Alps Appreciation Thread

[emdude]

Well, after months of having the parts lying around in jars and boxes, I finally put together my Alps64 with SKCM Blues.  It might have been more trouble than it was worth to be honest; I feel kinda gross thinking about it, haha.

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Anyhow, my initial impression is that SKCM Blues are just OK in a smaller layout like this.  As I suspected, the sound of the switches are highly dependent on the chassis they are mounted in, so they don't sound as rich in tone as they did when they were in my DC-2014.  Now, I just need to take care of my SKCM Brown build and then I should be pretty happy for a while.

[E3E]

Well, after months of having the parts lying around in jars and boxes, I finally put together my Alps64 with SKCM Blues.  It might have been more trouble than it was worth to be honest; I feel kinda gross thinking about it, haha.

More

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Anyhow, my initial impression is that SKCM Blues are just OK in a smaller layout like this.  As I suspected, the sound of the switches are highly dependent on the chassis they are mounted in, so they don't sound as rich in tone as they did when they were in my DC-2014.  Now, I just need to take care of my SKCM Brown build and then I should be pretty happy for a while.

Yeah, I definitely agree with you here. I didn't really care for SKCM Blues in my 60% build. The acoustics just aren't as nice as they are in the large plastic case of a vintage board, though I think they sound pretty nice in the Orion.

They are most certainly dependent on the chasis they're in though. I remember having SKCM Blue in my bent case Infinity, and while nice, it was a much different sound. It lost that vintage allure. Let me know how that SKCM Brown build turns out!

[emdude]

Sure; I did not make a build log for this board, but I think I will for the SKCM Brown one.  It will be kinda unique, I'm going to design a custom plate that utilizes the IBM 5140 layout.  The PBT key caps are really neat, but I only see people using the alphanumerics because of the odd layout.  It'll be interesting to put together a board that uses a BAE, split right shift, and a 1u backspace.  

This board was kind of a mess (I might have perhaps rushed things), but I guess I'm happy it turned out just fine in the end.  After using it for a little bit, I'll admit that the sound is still pretty nice, better than SKCM Whites and probably my Ambers too, and it definitely feels great.

[E3E]

I'd say the sound is definitely better than the Alps SKCM Ambers' clicks, but yeah. The SKCM Blues still have a nice sound, just different than if it were in a vintage board.

[chyros]

I have removed the legends from some of the semi-spherical/sculpted caps, and it worked well. now to clean and whiten them. its like 5 minutes of scrubbing with a q tip and brake fluid on each cap. fun. looks like I know what im doing for the next week.

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It's probably just the picture, but they look just like normal cyclindrical caps from here Oo .

[E3E]

I'd say they are cylindrical, as far as I can tell, it's just their skirting with its kind of roundedness that makes their shape reminiscent of spherical caps.  Again, reminds me of like, AEK profile or the Texas Instruments keyboards with SKCM Brown. which are cylindrical, but they have a very odd shape.

I like them though. 

[Blaise170]

Got this beauty in the mail today. Just need to get a cable for it.

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sent from my chess board

You have to tell me what that is, I want one!

IDOL Japan Corp Model KB-SMK-97

mac white alps vintage.

so heavy. so good. got to find a cable quick i'm dieing to try it out for realz

Where did you get it? are there more?

Are there more? Somewhere, probably. I tried to sell mine for like 3 months because I didn't much like the switches. These were marketed in Japan though so it's unlikely that another one will turn up in the US. On the other hand, this board was based on the Strong Man SMK-97 design which many, many companies rebranded such as Filco, Datadesk, Pioneer, and ELSA (not as well known as they were 20 years ago). I first posted about this particular family of keyboards here: https://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/pioneer-and-filco-oem-t12906.html

[mike52787]

Well, I found a very similar board on yahoo auctions japan. With a little google-fu I found out these have SKCM blacks in them. cool layout. Noone bid against me on this please!
http://japamart.com/auctoolitem.php?url=http://page15.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/t481380565

[mike52787]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

[Blaise170]

Yeah that Japan auction is another Strong Man board. The case design is an obvious giveaway.

