deskthority

robo wrote: 18 Apr 2025, 16:12
no choice but to use Model F keyboards for the rest of my life.

I kinda feel that way too, and I am utterly spoilt by the 122 size, but I *might* be able to go down to a small light blue or orange Alps keyboard some day if I end up needing to adapt to a smaller space.

Perhaps not "great" but probably "good"

Won't last long.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/396489465682?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m164380.l178263&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=56418f37ae494476bf15757aabca428b&bu=43208930367&ut=RU&exe=0&ext=0&osub=-1%7E1&crd=20250418060920&segname=11021&recoId=396489465682 ...

Nice. Love the blue sub-legends and the PF series functions.

You would probably have to replace the caps, but barrel inserts have been the standard stabilizers from the late-1980s onward.

anthonyrwolfe wrote: 08 Mar 2025, 09:03
the right switch can have a huge impact on how it feels and performs when typing.

OMG! What a revelation!

Who knew?

I quite like those Compaqs from that era, but they do not have any collector's value.

viewtopic.php?t=13640&sid=627fd9b8cfe34 ... 8a18f28f1e

Perhaps not "Great" but at least good if you are interested in Northgates ....

ebay item 276835751152

For what it's worth, ADB and S-video are pretty much interchangeable.

Salmon and orange are extremely close.

Polecat wrote: 07 Jan 2025, 04:15
SMK MX mount.

wiki/File:SMK_G2_MX_clicky_--_top.jpg

I think these are extremely nice switches, but I have only ever seen them in crappy keyboards.

The AT101W is an excellent chasis, I have one that I transplanted blue ALPS into and it is a joy to use.

The black variant of AT101W is much harder to find and looks much more contemporary.

modelf wrote: 12 Nov 2024, 06:49
It's nice to know about the "washer mod" .... so many years of using these keyboards, never heard of it before.

I think it was the great wcass who dreamed it up about a decade ago.

Great find!
And doubleshot ANSI caps to boot!

a resource that explains how the mod works?



Gravity.
The weight of the washer prevents the wire from jumping up. You may hear a bit of rattle and the "V" or "M" key or whichever will lose a tiny bit of downward travel.

Otherwise a new barrel plate from Unicomp used to cost $10, maybe more ...

I have used washers several times myself. As I recall, it is a 5/16" SAE washer, not an easy one to find.

From my experience they are similar. I prefer the 8923 because it seems sturdier, and I like its clean design better than "chopped corners". But they are probably very similar inside.

Findecanor wrote: 05 Sep 2024, 20:38
PVC with plasticisers which will eat its way into ABS plastic.

Empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls are one way to store coiled cables.

The barrel plate of the Model M does give quite a bit of protection from spills, "liquid flows downhill" is a law of nature.

Are there any current problems? Or have you simply not put it back together yet?

Sounds promising. If I found the clear mylar sheets stuck together I would be suspicious that it was not glue but rather dried drink. I have never done it but maybe dunk them in water briefly to get them apart? Alcohol is a solvent and I would be wary of it softening up the printed traces. If all ...

The easy answer is to set it aside for a couple of days and see if it dries out acceptably on its own. Summer sun might help speed that up.

Taking it completely apart for a thorough cleaning is daunting, but if it is already bolt modded you have a big headstart.

If I were you, I would unscrew all ...

For desoldering on the cheap, I think that a "solder sucker" works pretty well, maybe using the braid to tidy up.

Of course, using the quality, expensive tools is always best.

What I hate is when they have bent all the legs down tight ....

I have not done this, but has the old "chopstick" method been deprecated?

rocco_16v wrote: 06 May 2024, 05:05
Finally the keycaps are thin ABS

Those do not look thin to me.

These are my favorites, but probably hard to find outside the US.

especially the tedium



Ha Ha Ha!

Then you will want to get rid of that trivial rust, just because. I have 2 things to say about the difficult part - re-assembly.

You can expect that it will take multiple tries to get it back together, and usually that means considerable dis-assembly, too ...

I wouldn't worry too much about the barrel plate. It may be marginally weaker than the older ones, but a new replacement part from Unicomp would not likely be much different. A question of strength is rather moot since it is affixed to a metal plate. If you do order anything from them, I definitely ...

kbdfr wrote: 05 Feb 2024, 18:18
3 of us will have deleted half a dozen spam topics, a dozen of spam posters and two dozens of spam posts

Are they hoping to make money here, or just doing this for "fun"?

The 2nd Generation case shell does look more modern and sculpted, but the 1st Gen top is much more "bad-ass" in my opinion.

Also, I would miss the pencil ledge.

I have never had a problem with the cheap "Y" cables for Model Ms and modern PC motherboards, but they are not always a sure thing.

The older "AT" connectors can be downsized to the PS/2 (mini-DIN6) with a simple connector and then taken to USB through the above active device.

Note that Model F ...

thefarside wrote: 08 Dec 2023, 06:43
It sounds like you fill all the cavities in the case?
Does it dampen the sound?

I have done various things. You can cut the sound in half and remove the most annoying overtones.
I love Model Fs for their feel, not their sound, a clicky but silent keyboard would be fine by me.