UNITEK K-256

UnFocused · 18 Apr 2016, 20:27

A friend gave me a UNITEK K-256 keyboard the other day. I'd never seen yellow Cherry switches, so I did some Googling and found this: https://klikkyklik.wordpress.com/2015/0 ... revisited/

It seems that it uses "Taiwan jet axis" switches. They're PCB mounted. They feel OK and sound OK. They're linear and seem to have reduced key travel distance compared to Cherry switches.

The keyboard itself feels incredibly cheap is extremely light.

I don't think this keyboard is anything special, so I'm most likely going to use it teach myself how to properly desolder switches.

I may even build something with the switches if they'll mount on a MX PCB and plate.

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Redmaus · 18 Apr 2016, 20:30

Those look neat with the vibrant yellow slider.

What kind of caps are they? DS?

UnFocused · 18 Apr 2016, 20:44

Redmaus wrote: What kind of caps are they? DS?

I'm pretty sure they're dye sub because they're definitely not doubleshot and I can't feel the legends. The caps are low profile.

keycap · 19 Apr 2016, 02:20

Those have to be some of the sharpest dyesubs that I've seen. You sure they're not pad printed? Rimless pad printing exists.

UnFocused · 19 Apr 2016, 02:59

keycap wrote: Those have to be some of the sharpest dyesubs that I've seen. You sure they're not pad printed? Rimless pad printing exists.

You are correct, they are. I used a screwdriver to scrape one of the keys and the printing came right off.

keycap · 19 Apr 2016, 03:03

Yep, I couldn't really believe that such a cheaply made keyboard would use a high quality printing method like dye sublimation.

Chyros · 19 Apr 2016, 10:47

Unitek aren't the kind of guys who used expensive printing like dyesub or doubleshot xD . That said, some pad printing looks really sharp. Interesting find, didn't now there were yellow TJAs

.

keycap · 19 Apr 2016, 14:58

I really don't mind pad printing at all, just as long as it looks good and it's front printed on PBT. I have yet to wear down coated pad printing on my old rubber dome keyboard that was easily used for 10 years (I remember using it at age 6), but uncoated pad printing wears off so easily that it's not funny. Possibly worse than my Cherry POM laser infill caps that stain like crazy.

UnFocused · 30 Apr 2016, 00:32

I successfully desoldered all of the switches. Now I do the same with my QFR with MX blues and put these on in a few days.

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UnFocused · 01 May 2016, 03:27

I put the Taiwan Jet Axis switches in my QFR today. Here's some photos: http://imgur.com/a/WUDyW

I purposely left the top row (except for ESC) and caps lock with MX blues, but put the Tawain Jet Axis switches everywhere else. I wound up having to put MX blue switches back for the stabilized keys because the TJA switches aren't compatible with Costar stabilizers due to the shape of the top switch housing. I pulled a MX black switch off of a switch tester for the space bar and I've ordered others for the rest of the stabilized keys.

I've been wanting a keyboard with linear switches for a while now and had been thinking of buying something with MX black switches, but I'm quite happy with how these TJA switches both feel and sound.

The UNITEK keyboard that these switches were in originally was one of the cheapest feeling and lightest keyboards I've ever used. The switches were PCB mounted and the PCB was extremely thin and flexible. The switches are so much nicer plate mounted in my QFR.