Lub mitsumi?

[ianxblog]

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[ianxblog]

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[Daniel Beardsmore]

I would be surprised honestly if they're Mitsumi. They're nothing like anything Mitsumi I know.

I have seen disassembly shots of that keyboard somewhere, probably one of alps.tw's photo sets. I don't recall any particular name associated with it.

Are you positive that's a Chicony KB-5161? Steel plate mounted discrete switches to membrane is a huge leap. Got a photo of the whole keyboard, and one of the rear label? seebart for example has found a Micronorth KB-5161 (with KPT/TEC-like switches), and I have to wonder whether they were trying to pass it off as a Chicony by model number.

Yes, the wiki pages on Mitsumi switches desperately need sorting out, although there remains some confusion as to exactly how to classify and name them, and there are a number of different parameters to design, of which the size is one.

Those keycaps have very nice printing — looks to be dye sub or doubleshot to me. The cross-mount Mitsumis are Cherry MX mount, and those keycaps might also fit Cherry switches.

Edit: if the keycaps fit a BTC, chances are they're Cherry MX–compatible.

[ianxblog]

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[Daniel Beardsmore]

There are a ton of keyboards that resemble other keyboards and without being able to see the outside or inside of yours, I cannot say what you might have, other than I'm doubtful that it's Chicony.

This is the Mitsumi switch in question that Chicony used (second photo down):

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51377.0

As you can see, totally different. I'm not sure on the variant, but here are two of them:

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/epsontenkey.htm (tactile)
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/burton.htm (probably linear)

Yours is membrane if I remember correctly; by the time I re-encounter the page showing it fully disassembled I would have forgotten who had this keyboard. I have no idea how I found it now.

Keycaps were often sourced from another vendor. For example, the keycaps on my Oriental Tech OK-100M are the same as those in the 2013 Tai-Hao group buy: lots of companies bought keycaps from Tai-Hao.

[ianxblog]

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[ianxblog]

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[ianxblog]

too much edit, lets bump it up

[Daniel Beardsmore]

How about some photos of the whole keyboard, top and bottom?

Interestingly, those appear to be the same not-Tai-Hao keycaps as on seebart's Micronorth, with the asterisk the other way up, and the wide shift arrows. However, it looks like every KB-5161 variant had different keycaps!

If you can get the PCB off, you may find identifying information in the trace side, though some keyboards have writing on the other side too/instead.

I'm guessing it's got conductive domes under those keycaps, so you'd want to remove the PCB with the keyboard upside down as the domes may all fall out everywhere (depends if they're loose or in a sheet).

[ianxblog]

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[Daniel Beardsmore]

Don't forget to take some photos of the whole keyboard top/bottom etc *before* the paint job, so that we have a record of what you have before you alter it!

Isn't it summer where you are? Maybe see if you can snap some pictures during daylight instead photos that look like a burglary in progress :-)

If this genuinely is a Chicony KB-5161 then it would be good to have some clear photos of one in unmodified condition. It's a massive departure from any vintage Chicony I've ever seen.

[PRISONER 24601]

i've taken apart one of those boards, though I'm surprised to find them on a chicony kb-5161..
iirc they're conductive rubber cups over PCB, which I consider to be a lot better than most membrane designs

[ianxblog]

Don't forget to take some photos of the whole keyboard top/bottom etc *before* the paint job, so that we have a record of what you have before you alter it!

Isn't it summer where you are? Maybe see if you can snap some pictures during daylight instead photos that look like a burglary in progress :-)

If this genuinely is a Chicony KB-5161 then it would be good to have some clear photos of one in unmodified condition. It's a massive departure from any vintage Chicony I've ever seen.

hahaha, tomorrow I will shoot some pictures on daylight .
Yesterday I dissassembled it, washed the plastic mount plate with the sliders and keycaps, submerged the PCB on Distilled Water (Lubbing was a terribly bad idea). Submerged the domes on alcohol, shaked them, applied rice on a tupper technique (only the domes) and left it for the night. Also dried the PCB and cleaned it a bit with alcohol, let it rest for the final dry out, same with mount plate.

i've taken apart one of those boards, though I'm surprised to find them on a chicony kb-5161..
iirc they're conductive rubber cups over PCB, which I consider to be a lot better than most membrane designs

The things feel totally like Topre from what i've seen, heard and read. Obviously they're not as complex, but they are similar in a way: Stabilized domes.

[PRISONER 24601]

I always thought that the ergo Key Tronic switches feel 99% like Topre, for like 1% of the cost.

[Tony]

I always thought that the ergo Key Tronic switches feel 99% like Topre, for like 1% of the cost.

I own a Keytronic and I agree that the typing feel is quite similar, although Topre feel is lighter and smoother. For 1% of the price Keytronic is very decent when compared.