What is "DECK"? High end Keyboard, not TG3?

[typo]

I saw a very old post where someone said best custom 65% was "either" Rama or "DECK". Obviously they did not mean TG3. What the heck kind of "DECK" did they mean? Never heard of that before.

Also bonus points: What is an "OTG" board? Yeah call me stupid please. seriously I have no clue.

Thank you

[Maledicted]

I saw a very old post where someone said best custom 65% was "either" Rama or "DECK". Obviously they did not mean TG3. What the heck kind of "DECK" did they mean? Never heard of that before.

Also bonus points: What is an "OTG" board? Yeah call me stupid please. seriously I have no clue.

Thank you

They probably meant a Deck 82/BL82, even though that's not a 65%. I think the U.S.-made BL82s are wonderful myself, with a little modding. Nice thick steel plate, thick aluminum lower case, extremely thick plastic upper case. I picked up some with PS/2 cables, new in the boxes. On the one I have messed with, I removed the Seran wrap, desoldered the MX blacks, soldered in box jades, installed a 5-pin Din socket so that I can use nice HOSA midi cables, with a 5-pin to PS/2 adapter, and slapped some rubber feet on the bottom. I imagine that this keyboard will function long past the apocalypse now.










I imagine OTG is being used to mean on-the-go, just like those usb host adapters for phones. Something small enough to be easily portable.

[typo]

I know those TG3 boards are awesome. I live in Wisconsin. I used to know a lot of people that worked there. when I lived down south. The thing is I did not know they were super expensive? I thought there were Millions of them out there. The post I saw some where the guy was talking about Rama and "Deck" were like the most expensive boards. Trust me, I know all to well that Rama is but I did not think Deck was. I must have about 50 or 60 of those Decks somewhere in the Attic. Is that one of the backlit cop car ones or a medical one? I kind of like the saran wrap actually. I think it kind of makes the blacks feel like a Topre but you don't bottom out. Topre is my favorite but what I can't get over is you must bottom out on them. I hate bottoming out. You did a real nice job with that though. I am not sure that is what "OTG" meant either. Again, I believe this guy was speaking solely of expensive items. Very odd. Unless I am losing my mind. Which is possible. You already know that I am a senior citizen. Now watch walie come take the opportunity to insult me on that. Yes, I am baiting him. Honestly I do not give a hoot about him.

[walie]

I have a good idea on what OTG is

Also mid-40s, tops.

[Maledicted]

I know those TG3 boards are awesome. I live in Wisconsin. I used to know a lot of people that worked there. when I lived down south. The thing is I did not know they were super expensive? I thought there were Millions of them out there. The post I saw some where the guy was talking about Rama and "Deck" were like the most expensive boards. Trust me, I know all to well that Rama is but I did not think Deck was. I must have about 50 or 60 of those Decks somewhere in the Attic. Is that one of the backlit cop car ones or a medical one? I kind of like the saran wrap actually. I think it kind of makes the blacks feel like a Topre but you don't bottom out. Topre is my favorite but what I can't get over is you must bottom out on them. I hate bottoming out. You did a real nice job with that though. I am not sure that is what "OTG" meant either. Again, I believe this guy was speaking solely of expensive items. Very odd. Unless I am losing my mind. Which is possible. You already know that I am a senior citizen. Now watch walie come take the opportunity to insult me on that. Yes, I am baiting him. Honestly I do not give a hoot about him.

