have solenoids, and this version has the numpad on the right (some do, some don't). It's probably about $15 too much, but the free shipping is nice. Good keyboard for Model F parts and/or solenoid if you need those. It can be USB converted but for me at least it's not worth it.

This looks oddly like the same Model C I sent back to a sender after only receiving one of the two units I ordered. I guess the connectors are very prone to bending.

[romevi]

This isn't really a "true" F, they call this the Model C. It has a plastic case and if not shipped correctly can be easily damaged in transit. It also doesn't feel nearly as nice as an F XT/F AT or 4704 Model F. On the upside, these almost always have solenoids, and this version has the numpad on the right (some do, some don't). It's probably about $15 too much, but the free shipping is nice. Good keyboard for Model F parts and/or solenoid if you need those. It can be USB converted but for me at least it's not worth it.

This looks oddly like the same Model C I sent back to a sender after only receiving one of the two units I ordered. I guess the connectors are very prone to bending.

What a dork.

[ander]

What a dork.

That hardly seems called for... I thought he was being pretty helpful. Bad hair day?

[ygor]

This isn't really a "true" F, they call this the Model C. It has a plastic case and if not shipped correctly can be easily damaged in transit. It also doesn't feel nearly as nice as an F XT/F AT or 4704 Model F. On the upside, these almost always have solenoids, and this version has the numpad on the right (some do, some don't). It's probably about $15 too much, but the free shipping is nice. Good keyboard for Model F parts and/or solenoid if you need those. It can be USB converted but for me at least it's not worth it.

This looks oddly like the same Model C I sent back to a sender after only receiving one of the two units I ordered. I guess the connectors are very prone to bending.

What a dork.

[fohat.digs]

I couldn't even figure out who "the dork" was supposed to be.

Anyway, these things go onto the chopping block @ $0.50 per switch so this price is not far out of line if somebody has a spare xwhatsit lying around.

[orihalcon]

What makes this board special is the solenoid

This requires a 3178 adapter board, or if you're crafty and have a lot of spare time, you can reroute the wires to make it work with an xwhatsit. I did have some adapter boards made that I can include for an extra $5 with an xwhatsit purchase if anyone needs both. Also have solenoid drivers yet.