Author Topic: What is this keyboard I found?  (Read 3391 times)

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Offline Gahrlaag

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What is this keyboard I found?
« on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:27:47 »
So my dad has a company that specializes in recycling of all types of electronic equipment..
Needless to say I have made some nice finds during the years ( a multitude of Model M's, amongst other things) but recently I came across this baby..





From what I can tell, It's an ALPS keyboard...however, what I'm not entirely sure of is if those are monterreys or not (based on who made the keyboard) and the approx value/avaliablity of this particular keyboard.

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:32:53 »
Monterey K104 with "PC-Doctron" branding is the keyboard. It's right on that back label.

Switches look like complicated Blue Alps aka SKCM Blue Alps. The tab count and stem color looks right.

I think the boards go for about $75-120+ if it is an SKCM Blue Alps. If they're the "Monterey Alps" switches, the board is worth significantly less.

Also, welcome to Geekhack. I'm sure your inbox is about to blow up with everyone in Europe asking you for rare or vintage boards :P.
« Last Edit: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:35:35 by CPTBadAss »

Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:35:05 »
So a keeper then! Great! Taking it home for cleaning and adding it to the collection :thumb:

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:38:06 »
Definitely a nice find if it is blue alps.

Offline azhdar

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:41:25 »
The keys that replace winkeys are so weird .

Is that common on vintage boards ?
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Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:44:26 »
The keys that replace winkeys are so weird .

Is that common on vintage boards ?

How do I distinguish them? Is there an easy way of looking that up?

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:44:52 »
A lot of the older Alps boards I've had or seen don't have any winkeys. So instead they have odd symbols like that.

Edit: I'll assume this question is a reply to me.

How do I distinguish them? Is there an easy way of looking that up?

1) Check the Deskthority.net Wiki
2) Tell us how they feel and we can try to discerne what they are that way
3) Wait for someone else to chime in
« Last Edit: Thu, 11 December 2014, 08:52:05 by CPTBadAss »

Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 09:03:44 »
A lot of the older Alps boards I've had or seen don't have any winkeys. So instead they have odd symbols like that.

Edit: I'll assume this question is a reply to me.

How do I distinguish them? Is there an easy way of looking that up?

1) Check the Deskthority.net Wiki
2) Tell us how they feel and we can try to discerne what they are that way
3) Wait for someone else to chime in

Well they do feel clicky if I recall correctly..
I'll try to post a more torough description later tonight.

Offline opensecret

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 11:18:36 »
The keys that replace winkeys are so weird .

Is that common on vintage boards ?

Part of why the keys are that way looks to be that this board is designed to offer the user a choice between US and European layouts.   Aside from the European variations that appear on the right side of some keys, the layout is identical to the AT-style, inverted-T layout of the time.  I’m guessing there must be dip switches for choosing a configuration, which was common in those days.  On my Northgate from that era (which I’m typing on now),  the key to the right of the left control key (where you might see a left Windows key on a modern board) does tilde and left single quote.  OP’s board looks as if it offers a choice of tilde/quote or asterisk/forward slash.  Without a manual, you’d presumably have to experiment with the switches to figure out what’s what -- unless this keyboard came with proprietary software instead of dip switches, which would make things more challenging.  Buy you could always reprogram the board to get what you want.
« Last Edit: Thu, 11 December 2014, 11:33:23 by opensecret »
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Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 12:41:41 »
OK! so!
Closer inspection of the actual keys has been done, and I can definitively say that they are very tactile! Probably not as much as my Model M but it's close!
They have a clear distinct click, much more than my MX Browns and more deep than Mx Blues.
They need a bit of force to be clicked, higher than both blues and browns but less than bucklings. The keys are doubleshot abs'es which seem to be etched for the Swedish chars which can be seen on one of the pics below..
The actual switch isn's sharp blue but more like dullish if you know what I mean.
There's also a switch as suggested by the poster above me, which can be seen on the pics below aswell.
I also included a vid of the clicking so you have a better chance of deciding.

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v443/dj_aleks/Mobile%20Uploads/20141211_193150.mp4





Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 12:47:16 »
Just to clarify, the swedish chars have been etched or "scraped" out on the existing print.

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 12:53:11 »
Sounds like my Blue Alps. I'd say they are.

Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 12:55:04 »
Woho! In other words, a good score!

