Chicony 5161 - SMK blue clicky (Monterey) switches

[snuci]

This is a bit of an odd keyboard. This is a Chicony 5161 case with a 5181 keyboard assembly in it as noted by the 5182KT keyboard PCB and switches that normally do not appear in a 5161. This appears to be an unused keyboard so the SMK blue clicky (monterey) switches are very good. That said, capturing the colour of the key sliders is very difficult because they are a light aqua blue.

This one is definitely a keeper because I do like these switches better than the white tactile SMK variety in the Apple IIGS keyboard that those switches are available in.

Since getting some extension tubes for my camera, I have been able to take close up shots of key tops. Can someone tell me how the legends are transferred onto these key tops? They are definitely not double shots. Are they lasered?

Here are some pics:

Chicony 5161 - keyboard

Chicony 5161 - keyboard.JPG (235.65 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - keyboard bottom

Chicony 5161 - keyboard bottom.JPG (187.92 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - keyboard mechanism

Chicony 5161 - keyboard mechanism.JPG (253.06 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - keyboard mechanism bottom

Chicony 5161 - keyboard mechanism bottom.JPG (361.15 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - SMK 5182KT board markings

Chicony 5161 - SMK 5182KT board markings.JPG (391.27 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - additional board markings

Chicony 5161 - additional board markings.JPG (410.21 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - key caps removed

Chicony 5161 - key caps removed.JPG (238.54 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - keyboard controller

Chicony 5161 - keyboard controller.JPG (223.03 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - SMK clicky blue (Monterey) key switches

Chicony 5161 - SMK clicky blue (Monterey) key switches.JPG (256.03 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161- blue switches

Chicony 5161- blue switches.JPG (173.14 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - inside case bottom

Chicony 5161 - inside case bottom.JPG (296.85 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - inner case markings

Chicony 5161 - inner case markings.JPG (174.66 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - keyboard back label

Chicony 5161 - keyboard back label.JPG (260.35 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - key caps

Chicony 5161 - key caps.JPG (158.52 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

Chicony 5161 - key cap close up

Chicony 5161 - key cap close up.JPG (231.35 KiB) Viewed 4126 times

[seebart]

Hmm I wonder if those light aqua blue sliders have the same color as these on my Chicony E8HKB-5591 which look more turquoise to me but it's very difficult to tell from just the pictures. Nice.

keyboards-f2/chicony-e8hkb-5591-t8753.h ... it=Chicony

Not sure about the printing, but there is a clear outline visible.

[Chyros]

The legends are pad-printed, without a doubt. The blue colour of Monterey switches is very watery which is hard to capture on camera like you say, but they're definitely true Montereys . Very nice, I really like these switches, can't imagine what they feel like when brand new .

[Muirium]

They're nice NIB in my little K110. The caps and PCB quality… less so. Always a pity that these great switches wound up in cheap boards!

Anyway, you already know their new feel. A friend of mine has a heavily used Chicony board with the same switches, and lousy caps, which feels very similar to my new one. They wear well. Unlike so many Alps.

[seebart]

Yeah in terms of feel Montereys are nicer than white Alps. Very refined almost delicate. I'd love to own more.

[snuci]

Could be turquoise as well (if you Google both, the variations are similar).

Since Chryos mentions pad printed, I wonder of the "outline" shown is not an indentation (what I thought it was) but an extra layer of clear coat on top of the pad printing. The clear coat would be a little wider all the way around the printing so it could look that way. Looks like the clear coat is a little rough and is probably that way because the key caps haven't been used yet. I imagine they would become smoother over time.

I am seriously thinking of using this for a little while as a daily driver which is a testament to how nice the switches are. Delicate is a nice way to put it as that was my first impression. If they wear well, it may be a favourite depending on how normal daily usage goes.

[Touch_It]

I have the 5981. The switches themselves are quite nice. The letdown is definitely build quality of the board. Mine flexes like crazy, I'm sure yours is similar. The keycaps also leave something to be desired. With that being said, your board looks to be in amazing condition, and I really do like the aesthetics of the case itself. Thanks for sharing snuci.

[jacobolus]

Yeah in terms of feel Montereys are nicer than white Alps. Very refined almost delicate. I'd love to own more.

They’re somewhat different than white Alps. They’re not as stiff, they actuate further down (about halfway through the stroke), and they don’t sound as nice (IMO). Both switches are comparably tactile. I think of SMK clicky switches more like “the concept of Cherry MX blue but done right” than an Alps alternative per se. I’m not sure “delicate” is the right word, unless you’re talking about the switch internals / contacts. They’re obviously very cheaply constructed switches, but they have a well chosen stiffness and are nicely tactile, with a decent click sound.

The 5161 is much nicer build quality than the 5181 or 5981, both of which are complete crap. On a 5181, I recommend removing the keycaps and case and throwing them away, putting on literally any other Alps caps you can find and just setting the bare plate+pcb on top of a wooden board. Makes a big improvement. (I’m only half joking here.)

Very nice, I really like these switches, can't imagine what they feel like when brand new .

Probably about the same as the ones you have. These seem to be a bit less susceptible to dust than Alps switches.

[keycap]

Sure the Chicony KB-5181/5981 wasn't built well at all, but it's nothing compared to the Dell NMB keyboards in the early 2000s. The case creaks on every single keypress, keys bind 99% of the time, and the construction is arguably more flexible than a piece of cardboard.

[ohaimark]

I've always felt like the Montereys feel "chunky," but not in an unrefined way. Sort of a like a well built pickup truck.

[keycap]

I can't wait to find a well-built board with Montereys.

Are they plate-compatible with MX switches? IIRC they're not compatible at all with Alps plates, and I might try to put them in some old MX plate.

[terrycherry]

Rare to see the pad-printed keycaps on the SMK alps switch but great shot all times.

[jacobolus]

All the later Chicony boards are pad printed. KB-5181s with SMK switches come up quite commonly on ebay &c.

[jacobolus]

I can't wait to find a well-built board with Montereys.

My favorite (nice layout, extremely compact, very sturdy case) is the made-in-Taiwan version of the original Apple ADB keyboard, model A9M0330, which came with the Apple IIGS. Unfortunately the doubleshot keycaps it came with don’t work very well on Alps-mount SMK switches, because the stems are a bit too fat, which bulges the sliders outward and causes the switches to bind. I recommend also buying the Made in Japan version (part # 658-4081) which uses dyesub caps instead, and swapping the keycaps between the two keyboards, since the SMK-made doubleshot caps work just fine on Alps switches.

Are they plate-compatible with MX switches?

Yes, as long as it’s the type of plate with square holes, and the plate isn’t too thick. (I’m not sure it’ll work with various switch disassembly cutouts people have designed.)

You’d need to make a custom PCB or hand wire it though.