Help identifying a keyboard

[nicolai1706]

Hi, so we decided to clean up in the attic and found this, I looked around and found this (https://deskthority.net/wiki/Datacomp_DFK777), so i guess its a Datacomp DFK-777F / APRIL. 1987?
Are people interested in these? anywhere I can find more information about these/a site to see prices?
Any help is appreciated


Regards
Nicolai

[Maledicted]

Heck yeah people would be interested. It has SKCM blue alps in it. You could sell it for at least $200+ if the switches are in good shape.

[nicolai1706]

Yeah so about that, they all click nice but the enter key, its goes in and then out slowly, but idk even know if it works.
Also its in danish, I guess that kinda narrows it down to a danish buyer unless you can just change the keycaps?

Thanks for the fast answer

[Maledicted]

Yeah so about that, they all click nice but the enter key, its goes in and then out slowly, but idk even know if it works.
Also its in danish, I guess that kinda narrows it down to a danish buyer unless you can just change the keycaps?

Thanks for the fast answer

No, it doesn't narrow it down much at all. You literally stumbled upon the holy grail of Alps switches. SKCM blues are the most desirable vintage clicky switch. People harvest them out of old boards just to build boards in modern layouts with them. I really hope that nobody would cannibalize a board in such nice shape, but it happens. You could change the caps with most any AT-layout cap set that's compatible with Alps stems.

Those are AT/XT switchable boards. Have you got a 5-pin din to PS/2 adapter? It will probably work with any modern computer that has a PS/2 port. Otherwise, you might need an active converter like Soarer's converter.

If I were you, I would type on it a while and get a feel for it before selling it off. You may just want to keep it. Otherwise, you've got me drooling. I keep a blue alps DC-2014 in constant rotation with capacitive buckling spring (IBM Model Fs) and box thick clicks. The blue Alps take the cake.

[nicolai1706]

Okay sounds good, guess ill have to buy an adapter to see if it even works.

I think someone else will enjoy it much more than me haha, but they are nice to type on.

If you are interested lmk, i just think shipping will be very expensive from Denmark to the US

What about the Apricot F1, is that even worth anything, its really mushy to type on, like its really bad in my opinion.

[Maledicted]

I'm not sure on the Apricot keyboard. Does it have a part number we could try to look up? Google says that it is infrared, based on searching "Apricot F1 keyboard" so I doubt there's any existing way to use it with a modern computer. It looks like it was a package deal with the F1 computer. Google also says the computer was manufactured between 1984 and 1986, and another website suggests that it utilizes a membrane ... so it probably isn't foam and foil.

If it is an early rubber dome, it likely won't be worth much to anybody. With that proprietary wireless interface, it might not be either way. Then again, somebody might need it for an Apricot with no, or no working keyboard? It wasn't an IBM-compatible computer, so who knows if it had a standard XT 5-pin din connector in the back.

I'm a little surprised by how modern that layout is.

[nicolai1706]

Yeah my bad totally forgot to take a pic of the back, and yep it looks like its infrared.

[envyy24]

Yeha you got a valuable piece here. No need to worry about the legends on the caps or anything else, people have and will always find a way. Congrats, should land you quite a bit of money if you ever decide to sell it.

[Maledicted]

Everything but Gimp, that's installed on this computer, hates that file format. I got the pictures converted to jpegs though:





I have no idea what those switches are. Dome with slider of some kind? I'm not sure what else it could be with a membrane, if everything I read is even all accurate. They don't look like NMB or BTC rubber domes. Might be worth cracking open and taking a look. ACT was apparently the same people that designed and manufactured the computers, not sure if there's anywhere we could go with that serial number. I guess the fact that the board was a toss-in with the computer is further reinforced if there's literally no other markings.

Yeha you got a valuable piece here. No need to worry about the legends on the caps or anything else, people have and will always find a way. Congrats, should land you quite a bit of money if you ever decide to sell it.

Most definitely. I wish I could find pristine SKCM Alps boards just sitting up in the attic.

[nicolai1706]

Would love to sell it, I know someone on here would get 10x more joy out of it than me.
Anywhere I can see pricing of last sold ones or anything like that?
I just ordered the adapter for my pc so I can see if it even works, would I need to download any drivers or should it just be plug n play?

My bad ill change it on my phone so it takes normal jpegs

[Maledicted]

Would love to sell it, I know someone on here would get 10x more joy out of it than me.
Anywhere I can see pricing of last sold ones or anything like that?
I just ordered the adapter for my pc so I can see if it even works, would I need to download any drivers or should it just be plug n play?

