[WTB] Blue Alps

[nubbinator]

As the title states, I want me some Blue Alps.  I've tried Cream, which were pretty decent, tried Blacks and Whites, both of which made me question why life was worth living, and tried Greens, which made me recognize there is still beauty in this world, but still need some Blue Alps loving.  I have cash (not a ton), a cinn Ironman, wood handled key cap pullers, other random stuff and non-sexual favors (for the most part) I can give for them. 

[RickyJ]

The whites you tried, were they complicated or simplified?  The simplified whites that came in my Minitouch were rubbish compared to my complicated whites.  Blues are subtly smoother.  I dug out my Minitouch a month ago (blues, with greens for gaming keys), and have been having way more fun (and typing faster) than with my Poker (plated stickered greens).

Good luck with your search!

[nubbinator]

I believe it was simplified.  I may have tried complicated, but can't remember.  So far, the nicest clicky Alps styles switches I've tried have been Monterey Blues, but the PCB and case they were attached to sucked.  Greens are amazing and Blues are supposed to be awesome, so...yeah. One can hope.

[intelli78]

Good luck. Here are some boards that you might find blues in:

-Chicony KB-5161 AT
-Leading Edge DC2014 (XT)
-Leading Edge DC3014
-Various Northgate keyboards (look for the gold label, not white/blue)
- Packard Bell T9201
- NEC PC-8801
-Vivanco KPT-84
Samsung 5161, Chicony clone

beware, though, that these models don't all reliably have them. You have to check.

I know there are a couple 5161s on ebay now. Maybe email the sellers.

[nubbinator]

Believe me, I've been trying the eBay route with the boards listed on the DT wiki.  Getting them to show cap less pics is like asking a redneck to be politically correct.

[remdell]

I wasn't really looking into selling/trading these boards, but I really need some funds to get esoomenona's SSK.  I gave my current SSK to my parents. >.<

I've got a Leading Edge DC2014 XT in okay condition.  All of its switches are smooth and clicky blue Alps.  Only problem is that it's din5 plug end is gone (I received it as such).  You will have to hook it up with Soarer's Converter to get it working.

I also have an Omnikey 102 Gold Label with blue Alps.  It was in very bad condition when I got it with a majority of its keys not working.  Now it's in okay condition (just needs Retr0bright), but I couldn't get the P and M keys to work.  They work at random.  I'm positive the keyboard will work well again if the two keys are replaced or resoldered, but I don't have any soldering equipment on me anymore.  I use to use my roommate's soldering iron, but he moved out.  It put a lot of my Alps projects on hold.  Yet, I blame myself because I waited a bit to build up some money for a Hakko X-888 and other soldering equipment, only to blow up the money by jumping on the Topre and SSK bandwagon, which have me losing interests on Alps.  My working green/yellow linear Alps boards are still keeping me sane though.

[nuclearsandwich]

I wasn't really looking into selling/trading these boards, but I really need some funds to get esoomenona's SSK.  I gave my current SSK to my parents. >.<

I've got a Leading Edge DC2014 XT in okay condition.  All of its switches are smooth and clicky blue Alps.  Only problem is that it's din5 plug end is gone (I received it as such).  You will have to hook it up with Soarer's Converter to get it working.

I also have an Omnikey 102 Gold Label with blue Alps.  It was in very bad condition when I got it with a majority of its keys not working.  Now it's in okay condition (just needs Retr0bright), but I couldn't get the P and M keys to work.  They work at random.  I'm positive the keyboard will work well again if the two keys are replaced or resoldered, but I don't have any soldering equipment on me anymore.  I use to use my roommate's soldering iron, but he moved out.  It put a lot of my Alps projects on hold.  Yet, I blame myself because I waited a bit to build up some money for a Hakko X-888 and other soldering equipment, only to blow up the money by jumping on the Topre and SSK bandwagon, which have me losing interests on Alps.  My working green/yellow linear Alps boards are still keeping me sane though.

Swoops on either of those boards that nubbinator doesn't want/need.

[jacobolus]

You should really try to find a few different batches of complicated white Alps. I’ve had ones that were awful and ones that were very nice. Combination of use, bad storage (e.g. if stored w/ keys depressed the click leaves get bent out of shape), dirt getting into the switches, etc.

Same goes for blue Alps, etc... though for whatever reason I haven’t ever tried a really bad batch of orange Alps switches, even on some extremely dirty beat-up old Mac keyboards.

[ninjadoc]

Good luck. Here are some boards that you might find blues in:

-Chicony KB-5161 AT
-Leading Edge DC2014 (XT)
-Leading Edge DC3014
-Various Northgate keyboards (look for the gold label, not white/blue)
- Packard Bell T9201
- NEC PC-8801
-Vivanco KPT-84
Samsung 5161, Chicony clone

beware, though, that these models don't all reliably have them. You have to check.

I know there are a couple 5161s on ebay now. Maybe email the sellers.

Seeing this list raises a question to me: " How often to undyed blue alps appear?" I have a board with them and I've seen a few of these boards locally but they didn't have blue alps.

[jacobolus]

Seeing this list raises a question to me: " How often to undyed blue alps appear?" I have a board with them and I've seen a few of these boards locally but they didn't have blue alps.

What’s “undyed blue Alps”? I take it that’s a clicky complicated Alps switch with a tall gray switchplate and a white slider and no logo printed on top? Does it have an identical spring and click leaf to the blue kind?

Do you have a picture showing all the parts inside, ideally w/ comparison to a blue switch? I haven’t heard of these.