NMB/HiTek RT-101 - ANSI Clicky Space Invaders in green!

[XMIT]

This weekend I jumped on an opportunity. Listed just two hours prior, an eBay auction for this keyboard appeared in my saved searches. Having never seen one quite like it before I knew it would probably not stick around for long.

Well it arrived today, and it is beautiful. I am typing on it right now using a PS/2 to USB adapter (not Soarer's, some other one). It gets at least 6KRO (that is the adapter's limitation). To truly be a daily driver it will need a disassembly, thorough cleaning with IPA, and some lubrication. But this one is worth the effort.

The keys (apart from the stickiness that will disappear after a cleaning) are light and clicky, but not too light, and not too clicky. They feel most like a light Alps switch but without as much wobble.

The seller was even kind enough to give me a few switches, just in case.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves. https://goo.gl/photos/bEMipDR1TWaZiqQB7 or see below. These are just a few quick snapshots on the front porch before I go run some errands.








(Note that I am selling some other Space Invaders keyboards over on the Classifieds at the moment.) 

[chyros]

Wait, does the RT101 have NKRO? Oo

[XMIT]

Why yes, I believe they do. I can test it for sure by hooking one up to Soarer's Converter. The best way to check is to look for diodes but that requires desoldering 101 switches (404 pins).

[fohat.digs]

You bought my keyboard on ebay? If you had gone through my listing here it would have been cheaper.

Everything except the switches should be immaculately clean. Those black ones were transplants, the originals were white.

I have never really tried to dismantle Hi-Teks for cleaning because they are so fussy, but good luck.

And remember, when or if you start replacing switches: the "legs" are just wires and there is no strain relief at all!

[CPTBadAss]

Edited: I can't read and I'm an idiot. Never mind.

[XMIT]

What? That was you? D'oh. I thought I had the Classifieds set to ping me when new things came up, maybe I need to fix that. I can't find your listing - can you please point me to it?

But when I saw that bag of switches I figured this was sold by someone who knew what they were doing. I thought egg cartons for packaging was cute.

I posted a guide on here somewhere about removing HiTek key caps and disassembling switches:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=60707.msg1766575#msg1766575

I would disassemble these before desoldering, unlike Cherry switches.

Shoot me a PM if you want to get rid of anything else.

[False_Dmitry_II]

I was wondering if you would do that, fohat. I guess the font just couldn't hold up after all.

@XMIT, I think you mean without any wobble. And is that description just for those who haven't tried SI before?

Either way, I'd like to see what you intend to do to the switches themselves.

[XMIT]

@XMIT, I think you mean without any wobble. And is that description just for those who haven't tried SI before?

Either way, I'd like to see what you intend to do to the switches themselves.

There is still some wobble. No switch is entirely wobble free. Yes, that description is for folks who haven't used Space Invaders before.

To clean the switches I would remove the key caps, then remove the switch tops (and not lose any springs), then carefully desolder, give a bath in isopropyl alcohol, reassemble and re-solder. I'll do some experiments on the loose switches first to find potential lubrication points.

[fohat.digs]

I was wondering if you would do that, fohat. I guess the font just couldn't hold up after all.

@XMIT, I think you mean without any wobble.

I am an old man, and I simply could not read the font without my glasses because it was so narrow. I am a touch typist, pretty much, but it really bothered me because every time I looked down I could not help but think how stupid and silly it looked, like the first project by a freshman in school trying to be "cute" (I am an Industrial Designer by education, but I favor the Bauhaus ideal of simplicity and function). That said, the green color is utterly awesome.

To my mind, these switches wobble less than just about anything else.

[chyros]

A great buy. IMO, the RT101 is possibly the coolest model of Space Invaders board out there .

To my mind, these switches wobble less than just about anything else.

Yeah, after how silent the linears were, this was the thing that struck me most about Hi-Teks. Nothing I've seen so far even comes close to just how stabilised these are. Mind you, I think lack of wobble is overrated, but if it's important to you, these rate A++.

[False_Dmitry_II]

Which is why I said without any wobble. They don't bind up because of it either.