New, Old Stock KB's with Alps switches

[jksteger]

I purchased this: http://www.microconnectors.com/servlet/the-56/USB-KEYBOARD-MAC-dsh-GRAPE/Detail

It seems they are made to a lower quality but they still have Black Alps for switches, New but older stock, and for $15 + shipping, I thought "why not". 

I had a Dell 101w with black alps and it was terrible; of course it was used and over 20 years old.  I then moved to the Apple Extended keyboards which are great to me but they too feel a little "stiff".  They all feel like they're full of grit or something, even after opening them up and cleaning the switches!  I also got a Matias Quiet Pro.  I loved their version of the alps.  Smooth, feels great and super quiet.  No "thud" that I like from the other alps boards.

Has anyone ever used this "D07-135" model and could tell me what the key press feels like?  Is it smooth, like you would expect on a new board?

Thanks,

J.

[FoxWolf1]

This was mine:


The switches are decently smooth, though not as much so as the MX Blacks I'm currently using. Compared to other ALPS-style switches that I've tried, they're fairly stable, not as susceptible to accidental presses as some others, with a tactile bump that's kind of...meaty? It's definitely a tactile "bump" rather than a tactile "point", anyway. I thought they were quite nice.

[nubbinator]

I was going to comment that "Theyyyy're GRAPE!," but I've never used one so I can't say.

[IvanIvanovich]

Oh, if only I still had my original iMac!

[jksteger]

The switches are decently smooth, though not as much so as the MX Blacks I'm currently using. Compared to other ALPS-style switches that I've tried, they're fairly stable, not as susceptible to accidental presses as some others, with a tactile bump that's kind of...meaty? It's definitely a tactile "bump" rather than a tactile "point", anyway. I thought they were quite nice.

Thanks, for the feedback!  I have a Ducky TKL with black Alps that I have de-soldered the alps switches from.  I may just move some of these switches over to my Ducky TKL board.  I will give it a test drive first.

My main concern was that this being a old but "new" keyboard if these black Alps would suffer the same as all the Dell 101's I've tried and be stiff as a stick!

Thanks,

j.

[FoxWolf1]

The switches are decently smooth, though not as much so as the MX Blacks I'm currently using. Compared to other ALPS-style switches that I've tried, they're fairly stable, not as susceptible to accidental presses as some others, with a tactile bump that's kind of...meaty? It's definitely a tactile "bump" rather than a tactile "point", anyway. I thought they were quite nice.

Thanks, for the feedback!  I have a Ducky TKL with black Alps that I have de-soldered the alps switches from.  I may just move some of these switches over to my Ducky TKL board.  I will give it a test drive first.

My main concern was that this being a old but "new" keyboard if these black Alps would suffer the same as all the Dell 101's I've tried and be stiff as a stick!

Thanks,

j.

One word of caution: on mine, the factory bent many of the switch pins before or during soldering. I found that, as a result, it was pretty tricky to get the switches out in one piece.

Re: stiffness, they don't feel very stiff to me-- but then, I tend to like heavier switches, so YMMV.

[rootwyrm]

Reminder: do not lick your keyboard.
It tastes nothing like the name.

[jksteger]

The switches are decently smooth, though not as much so as the MX Blacks I'm currently using. Compared to other ALPS-style switches that I've tried, they're fairly stable, not as susceptible to accidental presses as some others, with a tactile bump that's kind of...meaty? It's definitely a tactile "bump" rather than a tactile "point", anyway. I thought they were quite nice.

Thanks, for the feedback!  I have a Ducky TKL with black Alps that I have de-soldered the alps switches from.  I may just move some of these switches over to my Ducky TKL board.  I will give it a test drive first.

My main concern was that this being a old but "new" keyboard if these black Alps would suffer the same as all the Dell 101's I've tried and be stiff as a stick!

Thanks,

j.

One word of caution: on mine, the factory bent many of the switch pins before or during soldering. I found that, as a result, it was pretty tricky to get the switches out in one piece.

Re: stiffness, they don't feel very stiff to me-- but then, I tend to like heavier switches, so YMMV.

I've seen them bent on a SGI board too. I wonder why they did this. I almost never got them de-soldered!

