Just Got a New MiniTouch!

[bitflipper]

Well, new to me anyway. It's this one with the "monterey" switches from ncbound10. I apologize to anyone here bidding on this. I sniped it, but paid a premium.

I have to give props to ncbound10. He seems to be a first rate seller and got this to me very quickly. I was a little dubious if it was really clicky and not linear mechanical, but it's got a nice tactile bump and click.

I really like these switches. I don't know who made them, but they seem to be everything that an original complicated Alps was meant to be. The activation force is just right, I'm guessing 50g to 55g. They're not silent, but much quieter than the fake simplified Alps of my other SIIG MiniTouch, the Fukkas of my Filco Zero Tenkeyless and the original Alps of my Northgate Omnikey.

These have to be my favorite switches now - and they're in a small KB as well. Does anyone else have a board with these "monterey" switches? I'd like to hear your opinions of this obscure switch.

[rdjack21]

That is interesting. I sold my SIIG because the switches were a little to heavy for me. How do you know if it has the "monterey" switches before buying it? I would not mind trying one of those. 50-55g would be about right for a clicky board and other than the heavy switches I really liked that MiniTouch.

[bitflipper]

The seller had a picture with a keycap pulled. They have this very light blue tint to them. And the keycaps are Alps compatible. My simplified Alps MiniTouch has noticeably heavier actuation force - maybe 65g to 70g, but it's NIB and may just need to be broken in a bit. I used to have a keyboard that had a similar feel to it, but it's long gone. It was possibly a Zenith. I blame this old keyboard for sending me on my current journey for a keyboard with similar keyswitches. 44 keyboards later, my journey may be over. This is a bit disappointing, though, to find these nice "monterey" switches are not very common.

[itlnstln]

I used to have a keyboard that had a similar feel to it, but it's long gone. It was possibly a Zenith. I blame this old keyboard for sending me on my current journey for a keyboard with similar keyswitches. 44 keyboards later, my journey may be over

I just shed a tear.

[itlnstln]

I haven't bought a keyboard since March.  I'm proud of myself.  iMav is going to ban me soon.

[bitflipper]

44 keyboards?    Keep posting.  Collectors like you make me feel like I'm not an addict.  Really.

You mean addicts like me make you feel like you're not a collector. ;-)

[itlnstln]

Poser.

Pretty much.  I just come here for the lulz.

[microsoft windows]

I only have 7 keyboards.

[itlnstln]

I have 7 distinct keyboards, but mulitples of a few.
 
I violated the primary key.  Pun intended, unfortunately.

[bitflipper]

Some of mine are not really first normal form, either. I count about 17 membrane, rubber dome, scissors. May be time to get rid of some.

[bitflipper]

What the heck is the port on the front for? The newer one doesn't have it.

[chimera15]

Well, new to me anyway. It's this one with the "monterey" switches from ncbound10. I apologize to anyone here bidding on this. I sniped it, but paid a premium.

I have to give props to ncbound10. He seems to be a first rate seller and got this to me very quickly. I was a little dubious if it was really clicky and not linear mechanical, but it's got a nice tactile bump and click.

I really like these switches. I don't know who made them, but they seem to be everything that an original complicated Alps was meant to be. The activation force is just right, I'm guessing 50g to 55g. They're not silent, but much quieter than the fake simplified Alps of my other SIIG MiniTouch, the Fukkas of my Filco Zero Tenkeyless and the original Alps of my Northgate Omnikey.  


These have to be my favorite switches now - and they're in a small KB as well. Does anyone else have a board with these "monterey" switches? I'd like to hear your opinions of this obscure switch.

You outbid me.  I bid $60. I also bid it up to $40 for most of the week.  I was the price setter.

 I already posted about this board in the ebay section.  Anyway, good buy, let me know if you ever want to sell it.  You just barely got it from me, I missed bumping it up to $80 by a half a second.  Monterey switches aren't completely uncommon, but they are in this format.  There are other Monterey switch keyboards on ebay right now for around $20.

This one is mislabeled as blue alps:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-Elite-Clicky-Keyboard-5181-BLUE-ALPS-SLIDERS_W0QQitemZ360172837443QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item53dbf95a43




It's ok though, I'm glad another geekhacker got it and will appreciate it for what it is.   I spent the money I was going to spend on that to buy the dc2014 with blue alps I'm going to strip the switches out of and turn one of my kb1903's with fakes into blue alps.  Should be as good as that one or better.

I may also tear apart my standard  Monterey board and make a mini out of it.


