Magnetic Reed Switches

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HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

02 Dec 2011, 10:19

Other than http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/N860-9201.htm, have full Magnetic Reed Switch keyboards been seen in the wild?

I have had some loose switches for a while.
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woody
Count Troller

02 Dec 2011, 14:11

HaaTa wrote:Other than http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/N860-9201.htm, have full Magnetic Reed Switch keyboards been seen in the wild?
Yes. I spent good parts of my childhood on Apple II clones with reed switch keyboards.

ripster

02 Dec 2011, 16:12

You should do a wiki on them so I can copypasta it.

Check these:
http://www.grisk.com/keyboard/8095.html

Edit: Oh wait. Those don't look like magnetic reed switches to me.
http://www.grisk.com/pushbutton/kbm-lp.html

ripster

02 Dec 2011, 16:36

woody wrote:
HaaTa wrote:Other than http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/N860-9201.htm, have full Magnetic Reed Switch keyboards been seen in the wild?
Yes. I spent good parts of my childhood on Apple II clones with reed switch keyboards.
I don't think those were magnetic either.

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woody
Count Troller

02 Dec 2011, 19:21

What are those?

ripster

02 Dec 2011, 21:29

R.I.P. Steve Jobs
I was general manager at Datanetics in Fountain Valley, Southern California. We built keyboards for cash registers and desktop calculators. IT&T bought the company around 1976. Steve Jobs dropped by on the way back from New York and asked me to build keyboards for the Apple II. By the spring of 1977 we were in full production.

In early 1978, Datanetics built keyboards for Mattel and others which prompted Steve's suggestion that I start a new company dedicated to supply Apple's needs.

User avatar
HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

02 Dec 2011, 23:02

Well, I guess not then...

I've come across some "Ghetto" Magnetic Reed Switches:
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Tec is a terrible name...anyone have any info on them? Info will be rewarded with more pics :D.
Harris is the company that distributed the keyboards.

I have 2 of these boards, 1 that's complete, the other is missing keys. Both of them lack controllers, but have speakers. The reed switches still work.

woody
Count Troller

03 Dec 2011, 18:02

IIRC, the one I used had the reed switch vertically mounted.
I could still have one in possession in a remote location, or available in friend's collection.

IIRC, boring linear. But the subtle reed click was pleasant.

User avatar
HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

03 Dec 2011, 20:14

Oh, you mean like this?

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woody
Count Troller

03 Dec 2011, 21:49

I am a commie. It was a locally produced keyboard (early 1980s), so it might as well be local design/clone.
Since getting access to mine could take close to a year, I will ask a friend to search his collection.

It could have been like this:
http://www.pravetz8.com/BulComputers_Pi ... etz_82.jpg
or like this:
http://www.pravetz8.com/BulComputers_Pictures/8M.jpg

Human memory fades faster than magnetic media. Sorry for not being more specific.

User avatar
HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

03 Dec 2011, 22:45

What I found interesting, is that the above locking switch is very similar to the "Made in Mexico" reed switches I have, down to the pointing arrows.

*See first post*

Cyclonechuah

04 Dec 2011, 02:27

heya, haata, i guess you forget about me and my private messages, well, nevermind about that.

btw, back to topic, these switch looks mechanism looks to be very unique.

User avatar
HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

04 Dec 2011, 09:24

I apologize, I've been really busy, but yeah, I've replied :P

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