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Offline megahertzcoil

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I caught the bug
« on: Sun, 11 October 2015, 01:21:22 »
I finally had to join the forum after catching the bug.  It started out with rediscovering an '87  Model M I had acquired sometime in the early 90's and got lost in storage for the last 20 years until this past June.  Long story short, the full size keyboard didn't fit on my desk as  daily driver, so I picked up a nearly new '93 Model M SSK along with an RGB modifier kit from Unicomp.  I got so addicted so quickly and then acquired a Model F AT and a Model M2.  I also picked up the TMK controller from Phosphorglow  and have that in the full sized Model M while I experiment with it.  Once I have that tuned, I will put it in my SSK. 

The Model F is a dream but is currently on hold until I can tweak the layout to ANSI an Enter and add the standard Model M Alt keys and a xWhatsit controller.  I am less excited about the M2 and might end up parting ways with it.  It's an interesting board, but I like the heft of the traditional Model M and its steel back plate.

That crazy thing is I find myself trying to find excuses to type because I love it so much... 

I just wish there were more/better options for buying new buckling spring keyboards.  Unicomp is great, but their selection of layouts is too limited.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: I caught the bug
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 11 October 2015, 02:55:45 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

I'd use my Model M and SSK a bit more if I didn't get complaints and criticisms from all directions.

I had quite a bitter criticism at work, so I can't use them there now :(

At home I can get away with using an SSK (fits on the desk better) while everyone is awake (say, on the weekends), but during the working week I get up a lots earlier than everyone else and usually find myself going back to my HHKB, which is a LOT quieter than any of the BS keyboards :))

Your RGB modifiers ... are the two Shift keys different shades of green?  Mine are, and a few others have different shades of green too, but one or two people have been lucky enough to get them the same colour.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline megahertzcoil

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Re: I caught the bug
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 11 October 2015, 23:15:47 »
Yeah, I am kind of in the same boat.  So far my office mates aren't too pleased with my SSK, thus is stays at home.  I do have to be careful with it at night when others are sleeping, but so far it hasn't been a problem.  I am hoping that the Model F will slightly less annoying to others and I can use it at work.

Thanks for pointing out the RGB modifiers... I thought they looked good and when you asked about the green color matching I had to do a double take.  Sure enough, they are slightly different.  Thanks  :eek:
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Offline Altis

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Re: I caught the bug
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 12 October 2015, 10:20:56 »
Welcome.

With any luck, Unicomp will release a smaller form factor sometime probably in 2016. I have no idea what's taking them so long, but they've been insisting it's in the works for some time now.
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WhiteFox (Gateron Brown) -- Realforce 87U 45g -- Realforce 104UG (Hi Pro 45g) -- Realforce 108US 30g JIS -- HHKB Pro 2 -- IBM Model M ('90) -- IBM Model M SSK ('87) -- NMB RT-101 & RT-8255C+ (Hi-Tek Space Invaders) -- Chicony KB-5181 (Monterey Blue Alps) -- KPT-102 (KPT Alps) -- KUL ES-87 (62/65g Purple Zealios) -- CM QFR (MX Red) -- Apple Aluminum BT -- Realforce 23u Numpad -- Logitech K740 -- QSENN DT-35 -- Zenith Z-150 (Green Alps)

Offline bocahgundul

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Re: I caught the bug
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 12 October 2015, 10:25:13 »
Quote from: Altis on Mon, 12 October 2015, 10:20:56
Welcome.

With any luck, Unicomp will release a smaller form factor sometime probably in 2016. I have no idea what's taking them so long, but they've been insisting it's in the works for some time now.
Is this for real?  :eek:
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Offline djkib

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Re: I caught the bug
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 12 October 2015, 13:19:21 »
Welcome!

Glad you are smitten with the same bug I have... If it's not a true blue Model M, I have a hard time with it...

I share an office with the washing machine and dryer... noise is not an issue... at work, I have started a trend... we are all programmers, and I have convinced one guy that mechanical keyboards are FAR better than rubber dome could ever be... He's now using a Razer with Cherry MX's...

