Author Topic: AT102W flooding eBay UK (Read 6643 times)

jeyoung · « **on:** Tue, 14 September 2010, 14:27:46 »

Dunno if anyone else has seen this. There is someone selling tons of AT102W on eBay UK at the moment. He's selling them individually (starting £14.99) and in batches of 5 (£49.99).

The same picture is used for all the items, which is a bit strange, but the seller is an old-timer and has significant positive feedback.

Linkage

nathanscribe · « **Reply #1 on:** Tue, 14 September 2010, 14:52:09 »

I'd spotted those... they were on last week but he can't have sold many, maybe one or two at most. I don't know how good they are for the money though. My IBM M was only thirty-odd quid the other week.

jeyoung · « **Reply #2 on:** Tue, 14 September 2010, 14:56:58 »

I got one and e-mailed him asking if he was interested in bulk shipping. Now, to find a PS/2 to USB converter...

Findecanor · « **Reply #3 on:** Tue, 14 September 2010, 15:45:14 »

I think that the keyboard in the picture is a rubber dome, not a Dell keyboard with ALPS switches.
I have only seen ALPS switches in Dell keyboards that have a significantly larger case, but they were not clicky -- just tactile, except for a few that I knew were modded with switches from an Apple keyboard.
I have seen only rubber domes in that kind of case before -- those are quite common.

But perhaps there are clicky Dell keyboards that I don't know about. I have been into this for only a few months.

nathanscribe · « **Reply #4 on:** Tue, 14 September 2010, 18:24:23 »

Findecanor, I believe the W suffix denotes the one with mechanical switches and the R is the rubber dome - I might be wrong though, but I seem to recall reading something like that in one of the Wikis around here.

ch_123 · « **Reply #5 on:** Tue, 14 September 2010, 18:38:58 »

Those are rubber domes. Seller is an idiot.

Here's a Dell AT. The UK ones are identical (I've handled a number of the UK ones myself) except with the different layout. The keyboards pictured in the auction are rubber dome keyboards. Again, I have encountered them, so I'm not guessing.

jeyoung · « **Reply #6 on:** Wed, 15 September 2010, 02:11:17 »

OK. I've emailed the seller, and he's adamant that it's model AT102W, which is supposed to be the one with mechanical switches.

Let's wait and see.

Findecanor · « **Reply #7 on:** Wed, 15 September 2010, 04:21:07 »

Did you ask for a new picture? Or even better: did you ask for a picture of a switch with the cap pulled off?

Senor_Cartmenez · « **Reply #8 on:** Wed, 15 September 2010, 04:27:40 »

Why not ask him to pop open a key and send you a pick?

/edit

damn I'm slow today, should've stayed in bed

jeyoung · « **Reply #9 on:** Wed, 15 September 2010, 04:44:36 »

Damn! Now, why did I not think of that. It's already been shipped, so if it is not as expected, it'll be a lesson learned the hard way for next time. Now, if it is the AT102W with ALPS switches, I guess he'll be seeing lots of business coming his way.

Apparently, he got them from a decommissioned data-center, and the keyboards are barely used. I have asked him to ship me the cleanest of the lot with Model: AT102W on the underside

hoggy · « **Reply #10 on:** Wed, 15 September 2010, 15:28:57 »

I got one a little while back - can confirm that it's an AT102W with switches - well, sliders at least - stupidly lent out screwdrivers...

He's probably he didn't notice that the picture is misleading somewhat.

ch_123 · « **Reply #11 on:** Wed, 15 September 2010, 15:32:12 »

Dell rubber domes of that vintage had sliders, with keycaps that looked vaguely Alps compatible.

Also, there's a proper PN on those things, on my US AT101W, it's 0227KN

jeyoung · « **Reply #12 on:** Mon, 20 September 2010, 14:45:00 »

Here's an update. The AT102W has sliders and -- unless rubber domes click with a metallic sound -- proper switches.

(Actually, these are switches embedded in a metal baseplate, I have verified.)

