Cherry G80-3700HAU/04

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I've just updated [wiki]Cherry G80-3700[/wiki] with a large assortment of photos of my G80-3700HAU/04. This is my first ever Cherry MX Black keyboard — they're not as stiff as I was expecting. I'm tempted now to try a fully MX Black keyboard as reds, while very nice, are a bit light. I suspect as usual I'd want something in the middle between the two, but I'll have to see.

The keyboard itself came from Newbury radio rally. I should have taken the NEC PC-8201A portable computer with what I figure were Alps vintage tee mount switches (including the ultra rare latching version) before someone else took it. No-one else has photos of the switches, but it's a related to the TRS-80 Model 100 (both were made by Kyocera) and mr_a500 has one with Alps switches, so he too should have the magic latching switch:

Onto the G80-3700HAU/04. Notwithstanding the light dust on the PCB between the switches, it was only a brief clean away from looking NIB. It came in its original RS box with manual and product leaflet; I don't know if the twist tie is the original …

01. Original box.jpg (387 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

02. In original box.jpg (359.53 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

03. Re-unboxed, of course.jpg (336.69 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

04. G80-3000.jpg (869.54 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

I've included a number of images that didn't make it to the wiki:

05. Keycaps.jpg (721.69 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

06. Controller.jpg (569.38 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

07. Switches and keycaps.jpg (550.85 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

08. Cable exit.jpg (513.65 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

09. PCB detail.jpg (715.42 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

10. Naked.jpg (990.9 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

The Cherry sticker I imagine came on backing paper and was affixed by the owner (at least they stuck it on straight). Sadly Cherry's print registration was way out!

11. Cherry sticker.jpg (555.51 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

12 PCB with keycaps on the switches.jpg (649.04 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

13. Bottom with label.jpg (526.43 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

I don't actually have any use for this; I only took it because I'd lost the NEC PC-8201A (I seriously thought nobody would buy that — I need to get out of the habit of procrastinating on such purchases) and it was cheap. Always useful to have something else that's not on the wiki yet. There was also an electronic adding machine (digital keypad and impact printer and paper roll) with what could have been Mitsumi switches, but it was too bulky to store (it was going cheap).

There was also a big Siemens luggable computer (a bit like a PAC but a 286) with those weird RAFI-like panda switches. The keycaps didn't come off easily, so I could only look underneath them. The switches were very tactile, so either it's a different model of switch or, more likely, it had rubber domes under the keycaps just as with ITW/Devlin magnetic valve switches. (I did update the relevant topic but that's three times now I've done so and nobody's cared. I tried RAFI again the other day, but still no reply.)

What passes for company …

If you ask, I just mite.jpg (561.4 KiB) Viewed 5665 times

[scottc]

Looks like a nice numpad. I've been considering getting one of these, but I'm not interested enough to actively search for them.

I agree with what you've said about MX black - MX red are definitely too light for me, but MX black may be slightly too much over extended periods of time. I've gotten a small bag of slightly lighter 55g springs from Paranoid, and I'll swap those into an MX black keyboard at one point to see if they help.

[Muirium]

I was about to mention "Korean springs". Don't forget the lube while you're in there!

Newbury's quite the place to pick up kit, I see. I've still never had any luck locally. Vintage knobs and just as old radio amateur gear aplenty, but slim pickings in the digital realm.

[Broadmonkey]

55g should be lighter than reds, AFAIK. I found 65g to be great if you find reds to be too light.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I just had one good year, last year, with the rallies; this year has been pretty disappointing, but most years I never see anything. If I had more space I'd be more interested in big old computers and mixing desks and what not just to examine the switches.

One thing I did learn about the G80-3700 AT — it won't function unless it's got a keyboard attached to its passthrough port. To use it with a modern keyboard, that means you need (e.g.) Poker II → USB to PS/2 active converter→ PS/2 to AT adapter → G80-3700 → AT to PS/2 adapter → PS/2 to USB converter.

Seriously.

With a Filco TKL you'd at least be able to use a USB to PS/2 passive adapter. (Unless a Poker II does support PS/2. I've never tried.)

[Muirium]

Worth a try. I haven't tried with my USB boards either, as I've no passive adapters (or PS/2 ports to plug them into besides).

The AT protocol (also used with PS/2) is a relatively simple thing. I wonder what Cherry did to achieve that odd effect. Maybe the numpad doesn't have a clock? Or waits for another board to respond as the first in the chain. Someone who knows more than just the blurb on AT might want to investigate.

[photekq]

Nice find and great photos. I love the 3700 models with the Cherry sticker.

Let me know if you ever want to let go of it

[Daniel Beardsmore]

How many do you have, exactly? I'm envisioning you with a warehouse full of them — shelves stacked out with Cherry keypads.

I don't want to give it away because I fear that there's always one more thing I'll want to photograph (which is true — I often dig out keyboards again to take more photos, and I very nearly missed the funny LED switch), yet at the same time I don't want to hog something I don't need and would rather it went to a good home.