Offline opensecret

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #13 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 14:05:13 »
Sounds like my Blue Alps. I'd say they are.

That seems right to me.  The sound of the switches in your video is roughly right -- your switches sound a little more hollow than my white Alps, but that probably has to do with differences in the enclosure.  With Alps switches that I've used, you generally get a tiny amount of travel before you hit the bump where the key registers; then there's a significant amount of additional travel before you bottom out. There's a light click at the bump, and a louder thunk when you hit bottom.  They're generally quieter than unmodded Cherry MX switches, and to me they have a softer, floating feel compared to MX.  They're also pretty durable, so there's a good chance the board is still fully operational. 

I was expecting a set of dip switches because all my old boards have that, but I see from your photo that this board is simpler -- any configuration you want so long as it's A or X.

Does the board have a cable?
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Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #14 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 14:10:20 »
Sounds like my Blue Alps. I'd say they are.

That seems right to me.  The sound of the switches in your video is roughly right -- your switches sound a little more hollow than my white Alps, but that probably has to do with differences in the enclosure.  With Alps switches that I've used, you generally get a tiny amount of travel before you hit the bump where the key registers; then there's a significant amount of additional travel before you bottom out. There's a light click at the bump, and a louder thunk when you hit bottom.  They're generally quieter than unmodded Cherry MX switches, and to me they have a softer, floating feel compared to MX.  They're also pretty durable, so there's a good chance the board is still fully operational. 

I was expecting a set of dip switches because all my old boards have that, but I see from your photo that this board is simpler -- any configuration you want so long as it's A or X.

Does the board have a cable?

That description is spot on!
Short travel, click, long travel, thump!

It does, it's a DIN connection so I'm waiting for an adapter to try it out!
Took all the caps off now! one crack on one of the switches (top part, the plastic so i think some superglue will do the trick) and one broken part of the cap still inside one of the switches, otherwise, perfect condition!
Needs a bit of cleaning tough..so I'm soaking the caps in soapy water overnight.
« Last Edit: Thu, 11 December 2014, 14:20:25 by Gahrlaag »

Offline opensecret

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #15 on: Thu, 11 December 2014, 18:41:11 »
A DIN cable is what you'd expect.  On the two Northgates that I'm still using, I've got DIN-->PS/2-->USB.  Works great, except that sometimes when the PC comes back from sleep mode, it's no longer listening to the keyboard, and I have to pull the plug and re-insert to bring it back.
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Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #16 on: Fri, 12 December 2014, 03:22:41 »
A DIN cable is what you'd expect.  On the two Northgates that I'm still using, I've got DIN-->PS/2-->USB.  Works great, except that sometimes when the PC comes back from sleep mode, it's no longer listening to the keyboard, and I have to pull the plug and re-insert to bring it back.

It's gonna be interesting to see if it actually does fire up! Fully usable as well thanks to the 2 extra keys which I'll remap to function as win-keys.
Caps cleaned but the plastic is yellow-ish..
Wasn't there some miracle thing you could spray on get rid of the yellow stain?

Offline opensecret

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #17 on: Fri, 12 December 2014, 10:22:51 »

Caps cleaned but the plastic is yellow-ish..
Wasn't there some miracle thing you could spray on get rid of the yellow stain?

Try this link: http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/
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Offline dustinhxc

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #18 on: Fri, 12 December 2014, 10:35:24 »
Blue Alps, nice find!

Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #19 on: Fri, 12 December 2014, 11:00:02 »
Try this link: http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/

Perfect! Thank you! I'll have to try that when it gets a bit lighter here in Sweden, cause right now it's pich black after 15:00 :D

Blue Alps, nice find!

Thanks! :D

Offline Findecanor

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #20 on: Fri, 12 December 2014, 11:44:05 »
Perfect! Thank you! I'll have to try that when it gets a bit lighter here in Sweden, cause right now it's pich black after 15:00 :D
And it does not get very bright during the "day" either. Some winter days are darker than some summer nights.

I heard something about concentrated hydrogen peroxide becoming a controller substance. If you can't get hold of it, I have an older bottle but it will have lost some of its potency.
🍉

Offline Gahrlaag

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Re: What is this keyboard I found?
« Reply #21 on: Fri, 12 December 2014, 11:45:41 »
What was the initial concentration %? If anything it probably got stronger :)