I think Deck still tries to sell boards for $150+. I wish I could find the cases in cool colors still, I would consider grabbing some. There's really no reason to pay Deck's ridiculous prices when you can get a brand new surplus board for almost nothing, and the only real difference is 2-key rollover vs n-key, and maybe something like the lack of a Windows key. Then there's the fact that the real TG3 boards have a better chance of U.S.-made parts. I'm not sure what this one could have specifically been meant for, seeing as the BL82s I got were new in the box, from about 2001 or so. They were very cheap. I think I talked the seller down to $30 each, shipped. I do have 3 of the TG3 cop keyboards too, at least as they're called, with the integrated trackpads. I modded a removable aviator connector into one, trimmed the rubber domes to still protect the plate/board from debri without interrupting the travel of the switch, and installed box jades into it as well. When you bring up the Saran wrap feeling like topre, you probably mean the ones with the silicone mats, with domes for each switch, installed.The BL82s, to my knowledge, all just have Saran wrap, which feels pretty terrible. It feels entirely linear, but less smooth, with an inconsistent and unnatural feeling buildup of resistance just before it bottoms out. It is the "cop keyboards" that have the raincoats, as people seem to have dubbed them when modding them into other boards. I imagine they could have been mounted just about anywhere in reality, but 2 of the 3 did have mounting holes drilled into the lower casing.

Do you know if TG3 has any way to reprogram these things that they would be willing to share? I imagine they've got a tool for it.

[typo]

Yeah, I have a pile of those cop boards but I can't really get to them right now. At least I am pretty sure they are still there. TG3 made them in Wisconsin 100%. they can program the PIC no problem. They will not. Since 2014 the new staff are not nice at all. The new "Deck" are some of the worst most obscure Chinese boards. A shame. The original full-size Deck was 100% made in WI. It was a tank. The issue was their keycaps while probably the most robust ever just sucked. The raincoats were indeed the ones that sort of felt like Topre too. I take it you really know how to solder. I find it tedious even with the finest equipment. This is OT but I need a 3mm RGB LED. It is through hole. Can you find me one online? It is for a new TG3 product. These jerks will not even give me one and they must have thousands of them. Try to type in their FTP the tool might be on there! I just thought of that. I think in fact he did actually mean Deck. since a new TG3 board is bulletproof and also costs like $1,500 for just one board. I still much prefer Rama. You know all my aviator cables busted. I use "Xcentz" USB cables. The absolute strongest USB cables. There are different grades. I get the best ones/ They are very cheap.

What now, walie? Spill the beans. You are so weird.

[envyy24]

Hey want to ask you guys veterans: how is much is a TG3 Electronics KBA-BL82A worth?

[Maledicted]

Yeah, I have a pile of those cop boards but I can't really get to them right now. At least I am pretty sure they are still there. TG3 made them in Wisconsin 100%. they can program the PIC no problem. They will not. Since 2014 the new staff are not nice at all. The new "Deck" are some of the worst most obscure Chinese boards. A shame. The original full-size Deck was 100% made in WI. It was a tank. The issue was their keycaps while probably the most robust ever just sucked. The raincoats were indeed the ones that sort of felt like Topre too. I take it you really know how to solder. I find it tedious even with the finest equipment. This is OT but I need a 3mm RGB LED. It is through hole. Can you find me one online? It is for a new TG3 product. These jerks will not even give me one and they must have thousands of them. Try to type in their FTP the tool might be on there! I just thought of that. I think in fact he did actually mean Deck. since a new TG3 board is bulletproof and also costs like $1,500 for just one board. I still much prefer Rama. You know all my aviator cables busted. I use "Xcentz" USB cables. The absolute strongest USB cables. There are different grades. I get the best ones/ They are very cheap.

What now, walie? Spill the beans. You are so weird.

I have done a lot of soldering in the past, just tinkering and/or trying to fix things that I could never afford to replace. One of my first laptops was one I got on Craigslist for free when the owner was trying to sell the battery. The DC jack had broken away from the board, one of those stupid designs where they were soldered directly with no stress relief.

25PCS 3mm RGB led diffused 4-PIN multicolor dip led 2.6*3.5*6.5mm common anode full color light diode For Keyboard

Would that do the trick for you? The closest I could find of real RGB LEDs on Amazon were 5mm ones. would a 5mm fit in your application? You don't see too many through-hole RGB LEDs. I was confused entirely by images of LEDs with two legs, but apparently the Chinese are now shoveling out LEDs that simply fade from one color to another, without any control.