[Mattr567]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

Your not the first I have been doing the same thing for many month's (almost a year?) with the same numpad and now just need SKCL Brown. I have some extra Matias Clicky, SKCM Orange, Salmon, Cream damp and some SKCL Green and Yellow I believe.

[mike52787]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

Your not the first I have been doing the same thing for many month's (almost a year?) with the same numpad and now just need SKCL Brown. I have some extra Matias Clicky, SKCM Orange, Salmon, Cream damp and some SKCL Green and Yellow I believe.

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You are the reason I wanted to do it! I just couldnt remember if it was you or e3e that did it. I would love to have those switches. PM me so we can figure out a price and shipping.

[Mattr567]

The SKCM Blue restro is going well. Changed my method a bit to include lubing the part of the click leaf that comes into contact with the slider. Smoother and retains clickyness. Have done about 40 during my free time. I also found that lubing them and then leaving them overnight to let them sit and soak in a bit then lubing the slider again produces better results. The sliders are very parched so it takes some time for them. Housing and doing work on them using the metal plate from the IBM Multistation, makes for a good surface to work on that keeps them in place.

[Aran.E99]

The SKCM Blue restro is going well. Changed my method a bit to include lubing the part of the click leaf that comes into contact with the slider. Smoother and retains clickyness. Have done about 40 during my free time. I also found that lubing them and then leaving them overnight to let them sit and soak in a bit then lubing the slider again produces better results. The sliders are very parched so it takes some time for them. Housing and doing work on them using the metal plate from the IBM Multistation, makes for a good surface to work on that keeps them in place.

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is it weird that i think that picture is sexual? :p

[Aran.E99]

i know that some boards are not alps but i thought i would add them to save taking multiple pictures. currently i have a chicony kb-5185 (SMKs) (not pictured), a dell at102w (dirty af), a dell at101w (modded). my non alps are ibm model M 1394428 and a NEC APC-H412 (NEC ovals). i guess ovals are sort of similar to alps but not similar, which made no sense . I also have a homemade mini cherry mx board, but who cares about cherry mx xD. to further appreciate alps, i am in the process of building an alps number pad from acrylic. i need to get some alps switches to make it possible though.

[alienman82]

removed.

[digi]

*@&$#! beats alps 4:1

Reported!

[alienman82]

removed.

[mike52787]

*@&$#! beats alps 4:1

Reported!

**** cherry


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[digi]

I'd appreciate it if you appreciated some ambers

[klennkellon]

inear Gaterons are very comparable and also have the advantages of better off-center presses and more resistance to dirt and debris.

But any tactile or clicky Cherry is beat by ALPS 10:1, tactile Cherry just sucks. Only one worth it is MX Clears because of their unique feel.

[Aran.E99]

I'd appreciate it if you appreciated some ambers

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i'd appreciate ambers if i could get some along with greens and blues :p

[mike52787]

I'd appreciate it if you appreciated some ambers

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Id appreciate it if you would let me buy one of those from you for my switch tester project

[digi]

I'd appreciate it if you appreciated some ambers

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Id appreciate it if you would let me buy one of those from you for my switch tester project

Once I get my hand on the other handful I need for my TKL, I'll give you one =)

[Aran.E99]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

what number pad is this? could you link me. i am trying a similar project but i want to make mine out of acrylic and noticed that you are getting one. it would save a lot of time

[Wingpad]

Damn my indecisiveness!

There was a Xerox 6085 on eBay available, but someone got it. It has more switches than IBM 5140, and is a keyboard in its own right. However, IBM could be made to work relatively easy, and for Xerox it would either need to be hand-wired or "scrapped" for switches. I hate choices like this.

Sorry to necro this but there was a 6085 on eBay? Darn. That's what I get for stepping away from the keyboard community for a week. And it went for only $129.00? Oh, woe is me.

The SKCM Blue restro is going well. Changed my method a bit to include lubing the part of the click leaf that comes into contact with the slider. Smoother and retains clickyness. Have done about 40 during my free time. I also found that lubing them and then leaving them overnight to let them sit and soak in a bit then lubing the slider again produces better results. The sliders are very parched so it takes some time for them. Housing and doing work on them using the metal plate from the IBM Multistation, makes for a good surface to work on that keeps them in place.

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Interesting, I will have to try this when I get around to working on my switches again. I am glad to hear the restore is going well, though.

