Author Topic: What is this keyboard and switches?  (Read 2005 times)

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Offline svetlio_vd

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What is this keyboard and switches?
« on: Fri, 22 January 2016, 12:52:18 »
Hello guys, recently I found an interesting keyboard from a friend. I've been interested in mechanical keyboards for a while and I told him if he finds something, he should call me. So he gave this peace to me. Here are the pictures :125354-0125356-1125358-2125360-3125362-4125364-5

I think it has orange ALPS? But the strangest thing is, the ENTER key has and OMRON switch! And sadly, the only key, that does not work is the ENTER key :( How do you think, what kind of keyboard is this?

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: What is this keyboard and switches?
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 22 January 2016, 12:55:21 »
Looks like a Toko Electronics TK-959 (from the label you posted) with Clicky Amber Omron switches

Offline svetlio_vd

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Re: What is this keyboard and switches?
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 22 January 2016, 13:05:08 »
WoW this was a fast reply :) Thanks! Indeed they are clicky, I am also wondering - why does the enter switch has a little different form than all the others? Maybe is nothing important, sorry to ask a noob question.
I have a dilemma whether to make a key chain of one of the switches or keep this board intact. Sadly enough, it is old and maybe used harsh, because the buttons feel a but mushy (way worse than the cherry mx blue that I have).

Offline chyros

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Re: What is this keyboard and switches?
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 22 January 2016, 15:47:20 »
WoW this was a fast reply :) Thanks! Indeed they are clicky, I am also wondering - why does the enter switch has a little different form than all the others? Maybe is nothing important, sorry to ask a noob question.
I have a dilemma whether to make a key chain of one of the switches or keep this board intact. Sadly enough, it is old and maybe used harsh, because the buttons feel a but mushy (way worse than the cherry mx blue that I have).
Ooh, amber Omrons! These are super duper clicky, considerably louder than buckling springs even. They're one of the funkiest-handling switches I have, but great fun :) . The enter switch looks like an unbranded KPT switch of some sort (which are Omron pinout-compatible) but I'm really not sure.

I actually have an Omron keychain, I based it on my Alps keychain design. Here's what it looks like:

Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline jacobolus

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Re: What is this keyboard and switches?
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 22 January 2016, 16:15:10 »
Looks to me like this whole keyboard is TEC switches or similar, with the exception of the enter key, which is an amber Omron switch. I suspect that the Omron switch is there to make sure the enter keycap reliably returns up after a keypress; the other switches might not be up to the job.

Check the spacebar, it might also have an Omron switch.

https://deskthority.net/wiki/TEC_switch
« Last Edit: Fri, 22 January 2016, 16:20:53 by jacobolus »

Offline SamirD

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Re: What is this keyboard and switches?
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 23 January 2016, 14:37:38 »
Funky switch, funky legend--I say restore it and make it a keeper!  :thumb:
« Last Edit: Sat, 23 January 2016, 15:50:35 by SamirD »

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: What is this keyboard and switches?
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 23 January 2016, 14:39:31 »
Totally agree with SamirD here. Definitely restore and enjoy that bad boy.