Russian Hall Effect board, $95 shipped

[ander]

Greetings Comrades,

I don't know how many of you this will interest—but it's something you don't see every day, and might make a fun project for someone who's so inclined:

CSSR Contactless alphanumeric Hall-effect keyboard CONSUL 262.3 Manual 1986 RARE














BIN $50.00 + 45.00 shipping

As most of you know, boards of this type and period were usually built into consoles, so relatively few stand-alone versions like this turn up.

It's missing a key, but otherwise seems in pretty nice shape, given its age and that it was in a working environment. It must be pretty hefty, too, so the shipping seems quite reasonable.

[pr0ximity]

Weight: 1.8 kg

Probably not a metal case, but that's normal.

Looks neat, nice colored caps too!

[chyros]

It's by the same manufacturer as my Tesla board. Apparently it was used in Soviet military installations, so if you want your own piece of the Red Army, go for it!

[Jin]

amazing board !

[armatus]

do you want handwire it?

[menuhin]

So I just recently realized that despite the bulkiness, the individual switches of these Soviet Hall Effect boards, and those from the Honeywell Hall Effect boards are independent working units, i.e. completed with sensors and magnets. Unlike the construction on the modern Chinese Hall Effect board which managed to miniaturize the mechanism to the Cherry MX size by parsimoniously placing the sensors on the PCB.
If only the current one has independent individual working units, then DIY enthusiasts can potentially mess with many more things about the new GB purchase.

I like these individual sensing units better - perhaps that is reflecting why the US and Russia were the two major players in the cold war.

[orihalcon]

I have one of these that I'd sell for $70 shipped to the USA that isn't missing any keycaps.  I've hit the point where I've run out of space for new boards without selling some.  If anyone is interested, PM me  

[chyros]

So I just recently realized that despite the bulkiness, the individual switches of these Soviet Hall Effect boards, and those from the Honeywell Hall Effect boards are independent working units, i.e. completed with sensors and magnets. Unlike the construction on the modern Chinese Hall Effect board which managed to miniaturize the mechanism to the Cherry MX size by parsimoniously placing the sensors on the PCB.
If only the current one has independent individual working units, then DIY enthusiasts can potentially mess with many more things about the new GB purchase.

I like these individual sensing units better - perhaps that is reflecting why the US and Russia were the two major players in the cold war.

Micro Switch Hall effect were similarly individual sensing units. Basically Tesla made switches inspired by both.

[Elrick]

I like these individual sensing units better - perhaps that is reflecting why the US and Russia were the two major players in the cold war.

Back then, it was far more secure and peaceful compared to today's mess.

[dorkvader]

So I just recently realized that despite the bulkiness, the individual switches of these Soviet Hall Effect boards, and those from the Honeywell Hall Effect boards are independent working units, i.e. completed with sensors and magnets.

Micro Switch Hall effect were similarly individual sensing units. Basically Tesla made switches inspired by both.

Honeywell bought microswitch long before they started manufacturing those switches, the names are interchangeable. The Soviet board is a copy of that design.

I like to think of it as "Honeywell" being the manufacturer and "microswitch" being a brand.

[chyros]

So I just recently realized that despite the bulkiness, the individual switches of these Soviet Hall Effect boards, and those from the Honeywell Hall Effect boards are independent working units, i.e. completed with sensors and magnets.

Micro Switch Hall effect were similarly individual sensing units. Basically Tesla made switches inspired by both.

Honeywell bought microswitch long before they started manufacturing those switches, the names are interchangeable. The Soviet board is a copy of that design.

I like to think of it as "Honeywell" being the manufacturer and "microswitch" being a brand.

All true, it's just that Honeywell and Micro Switch are conventionally used to differentiate the two generations of Hall effect switches they made. Only recently did they update the DT wiki with the actual names (SD and SW series).

[dorkvader]

So I just recently realized that despite the bulkiness, the individual switches of these Soviet Hall Effect boards, and those from the Honeywell Hall Effect boards are independent working units, i.e. completed with sensors and magnets.

Micro Switch Hall effect were similarly individual sensing units. Basically Tesla made switches inspired by both.

Honeywell bought microswitch long before they started manufacturing those switches, the names are interchangeable. The Soviet board is a copy of that design.

I like to think of it as "Honeywell" being the manufacturer and "microswitch" being a brand.

All true, it's just that Honeywell and Micro Switch are conventionally used to differentiate the two generations of Hall effect switches they made. Only recently did they update the DT wiki with the actual names (SD and SW series).

Oh, really, who started that? because I don't think it's a good way of going about it. I suppose this is what I get for going dark right when other people are starting to add hall effect info. Back in the day we would sometimes refer to them as dual magnet and sealed. I used to call the vintage and modern, but that doesn't make sense because the sealed type were introduced not *that* long after the dual magnet, which again made a return on industrial KBs after the mid 1980's.

This whole calling the microswitch branded Honeywell hall effect switches microswitch and Honeywell must have started in the last year or so.

looks like the convention is to call them "micro switch" switches which I find to be perfectly acceptable.
https://deskthority.net/wiki/Micro_Switch_SD_Series
https://deskthority.net/wiki/Micro_Switch_SW_Series

I also see that the DT wiki is using my images of switches and keycaps. I'm very happy about that.

[ander]

So I just recently realized that despite the bulkiness, the individual switches of these Soviet Hall Effect boards, and those from the Honeywell Hall Effect boards are independent working units, i.e. completed with sensors and magnets...

Interesting! Till now I had the impression HE switches couldn't be reused as discrete units. That must apply to just some designs.

[chyros]

So I just recently realized that despite the bulkiness, the individual switches of these Soviet Hall Effect boards, and those from the Honeywell Hall Effect boards are independent working units, i.e. completed with sensors and magnets.

Micro Switch Hall effect were similarly individual sensing units. Basically Tesla made switches inspired by both.

Honeywell bought microswitch long before they started manufacturing those switches, the names are interchangeable. The Soviet board is a copy of that design.

I like to think of it as "Honeywell" being the manufacturer and "microswitch" being a brand.

All true, it's just that Honeywell and Micro Switch are conventionally used to differentiate the two generations of Hall effect switches they made. Only recently did they update the DT wiki with the actual names (SD and SW series).

Oh, really, who started that? because I don't think it's a good way of going about it. I suppose this is what I get for going dark right when other people are starting to add hall effect info. Back in the day we would sometimes refer to them as dual magnet and sealed. I used to call the vintage and modern, but that doesn't make sense because the sealed type were introduced not *that* long after the dual magnet, which again made a return on industrial KBs after the mid 1980's.

I guess whoever did the DT wiki articles, because it caught on . I used to call them single- and dual-magnet Honeywell Hall effect, myself, but it got overtaken by the Honeywell and Micro Switch naming, which doesn't make much sense. I still prefer single-magnet and dual-magnet to SW and SD, tbh.