Stuff you just bought

PlacaFromHell · 09 May 2019, 05:34

I got this as a gift. is there some possibility that this Focus FK-3001 works well? What's the blue / white Alps ratio?

Polecat · 09 May 2019, 06:03

PlacaFromHell wrote: 09 May 2019, 05:34 I got this as a gift. is there some possibility that this Focus FK-3001 works well? What's the blue / white Alps ratio?

If I'm reading the inspection number correctly (80857883?) it's near the changeover point from blue to white (not that there's a definite number break...). Most likely very early white Alps, the ones that feel and sound like blues. Let us know when it arrives!

PlacaFromHell · 09 May 2019, 06:09

I bet it will feel like crap because of the dirt

Thanks.

Polecat · 09 May 2019, 06:52

PlacaFromHell wrote: 09 May 2019, 06:09 I bet it will feel like crap because of the dirt Thanks.

Still, it's an early Focus keyboard, and something special either way.

zrrion · 20 May 2019, 05:48

I've got one of these in the mail that should be here in a few days:

and assuming I don't get sniped, I should have a calculator in the mail shortly:

abrahamstechnology · 21 May 2019, 22:53

I bought two of these:

They use Alps integrated domes, I'm hoping someone can help me make a PCB and plate for these to use better Alps switches.

snacksthecat · 21 May 2019, 23:26

abrahamstechnology wrote: 21 May 2019, 22:53 I bought two of these:

They use Alps integrated domes, I'm hoping someone can help me make a PCB and plate for these to use better Alps switches.

This is an excellent guide.

https://wiki.ai03.me/books/pcb-design

I can also recommend some different manufacturers based on your needs (price, quality, speed)

snuci · 22 May 2019, 00:33

I managed to snatch this from b***a, I think. He/she put an offer in as did I and I won out. No idea what key switches are in it. It's a rare IBM Multistation 5535-M18. Pics to follow if the keyboard is interesting but not likely. All I care about is the Multistation as I now have two models.

Spoiler:

abrahamstechnology · 22 May 2019, 21:09

snacksthecat wrote: 21 May 2019, 23:26
This is an excellent guide.

https://wiki.ai03.me/books/pcb-design

I can also recommend some different manufacturers based on your needs (price, quality, speed)

Thanks! Just got a digital caliper to measure the old PCB.

linuxfanatic · 23 May 2019, 08:13

Bought an OK60 Type-C PCB for my Hirose build.

cli · 23 May 2019, 13:24

Got an Apple M0118 with Orange switches for 10 euro (+ some shipment costs)

JP! · 23 May 2019, 21:19

Something big...

Spoiler:

Dingster · 23 May 2019, 21:25

JP! wrote: 23 May 2019, 21:19 Something big...

Spoiler:
keyboard.jpg

Woa what switches? That thing must weigh a ton

JP! · 23 May 2019, 21:33

Dingster wrote: 23 May 2019, 21:25 Woa what switches? That thing must weigh a ton

Stay tuned to find out. As packaged I believe it was 26 lbs. There is a huge price difference for shipping between air or by ship. By ship the shipping cost is better than half of what it would cost to ship by air. If I do by ship through it will take forever.

Dingster · 23 May 2019, 21:35

JP! wrote: 23 May 2019, 21:33
Dingster wrote: 23 May 2019, 21:25 Woa what switches? That thing must weigh a ton
Stay tuned to find out. As packaged I believe it was 26 lbs. There is a huge price difference for shipping between air or by ship. By ship the shipping cost is better than half of what it would cost to ship by air. If I do by ship through it will take forever.

Man best of luck with this, please do a writeup on it once you get it.

Scarpia · 24 May 2019, 07:28

I ... that’s..

battleship
aircraft carrier
???

Polecat · 24 May 2019, 07:48

Scarpia wrote: 24 May 2019, 07:28 I ... that’s..

battleship

aircraft carrier

???

Starship?

For a second I thought he was playing solitaire...

ZedTheMan · 24 May 2019, 09:00

JP,

You've done it again!

This time, you went and got yourself a whole live cow, made out of keyboards!
The closest size comparison, a whole, live, cow.

I wonder how the matrix is laid out.