[mike52787]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

what number pad is this? could you link me. i am trying a similar project but i want to make mine out of acrylic and noticed that you are getting one. it would save a lot of time

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272305990001?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=571142535190&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[Aran.E99]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

what number pad is this? could you link me. i am trying a similar project but i want to make mine out of acrylic and noticed that you are getting one. it would save a lot of time

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272305990001?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=571142535190&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

thank you, going to buy one as soon as possible considering its free shipping!

step 2: desolder one switch from each of my keyboards (i might try to get a couple greens, blues, oranges and even ambers and make it layered instead of individual switches)

[mike52787]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

what number pad is this? could you link me. i am trying a similar project but i want to make mine out of acrylic and noticed that you are getting one. it would save a lot of time

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272305990001?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=571142535190&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

thank you, going to buy one as soon as possible considering its free shipping!

step 2: desolder one switch from each of my keyboards (i might try to get a couple greens, blues, oranges and even ambers and make it layered instead of individual switches)

I can send a few blues your way once I get the lube in the mail and get them cleaned up.

[Aran.E99]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

what number pad is this? could you link me. i am trying a similar project but i want to make mine out of acrylic and noticed that you are getting one. it would save a lot of time

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272305990001?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=571142535190&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

thank you, going to buy one as soon as possible considering its free shipping!

step 2: desolder one switch from each of my keyboards (i might try to get a couple greens, blues, oranges and even ambers and make it layered instead of individual switches)

I can send a few blues your way once I get the lube in the mail and get them cleaned up.

that would be great thanks but the shipping would be around the same price as before. if the shipping is less it would be fine but would you mind throwing in a couple whites so that i can use them on the number pad too. then it would mean i'm getting my moneys worth of shipping.

[mike52787]

Hey guys, I have a huge favor to ask. I have one of those 20 key Alps Clone numpads coming in the mail, and I would like to make it into a switch tester. I am looking for 1 of each type of SKCM/SKCL switch sans white and blue. Pm me if you can help with this, and we can talk money. I figured this would be a better place to post this than classifieds.

what number pad is this? could you link me. i am trying a similar project but i want to make mine out of acrylic and noticed that you are getting one. it would save a lot of time

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272305990001?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=571142535190&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

thank you, going to buy one as soon as possible considering its free shipping!

step 2: desolder one switch from each of my keyboards (i might try to get a couple greens, blues, oranges and even ambers and make it layered instead of individual switches)

I can send a few blues your way once I get the lube in the mail and get them cleaned up.

that would be great thanks but the shipping would be around the same price as before. if the shipping is less it would be fine but would you mind throwing in a couple whites so that i can use them on the number pad too. then it would mean i'm getting my moneys worth of shipping.

sure, Ill let you know when Im done with them.

[mike52787]

Anybody got a at101w keycap set you could sell me?
nevermind I got one

[alienman82]

removed.

[E3E]

Damn my indecisiveness!

There was a Xerox 6085 on eBay available, but someone got it. It has more switches than IBM 5140, and is a keyboard in its own right. However, IBM could be made to work relatively easy, and for Xerox it would either need to be hand-wired or "scrapped" for switches. I hate choices like this.

Sorry to necro this but there was a 6085 on eBay? Darn. That's what I get for stepping away from the keyboard community for a week. And it went for only $129.00? Oh, woe is me.

Dude, there were like four of them on eBay for nearly half a year.

 http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=Xerox%20keyboard&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2045573.m1684

Also, someone with reverse engineering skills could figure out the protocol. In fact, someone pretty much has, I think:



But no one has made a converter for it.

Additional notes from Hasu when he posted on my Docutech restoration thread on Deskthority:

Just skimed over bitsavers.org.
This keyboard looks very similar or identical to Xerox 6085 workstation keyboard. You can find tech references under here to make converter for it. http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/www. ... erox/6085/

Seem like it spits out 3 bytes for keys and mouse on differential bus at 9600 baud.

[MandrewDavis]

Anybody got a at101w keycap set you could sell me?

Pm me.

[ED2914]

Hi guys,
I have bought a fake Model M at taobao recently, and it arrived yesterday.
At lease the blue alps is real I will disassemble this board very soon.