What I mean by aviator connectors is I drill a big hole in the case and install a female gx12 aviator socket, completely replacing whatever original usb connection may have been in place, or a non-removable cable. Then I make my own aviator to usb type a cable. Like so:





I know that these will never fail on me. Those artisan cables with aviator connectors in-line are pretty pointless if you ask me, other than for just having a really fancy way to attach adapters for different USB interfaces. My problem is with micro USB and type c connectors themselves. They're not robust at all.

TG3 has an FTP server that's accessible by the public?

Hey want to ask you guys veterans: how is much is a TG3 Electronics KBA-BL82A worth?

Whatever you want to pay. They flood the market, and prices fluctuate with supply and demand. It seems like most people who wanted extremely rugged little boards, with some quirks, for cheap, bought theirs years ago now. I just got into it recently, and I have no problem getting these boards for $30 each (PS/2 ones, which I actually prefer), shipped. If you see them for more, shoot the seller a lower offer. TG3 sold, and still sells, the things by the truck loads to businesses and government agencies, so it seems to me that most sellers are sitting on hundreds of the things, and can't be selling them fast anymore. Every time I have shot an offer on both the "cop keyboards" with integrated trackpads, and the BL82s without, I have been able to talk the seller down.

They're very well-made, and cheap, but the keycaps are shaped oddly and are some sort of pseudo doubleshot ABS. The board I heavily modified for HTPC use has visible yellowing on the legends. The layout is non-standard, so you're unlikely to find a replacement set that fits perfectly, if you really care about the cosmetics. Most TG3 boards have Cherry MX black switches. Steer clear of any with MX clears, unless you just want to harvest switches, as they may all be 12v boards. The rest should all have Cherry MX blacks, plate mounted. The BL82s will have a Saran Wrap-like layer between the switches/plate and the caps. I remove the Saran Wrap, desolder them and put in mostly box jades.

But heck, who cares about all of that for a $30 keyboard that you could probably throw off of a cliff, retrieve, and type a dissertation on.

[typo]

Thank you. unfortunately 3mm barely fits. I cannot find it anywhere. these darn Chinese. Now the board is gone. Yeah, your connectors are robust. I did mean those cables. those are just fancy but they break.
TG3 keycaps have a very thick PBT top with a super thin ABS "skirt". Pretty neat. Only thing is they are not sculpted but they do work very good in cars. Which is their purpose. As said, they are built like tanks. I like the Deck backlit ones. Hard to find. The funny thing is these Korean boards with CNC cases ETC would never stand up to the abuse of a TG3. So, yeah maybe that is what the guy meant in fact. If I could just get this LED. TG3 has a stash of them but the new CEO is not cool like the old one. The old CEO was very nice to me. Their techs taught me a lot of stuff for free. You should see their "show room". You would drool. I moved way up North anyways. An interesting tidbit. cop boards are only lit red. Blue can make you crash your car! I am not sure if their FTP has a PW on it or not. Never tried. Do not use your browser for FTP. USE something such as FLASHFXP. since you will not know if a connection issue was your browser or their FTP.

[envyy24]

But heck, who cares about all of that for a $30 keyboard that you could probably throw off of a cliff, retrieve, and type a dissertation on.

Yeah the reason I asked because i was competing with another dude, or gal, the other day for one of those in an online auction. Im a sucker for compact retro board, bois that TG3 just fits the bill. However I gave up when the other person shot the price up to $75, I thought it was overpriced. I regret a little, however I'm sure if I followed then the fella would surely outbid me again, he or she was very determined. Good to  know that my instinct was somewhat right, I like the board but i'm in no hassle to overpay for one really.