My bad ill change it on my phone so it takes normal jpegs

I tried looking on Ebay by doing an advanced search of all DFK-777 model boards that have sold, but I got no results. Maybe something relevant would come up by doing a search just by Datacomp, but I think their name was pretty common back then. Alright, I tried by Datacomp too and there's nothing relevant. Just some old white alps board of another model. You could try to wade through the quagmire that is mechmarket as well.

Generally, Most SKCM blue alps boards are going to have an AT layout, and most people just want them for the switches, so I don't think the price changes too much between boards. I seem to be able to find Leading Edge DC-2014s for cheaper than other boards of comparable condition. I snagged one on Ebay for $150 or so. One just sold for $200 today, before the $19 for shipping. Last week or so some black boards with dolch-like caps sold for $300 (or at least I think so, maybe the seller eventually accepted somebody else's offer. Not sure how Ebay keeps track of accepted offers as far as sale price.) after they sat for a few days.

I think most blue Alps boards would fall between the two, so long as the board is in really nice shape. Alps switches are very susceptible to dirt and dust. They become scratchy if they get too dirty, and they can't always be restored to full function if they've been used for a period of time while dirty.

If I were you, unless you intend on never touching a vintage board again, I would build or buy a Soarer's converter. You can make them with some soldering skills, a 5-pin din socket and/or whatever other interfaces you might need, and a Pro Micro or Teensy 2.0. These adapters will work with most things that were made throughout the mid to late 1980s (well, and anything PS/2, with the right adapter cable). The generic PS/2 to usb adapters will (usually) only work with AT or PS/2 (since the protocol is pretty much identical) keyboards.

Hasu is working on an open source alternative to Soarer's firmware, since Soarer vanished years ago before releasing his source, and that's also already very promising and works at least on Teensies as well. I had some trouble with it on my Pro Micros.

[envyy24]

Should be plug and play no problem, seems to me it uses the AT 5 pin so an at to ps2 should work.

About the price, I assume you are in EU, I would suggest you to go the Desthority forum, find the ALPS appreciation thread, and straight up ask them. These bunch are very nice and perhaps the largest active gathering of alps enthusiasts you can find. Plus, desthority is very eu oriented while GH is more like the States. So even selling it there would get you more chance. I you are in EU, that is.

Most definitely. I wish I could find pristine SKCM Alps boards just sitting up in the attic.

I wish i have an attic.

[envyy24]

One more thing, I am so sucked in by the blue alps I forgot, seems like the first one you got there is this

http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/2729/Apricot-F1/

[Maledicted]

Should be plug and play no problem, seems to me it uses the AT 5 pin so an at to ps2 should work.

About the price, I assume you are in EU, I would suggest you to go the Desthority forum, find the ALPS appreciation thread, and straight up ask them. These bunch are very nice and perhaps the largest active gathering of alps enthusiasts you can find. Plus, desthority is very eu oriented while GH is more like the States. So even selling it there would get you more chance. I you are in EU, that is.

Most definitely. I wish I could find pristine SKCM Alps boards just sitting up in the attic.

I wish i have an attic.

Yes, that's a good idea too. The switch needs to be in the correct orientation with a simple non-active 5-pin din to PS/2 adapter though. On that board, I believe that the AT setting would be the one labeled 286.

Yes, we talked about the F1 previously. Maybe he could find a PDF scan of that manual, but the last 1980s computer manual I went through for a weird terminal keyboard wasn't very forthcoming about what exactly was inside, or how it worked.

[envyy24]

Yes, that's a good idea too. The switch needs to be in the correct orientation with a simple non-active 5-pin din to PS/2 adapter though. On that board, I believe that the AT setting would be the one labeled 286.

Yes, we talked about the F1 previously. Maybe he could find a PDF scan of that manual, but the last 1980s computer manual I went through for a weird terminal keyboard wasn't very forthcoming about what exactly was inside, or how it worked.

Oh right I miss that part. I agree that this seems to be a dome with slider or early rubber dome, given the fact that vintage computers produced in UK often went that route.

[nicolai1706]

Would love to sell it, I know someone on here would get 10x more joy out of it than me.
Anywhere I can see pricing of last sold ones or anything like that?
I just ordered the adapter for my pc so I can see if it even works, would I need to download any drivers or should it just be plug n play?

My bad ill change it on my phone so it takes normal jpegs

I tried looking on Ebay by doing an advanced search of all DFK-777 model boards that have sold, but I got no results. Maybe something relevant would come up by doing a search just by Datacomp, but I think their name was pretty common back then. Alright, I tried by Datacomp too and there's nothing relevant. Just some old white alps board of another model. You could try to wade through the quagmire that is mechmarket as well.