If there were more wiki photographers I'd feel less pressure to hoard things ;-)

[photekq]

I've got no keypads, but I've been meaning to get a 3700 for a long time. A NIB one with a Cherry sticker is my ideal model.

If you ever thought of a part of the keypad you forgot to take a photo of, I could always take one for you

[scottc]

55g should be lighter than reds, AFAIK. I found 65g to be great if you find reds to be too light.

Oh cool, thanks for that. The grams-force vs. centinewtons measurements really throw me off. I'll look into getting some 65g ones, then!

I don't want to give it away because I fear that there's always one more thing I'll want to photograph (which is true — I often dig out keyboards again to take more photos, and I very nearly missed the funny LED switch), yet at the same time I don't want to hog something I don't need and would rather it went to a good home.

If there were more wiki photographers I'd feel less pressure to hoard things

I understand this. I'd like to be a top-notch wiki photographer, but I've got no camera (apart from my phone, as you can see in the G80-2500 wiki entry) and nothing really of interest. Regardless, I'd also happily take this off your hands if you ever wanted rid of it. Which reminds me, I could really do with a fancy-pants camera...

[Broadmonkey]

We should do a keyboard photography equipment group buy, so we can all take good pics and have them consistent at the same time (seriously, I could use a good cheap camera)

Regarding springs, try and take a look at Sprits Spring group buy, he has a pretty good description of them.

[pyrelink]

Well that is ironic. The last ham fest I went to back in April, I too had the oppertunity to buy a Trash80 (don't remember the exact model it was, but looked similar to the one that Mr_a500 has). Passed on it, since the guy selling it had it marked ridiculously high, and he wasn't super friendly

I have had great luck at computer/ham festivals, and some really shitty luck. Especially in recent years. It seems that people have switched to eBay, and that whole community has really thinned out. Not even 5 years ago, there were still super populated all weekend events, now some of the ones around me are only pulling a few hundred people for half a Saturday

Beautiful keypad though. I keep saying that I need to get myself a dedicated keypad, but then again, I never really find myself wishing I had a keypad, in daily work.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I have had great luck at computer/ham festivals, and some really shitty luck. Especially in recent years. It seems that people have switched to eBay, and that whole community has really thinned out. Not even 5 years ago, there were still super populated all weekend events, now some of the ones around me are only pulling a few hundred people for half a Saturday :cry:

They're always hit and miss. I bought a scanner sometime around 1998, and that was dead. Strangely, in 2000 I bought a second-hand Mac with exactly the same scanner (Microtek ScanMaker E6) and the PSU in that one developed an arcing fault, so (since I'm a hoarder) I was able to swap out the good PSU from the otherwise dead E6 I'd held onto. I still have both — technically I can still use the good one as my G4 tower came with an a SCSI card in it.

I was however still able to pick up working stuff as late as 2004, but then I started buying nothing but broken crap, so I now refuse to buy anything besides keyboards — it's guaranteed not to work. I even bought a monitor that was demonstrated working perfectly until I got it home, but I do wonder if some rain had got inside. With keyboards, it's irrelevant whether they work or not as all I do is take a load of photos and toss them into a pile. I can't use anything I buy as at best they have no Windows keys, but more typically they have some stupid 80s/90s layout.

We should do a keyboard photography equipment group buy, so we can all take good pics and have them consistent at the same time :lol: (seriously, I could use a good cheap camera)

The problem I've got is that my camera has a fixed exposure of 1/60 s when the flash is active, and in super macro mode with a white background, that's far too long, so I'm only able to use the middle 1/9th of the 5 MP sensor (that's my rule of thumb for how close I can get to a switch before the picture starts to get really washed out). There's also no true fixed white balance: it still messes around with it even on manual, which is a pain indoors under strip lighting. The lens seems fine, but the sensor is weak; a good modern phone has far better light sensitivity from its miniature camera than mine, which shows bad noise even in overcast conditions.

I guess we need someone living in somewhere like Nevada or Texas to host this: you're going to need a ridiculous amount of space for the amount of keyboards out there.

[Dubsgalore]

Nice post Daniel! Great photos too

I have a G80-3700HQAUS, which I have done some modifications to. however i think I would prefer owning a 3700HAU. It's unfortunate about specific sticker, but oh well. Really a nice keypad, although I believe the difference between distance between the macro keys and numkeys, and the distance between the G80-3000's Function row and alphas is slightly different..if I'm remembering correctly, which wouldn't be a huge deal but exists.

that box and manual, I'm jealous!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

The wiki page on [wiki]Cherry article numbers[/wiki] isn't very clear …

G80-3700HQAUS has black switches, right? i.e. it's another exception to Q being clears.

[Dubsgalore]

Yes, black switches. Another exception I guess

[maxrunner]

I dont know if mine has blacks, i think its browns.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

pix!

[maxrunner]

Ill check this weekend!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Nice find and great photos. I love the 3700 models with the Cherry sticker.

Let me know if you ever want to let go of it ;)

Still want it?

[Edit: this was supposed to be a private message! I always hit Reply instead of the button to respond as a private message! This keyboard is now claimed.]