Leading Edge DC-2014 Blue Alps

[Hypersphere]

Today I unboxed a new treasure from eBay -- a Leading Edge DC-2014 keyboard with blue Alps switches and doubleshot keycaps.
 
Here are a couple of pics of the board right out of the box. The keyboard was in excellent shape and quite clean for an eBay purchase.





This arrival was exciting for me, because it is my very first blue Alps keyboard. I have other flavors of Alps and Alps clones, but no true blue Alps.

I was able to get the board up and running with a Hagstrom converter, so that I could properly test the typing action. Now I can better understand why many people favor blue Alps above all other varieties of this switch. Blue Alps are indeed quite smooth with excellent tactile feedback. The weight of the switches also seems just about right for me -- not too heavy and not too light. The click is not overly loud and the key travel is ideal.

After gaining experience desoldering lesser switches and building one or more custom boards, I would like to take the blue Alps switches from the DC-2014 and put them into a custom 60% board. I could also use the alphanumeric caps from the DC-2014 in the custom build except for the right bracket key, which is oversized in the XT style. I have an Ortek MCK-101FX, which I think has keycaps that match those on the DC-2014 (although the switches in the Ortek are clones of white Alps).

[mike52787]

the dc-2014 has doubleshot abs caps, not pbt. as for the custom board, If I were you I would look for someone that has a unassembled alps64 pcb and one of bluenalgene's plates from his GB.

[chyros]

Today I unboxed a new treasure from eBay -- a Leading Edge DC-2014 keyboard with blue Alps switches and doubleshot PBT keycaps.
 
 Here are a couple of pics of the board right out of the box. The keyboard was in excellent shape and quite clean for an eBay purchase.

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

This arrival was exciting for me, because it is my very first blue Alps keyboard. I have other flavors of Alps and Alps clones, but no true blue Alps.

I was able to get the board up and running with a Hagstrom converter, so that I could properly test the typing action. Now I can better understand why many people favor blue Alps above all other varieties of this switch. Blue Alps are indeed quite smooth with excellent tactile feedback. The weight of the switches also seems just about right for me -- not too heavy and not too light. The click is not overly loud and the key travel is ideal.

After gaining experience desoldering lesser switches and building one or more custom boards, I would like to take the blue Alps switches from the DC-2014 and put them into a custom 60% board. I could also use the alphanumeric caps from the DC-2014 in the custom build except for the right bracket key, which is oversized in the XT style. I have an Ortek MCK-101FX, which I think has keycaps that match those on the DC-2014 (although the switches in the Ortek are clones of white Alps).

Welcome to the brotherhood! I think it's almost impossible not to fall in love with brand-new blue Alps xD .

But please, do you really have to destroy such a unique, characterful, classy old board? Especially if you can actually run it?

[Hypersphere]

@mike52787: Thanks for the correction and the advice about a custom build. Regarding the caps, I must have been thinking of the caps on the Ortek MCK-101FX, which are said to be doubleshot PBT (according to the DT wiki article):

https://deskthority.net/wiki/Ortek_MCK-101_FX

I've deleted "PBT" from the original post. When I get around to testing the caps on the DC-2014 and Ortek MCK-101FX, I will report back.

[y11971alex]

I'd Echo Chyros' sentiments but you have better luck than I did.  Mine wouldn't work over a Soarer.

[Hypersphere]

The Hagstrom box worked, but it seems to require multiple connections/disconnections to finally have the keyboard recognized. I have also heard that the DC-2014 does not work with Soarer's converter -- is this indeed the case?

[fohat.digs]

I have also heard that the DC-2014 does not work with Soarer's converter -- is this indeed the case?

Huh? I get so confused with 2 parallel universes.

You can attach the 5th wire (the previously unused #3) to PD7 on the Teensy and I think that the latest Soarer firmware will pick up on it and use it.

[snarfarlarkus]

Am I the only one in this forum who begs to differ from the hype of blue alps? Have a Northgate Omnikey 102 with blue alps but gosh they're kinda underwhelming. Capacitive buckling springs >>>

[chyros]

Am I the only one in this forum who begs to differ from the hype of blue alps? Have a Northgate Omnikey 102 with blue alps but gosh they're kinda underwhelming. Capacitive buckling springs >>>

Is it in like-new or better condition? If so, sell it to me. If not, get one .

[SBJ]

Today I unboxed a new treasure from eBay -- a Leading Edge DC-2014 keyboard with blue Alps switches and doubleshot PBT keycaps.
 
 Here are a couple of pics of the board right out of the box. The keyboard was in excellent shape and quite clean for an eBay purchase.

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

This arrival was exciting for me, because it is my very first blue Alps keyboard. I have other flavors of Alps and Alps clones, but no true blue Alps.

I was able to get the board up and running with a Hagstrom converter, so that I could properly test the typing action. Now I can better understand why many people favor blue Alps above all other varieties of this switch. Blue Alps are indeed quite smooth with excellent tactile feedback. The weight of the switches also seems just about right for me -- not too heavy and not too light. The click is not overly loud and the key travel is ideal.

After gaining experience desoldering lesser switches and building one or more custom boards, I would like to take the blue Alps switches from the DC-2014 and put them into a custom 60% board. I could also use the alphanumeric caps from the DC-2014 in the custom build except for the right bracket key, which is oversized in the XT style. I have an Ortek MCK-101FX, which I think has keycaps that match those on the DC-2014 (although the switches in the Ortek are clones of white Alps).

I think I saw this board on ebay, was very tempted to press the buy button.
Very nice indeed. On my bucket list are green and blue alps boards.
I guess I could open a classifieds thread and see if anyone is willing to part with theirs.

[Hypersphere]

I did an acetone test on a keycap from the Leading Edge DC-2014 and on a keycap from a MCK 101-FX using a small cotton swab on the inside of the caps. This is enough to determine if the plastic dissolves in acetone without compromising the function or outward appearance of the cap. I used a dye-sub PBT cap from an SGI keyboard for comparison.

As expected, the dye-sub PBT cap from the SGI board showed no sign of dissolving plastic when in contact with acetone, consistent with the cap being made of PBT.

The caps from the Leading Edge DC-2014 and MCK 101-FX proved to be double-shot ABS -- definitely not PBT. These caps are also very thin. They measure about 1.0 mm thick on the top and side skirts, and the bottom skirt is only about 0.5 mm thick. I would like to put dye-sub PBT caps on t he DC-2014, but given its layout, this would be problematic except for the alphanumeric keys (and the odd-sized Right Bracket key that I am using as Backspace).

UPDATE: I installed the internal Orihalcon/Soarer converter in the DC-2014, programmed it to a quasi-HHKB layout, and installed a flush-mount micro-USB connector on the back of the case. Everything works just fine, and the board is quite usable in this configuration.

I like the feel and the subdued click of the blue Alps, but I prefer the overall sound of my Northgate Omnikey 101 with white Alps. The DC-2014 has a hollow plasticky sound, whereas the Northgate has a more solid sound (as I would expect, given the amount of steel used in its construction).