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Spacebar for "SGI Granite" 9500900

Posted: 02 Jun 2016, 21:32
by gcardinal
In todays score I got an not-working SGI Granite 9500900 for cheap. It also misses a space bar...
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I did try space bar from other ALPS board I have, but it even length is the same stabilizer mount is quite different on SGI.
And I wasn't able to find any information on it... Also looks like Im missing a spring or some other part?

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

PS: I will deal with electronic during the weekend :)

Posted: 02 Jun 2016, 22:56
by Redmaus
I think a focus spacebar would work?

Posted: 02 Jun 2016, 23:27
by alh84001
nice catch......wouldn't a spacebar from any dell at101/102 (not -w models though) be a fit?

Posted: 02 Jun 2016, 23:38
by Touch_It
alh84001, it looks like it. I don't have a non-w to compare with, but the mechanism looks like the one on my at101w.

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 00:05
by fohat
Touch_It wrote:
I don't have a non-w to compare with, but the mechanism looks like the one on my at101w.
The AT101 has the left side of left control and right side of right control lining up at the outside, with tabs of the case filling the gaps to the spacebar. AT101W has a 1.25x Windows key in the left side and 2 keys, Windows and Menu @ 1.25x each on the right side, so it may be that the AT101 spacebar is too long and the AT101W spacebar is too short.

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 00:18
by alh84001
Looking at this pic
Image

I would say it fits, since modifiers end at same position compared to alphas. They are basically the same keyboard (but the keycaps indeed are different, at least in material and legends). The stabiliser in my Dell AT101w is the same as in the SGI above, so if there is no OG SGI spacebar to be found, Dell non-w ones are worth a shot.

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 00:20
by Redmaus
Lol sorry I had one of those spacebars but threw it away. One version of the Dell AT has the shittiest caps imaginable and I just wanted to throw them away.

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 00:31
by alh84001
Never, ever throw away stuff that is not in production any more. Someone will always need it in a year, two or ten :). I'm not without sin here, mind you.

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 01:02
by elecplus
Never throw any of it away? Argh! I have almost 8 pallets of keyboards here right now. Anything that does not sell by the end of December is prob going back to the recycle center!

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 01:13
by emdude
Noo, I sure hope most of those boards get sold then.. :o

I too think it would be a waste otherwise... :cry:

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 09:58
by gcardinal
elecplus wrote: Never throw any of it away? Argh! I have almost 8 pallets of keyboards here right now. Anything that does not sell by the end of December is prob going back to the recycle center!
Storage might be a problem, but like any investment its just a quastion of time. Ones I got 24 powersupplyes for 100$ - took me a year to sale them - but nice proffit it was.
Redmaus wrote: Lol sorry I had one of those spacebars but threw it away. One version of the Dell AT has the shittiest caps imaginable and I just wanted to throw them away.
:o *crying in the corner*...
alh84001 wrote: Looking at this pic
...
Dell non-w ones are worth a shot.
Thanks for the awesome tip - I will get on the hunt !

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 10:13
by jacobolus
Come visit San Francisco and I’ll give you an SGI spacebar. :-)

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 12:28
by gcardinal
jacobolus wrote: Come visit San Francisco and I’ll give you an SGI spacebar. :-)
That would be a long hike from Norway :P

Could you maybe take some pictures of how it looks on the underside? And maybe stabilizer

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 12:31
by t8c
I have one SGI set on the way. Will sell cheap to a fellow norwegian!

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 13:06
by gcardinal
t8c wrote: I have one SGI set on the way. Will sell cheap to a fellow norwegian!
Oh hei! :) that would be just awesome! I send pm :)

Posted: 04 Jun 2016, 03:42
by keycap
Really any Focus FK-2001/Northgate OmniKey/AT-101 spacebar should work. Luckily it's a common spacebar style (for Alps SKCL/SKCM at least)

Posted: 04 Jun 2016, 03:47
by emdude
You can probably thank IBM and the Model M for standardizing the 7u space bar and the so-called Enhanced layout (unless someone else did it first)!

Posted: 04 Jun 2016, 10:56
by E3E
Also in the camp of not throwing anything away. Always save your stuff!

Anyway, a space bar from ALMOST any 7u Alps board SHOULD work. I've used a Focus FK-2001 space bar with no issue, but you will have to snip one of the two stabilizer pegs used on those bars. Snip the right one as the AT101 and SGI Granite use only a peg on the left. The original Alps-made bars had detachable pegs, but it doesn't matter much.

Some keyboards come with Cherry-like cruciform stabilization. That will not work, obviously. Most 7u Alps boards should be fine.

I can guarantee that an Acer 6011, and Focus FK-2001 space bar will work. I'd go for the FK2001 as it's pretty cheap and easy to find.

The only other Alps made 7u space bars with the detachable pegs are far and few between, and they all tend to go with relatively expensive boards.

Also, if you do not have the wire for stabilization, you can bend it yourself. I forget the diameter needed though. :? It's very similar to the size of a #1 sized paper clip.

Posted: 08 Jun 2016, 15:13
by gcardinal
Thank you all for the feedback and good tips! Feeling confident about souring replacement 7u now.

However board it self is pretty dead. Ordered new chip and caps - hope I will sort it out...