Generally, Most SKCM blue alps boards are going to have an AT layout, and most people just want them for the switches, so I don't think the price changes too much between boards. I seem to be able to find Leading Edge DC-2014s for cheaper than other boards of comparable condition. I snagged one on Ebay for $150 or so. One just sold for $200 today, before the $19 for shipping. Last week or so some black boards with dolch-like caps sold for $300 (or at least I think so, maybe the seller eventually accepted somebody else's offer. Not sure how Ebay keeps track of accepted offers as far as sale price.) after they sat for a few days.

I think most blue Alps boards would fall between the two, so long as the board is in really nice shape. Alps switches are very susceptible to dirt and dust. They become scratchy if they get too dirty, and they can't always be restored to full function if they've been used for a period of time while dirty.

If I were you, unless you intend on never touching a vintage board again, I would build or buy a Soarer's converter. You can make them with some soldering skills, a 5-pin din socket and/or whatever other interfaces you might need, and a Pro Micro or Teensy 2.0. These adapters will work with most things that were made throughout the mid to late 1980s (well, and anything PS/2, with the right adapter cable). The generic PS/2 to usb adapters will (usually) only work with AT or PS/2 (since the protocol is pretty much identical) keyboards.

Hasu is working on an open source alternative to Soarer's firmware, since Soarer vanished years ago before releasing his source, and that's also already very promising and works at least on Teensies as well. I had some trouble with it on my Pro Micros.

Hmmm, idk, it is a nice board and all but again, i think another person is going to enjoy much more than me, but lets see haha.

One more thing, I am so sucked in by the blue alps I forgot, seems like the first one you got there is this

http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/2729/Apricot-F1/

Should be plug and play no problem, seems to me it uses the AT 5 pin so an at to ps2 should work.

About the price, I assume you are in EU, I would suggest you to go the Desthority forum, find the ALPS appreciation thread, and straight up ask them. These bunch are very nice and perhaps the largest active gathering of alps enthusiasts you can find. Plus, desthority is very eu oriented while GH is more like the States. So even selling it there would get you more chance. I you are in EU, that is.

Most definitely. I wish I could find pristine SKCM Alps boards just sitting up in the attic.

I wish i have an attic.

Yes, that's a good idea too. The switch needs to be in the correct orientation with a simple non-active 5-pin din to PS/2 adapter though. On that board, I believe that the AT setting would be the one labeled 286.

Yes, we talked about the F1 previously. Maybe he could find a PDF scan of that manual, but the last 1980s computer manual I went through for a weird terminal keyboard wasn't very forthcoming about what exactly was inside, or how it worked.

I bought this one https://www.av-cables.dk/ps-2-adapter-kabel/ps-2-adapter-kabel-ps-2-han-til-5-pin-hun-din-stik.html
I hope its the right, i think it is?

Also, thank you guys so much for your help, i dont think that Apricot F1 is worth anything, guess ill just keep it or throw it in if someone wants to the other keeb

[Maledicted]

That should work. I use virtually the same thing with my AT boards, and a PS/2 TG3 that I added a 5-pin din connector to the case so that I could just use nice HOSA midi cables with it. If I were you, and were to sell it, I would try to make sure it is going to somebody that will conserve and enjoy the board for what it is. I don't even want to know what percentage of perfectly good original SKCM blue boards have had their switches harvested from them.


You're very welcome. I'll take any chance I can get to drool over some weird old keyboards. I wonder if maybe some computing museum in the U.K. would know more about the F1 keyboard and/or want it. It does sound like it predates the much-hated IBM PCjr keyboard, so maybe it is one of the earliest infrared keyboards?

[nicolai1706]

That should work. I use virtually the same thing with my AT boards, and a PS/2 TG3 that I added a 5-pin din connector to the case so that I could just use nice HOSA midi cables with it. If I were you, and were to sell it, I would try to make sure it is going to somebody that will conserve and enjoy the board for what it is. I don't even want to know what percentage of perfectly good original SKCM blue boards have had their switches harvested from them.


You're very welcome. I'll take any chance I can get to drool over some weird old keyboards. I wonder if maybe some computing museum in the U.K. would know more about the F1 keyboard and/or want it. It does sound like it predates the much-hated IBM PCjr keyboard, so maybe it is one of the earliest infrared keyboards?

Yeah would be nice if museum wants it