[Maledicted]

Thank you. unfortunately 3mm barely fits. I cannot find it anywhere. these darn Chinese. Now the board is gone. Yeah, your connectors are robust. I did mean those cables. those are just fancy but they break.
TG3 keycaps have a very thick PBT top with a super thin ABS "skirt". Pretty neat. Only thing is they are not sculpted but they do work very good in cars. Which is their purpose. As said, they are built like tanks. I like the Deck backlit ones. Hard to find. The funny thing is these Korean boards with CNC cases ETC would never stand up to the abuse of a TG3. So, yeah maybe that is what the guy meant in fact. If I could just get this LED. TG3 has a stash of them but the new CEO is not cool like the old one. The old CEO was very nice to me. Their techs taught me a lot of stuff for free. You should see their "show room". You would drool. I moved way up North anyways. An interesting tidbit. cop boards are only lit red. Blue can make you crash your car! I am not sure if their FTP has a PW on it or not. Never tried. Do not use your browser for FTP. USE something such as FLASHFXP. since you will not know if a connection issue was your browser or their FTP.

I was about to ask if the link I found wasn't what you were looking for, but then I realized I broke it before I even posted. Sorry about that. I should be testing those things every single time. It is fixed now. 3mm through-hole RGB, if the Aliexpress ad is accurate.

I would love to see their show room. The red LEDs make sense.

But heck, who cares about all of that for a $30 keyboard that you could probably throw off of a cliff, retrieve, and type a dissertation on.

Yeah the reason I asked because i was competing with another dude, or gal, the other day for one of those in an online auction. Im a sucker for compact retro board, bois that TG3 just fits the bill. However I gave up when the other person shot the price up to $75, I thought it was overpriced. I regret a little, however I'm sure if I followed then the fella would surely outbid me again, he or she was very determined. Good to  know that my instinct was somewhat right, I like the board but i'm in no hassle to overpay for one really.

TG3 Electronics BL82 Series 82 key LED Backlit KeyboaRD (KBA-BL82-5RBIVS) PS2

I bought mine from here. I offered $30 each, shipped, for 2 of them and he accepted. The ad has been up forever and he's only sold 17 of them, so I'm surprised somebody bid one up to $75. Were you looking for a very specific variant? TG3 has used tons of model numbers. I think all 3 of my "cop keyboards" have slightly different ones, even though they're functionally the same. Some small board differences on 1 of the 3 I think. I believe these ones are at least all the same, since they're brand new in the box.

[envyy24]

I bought mine from here. I offered $30 each, shipped, for 2 of them and he accepted. The add has been up forever and he's only sold 17 of them, so I'm surprised somebody bid one up to $75. Were you looking for a very specific variant? TG3 has used tons of model numbers. I think all 3 of my "cop keyboards" have slightly different ones, even though they're functionally the same. Some small board differences on 1 of the 3 I think. I believe these ones are at least all the same, since they're brand new in the box.

No I was not actively looking for anything really. Just stumbled on the keeb by chance, and it is an older version of this actually. Or just a different version. It does not have backlit and the keycaps color is the white/beige color scheme. And coincidently in this thread I see you guys are discussing about TG3 keyboard so I though I would ask.

P/S: thank you for sharing the link, cheers friend!

[typo]

I just realized the guy meant "OTD" On The Desk! a very high end Korean keyboard. duh. Red does not harm your night vision. all the cop boards are red. Blue will make you crash for sure.  Cops take that very seriously. cops actually have more laws to abide by then we do. These boards are great for $30. Especially how Mal' is modding them. You could not get a better $30 board. Questionable if you could get a better $200 board even. These will last forever. They are very literally bulletproof. That was one of the real requirements!

[Maledicted]

I just realized the guy meant "OTD" On The Desk! a very high end Korean keyboard. duh. Red does not harm your night vision. all the cop boards are red. Blue will make you crash for sure.  Cops take that very seriously. cops actually have more laws to abide by then we do. These boards are great for $30. Especially how Mal' is modding them. You could not get a better $30 board. Questionable if you could get a better $200 board even. These will last forever. They are very literally bulletproof. That was one of the real requirements!

Did that link to the 3mm RGB LEDs have what you needed?

[typo]

Yes, thank you very much! sorry i forgot to thank you. It was larger but I can just route the channel and make it fit.

[Maledicted]

Yes, thank you very much! sorry i forgot to thank you. It was larger but I can just route the channel and make it fit.

That's good to hear. Goodluck.