What kind of Switches in a Focus FK-6000?

[M0rph3us]

I recently came upon a Focus Electronics FK-6000 for extremely cheap. Now on to my questions. What switches does this thing have and does anyone know if the keys are removable on it? I have searched google, but I have found nothing about this keyboard even existing. It has a DIN adapter so I know it must be quite old and I would like to rehab it if possible. Judging by the other Focus boards I have found online I think it would have some kind of ALPS switches.

Thanks

[jabar]

Other Focus varieties (2001, 5001) seem to have white ALPS switches.

[tipo33]

More likely than not - white complicated, clicky ALPS

[Hak Foo]

Some later ones (the 9200 with trackball) have rubber dome+slider, but the caps are sometimes still double-shot and ALPS compatible.

[jabar]

According to this article: http://kbtalking.cool3c.com/article/8366

the FK-6000 is some sort of ALPS knockoff which the article calls a mantis-foot system (F4 on that chart). The Deskthority wiki says it could be a clone of the XM simplified ALPS switch http://deskthority.net/wiki/XM

[M0rph3us]

Thanks for all the info guys!

How do I remove keycaps on these switches? If that is even possible. I really don't want to break this thing, but it needs a good cleaning.

[rootwyrm]

I used to own and sell FK-6000's side-by-side with FK-2k's. The FK-6k comes in two flavors: genuine Alps White Simplified and Knockoff Alps White identical to the later FK-2001. That's pretty much all there is to it.
Also, AFAIK the Focus is not the XM, but another knockoff. I don't know exactly who made them. They feel different from the XM's though, especially the FK-2001's.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

How do I remove keycaps on these switches?

Use a keypuller. I only have wire ones, and they do fine.

Focus Electronic used an absurd number of different switches in their keyboards, in a Chicony-esque way. The original FK-2001 (which itself changed design) used blue complicated Alps, Type IV clones, some sort of clone alleged to be Omron, and apparently (and I don't have a reference for this) white complicated Alps (listed here: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Focus_FK-2001). I'm not 100% sure that "Type IV" is one switch — I've got an NTC keyboard that's got something most the same, and that's what I posted to the Deskthority wiki, but it's not quite the same as what Alps.tw photographed as being in the FK-2001. Hard to differentiate manufacturing differences from clone jobs. I think I've nailed down what's an APC switch due to them having a reinforcement groove in the rear contact plate leg. APC is much easier though as their switches are still in production. So are XM switches, but no-one seems to have a photo of a confirmed XM switch disassembled (e.g. Filco Zero XM, Ducky 10**XM etc) and Xiang Min's spec doesn't go into enough detail.

I know the later version with Windows keys used Type III clones — I don't have a reference for those using anything else, but it would not surprise me.

(Focus's sales mailbox is still full and still bouncing mail!!)

[M0rph3us]

Quite the informative thread this has been, and judging by this new board I would say that I don't particularly like Alps switches. I guess it's a personal preference thing, so I think I'm going to rehab this one some with a good cleaning and throw it up for sale. I have no clue what it's actually worth, but do people have a problem with DIN5 boards? Or do people just buy adapters to make it PS/2 and not worry?

[Hak Foo]

Not really.  Some people will go straight to a USB adapter.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Quite the informative thread this has been, and judging by this new board I would say that I don't particularly like Alps switches.

It's more complicated than that. The ones on the board quite possibly are not genuine Alps Electric switches, but copies/clones. The various copies and clones do not have the best reputation when it comes to feel!

do people have a problem with DIN5 boards?

Depends. If the board is AT, or XT/AT switchable, you can just get a cheap adapter to put a PS/2 plug on the cable. I don't think this bothers anyone. PS/2 to USB is a much bigger headache, though.

If the board is XT, which this most likely will not be, that's when you need a converter, such as Soarer's.