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Author Topic: NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"  (Read 4727 times)

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Offline kishy

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 19:25:49 »
First off - I don't have photos now but will in the near future.
Edit - attached now!

Given to me today as during a different technology-oriented transaction is this beast...AT/XT switchable PLUS the ability to auto-sense (switch is under a sticker; sticker was never broken, sticker indicates 3 positions: XT, AUTO, and AT)

(I refer to it as a beast because it is of similar weight to a Model M)

Has 2 levels of fold-down rear feet.

Brand new in original plastic bag. Coiled cord is in original plastic sheathing, held on with original tape strips. Plastic cap on AT/XT plug, and no marks on the plugs contacts - it's never even been plugged in.

Keys are lightly tactile...don't feel like an Alps switch, certainly not BS, I don't know what they feel like...

The keys appear to be double shot, but there is no real texture to the letters so it's difficult to say for sure. There are 2 layers of plastic in the keys, clearly, though.

Key 'caps' mount into individual switches; the little "tooth" that sticks into the switch is shaped like a "+" sign.

What have I got here, has anyone seen one recently, what could it be worth, is anyone interested in it, and does anyone know anything of interest about it?

Cheers
« Last Edit: Tue, 22 September 2009, 20:48:10 by kishy »
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Offline timw4mail

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 20:15:56 »
What color are the plungers (the part with the +)?
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Offline kishy

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 20:19:15 »
Quote from: timw4mail;119962
What color are the plungers (the part with the +)?


I only popped off one key, Esc, but that one is white. I imagine they're all the same; they all feel the same or highly similar.
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Offline timw4mail

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 20:23:33 »
So, they are tactile, have a somewhat high actuation force, but aren't clicky?

You've just found the second keyboard that I know of with Cherry Whites.
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Clicky iOne Scorpius M10, OCN-branded Ducky DK-9008-C, Blackmore Nocturna, Redragon Kumara K552-1, Qtronix Scorpius Keypad, Chicony KB-5181(Monterey)
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Offline kishy

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 20:30:19 »
Actuation force is very low; they're very easy to press.
There is a noise, I wouldn't call it a click, but they aren't silent. Sounds kind of like the BTC capacitive board I have, but (lightly) tactile as well.

edit- attachments added to first post
« Last Edit: Tue, 22 September 2009, 20:48:23 by kishy »
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Offline timw4mail

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 20:51:32 »
Okay, I've never seen a switch like that before...
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Tactile Apple AEKII (Cream damped ALPS), Filco FKBN91M/JB (Japanese Tenkeyless), Cherry G84-5200, Cherry G84-4100LPAUS, Datalux Spacesaver(Cherry ML), Redragon Devarajas K556 RGB, Newmen GM711, Poker II (Cherry MX Clear), Logitech G910 Orion Spark, Logitech K840
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Offline kishy

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 20:58:51 »
Quote from: timw4mail;119967
Okay, I've never seen a switch like that before...

It feels to me, without dissecting it, very similar to the aforementioned BTC thing. However, the "switches" on this look very modular...though without checking out the insides it's tough to say if they are actually individual parts.

What was that I had read about there being Topre OEM keyboards since the beginning of time? From what I've read, it kinda feels like a Topre.
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Offline SCTony

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 21:00:16 »
Is there a round, white 'shroud' around the + stem? Are the LED's built into the keys or are they separate?
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Offline kishy

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 21:06:17 »
Quote from: SCTony;119970
Is there a round, white 'shroud' around the + stem?

I would say yes, but I'm not 100% sure what you mean. See attachments in first post if you haven't yet, last one shows what you want.

Quote from: SCTony;119970
Are the LED's built into the keys or are they separate?

Separate.




