Mechanical Keyboard Switch assortment/samples [misc Alps]

zrrion · 29 May 2021, 04:44

These pictures were taken from the following ebay listing : https://www.ebay.com/itm/223965529604
Unfortunatly this listing is over a year old. IIRC it sold for like 25usd or something crazy. If you bought this let me know and I'll double your money

(better yet document it yourself please, we can't use ebay listing pics on the wiki :'( )

zrrion · 29 May 2021, 07:07

Interesting to note here, integrated domes are split into 2 series based on whether they are plate mount or not, there is an SKCP LED and latching variant apparently, and spring over membrane's name does not begin with an S like all the other switches, and the capacitive one is new to me. Additionally it seems the switch series can sometimes be referred to by a 2 letter designation which makes sense if SK is mostly universal between the switches anyway.

Polecat · 30 May 2021, 01:15

Interesting find! Too bad it's not dated. Is that an orange next to the blue SKCM? So only orange and blue SKCM, tactile and tactile/clicky ("with sound") at that time? No mention of a Korean branch office, at least not in English. And fun to see the Futaba MA switch stuck there for comparison.

zrrion · 30 May 2021, 01:50

wiki/Alps_SKCM_Cream
Looks like it is cream. The futaba appears to be added by someone other than alps and is very funny that it is there for sure.

hellothere · 30 May 2021, 18:06

Nice thread. Thanks zrrion!

Redmaus · 30 May 2021, 19:51

That is so cool. I guess this was sent to companies who manufactured keyboards to see whether they would choose alps over the competition.

Polecat · 30 May 2021, 19:53

zrrion wrote: 30 May 2021, 01:50 wiki/Alps_SKCM_Cream
Looks like it is cream. The futaba appears to be added by someone other than alps and is very funny that it is there for sure.

Ahhh, thanks, that's the same sample kit that was used in the wiki. Great to see it in its entirety. Now we just need a complete set of those kits, laid out in chronological order, with dates and factory specifics. Well, I can dream, right?

Chyros · 07 Jun 2021, 14:45

HHHHHHNNNNNNGGGGGG

THAT'S AMAZING

Thanks zrrion!

zrrion · 27 Sep 2021, 08:21

may have located a patent for the SKKC capacative switch: https://patents.google.com/patent/US4596912A/en

I'm not aware of any examples of this particular switch having been found so if anyone knows more about that switch I would love to know

timw4mail · 27 Sep 2021, 15:19

Those KFL switches look like some NEC switches I remember, I wonder if they are related.

zrrion · 27 Sep 2021, 20:31

to the best of my knowledge SKFL and NEC oval switches are unrelated in any official capacity. the designs seem to share some similarities but whether this was convergent evolution, copying, or collaboration is not known to me.