« previous next »
Pages:  [1]     Go Down

Author Topic: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2  (Read 5310 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline engicoder

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 721
  • Location: North Carolina
Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 07:00:12 »
For real...I was helping a farmer friend setup his new PC, an all in one HP which has a lovely screen but a piss poor chicklet keyboard and happened to mention that I preferred the older mechanical style keyboards. He said, "Really?, I have a couple old computers in the barn that don't work anymore."

Turns out he had a late 80's Zenith and a mid 90's Compaq. The Compaq had a Model M which he said he loved but didn't realize he could use with a newer pc. I got him set up with the Model M on his new PC and he let me have the Zenith...score!

So here it is:

Zenith ZKB-2
Date:    November 1987
Switch: Alps Green

13563-0
13565-1
13567-2

Its quite yellow...looks like time for a little Retr0brite!!
I will post a follow up when I get her cleaned up.
« Last Edit: Sat, 16 February 2013, 07:03:00 by engicoder »
Logged
   

Offline Hyde

  • Posts: 2643
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
  • White Tofu Extraordinaire
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 07:09:34 »
lol nice, the enter key almost look like a tetris piece.

And yes please post more pictures once it's cleaned up  :D
Logged

Archiss ProgresTouch Retro - Gateron Yellow  |  Topre Realforce 104UW - 45g Silent  |  Topre Type Heaven  |  Beige Filco Ninja 104 - MX Red  |  Das Keyboard - MX Brown  |  Poker II - MX Red  |  Race II - MX Brown  |  Matias Quiet Pro - Matias Dampened ALPS  |  Logitech K840 - Romer G  |  Cherry MX Board 2.0 - MX Red  |  Cherry G84-4100 - ML  |  IBM Model M
Roccat Kone Pure  |  Logitech G203  |  Logitech G303  |  Logitech G302  |  Razer Naga  |  CM Storm Xornet  |  Razer Goliathus Mobile Stealth  |  Razer Goliathus Control  |  Artisan Hien  |  Artisan Hayate  |  Artisan Shiden

Offline engicoder

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 721
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 07:11:34 »
Quote from: Hyde on Sat, 16 February 2013, 07:09:34
lol nice, the enter key almost look like a tetris piece.

Yes...I'm surprised row 2 and 3 haven't disappeared ;-)
Logged
   

Offline Number_25

  • Posts: 54
  • Location: West Wales, United Kingdom
    • http://www.keironoshea.info
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 07:15:22 »
It looks awesome, clean it up a bit and there you have a new (free) keyboard!
Logged

Offline poxeclipse

  • Posts: 171
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
  • Hit me with music ... yes, me friend
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 07:51:18 »
Green Alps are one of the best linear switches. I got an Ortek with green Alps, from the '80s, and was my favourite keyboard for a couple of months. Nice find.
Logged

Offline AKIMbO

  • HHKBro
  • Posts: 1778
  • Location: Tennessee
  • Know Topre, Know Peace. No Topre, No Peace.
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 08:43:39 »
I've got the same board (Zenith ZKB2-AT with green alps) and love it!  There is a key combo to turn the internal speaker on and off (the one that simulates a click sound).  I believe the key combo is alt + esc or alt + ~
Logged
Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
| KBD75 (box reds)

Offline engicoder

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 721
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 08:47:35 »
Quote from: AKIMbO on Sat, 16 February 2013, 08:43:39
I've got the same board (Zenith ZKB2-AT with green alps) and love it!

Thanks for the info....
It appears to have an AT connector...will a standard AT to PS/2 converter work with this board?
Logged
   

Offline AKIMbO

  • HHKBro
  • Posts: 1778
  • Location: Tennessee
  • Know Topre, Know Peace. No Topre, No Peace.
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 08:52:56 »
Quote from: engicoder on Sat, 16 February 2013, 08:47:35
Quote from: AKIMbO on Sat, 16 February 2013, 08:43:39
I've got the same board (Zenith ZKB2-AT with green alps) and love it!

Thanks for the info....
It appears to have an AT connector...will a standard AT to PS/2 converter work with this board?

Yes it will.  When I hook mine up to my computer, I usually use an AT to PS/2 adapter and plug it straight into my PS/2 port.  Otherwise, I'll use an AT to PS/2 adapter and then plug that into a PS/2 to USB converter, which I then plug into my USB port.  Both ways work, but I have trouble with key rollover if I try to game on the Zenith when it is hooked up via USB.
Logged
Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
| KBD75 (box reds)

Offline engicoder

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 721
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 16 February 2013, 09:31:15 »
Thanks....I use the PS/2 port usually anyway.
Logged
   

Offline engicoder

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 721
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Barn find: Zenith ZKB-2
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 11 July 2014, 12:57:22 »
I finally got around to cleaning this old girl up a bit. Check it out here.
Logged
   
Pages:  [1]     Go Up
« previous next »