Can you answer my question I asked about these monterey boards in another thread,  does it still use Monterey switches for the function keys, or does it use those yellow alps?

[chimera15]

I just realized I got nmb and monterey switches confused all this time. huh  I think someone told me my monterery switch keyboard was an nmb a long time ago. lol

[bitflipper]

Do you mean the back?  Looks like a connector for a numpad.

You mean I've been typing upside down all this time? :-0
I should've known it was for a keypad, but then I've never seen one with the rj type interface.

You outbid me.  I bid $60. I was the price setter.

 They're NMB switches.  I already posted about this board in the ebay section.  Anyway, good buy, let me know if you ever want to sell it.

  You just barely got it from me, I missed bumping it up to $80 by a half a second.  

You've got dibs on the board. I always feel guilty about sniping - especially keyboards. I figure whoever I'm bidding against probably posts here.

The term "monterey" comes from the fact they were made as a subcontract of the Monterey electronic equiptment company in Taiwan, I think, not referring to the switches. nmb switches aren't completely uncommon, but they are in this format.  

This one is made in Taiwan which falls in line with your information. The newer one with the fake simplified white Alps is made in China.

There are other nmb switch keyboards on ebay right now for around $20.

This one is mislabeled as blue alps:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-Elite-Clicky-Keyboard-5181-BLUE-ALPS-SLIDERS_W0QQitemZ360172837443QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item53dbf95a43


It's ok though, I spent the money I was going to spend on that to buy the dc2014 with blue alps I'm going to strip the switches out of and turn one of my kb1903's with fakes into blue alps.  Should be as good as that one or better.

I may also tear apart my standard nmb board and make a mini out of it.

Can you answer my question I asked about these monterey boards in another thread,  does it still use nmb switches for the function keys, or does it use those yellow alps?

No yellow Alps here. The function keys are the same light blue NMBs. The newer MiniTouch - fake simplifieds all around including the function keys.

I don't know if I'll ever get around to it or be brave enough, but I was thinking along those lines of using my Nan Tan as a donor board and replacing the fake simplifieds with original white Alps. Replacing the stock escape key with a red one is the extent of my hacking. Probably not a good idea to use the MiniTouch to practice my soldering skills.

[chimera15]

You mean I've been typing upside down all this time? :-0
I should've known it was for a keypad, but then I've never seen one with the rj type interface.



You've got dibs on the board. I always feel guilty about sniping - especially keyboards. I figure whoever I'm bidding against probably posts here.



This one is made in Taiwan which falls in line with your information. The newer one with the fake simplified white Alps is made in China.




No yellow Alps here. The function keys are the same light blue NMBs. The newer MiniTouch - fake simplifieds all around including the function keys.

I don't know if I'll ever get around to it or be brave enough, but I was thinking along those lines of using my Nan Tan as a donor board and replacing the fake simplifieds with original white Alps. Replacing the stock escape key with a red one is the extent of my hacking. Probably not a good idea to use the MiniTouch to practice my soldering skills.

Ah that's interesting that it's all Monterey's.  I was wrong about my post, and I corrected it, but looks like you quoted it before I got the changes in.  They are Monterey switches.  Here's sandy's page:

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/monterey.htm

It's not that hard to desolder and solder the switches.  I have a whole board down to about an hour now.  It's kind of like cutting the corn off a corn cob. lol

If your nan tan is the same as my unitek k-258, I wouldn't bother.  Those are real alps, but they're also simplified....  Do you know if they're complicated?  I would only bother if they're real complicated/blues.  You might want to go the same way as I did and buy an old focus 3001 board.  Those usually have real complicated ones.

[bitflipper]

Ah that's interesting that it's all Monterey's.  I was wrong about my post, and I corrected it, but looks like you quoted it before I got the changes in.  They are Monterey switches.  Here's sandy's page:

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/monterey.htm

It's not that hard to desolder and solder the switches.  I have a whole board down to about an hour now.  It's kind of like cutting the corn off a corn cob. lol

If your nan tan is the same as my unitek k-258, I wouldn't bother.  Those are real alps, but they're also simplified....  Do you know if they're complicated?  I would only bother if they're real complicated/blues.  You might want to go the same way as I did and buy an old focus 3001 board.  Those usually have real complicated ones.

Doh! They're Monterey's again. Thx for the link, they do have interesting internals.

Not sure about the Nan Tan. It's just a board I probably won't ever use and would be a good candidate. I'll have to open up a switch now.