Edit: The more I read the Topre wiki page, the more I think that's what this is. There is indeed somewhat of a feeling of oneness with cup rubber...
Perhaps a really early design that Topre stole for their patent?
The "+" post is on the key, not the plunger. The plunger is the "female" side, if you will.
« Last Edit: Tue, 22 September 2009, 21:12:38 by kishy »
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Offline rdjack21

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 21:28:58 »
Their have been quite a few Topre OEM boards especially in the early days (mid 80's). Actually all the Topre boards back then were OEM only it was not until the late 90's that Topre started to sell them on the retail market. The earliest one I have been able to find though was from Sony the NWP 411A (news keyboard). Even then the key housing was the same but the domes were a little different. One of the other early models was the NISSHO Electronics KB106DE (I was able to get one of these). Again the key housing and the key stem are the same as a modern Realforce board.

I have seen a picture that showed a key stem like the one you have but I don't remember where and I don't remember what kind of switch it was either. If it had been a Topre like switch I would have remembered it and kept a link to it. I will look around and see if I can find it again.
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Keyboards
Topre Capacitive: Realforce 87U, Realforce 86U, HHKB Pro 2, Topre MD01B0, Topre HE0100, Sun Short Type, OEM NEO CS (x2), NISSHO Electronics KB106DE
Buckling Spring: IBM Model M Space Saver (1291472), Unicomp Customizer x 2
Cherry Brown: Filco FKBN87M/EB, Compaq MX11800
Black Alps: ABS M1
Not so great boards Rare Spring over dome OKI, Sun rack keyboard
Trackballs - Trackman Wheel (3), Trackman marble (2)
Keyboards I still want to get - Happy Hacking Keyboard Pro 2 the White version, Realforce 23U number pad in black and maybe white, μTRON ergo board with Topre switches.
Previously owned - [size=0]SiiG MiniTouch (White Alps), Scorpius M10 (Blue Cherry), IBM Model M13[/size]

Offline rdjack21

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 21:30:32 »
Oh also could you post the FCC ID I can't make it out in the picture.
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Keyboards
Topre Capacitive: Realforce 87U, Realforce 86U, HHKB Pro 2, Topre MD01B0, Topre HE0100, Sun Short Type, OEM NEO CS (x2), NISSHO Electronics KB106DE
Buckling Spring: IBM Model M Space Saver (1291472), Unicomp Customizer x 2
Cherry Brown: Filco FKBN87M/EB, Compaq MX11800
Black Alps: ABS M1
Not so great boards Rare Spring over dome OKI, Sun rack keyboard
Trackballs - Trackman Wheel (3), Trackman marble (2)
Keyboards I still want to get - Happy Hacking Keyboard Pro 2 the White version, Realforce 23U number pad in black and maybe white, μTRON ergo board with Topre switches.
Previously owned - [size=0]SiiG MiniTouch (White Alps), Scorpius M10 (Blue Cherry), IBM Model M13[/size]

Offline rdjack21

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 21:52:32 »
Think I have found your switch on Sandy55's site. Futaba Switch and Translated

And here is some more pictures of the switch Sejin Electron

That last one really has better pictures of the switch and it looks just like the one you have.
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Keyboards
Topre Capacitive: Realforce 87U, Realforce 86U, HHKB Pro 2, Topre MD01B0, Topre HE0100, Sun Short Type, OEM NEO CS (x2), NISSHO Electronics KB106DE
Buckling Spring: IBM Model M Space Saver (1291472), Unicomp Customizer x 2
Cherry Brown: Filco FKBN87M/EB, Compaq MX11800
Black Alps: ABS M1
Not so great boards Rare Spring over dome OKI, Sun rack keyboard
Trackballs - Trackman Wheel (3), Trackman marble (2)
Keyboards I still want to get - Happy Hacking Keyboard Pro 2 the White version, Realforce 23U number pad in black and maybe white, μTRON ergo board with Topre switches.
Previously owned - [size=0]SiiG MiniTouch (White Alps), Scorpius M10 (Blue Cherry), IBM Model M13[/size]

Offline skriefal

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 22 September 2009, 23:31:03 »
Yes, that looks like a Futaba switch.  I used to have a board with those switches... it was klunky/klangy sounding and I didn't care for it at all.  Felt like a rubber dome board with a cheap, rattling spring between the plunger and dome.  (Not a good rubber dome board with springs, mind you... :smile:)
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Offline erricrice

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #13 on: Wed, 23 September 2009, 09:35:56 »
Quote from: rdjack21;119977
Think I have found your switch on Sandy55's site. Futaba Switch and Translated

And here is some more pictures of the switch Sejin Electron

That last one really has better pictures of the switch and it looks just like the one you have.