My Model M here at work is significantly quieter than the others I have at home. I repaired a cracked barrel plate with sort of a rubber cement that both stiffened the barrel plate and has quieted it down significantly... If you are into some work, you can bolt-mod your M, and fill the weak areas of the barrel plate with this glue (more to follow) and see how that works. My co-workers have noticed already...

Again, Welcome!
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Offline Altis

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Re: I caught the bug
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 12 October 2015, 14:19:09 »
Quote from: bocahgundul on Mon, 12 October 2015, 10:25:13
Quote from: Altis on Mon, 12 October 2015, 10:20:56
Welcome.

With any luck, Unicomp will release a smaller form factor sometime probably in 2016. I have no idea what's taking them so long, but they've been insisting it's in the works for some time now.
Is this for real?  :eek:

Last update from them was contact in August suggesting that they're still working on it!

I'm not sure if it will be a TKL or smaller yet. I'd buy one if they released a 60-75%.
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WhiteFox (Gateron Brown) -- Realforce 87U 45g -- Realforce 104UG (Hi Pro 45g) -- Realforce 108US 30g JIS -- HHKB Pro 2 -- IBM Model M ('90) -- IBM Model M SSK ('87) -- NMB RT-101 & RT-8255C+ (Hi-Tek Space Invaders) -- Chicony KB-5181 (Monterey Blue Alps) -- KPT-102 (KPT Alps) -- KUL ES-87 (62/65g Purple Zealios) -- CM QFR (MX Red) -- Apple Aluminum BT -- Realforce 23u Numpad -- Logitech K740 -- QSENN DT-35 -- Zenith Z-150 (Green Alps)

Offline megahertzcoil

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  • Posts: 34
Re: I caught the bug
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 12 October 2015, 21:53:42 »
Quote from: Altis on Mon, 12 October 2015, 14:19:09
Quote from: bocahgundul on Mon, 12 October 2015, 10:25:13
Quote from: Altis on Mon, 12 October 2015, 10:20:56
Welcome.

With any luck, Unicomp will release a smaller form factor sometime probably in 2016. I have no idea what's taking them so long, but they've been insisting it's in the works for some time now.
Is this for real?  :eek:

Last update from them was contact in August suggesting that they're still working on it!

I'm not sure if it will be a TKL or smaller yet. I'd buy one if they released a 60-75%.

This is also the information I received when I inquired in August.  I wanted to see if they had anything in the pipeline before pulling the trigger on an SSK.  Even if they come out with something, I am worried about the execution/quality.  While I am happy that Unicomp is still serving the buckling spring segment of the market, they con't seem to get high marks for quality compared with the vintage Model Ms. 

Quote from: djkib on Mon, 12 October 2015, 13:19:21
My Model M here at work is significantly quieter than the others I have at home. I repaired a cracked barrel plate with sort of a rubber cement that both stiffened the barrel plate and has quieted it down significantly... If you are into some work, you can bolt-mod your M, and fill the weak areas of the barrel plate with this glue (more to follow) and see how that works. My co-workers have noticed already...

Thanks for the welcome!  I am definitely interested in your mod.  I likely have a bolt mod in my future as I noticed a couple of popped rivets in the box my SSK came in.  Seems the 22 years of sitting in a box has taken its toll.  Let me know if/when you post more information!
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Offline rowdy

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Re: I caught the bug
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 14 October 2015, 05:06:36 »
Quote from: megahertzcoil on Sun, 11 October 2015, 23:15:47
Yeah, I am kind of in the same boat.  So far my office mates aren't too pleased with my SSK, thus is stays at home.  I do have to be careful with it at night when others are sleeping, but so far it hasn't been a problem.  I am hoping that the Model F will slightly less annoying to others and I can use it at work.

Thanks for pointing out the RGB modifiers... I thought they looked good and when you asked about the green color matching I had to do a double take.  Sure enough, they are slightly different.  Thanks  :eek:

Here is a review of a terminal Model F, with recordings of typing on Model M and Model F for comparison.  Actually many say that the Model F is louder, or has a different sound, such that it is more annoying to those who are sensitive to noisy keyboards.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ
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