The label should be real.


Interesting keycaps.


Only mark on the PCB.

[fohat.digs]

I have bought a fake Model M at taobao recently, and it arrived yesterday.

At lease the blue alps is real

Try to get it working and save the PCB if at all possible.

A true-ANSI blue alps keyboard is far more rare and desirable than a Model M, particularly in a solid case.

[alienman82]

removed.

[ED2914]

I have bought a fake Model M at taobao recently, and it arrived yesterday.

At lease the blue alps is real

Try to get it working and save the PCB if at all possible.

A true-ANSI blue alps keyboard is far more rare and desirable than a Model M, particularly in a solid case.

I may give it a try, but the PCB is slightly broken as you can see in the photo.
And I will need a Model M cable too.

Discussion about the board.
https://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/no-joke-model-m-with-blue-alps-t3894.html

[Hypersphere]

The biggest problem is that most of the legacy Alps keyboards have their own unique layout. 

I bought a set of the modern "Dolch-esque" doubleshots a few months ago, and they are very nice, but the bottom row is not compatible with the common vintage boards like Dell, Northgate, and Focus. Is is very sad.

It is not a perfect solution, but I filled out an Alps-mount Tai-Hao Dolch set on a vintage Winkeyless board using a black 7.0x spacebar and blank black 1.5x bottom-row caps from Matias. It looks passably okay to me, because the color on the bottom row is consistent.

[mike52787]

Hi guys,
I have bought a fake Model M at taobao recently, and it arrived yesterday.
At lease the blue alps is real I will disassemble this board very soon.

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The label should be real.

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Interesting keycaps.

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Only mark on the PCB.

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that's very cool.  I would like one of those if I could find it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If youre planning on fixing up the board I can send you some of the caps youre missing.

[E3E]

The biggest problem is that most of the legacy Alps keyboards have their own unique layout. 

I bought a set of the modern "Dolch-esque" doubleshots a few months ago, and they are very nice, but the bottom row is not compatible with the common vintage boards like Dell, Northgate, and Focus. Is is very sad.

It is not a perfect solution, but I filled out an Alps-mount Tai-Hao Dolch set on a vintage Winkeyless board using a black 7.0x spacebar and blank black 1.5x bottom-row caps from Matias. It looks passably okay to me, because the color on the bottom row is consistent.

Does Matias' 7u space bar use traditional Alps stabs or Costar/cruciform mount?

[Hypersphere]

@E3E: The Matias 7.0x spacebar has an Alps-mount in the center and cruciform insert mounts near the edges. I was able to fit the spacebar in an Omnikey 101 by using Matias clips for smaller stablized keys and the stabilizer wire from Matias for the 7.0x spacebar. The clips on the Omnikey keyboard were just a tad too tight -- the Omnikey stabilizer wire is slightly thinner than the Matias wire.

The other stabilized keys from Matias use the rectangular-mount Alps inserts.

[emdude]

So the 7u spacebar does use Costar-style stabilizers?  It sounds like you can use it with a plate that uses Alps-style stab inserts though, which is good..

[Mattr567]

Do you guys think this is Alps? http://www.ebay.com/itm/291119068552

Reminds me of the SGI Button Box, and that had LED'd SKCL Gray's.

[chyros]

Do you guys think this is Alps? http://www.ebay.com/itm/291119068552

Reminds me of the SGI Button Box, and that had LED'd SKCL Gray's.

Never seen any Alps thing that looks like that Oo . Could be, though.

[Mattr567]

Do you guys think this is Alps? http://www.ebay.com/itm/291119068552

Reminds me of the SGI Button Box, and that had LED'd SKCL Gray's.

Never seen any Alps thing that looks like that Oo . Could be, though.

Here is what the SGI looks like

[Hypersphere]

So the 7u spacebar does use Costar-style stabilizers?  It sounds like you can use it with a plate that uses Alps-style stab inserts though, which is good..

Yes, luckily it worked for me on the Omnikey 101. However, I have seen all sorts of variations on spacebar sizes and stabilizer schemes in Alps-switch keyboards -- sort of like a box of chocolates.

[alienman82]

removed.

[Norman_the_Owl]

where can I appreciate cherry?

reddit