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Author Topic: New Chicony KB-5181  (Read 2986 times)

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Offline ocdonkb

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 112
New Chicony KB-5181
« on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 13:18:46 »
Ebay link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Chicony-KB-5181-Computer-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ360218072638QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item53deab963e#ht_3479wt_798

There was a GH review of this

Personally, not my thing. I can tolerate a lot in boards, but a small Backspace key is not one of them.
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| Filco Brown 87 key | Realforce 87U | Unicomp Spacesaver | IBM Model M | Cherry ML4100 | Dell AT101W | Focus 2001 |

Offline InSanCen

  • Posts: 565
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 13:59:02 »
Quote from: ocdonkb;142629
Personally, not my thing. I can tolerate a lot in boards, but a small Backspace key is not one of them.


SMC (SMK?) switches by the look of the photo in the auction.
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Currently Using :- IBM M13 1996, Black :
Currently Own :- 1391406 1989 & 1990 : AT Model F 1985 : Boscom 122 (Black) : G80-3000 : G80-1800 (x2) : Wang 724 : G81-8000LPBGB (Card Reader, MY) : Unitek : AT102W : TVS Gold :
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Offline maxlugar

  • Posts: 379
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 14:05:22 »
Quote from: ocdonkb;142629
Ebay link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Chicony-KB-5181-Computer-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ360218072638QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item53deab963e#ht_3479wt_798

There was a GH review of this

Personally, not my thing. I can tolerate a lot in boards, but a small Backspace key is not one of them.


A screaming deal for a decent clicky keyboard.  The keyboard looks unremarkable, but the plate mounted SMK Monterey key switches are outstanding.  You will need a passive 5-pin AT to ps/2 adapter and a blue cube ps/2 to USB converter to work well with most modern laptops and PCs.

The small backspace key is not that big of a deal - most people at my office who have typed on the KB-5181 got accustomed to the small backspace key.  All the other keys are in the normal IBM 101-key enhanced layout.

This seller is highly reputable - I've purchased a dozen of these NIB KB-5181s from this seller and the transaction experience was excellent.

For 10 bucks NIB, this is a better deal for a clicky keyboard than most of the  used Model Ms on ebay.
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Emperor of the IBM 84-key AT Model F Darkside

Offline itlnstln

  • Posts: 7048
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 14:07:51 »
What do the Monterreys feel like?   Are they anything like ALPS?
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Offline maxlugar

  • Posts: 379
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 14:51:41 »
Quote from: itlnstln;142656
What do the Monterreys feel like?   Are they anything like ALPS?


Click on the link in the first post to read Manyak's review.

I think the Montereys were intended to be "ALPS like" but I personally prefer the Monterey key switches over genuine complicated white ALPS (which I also happen to like very much).

The Monterey key switches click on both the down press AND the return, similar to a buckling spring switch.  The tactile bump is sharper than the Model M buckling spring key switch, making the keystrokes feel crisper.

I have not ripometered the required force for the key presses, but they feel farily light - slightly less force than the Model M, but slightly more force than Blue Cherries.

Anyway, for 10 bucks + shipping, I think they make a nice edition of a clicky keyboard to add to anyone's collection (and there's no keyboard crud to clean)
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Emperor of the IBM 84-key AT Model F Darkside

Offline ch_123

  • * Exalted Elder
  • Posts: 5860
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 15:08:24 »
Are there any good keyboards that use the Monterey switches? From what I see, most of them look like the generic plasticky Asian keyboards of the 80s.

Indeed, does anyone know whether the switches can be adapted to work in an Alps board?
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Offline itlnstln

  • Posts: 7048
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 15:10:31 »
I think Chimera has some Monterey switches in one of his SIIG Minitouches.
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Offline rdjack21

  • Posts: 896
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 15:25:52 »
If you get the chance could you ripometer the board? I would love to know the force required for the keys.
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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 Buckling_Summer

  • Posts: 83
    • http://www.elitesportservices.com
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 15 December 2009, 16:00:32 »
Does anyone have any audio sample file ?
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PRESENT POSSESSIONS:
 Buckling Spings: IBM Model M 82G2383 Lexmarkian (1995) / IBM Model F PC-AT keyboard 84 keys (6450200)
XM Simplified 1 (Monterey K110 or AK-CN2 or Hua-Jie) Siig MiniTouch KB-1948 GeekHack Spacesaver edition
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Offline TexasFlood

  • Posts: 1084
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 14 September 2010, 18:09:19 »
Quote from: Buckling_Summer;142704
Does anyone have any audio sample file ?

Did anyone ever post a KB-5181 sound sample?
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Offline TexasFlood

  • Posts: 1084
New Chicony KB-5181
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 14 September 2010, 20:44:01 »
Quote from: ripster;223372
Just did.  See the MegaSound sample.
Cool.  I assume this is your $16 NIB ebay special?  Was curious to compare a few different keyboards.  At first pass through the samples I grabbed, my favorite sounds have to be Monterey and complicated ALPS.  Thanks...
« Last Edit: Tue, 14 September 2010, 21:53:39 by TexasFlood »
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