[jksteger]

Sorry to raise an old thread but just in case anyone wants to know the keyboard arrived and the keys work OK. 
I found that some keys did not register very well.  Spacebar was one.  Key felt fine but with normal use the SB would not register all hits.  I had to actually take the cover off and touch the switch pins up with solder to fix that one.  Then the right shift key wouldn't register all the time!  It was hit and miss!  I didn't feel like taking the keyboard apart to re-solder anything this time so I removed the cap, please be very careful removing an Alps style cap as I've actually pulled the entire switch out with the caps before  , opened up the switch and took my tweezers and spread the space between the contact leafs.  This seemed to resolve this issue.

So in closing...these keyboards are okay for the price.  You can tell the quality is on the bottom end of things and you may experience a few keys that has "issues" but if you want a retro iMac type keyboard or you use a Mac and want a cheap, mechanical USB keyboard with built in "Mac" specific keys then I would suggest give one a try and see.  I mean if nothing else, you can "learn" on this keyboard about opening switches, soldering, etc. or the one you get may work 100%, either way you are out less than $20.00 

Jman

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Is this a Strong Man keyboard? (What's the FCC ID — does it begin "KM9"? Does the model number begin "SMK"?)

I suspect they're simplified black Alps/Fuhua, so it should feel similar to the ABS M1. I really wish the M1 was sold in ISO layout Never had the chance to try simplified black Alps.

[xandr]

If anyone is going to buy those to harvest the switches - I'd gladly take the key caps off you. I would order one myself, but it doesn't look like they ship to Europe.

[johndavis33]

Hey, I recognize that board!

I found one of these at a thrift shop the other day for 3 bucks.

Mine has an engraved "macsense" logo at the top and no other branding, so I was trying to find some stuff on it by googling that. No such luck. Thought I'd never find any info on it.

EDIT: Opaque keycaps on mine, not translucent like the one in the thread. Still have that awesome font.

[morpheus]

This color scheme takes me back....

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Mine has an engraved "macsense" logo at the top and no other branding …

Is there not an FCC ID on the label on the bottom, or has the label come off? The main manufacturer of Alps/Alps clone Macintosh keyboards was Strong Man — it would be interesting if this turned out to be anyone else.

[FoxWolf1]

Mine has an engraved "macsense" logo at the top and no other branding …

Is there not an FCC ID on the label on the bottom, or has the label come off? The main manufacturer of Alps/Alps clone Macintosh keyboards was Strong Man — it would be interesting if this turned out to be anyone else.

I don't have mine anymore, but yes, it was a Strong Man: SMK-8112JU, according to some writing I found in the corner of an old picture I took of the PCB.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Oh heh, that one is already on the Deskthority wiki: http://deskthority.net/wiki/SMK-8112JU

It's one of the two keyboards I've seen so far that have plate mount switches in a plastic plate. The snag with that is that the keyboard just sounds plasticky as a result (at least, it does with my Nan Tan).

[REVENGE]

Hey, I recognize that board!

I found one of these at a thrift shop the other day for 3 bucks.

Mine has an engraved "macsense" logo at the top and no other branding, so I was trying to find some stuff on it by googling that. No such luck. Thought I'd never find any info on it.

Ooh! I like this case.

I ended up frying the microwire EEPROM while trying to read the layout and USB config. If anyone has documentation on the descriptor / layout is programmed or can do a dump for me, please let me know.

[johndavis33]

Mine has an engraved "macsense" logo at the top and no other branding …

Is there not an FCC ID on the label on the bottom, or has the label come off? The main manufacturer of Alps/Alps clone Macintosh keyboards was Strong Man — it would be interesting if this turned out to be anyone else.

I checked, and it does have that, yup.

[dorkvader]

Oh heh, that one is already on the Deskthority wiki: http://deskthority.net/wiki/SMK-8112JU

It's one of the two keyboards I've seen so far that have plate mount switches in a plastic plate. The snag with that is that the keyboard just sounds plasticky as a result (at least, it does with my Nan Tan).

There's this, the vivanco/keypot KPT88 and what else? I'm sure there's another alps at least (the alps-u-lator has a plastic plate, so presumably others dp as well), I think the TVS gold, as well as possibly a model M, depending on what you count (a lot of traditional mechanical keyswitch nomenclature breaks down when referring to buckling spring or capacitive keyboards)

[Daniel Beardsmore]

The barrel plate on the Model M isn't a mounting plate — it's just a slider plate the same as the Fujitsu FKB4700 (Peerless) series, and like the upper case of any rubber dome keyboard with sliders. Acer keyboards have discrete semi-switches that snap into the upper case, and the HHKB is similar.