Now, for the bad part... The description is as mis-leading as is the picture. That, or some people's interpretation of "only requires a clean wipe" is badly flawed. The two that I got came with crumbs in between yellowed keys. I do not think these were lightly used as the seller claims; in fact, they look like they have been hammered 24/7 by programmers. Nothing that I could not clean with a bit of patience, but I certainly was not expecting that.

Now, is there any chance of restoring yellowed keycaps to their former white glory?

Dirty Bint · « **Reply #13 on:** Mon, 20 September 2010, 16:48:51 »

Quote from: jeyoung;224940

Now, is there any chance of restoring yellowed keycaps to their former white glory?

Bint them with free radicals using that oxy bollox stuff and a UV lamp. You can make up a paste to brush on or just soak em in the juice. Hair dyes with high peroxide content and the oxy stain remover stuff make a good combi, they will come out shining like the teeth them wannabee celebs have.

Bint On

Rgds
Dirty Bint

itlnstln · « **Reply #14 on:** Mon, 20 September 2010, 16:50:42 »

Whitening toothpaste does a good job, too. Sorta goes back to the Peroxide thing.

Findecanor · « **Reply #15 on:** Mon, 20 September 2010, 16:55:33 »

Quote from: jeyoung;224940

Here's an update. The AT102W has sliders and -- unless rubber domes click with a metallic sound -- proper switches.

Yank a key and look! The switches should have the text "ALPS" molded in the top. It may be a bit hard to see.

Quote from: jeyoung;224940

Now, is there any chance of restoring yellowed keycaps to their former white glory?

Search the forum (and Google) for the recipe for "Retrobrite" and alternative formulas and products. There are also ready-made dental bleaching creams and acne creams that could work -- as long as the active ingredient is a kind of peroxide such as "hydrogen peroxide". Chlorine is not recommended, though.

I am thinking about getting one of these for myself. I already have a few ALPS-switch keyboards, but only with Apple-compatibles with ADB connectors and no working adapter ... so I am thinking about transplanting (parts of) the switches.
Does anybody know, could I replace the switches in a Dell AT101 with the ones from a AEKII without soldering?

jeyoung · « **Reply #16 on:** Mon, 20 September 2010, 17:20:09 »

Thanks, all, for the feedback. I will try the hydrogen peroxide recipe first.

kps · « **Reply #17 on:** Tue, 21 September 2010, 12:54:48 »

Quote from: Findecanor;224980

Does anybody know, could I replace the switches in a Dell AT101 with the ones from a AEKII without soldering?

You should be able to, since APLS switches are easy to disassemble from the top. Just swap the stem and springs.

ch_123 · « **Reply #18 on:** Tue, 21 September 2010, 13:09:20 »

You can, but it's so tedious that you will make it half the way through before you wish you had used the soldering iron...

ch_123 · « **Reply #19 on:** Tue, 21 September 2010, 13:10:15 »

Quote from: jeyoung;224940

Here's an update. The AT102W has sliders and -- unless rubber domes click with a metallic sound -- proper switches.

(Actually, these are switches embedded in a metal baseplate, I have verified.)

Now, for the bad part... The description is as mis-leading as is the picture. That, or some people's interpretation of "only requires a clean wipe" is badly flawed. The two that I got came with crumbs in between yellowed keys. I do not think these were lightly used as the seller claims; in fact, they look like they have been hammered 24/7 by programmers. Nothing that I could not clean with a bit of patience, but I certainly was not expecting that.

Now, is there any chance of restoring yellowed keycaps to their former white glory?

So it was the wrong picture for the right keyboard?

jeyoung · « **Reply #20 on:** Tue, 21 September 2010, 16:24:46 »

Quote from: ch_123;225185

So it was the wrong picture for the right keyboard?

Yes, I guess it was

I am gathering my courage for the task of cleaning those up this coming week-end.

News:

Author Topic: AT102W flooding eBay UK (Read 6643 times)