Questions about square badge 1394204

[OldIsNew]

I recently picked up a "for parts" board that really was in parts. Just the open case (no screws) and the internal assembly with most of the keys but no controller. Someone had apparently started a "sort of" screw mod - all the plastic rivets, including the ones under the back plate label, were cut off and a a few screws were put in alongside the posts (none were actually drilled). The membrane was also in poor condition. I thought it was kind of interesting though because it was a 1394204 with a square badge case and the heavy "rainbow" back plate. I went ahead and  replaced the membrane, did a screw mod, rounded up the missing keys,  and borrowed a controller from another board and it's now actually quite nice.


     


Unfortunately, it was refurbed in 1998 and the original back label removed:     

 


The main question I have is has anyone come across older 101 terminal boards like this (square badge, rainbow back plate) - or could they converted another older board such as a 1390120
 (the refurb label says "may have been converted from another part number")?  I haven't come across a board  like this before and am curious.

[chyros]

I've never heard of that part number, so it's probably a new one they made just for the refurb job. The layout suggests it was originally one of the extremely early Ms, possibly the one that spoke to the 3161, which would make it part 1386303, the very first type of Model M. That one used a 240-degree 5-pin DIN connector. Could be anything though, IBM had so many different versions...

[taylorswiftttttt]

removed

[OldIsNew]

I've never heard of that part number, so it's probably a new one they made just for the refurb job. The layout suggests it was originally one of the extremely early Ms ...

The keycaps don't look like my 1386303 ...

Thanks for the feedback!

Most of the keycaps are the ones that were on the board when I got it, but a lot of the function and keypad keys were messed up and I replaced them with keycaps from another 1394204.



I'm guessing someone tried cleaning them with the wrong solvent or REALLY liked pressing F2. Of minor interest the dye sub on one seems to go all the way through:


     




Oh - another question - has anyone figured out how to interpret the "Shop Date" on the back plate stickers? I've seen some theories from Googling
the topic but couldn't tell that it's really been figured out.

[ch_123]

Looks like a 3270-style* 102-key keyboard (note that there's two keys where the double-height + key on the numpad usually would be - so this was not converted from a 101-key PC keyboard).

Usually the 5250 and 3270 style terminals had the 122-key terminals, but it was possible to order them with 102-key keyboards, and they pop up every once in a while. The 3161 and 3151 terminal keyboards are more common because the 102-key keyboards were the only options for those terminals, and those terminals were generic ASCII terminals, and not IBM-proprietary ones like the 5250 and 3270.

Re "converted from other part numbers" - two possibilities come to mind here:

1) that could be a stock disclaimer they put on all their refurbed keyboards.
2) a lot of the silver-square terminal keyboards had 138- part numbers. It's possible that the 139- number is the part number of a later generation black/blue label 3270 keyboard, and when they refurbed the keyboard, they put the assembly of a newer keyboard into the old case, and changed the part number.

Hope that helps.

* As a general rule of thumb, when you look at 102-key terminal keyboards, you can tell which terminal family they were designed for based on the legend on the "Enter" (in PC terms) key says:
3151/3161-style: "Return"
5250-style: "Field Exit"
3270-style: "New Line"

[OldIsNew]

Thanks!

[Snowdog993]

Looks like a 3270-style* 102-key keyboard (note that there's two keys where the double-height + key on the numpad usually would be - so this was not converted from a 101-key PC keyboard).

Usually the 5250 and 3270 style terminals had the 122-key terminals, but it was possible to order them with 102-key keyboards, and they pop up every once in a while. The 3161 and 3151 terminal keyboards are more common because the 102-key keyboards were the only options for those terminals, and those terminals were generic ASCII terminals, and not IBM-proprietary ones like the 5250 and 3270.

Re "converted from other part numbers" - two possibilities come to mind here:

1) that could be a stock disclaimer they put on all their refurbed keyboards.
2) a lot of the silver-square terminal keyboards had 138- part numbers. It's possible that the 139- number is the part number of a later generation black/blue label 3270 keyboard, and when they refurbed the keyboard, they put the assembly of a newer keyboard into the old case, and changed the part number.

Hope that helps.

* As a general rule of thumb, when you look at 102-key terminal keyboards, you can tell which terminal family they were designed for based on the legend on the "Enter" (in PC terms) key says:
3151/3161-style: "Return"
5250-style: "Field Exit"
3270-style: "New Line"

1392366 Terminal M.
Edit: If you truly want to be really really sure, you can try steaming off the service label on top. Do NOT use a razor blade to try to remove the service label from the original label.

[OldIsNew]

If you truly want to be really really sure, you can try steaming off the service label on top. Do NOT use a razor blade to try to remove the service label from the original label.

A good idea but they peeled off the original label rather than just cover it  -  just some glue residue left - so may never really know for sure.
I'll go with a 1392366 though, since that would be cool, lol.  Here it is dressed it up as one for a picture. Note the "Action" key (but forgot to use numpad keys without the subscripts):

[Snowdog993]

If you truly want to be really really sure, you can try steaming off the service label on top. Do NOT use a razor blade to try to remove the service label from the original label.

A good idea but they peeled off the original label rather than just cover it  -  just some glue residue left - so may never really know for sure.
I'll go with a 1392366 though, since that would be cool, lol.  Here it is dressed it up as one for a picture. Note the "Action" key (but forgot to use numpad keys without the subscripts):


(Attachment Link)

You can take a peek or two at my collection if you like to see some unique Model M keyboards if you haven't already.
http://snowdog993.imgur.com/
It's not all of them, but I've been a bit preoccupied. Enjoy!