Menuhin · 24 May 2019, 10:36

JP! wrote: 23 May 2019, 21:33
Dingster wrote: 23 May 2019, 21:25 Woa what switches? That thing must weigh a ton
Stay tuned to find out. As packaged I believe it was 26 lbs. There is a huge price difference for shipping between air or by ship. By ship the shipping cost is better than half of what it would cost to ship by air. If I do by ship through it will take forever.

No way... it's you again!
Please start and fund an input device museum, otherwise probably your children will not know how to deal with those in meaningful ways.

JP! · 24 May 2019, 14:14

ZedTheMan wrote: 24 May 2019, 09:00 JP,

You've done it again!

This time, you went and got yourself a whole live cow, made out of keyboards!
The closest size comparison, a whole, live, cow.

I wonder how the matrix is laid out.

Spoiler:

JP! · 24 May 2019, 14:42

Menuhin wrote: 24 May 2019, 10:36 No way... it's you again!
Please start and fund an input device museum, otherwise probably your children will not know how to deal with those in meaningful ways.

That's a scary thought but no children. Starting museums is pretty much the biggest rip off and don't see that being a feasible option...unless someone wants to make a contribution

My humble collection wouldn't be enough to make establishing a museum worthwhile unless if maybe people from around the world contributed to such an endeavor. This also would be bad if all the best keyboards were centralized in one location and a sinkhole swallows everything (looking at you National Corvette Museum). A dedicated input device display at a big computer history museum I think would be neat though.

Lbibass · 24 May 2019, 14:51

Polecat wrote: 24 May 2019, 07:48
Scarpia wrote: 24 May 2019, 07:28 I ... that’s..

battleship

aircraft carrier

???

Starship?

For a second I thought he was playing solitaire...

I think that the best name for a keyboard like that would be a continent keyboard. It's just... so big.

depletedvespene · 24 May 2019, 15:09

Lbibass wrote: 24 May 2019, 14:51
I think that the best name for a keyboard like that would be a continent keyboard. It's just... so big.

Well... it does have an archipelago of islands on the west, so the moniker definitely applies.

JP! · 24 May 2019, 15:20

How about the Ultra Large Contact Array ULCA-Class Super-Capital Ship?

Spoiler:

depletedvespene · 24 May 2019, 15:30

JP! wrote: 24 May 2019, 15:20 How about the Ultra Large Contact Array ULCA-Class Super-Capital Ship?

I got it!!! Call it the Yamato. It was, after all, a Japanese battleship that was recovered and made into a spaceship.

JP! · 24 May 2019, 15:41

depletedvespene wrote: 24 May 2019, 15:30
JP! wrote: 24 May 2019, 15:20 How about the Ultra Large Contact Array ULCA-Class Super-Capital Ship?
I got it!!! Call it the Yamato. It was, after all, a Japanese battleship that was recovered and made into a spaceship.

*The space battleship Yamato

Type: ULCA-Class Super-Capital Ship
Displacement: 11.92 kg
Size: 78.5 cm × 42 cm
Armament: 542 keys / 30×16 matrix and 12 shifts / nearly 6k characters

JP! · 24 May 2019, 16:01

Polecat wrote: 24 May 2019, 07:48 For a second I thought he was playing solitaire...

Naw, that's a Go board

ZedTheMan · 24 May 2019, 18:32

JP! wrote: 24 May 2019, 14:14
ZedTheMan wrote: 24 May 2019, 09:00 JP,

You've done it again!

This time, you went and got yourself a whole live cow, made out of keyboards!
The closest size comparison, a whole, live, cow.

I wonder how the matrix is laid out.

Spoiler:
BeefCutFlank.svg.png

I wonder what proper typing technique to hit the brisket and shank columns is.

Obscure · 25 May 2019, 00:42

dedicated keyboard for some weird card game?

Guchay · 25 May 2019, 01:37

JP! wrote: 23 May 2019, 21:19 Something big...

Spoiler:
keyboard.jpg

I've seen that keyboard before, thought it was the IBM 5556-5 and got a little excited. I don't recall which switch was in it but it wasn't anything I was particularly interested in or knew anything about IIRC. I'll try and find where I found that keyboard.