Alps SKCCAF002A: tall vintage tee mount

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Quest Components stock Alps SKCCAF002A — I enquired about datasheets, and they sent me a couple of photos of the switch:

image001.jpg (10.42 KiB) Viewed 7660 times

image002.jpg (9.55 KiB) Viewed 7660 times

The datasheet he attached was for something else, so hopefully the chap just grabbed the wrong PDF.

The TI-99/4A is the first and only keyboard to date that actually confirms SKCC from the PCB codes (KCCBA082/12KC190B):

http://www.ebay.com/itm//281571442793?orig_cvip=true

To me, these appear to be the normal height switches, implying that both short and tall are SKCC as expected.

I'm still interested in that datasheet, but I think the evidence is there now to indicate that vintage tee mount is SKCC Series.

One more terrible provisional name vanquished!

Together with Siemens STB, that's two mysteries resolved so far this year. Plus it seems that "ICL" switches are really Ericsson, and HaaTa's on that case.

[seebart]

great work thank you.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

No data sheets for anything Alps — that's all there is.

[cherry-jade]

i have some,it just like the cherry switch witch called "M5".But the color is more,green also.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Strangely enough, Quest Components received a request for a quote for their entire stock of SKCCAF002A and suggested I grab the ones I wanted first, so I've ordered 50 of them.

[Nuum]

Damn, that's why I didn't find them on their website, I could've used one to replace the lock key on my Apple M0110. Oh well, time to search an early M0110A for replacement switches and keycaps.

[mr_a500]

Check this out - Apple IIe T-ALPS keyboard with what looks like keycap adapters ($9 BIN):

Apple IIe ALPS with keycap adapters.JPG

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-IIe-keybo ... 1478797803

Here is a SMK switch from another Apple IIe. The adapters on the ALPS keyboard must be to use the SMK keycaps.

Apple II switch.JPG

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Damn, that's why I didn't find them on their website, I could've used one to replace the lock key on my Apple M0110. Oh well, time to search an early M0110A for replacement switches and keycaps.

They're here, now decremented by 50, and with a photo added:

http://www.questcomp.com/questdetails.a ... 73264&pt=0

I bought enough to share with people.

[Nuum]

It would be super nice if I could buy some off you!

[Muirium]

I just came by a box of antique keyswitches (the tallest I've ever seen) that I'll photograph in the daylight. Perhaps we could arrange a trade of captives!

[scottc]

Iiiiiiiinteresting! I'll trade beam spring caps for interesting switches with anyone interested...

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Sadly they don't have SKCMAG, as then I'd be forced to buy out their entire stock :-P

[Daniel Beardsmore]

The other 3950 went to Massdrop, so they'll all be available to the community at some point.

Someone (and I forget who) asked me about having enough from me to replace every switch in a keyboard, and I don't have enough for that, but he (or she) is indeed in luck after all.

I wanted to avoid shipping any back to the US, but I can spare at least 40 (leaving me nine good ones and the one I broke) for Europeans.

[Nuum]

I'd be happy to buy one or two off you to replace the locking switch on my Apple M0110!
I could even send you the locking switch back, if you need one of those.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Sounds like a fair swap to me. Send me your address and I'll pop a couple in the post to you.

[ssco]

I have about 88000 pcs of Alps SKCCAF002A brand new in original boxes of 4000 pcs. Any interest?

[seebart]

I have about 88000 pcs of Alps SKCCAF002A brand new in original boxes of 4000 pcs. Any interest?

[Nuum]

Yes! But not 4000... Well, depends on the price.

[Chyros]

Wow! That's amazing! 4000 is QUITE a lot, but I'm intrigued nonetheless. Maybe now we'll go into an era of nice smooth linear switches for everyone ^^ . How much are they per box?

[seebart]

Yes! But not 4000... Well, depends on the price.

Depending on the price and interest check this could become a SKCC GB. But who's stepping up?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Don't forget to make sure someone can supply keycaps for them! Massdrop haven't yet visibly done anything with the nearly 4000 they bought originally.

[bluearcus]

I'm interested, but I don't think I could eat more than 20...

[seebart]

Don't forget to make sure someone can supply keycaps for them! Massdrop haven't yet visibly done anything with the nearly 4000 they bought originally.

Good point. I've good plenty anyway thanks to Daniel.

[ssco]

We decided to list these on ebay. You can buy as many or few as you wish. The listings are for various quantities, and based on quantity the price drops. Thanks! Ebay seller standardsupplyco
For example a case of 4000 is here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/352029038420
we sell in singles, 10, 100, 1000, and 4000.

[Nuum]

I'd like to buy some, but the price for 100 is a bit steep (99$), would be willing to pay something around 30-40€ for them. Also it says "Does not ship to Germany", although it says "Ships to: United States, Europe, Canada, Australia". (Here's the offer for 100: http://www.ebay.com/itm/182527752216)

Does anyone in the US want to do a group buy for 1000 or 4000 of them?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

What we do need is one or more high resolution photos of one of the the boxes. So far, the only documented evidence on the [wiki]Alps SKCC Tall Cream[/wiki] wiki page for the part number is the package I received from Quest Components where they'd labelled the bag with the part number. We have no catalogue data or any other real evidence, from Alps, Apple, The Keyboard Company, or anyone.

I acquired a box photo for Alps SKCC Green:



I didn't know what the red ink was, but apparently it's the manufacture date, which sadly isn't readable, so we can't get a date on those. If anything dot matrix–printed is a date, I don't recognise it.

You can see a red stamp here (SKCLAR053A):

http://aucview.aucfan.com/yahoo/p523953255/

That gives us a 10th of October 2001 manufacture date (Gregorian calendar) or the same date in 1989 (Heisei 1, Japanese calendar). 1989 is plausible as they were introduced around 1988.

Interestingly the SKCLAR053A box has only the Kana and the new Alps logo, while the box for SKCCBK0001 has both the old and new logos together just as you get on 89 onwards Alps SKCL/SKCM/SKBL/SKBM switches (new logo on top, old logo on the bottom).

It would be interesting too to see if the dates on all the boxes are consistent, or if not, what kind of date range they span.