Filco Zero white alps variant

[Adriel]

So the other day I was browsing through carousel and found this deal
Which one person was selling his used Filco Zero white alps switch for 50 dollars. Can I know how does white alps switches feel in comparison with the cherry mx switches and whether 50 is worth it for a Filco Zero.

[Hak Foo]

The ALPS version of the Zero was not well liked.  It has one of the later-generation ALPS clones (sometimes called XM) that aren't too popular.

White ALPS in general are weight-wise like MX Green, with some of the later clones closer to Blue.  The tactility is much stronger, and the sound is decidedly less plasticky.

You might also consider getting it as a baseline to swap in your favourite ALPS switches (i. e. new Matias ones)-- modern layout and a clean case are worth something.

[Jokrik]

I do own a Filco with white Alps, or as far as I know it's called "****" white Alps

It's a very clicky switch with high "ping"  noise (louder than my ssk). It's pretty rare though and I know some people would kill to get that Filco "fukka"

[jacobolus]

Personally I would totally buy that for $50, because (a) it’s easy to swap the switches out for something nicer, and (b) I want to get my hands on a few of those switches for a community switch tester I’d eventually like to build.

[Wildcard]

Personally I would totally buy that for $50, because (a) it’s easy to swap the switches out for something nicer, and (b) I want to get my hands on a few of those switches for a community switch tester I’d eventually like to build.

I'm with you on this. Simple switch swap and now you have alps on a modern board. I know I'd pick it up if it was in my area.

[Defect]

Pick it up for me.  50 is a great deal if its in nice condition

[strict]

Pick it up for me.  50 is a great deal if its in nice condition

I was about to post the same thing. I would definitely take it so that I could swap in something like Matias quiet-click switches.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I do own a Filco with white Alps, or as far as I know it's called "****" white Alps

I don't know how anyone could misread Fuhua as "fukka". I have to wonder if that is a myth used to cover derision, because the naïve reading would be "foo-hoo-er" instead of the correct "foo-hwa". Also, their name is Forward Electronics.

The ALPS version of the Zero was not well liked.  It has one of the later-generation ALPS clones (sometimes called XM) that aren't too popular.

There are two versions. The one with Xiang Min KSB-C ("XM") switches was unpopular because the switches are ludicrously stiff.

The version with Alps SKBM White switches (made by Forward) had a controller problem that caused transposition errors, as I recall. (Why only the SKBM version had that problem, I don't know — I don't know much about its production history.)

It's a nice keyboard otherwise. I had the XM version and it was great aside from needing jackhammers for fingers.

[Magna224]

All the Filco Zeros I've seen for sale on the classifieds have been snatched up straightaway. I even tried to buy one for like a month back in the day for $100 and didn't find any sellers. I would buy it if someone offered it to me for $50.

[dante]

I tried Tipo33's Filco Zero w/ XM's at a Chicagoland gathering; and I have to say the 'dislike' for these is a little unwarranted.  No, it was not my favorite switch but it was not as terrible as people make them out to be.

[fohat.digs]

All the Filco Zeros I've seen for sale on the classifieds have been snatched up straightaway. I even tried to buy one for like a month back in the day for $100 and didn't find any sellers. I would buy it if someone offered it to me for $50.

After looking for over a year and seeing a couple go by in the high-$100-low-$200 range, I lucked into an "irregular" one about half a year ago for about $120.

Alps TKL boards are rare, and I would assume that the overwhelming majority of people who buy Filco Zeros or Ducky 1087XMs today intend to transplant better switches into them. I would say that the low-$100s is about the going rate for the Ducky, and the mid-high-$100s for the Filco.

PS - does anybody have a spare Ducky 1087 top cover for sale or trade?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Low-$100s for a Ducky? You kidding me? The only thing those seemed to be good for is the switches :-P

I guess more people had good experiences with Ducky 1000-series keyboards than the forum chatter would suggest.

[fohat.digs]

Low-$100s for a Ducky? You kidding me? The only thing those seemed to be good for is the switches :-P

That is some kind of joke, isn't it?

Those green XM switches were abominable, I tried to sell them cheap for a long time, I think Jacobolus finally bought them for the springs or something.

What are people supposed to do if they want a TKL Alps board? I put orange Alps in my 1087XM and topped them with Apple caps (as much as possible) and ended up with a nice little keyboard.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I've never owned one (I only do ISO, though I did have an ANSI Filco Zero XM) but based on what I've read in various topics, the switches aren't too bad (not great, but not terrible) and they seem to be the only part of the keyboard that doesn't fail. That's what confused me: since everything else on those seems to break or die, why would you want to put donor switches into one?

— Shirl.

[fohat.digs]

To be honest, I have not put all that much use on it. It may fail sooner rather than later.

I bought the Ducky because I had been trying to find a Filco Zero for quite a while with no success. Naturally, shortly after I completed the project I lucked into the Filco. I would sell the Ducky except that the top cover is missing. I have it painted a nice pebbled black but it is probably worth more to me than someone else would pay me for it.

The choices for TKL Alps are pretty limited. Maybe one day I will find and be able to afford a Kingsaver.

[dante]

I've been in communication with KBP.  They are slammed with work right now but have been told one of their Engineers is in the process of converting the V80 PCB to dual Alps/MX compatibility.  Have no ETA but for sure won't hear a peep until around April.

[jacobolus]

What are people supposed to do if they want a TKL Alps board?

I feel like I’ve seen some threads of people who cut down a full-size board (Dell AT101 or something), replaced the controller with a Teensy, and made a new case.

[terrpn]

i have the ducky with green alp (clones), but to be honest i can put up with the switches better i can with the cable.............always afraid it is going to snap

been looking for a zero for years and they always get snatched up