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Author Topic: Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?  (Read 4038 times)

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Offline berserkfan

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Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?
« on: Sun, 02 June 2013, 07:08:35 »
What does this seller know that we don’t?

He’s selling a model F XT. That’s what he says, and that’s what the pictures say as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290874516109&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

He insists that you only need an adapter – furnished by him – to make the XT run on any modern computer. He even has a picture of what looks like the adapter.

Is it true that we can just buy a plug in adapter and instantly any XT keyboard turns into a USB keyboard? That’s what I’d like to know as well!

(addendum: ok, found one here: KE-XTUSB Converter. Never heard of it; hope some of you guys have tried it out before. I would hate to pay more for it than for a model F XT, only to find that it doesn't work perfectly! Remember, if we're using a keyboard all day as our primary keyboard, we cannot afford to have unreliability or weird keypresses/ signals!)
« Last Edit: Sun, 02 June 2013, 07:12:44 by berserkfan »
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Offline Soarer

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Re: Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 02 June 2013, 07:33:41 »
Quote from: berserkfan on Sun, 02 June 2013, 07:08:35
What does this seller know that we don’t?

Not a lot :p

I believe a couple of members have used the Hagstrom XT converter, and report that it worked fine - search GH for hagstrom.

My converter works well with the XT, and also gives you remapping/layers/macros :D
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 02 June 2013, 08:12:10 »
I had a Hagstrom a couple of years ago, the older primitive model, and it worked great.

That one is a $50 unit while Soarer's Teensy is $20, and gives far more flexibility, if you are willing to do a little work yourself.

At $250 for an F XT, the seller can afford to toss in a free adapter!

I think that the going rate is more like $50, you could easily build a complete fully working package for under $100.
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Offline berserkfan

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Re: Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?
« Reply #3 on: Sun, 02 June 2013, 08:52:23 »
Aha! Excellent; maybe I should buy twee teensies.
(I am not confident of my skills, so I'm pretty confident I will end up destroying at least one.)


Quote from: fohat.digs on Sun, 02 June 2013, 08:12:10
I had a Hagstrom a couple of years ago, the older primitive model, and it worked great.

That one is a $50 unit while Soarer's Teensy is $20, and gives far more flexibility, if you are willing to do a little work yourself.

At $250 for an F XT, the seller can afford to toss in a free adapter!

I think that the going rate is more like $50, you could easily build a complete fully working package for under $100.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 02 June 2013, 08:59:47 »
Quote from: berserkfan on Sun, 02 June 2013, 08:52:23
Aha! Excellent; maybe I should buy twee teensies.
(I am not confident of my skills, so I'm pretty confident I will end up destroying at least one.)


Quote from: fohat.digs on Sun, 02 June 2013, 08:12:10
I had a Hagstrom a couple of years ago, the older primitive model, and it worked great.

That one is a $50 unit while Soarer's Teensy is $20, and gives far more flexibility, if you are willing to do a little work yourself.

At $250 for an F XT, the seller can afford to toss in a free adapter!

I think that the going rate is more like $50, you could easily build a complete fully working package for under $100.

It is very easy, I have done at least 4 and only wrecked one, by carelessly shorting 2 wires. Be sure to get the Teensy "with pins" and it can even be done without soldering.

You should use a continuity tester to verify which wires are which, never trust "color-coding" but you only have to connect 4 of them.

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"Starting in 2011, the deficits again started to shrink. During Obama’s term  the deficit was reduced by $900 Billion  before finally in 2015 the GOP managed to wrangle a “reconciliation” bill out of Obama where he again cut corporate taxes, as well as made permanent some of George W. Bush’s original tax cuts. This is the year everything reversed. Before this, under Clinton, Bush and Obama the deficit in almost every year was gradually decreasing. The balance we had of taxes and the economy was bringing the deficit down, the money coming in was slowly catching up with the money going out until 2015. Trump’s subsequent tax cut has continued the new trend even after the rest of Bush’s cuts have since expired. Obama had an average GDP of 2.3%, with 11.6 million jobs created and unemployment peaking at 10% in 2009, then falling to 4.3% in 2016. If we had continued on that downward deficit track, we would have again reached balance and another surplus in 2017-2018.
– Frank V Walton 2025-07-01

Offline berserkfan

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Re: Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 03 June 2013, 13:07:37 »
hahaaha!

oh great, I don't even know what a continuity tester is. Why do I get the impression I am not the brightest bulb in the room?
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Offline alaricljs

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Re: Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 03 June 2013, 13:34:37 »
The most basic continuity tester is some wire, a light bulb and a battery.  I think you can figure out how that gets used.

DMMs (Digital Multi Meters) have a mode where it beeps when continuity is established.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Is there such a thing an XT to USB adapter for Model F XT keyboards?
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 03 June 2013, 14:05:48 »
It is not always obvious which pin on your keyboard plug corresponds to which wire.

There are 4 wires that will need to be identified and connected to 4 pins on the Teensy.

Unfortunately, you can never trust color-coding, even IBM-to-IBM.

But with a flashlight bulb, battery, and 2 pieces of wire you can touch both sides tell whether current is being carried through.
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"Starting in 2011, the deficits again started to shrink. During Obama’s term  the deficit was reduced by $900 Billion  before finally in 2015 the GOP managed to wrangle a “reconciliation” bill out of Obama where he again cut corporate taxes, as well as made permanent some of George W. Bush’s original tax cuts. This is the year everything reversed. Before this, under Clinton, Bush and Obama the deficit in almost every year was gradually decreasing. The balance we had of taxes and the economy was bringing the deficit down, the money coming in was slowly catching up with the money going out until 2015. Trump’s subsequent tax cut has continued the new trend even after the rest of Bush’s cuts have since expired. Obama had an average GDP of 2.3%, with 11.6 million jobs created and unemployment peaking at 10% in 2009, then falling to 4.3% in 2016. If we had continued on that downward deficit track, we would have again reached balance and another surplus in 2017-2018.
– Frank V Walton 2025-07-01
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