Visited my local recycling center, wasnt disappointed (hi-tek linears + mitsumi)

[mike52787]

Just visited my local recycling center, and I cant believe what I found. I found 2 boards, Both of which I think are  from old terminals. There may be more, but I didnt get the chance to dig through the whole bin. The first I found was this original hi-tek linear board.(this is what theyre called on dt, I dont know what they really are called) The switches pretty rough, and some of the sliders are cracked. I have no clue what this board came out of, I suspect an old terminal. Have some pictures!


The 2nd board I found is a mitsumi linear board, that I think is out of either a terminal or typewriter. I believe these are mitsumi alps clones. At first I thought these were skcc alps, but the back of the board has a mitsumi name on it. Heres the pics. These are some damn nice doubleshots!

Ill be putting these boards on classifieds in a bit after I get tired of them. If anyone wants them, just pm me.

[mrhead]

Nice find!

[chyros]

Nice, welcome to the amazing world of recycling centres! ^^

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I know I've seen that double-action switch in some topic in some forum somewhere in what I thought was a typewriter keyboard, but I can't for the life of me find it again. (Mine came with some headed lead attached, and I have no idea what it's from — it's pre-assembled new with that lead.)

https://deskthority.net/wiki/Mitsumi_standard_mechanical_double_action

I make it five double-action switches in that keyboard (the five switches that have all four terminals populated):

Space
Backspace
Delete
Index
Reverse index

The rest of the switches are a strange all-white version that I'm not familiar with: the regular single pole momentary switch has a panda shell in other keyboards. (I happen to have some on my desk — I found that PCB impossible to trace until I realised that the terminals go to the side, so I'm looking for vertically-arranged pairs of solder pads.)

Return, though, has:

One switch with four solder pads: two soldered, one mystery, one empty hole
One object with four mystery solder pads (above)
One object with four pads, three with empty holes, one mystery pad

Normally return is a double-action switch, but I don't know what's happened here.

[mike52787]

I know I've seen that double-action switch in some topic in some forum somewhere in what I thought was a typewriter keyboard, but I can't for the life of me find it again. (Mine came with some headed lead attached, and I have no idea what it's from — it's pre-assembled new with that lead.)

https://deskthority.net/wiki/Mitsumi_standard_mechanical_double_action

I make it five double-action switches in that keyboard (the five switches that have all four terminals populated):

Space
Backspace
Delete
Index
Reverse index

The rest of the switches are a strange all-white version that I'm not familiar with: the regular single pole momentary switch has a panda shell in other keyboards. (I happen to have some on my desk — I found that PCB impossible to trace until I realised that the terminals go to the side, so I'm looking for vertically-arranged pairs of solder pads.)

Return, though, has:

One switch with four solder pads: two soldered, one mystery, one empty hole
One object with four mystery solder pads (above)
One object with four pads, three with empty holes, one mystery pad

Normally return is a double-action switch, but I don't know what's happened here.

I was ready to throw the mitsumi board away while I was cleaning out today, Glad you posted. Thats interesting. Should I take some of the switches apart and take pictures for the DT wiki?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Of course.

Even seemingly run-of-the-mill keyboards and switches can have interesting secrets that are lost when people throw them away.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Oh noes!

At the bottom right of the Mitsumi PCB, it appears to say TW-15 94HB.

Just next to that, you can see "6YU".

"6YU" appears to be the end of the model number, which means that the keyboard and switch series name (Kxx) was written on the piece of the PCB that got snapped off!

So close! So close to having a series name for type 1 standard mechanical! Curses, foiled again.