Lol, it seems some things get lost in the translation....

Quote
Switch structure in front of a very small step at the bottom end push can not understand comment Good "cookie" during loud sound and return "Tchan!"


Wow, that's a really weird switch construction, does anyone know how it works?  The spring pushes down the little spiraly thingy?
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Offline kishy

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #14 on: Wed, 23 September 2009, 12:24:20 »
Quote from: rdjack21;119973
Their have been quite a few Topre OEM boards especially in the early days (mid 80's). Actually all the Topre boards back then were OEM only it was not until the late 90's that Topre started to sell them on the retail market. The earliest one I have been able to find though was from Sony the NWP 411A (news keyboard). Even then the key housing was the same but the domes were a little different. One of the other early models was the NISSHO Electronics KB106DE (I was able to get one of these). Again the key housing and the key stem are the same as a modern Realforce board.

I have seen a picture that showed a key stem like the one you have but I don't remember where and I don't remember what kind of switch it was either. If it had been a Topre like switch I would have remembered it and kept a link to it. I will look around and see if I can find it again.


While evidently not a Topre, the written descriptions of key feel match exactly (at least my interpretation does). I don't much care for the feel of it, much like I don't care for the described feel.

Quote from: rdjack21;119974
Oh also could you post the FCC ID I can't make it out in the picture.


Will do once I am home; for some reason I didn't keep the original of that image (it is resized to half original size and then compressed a bit to save on filesize).

Quote from: rdjack21;119977
Think I have found your switch on Sandy55's site. Futaba Switch and Translated

And here is some more pictures of the switch Sejin Electron

That last one really has better pictures of the switch and it looks just like the one you have.


Switch looks very much the same. I don't doubt it either is the same or is related. Thanks!

Quote from: skriefal;119985
Yes, that looks like a Futaba switch.  I used to have a board with those switches... it was klunky/klangy sounding and I didn't care for it at all.  Felt like a rubber dome board with a cheap, rattling spring between the plunger and dome.  (Not a good rubber dome board with springs, mind you... :smile:)


While it does feel kind of 'loose', I would call that one of the best qualities of it (keeping in mind I do not like the feel of it very much). I wouldn't ever describe it as feeling like a rubber dome board; rubber dome boards are always very firm (which is, to me at least, very bad). There's also quite a decent travel distance with these, but without plugging it in and testing it it's difficult to judge how easy it is to type with.

Quote from: erricrice;120014
Lol, it seems some things get lost in the translation....


Indeed. Reading that translation is a nightmare, but informative nonetheless.

Quote from: erricrice;120014
Wow, that's a really weird switch construction, does anyone know how it works?  The spring pushes down the little spiraly thingy?


I'd rip it apart and show you (since I'm curious too), but I'm not going to disassemble a perfect condition brand new keyboard. I'll be throwing it up for sale at some point.

Unfortunately, the high humidity and heat caused the tape strips holding the cord's plastic bag thing on to pretty much melt. It's a sticky mess now.
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Offline kishy

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NOS/NIB slightly tactile keyboard found - "DataTrain MIUS03A-L6"
« Reply #15 on: Thu, 24 September 2009, 20:31:50 »
Sorry for the delay; I've come down with something and am totally out of it.

The FCC ID is: GJJ4AKEAT-IOIODS

The Is could be I or 1, and the Os could be 0 or O, I don't know. I would say they look more like letters, not numbers.
Edit: google results: nothing for letters, yes for numbers. They're numbers I guess.
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