Ten Dells with Alps

[NewbieOneKenobi]

I got ten of them in various stages of dilapidation. They generally tend to be GYUM90SK but at least two are 92SK (this one has no euro sign on 4, and a gray PS/2 tip) and 95 SK (this one has no Windows keys, and a grey PS/2 tip). There's more difference with milliamperages... 275, 75, 60...

They still need cleaning. I took the pictures a while after unpacking them. Each face shot is followed by the respective back label view. Could someone please help me identify the Alps switches involved with reasonable certainty? I know you never know 100% until you dissect the switch but I don't want to do that.

[SmallWalrus]

I got ten of them in various stages of dilapidation. They generally tend to be GYUM90SK but at least two are 92SK (this one has no euro sign on 4, and a gray PS/2 tip) and 95 SK (this one has no Windows keys, and a grey PS/2 tip). There's more difference with milliamperages... 275, 75, 60...

They still need cleaning. I took the pictures a while after unpacking them. Each face shot is followed by the respective back label view. Could someone please help me identify the Alps switches involved with reasonable certainty? I know you never know 100% until you dissect the switch but I don't want to do that.

Free cat included?

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Free cat included?

Richard decided the packaging was quite attractive. Besides, I suspect he likes hardware.

[SmallWalrus]

I bet these are cheaper than the TVS keyboards! Heh

[NewbieOneKenobi]

They are, I got them for $11 each and $9 or $11 shipment total.

[keyb_gr]

Dilapi-what?

Anyway, it seems the first four numbers in the serial number encode the year and month of manufacture. The AT102 is the oldest, from early '95. A year later they had grown 3 more keys and a W. By '99 the € sign was standard. It's strange that one would be labeled AT101W when it's clearly a (102+3)-key version.

Not sure why so many of the Dells seem to be 1999 vintage. Mine is from '99, too. Maybe Dell ordered several years worth of production and sold these off thereafter. When did Alps get out of the switch business?

[NewbieOneKenobi]

As far as I recall reading somewhere here, Alps got out of business around 2000. So from that point onward, there'd be "fake Alps", aka "fukka", I guess.

So I suppose I'll basically clean all of them and give some of the repeating 8 to other people, while keeping te ones without the € sign.

Any idea if the ones early '95 one without Windows keys and the one from '96 without the € sign could possibly contain different switches from the rest? I can tell for sure that they produce metallic vibration ("ping") that the newer ones don't. They also feel different to type on but I can't nail down the difference except that the oldest unit (without Windows keys) is the clickiest of all, probably requires the most force to actuate (still below a Model M) and has distinct actuation. A '99 one feels somewhat crispier, for comparison. Haven't had any luck removing the keys so far. So, any ideas as to which Alps should be there?

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Okay, I've managed to remove the caps. The casing of the switch is always black but you can peek into the hole in the middle and the look of that varies from black to grey. There are also some numbers and letters on the switch casing. Numbers stay the same across a keyboard (but differ among keyboards from the same year) but letters change.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Bump. I've spent some time with the keyboards and it seems the older ones respond more slowly over the USB converter than the ones with a new purple PS/2 plug. I think I've noticed some transpositions too. They have a different feel than the newer units, more friction, I think, and more tactile, definitely more noticeable actuation, definitely more ping but maybe less smooth (and less interesting to type on), it feels like typing on the desk itself. Hard to tell the exact parameters, though. The '96 one feels different from the one from '95, which actually has a speaker. At the same time, all 10 units seem to have the same black alps on the exterior, the weight of the keyboards also seems to be the same.

[Oqsy]

use a plastic-safe lubricant, or even something like 303 Aerospace, and you'll find that all of the boards from all of the different eras feel identical.  Alps are the most prone to dirt / grit or uneven wear of all the mechanical switch variants encountered on geekhack...  a good clean and lube will make them all buttery fresh!

[keyb_gr]

Well, ALPS switches never were that expensive, so I guess that's gotta show somewhere.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

use a plastic-safe lubricant, or even something like 303 Aerospace, and you'll find that all of the boards from all of the different eras feel identical.  Alps are the most prone to dirt / grit or uneven wear of all the mechanical switch variants encountered on geekhack...  a good clean and lube will make them all buttery fresh!

Thanks. I don't need to take off the caps, do I (they don't give)?

I kinda like the Alps. Probably more than brown Cherries.