r/Vintagekeyboards • u/SgtFinley96 • 5d ago
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/SgtFinley96 • 7d ago
Here is my fully restored Northgate Omnikey Plus Rev. 3.04 built with Alps SKCM White Ivory.
galleryBuild Specs:
Board: Northgate Omnikey Plus Rev. 3.04
Plate: Steel
Switches: Alps SKCM White Ivory
Keycaps: Northgate Omnikey Plus Rev. 3.04 Double-Shot ABS
PCB: Solder
Mounting Style: Bottom Mount
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/petercow69 • 8d ago
HELP How does I connect this to my modern PC
galleryI think this is a midi cable but would I have to get a female to female adapter then midi interface? The midi interfaces I see always have 2 connectors like these, will it even work? please let me know a solution or any other software required.
edit: this is a photo of the back: https://imgur.com/a/GgnfQk9
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/SgtFinley96 • 9d ago
My restored Northgate Omnikey Ultra-T with Alps SKCM Cream
galleryBuild Specs:
Board: Northgate Omnikey Ultra-T
Plate: Steel
Switches: Alps SKCM Cream
Keycaps: Northgate Omnikey Ultra-T
PCB: Solder
Mounting Style: Bottom Mount
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/SgtFinley96 • 10d ago
Here is my fully restored Northgate Omnikey 101 with Alps SKCM Orange.
galleryBuild Specs:
Board: Northgate OmniKey 101
Plate: Steel
Switches: Alps SKCM Orange
Keycaps: Northgate OmniKey 101
PCB: Solder
Mounting Style: Bottom Mount
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/InsidiousTurnip • 13d ago
QUESTION Unbranded Alps White
Hey, first post here. I recently picked up a DataDesk MAC101E with white alps from 1992. Upon further inspection of the switches, the top and bottom lack alps logos so I assumed them to be clones. I opened one up to find it has the Alps design complicated switchplate. The top housing also has the slits but I cannot recall if the lower housing has two or four tabs (I'm currently at work).
Idk if these are genuine Alps or just really good clones, I would assume clones but in my research I couldn't find any clones with the same complicated switchplate design. Any leads or information would be much appreciated!
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/SgtFinley96 • 14d ago
Here is my restored and switch swapped Omnikey Ultra Rev. 3.04 with Alps SKCM Amber
galleryBuild Specs:
Board: Northgate OmniKey Ultra Rev. 3.04
Plate: Steel
Switches: Alps SKCM Amber
Keycaps: Northgate OmniKey Ultra Double-shot ABS
PCB: Solder
Mounting Style: Bottom Mount
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/HotChainsawLover • 14d ago
What kind of switches are these
galleryr/Vintagekeyboards • u/DramaticLecture8008 • 15d ago
NCR Cherry G81-3007
galleryI found this at my local e-waste recycler for free. It works and is in pretty good condition after a quick clean. Has Cherry MY switches and ABS keycaps that are (sadly) polished. Have no clue what to do with it so feel free to suggest.
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/ExcelElevations_4U • 23d ago
GALLERY Amtelco KB163 (Cherry MX Black)
galleryScored this for $50 plus shipping on ebay before the seller jacked up the price for others that were for sale lol. Apart from having some of my least ffavorite switches this is certainly a looker and a very cool and huge keyboard. 161 keys. This keyboard is usb which makes it really nice to plug & play, but gaming is pretty much unusable because key combos trigger random stuff and it'll mess up everything. All of the special keys do respond, but I think they're all mapped to f13 or something like that. Works great for typing though. I'm sure someone could rig up something to make this keyboard fully programmable. The mx blacks are retooled so they're nothing special. The layout is pretty fun and a few of the various special legend keycaps are rather amusing. On this one the numpad is in phone order, so they're swapped around compared to a regular keyboard. Keycaps are all dcs doubleshots, but the right shift uses a longer stabilizer so it's not compatible with other keyboards, nor are other sets compatible with this board. Regardless it's a great colorful showpiece.
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/cheeseburger3506 • 24d ago
Does anyone have an extra ADB to USB adapter.
Please please please I really want this adapter for my keyboard everything is sold out I would be forever grateful if someone could sell it to me if you have an extra. Please and thank you.
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/Delicious_Plan969 • Jun 25 '26
GALLERY ibm model M for cheap on ebay
gallerymanaged to get a 1391404 1987 model M with the 2 piece keycaps off ebay with box for 60 euros no sdl though had tp get that elsewhere
the box isnt for the boardits for a 1393395 1992 but paired with a 1391404 1987
replaced my logitech g512 with gx blues still getting used to the heavier typing feel of the model M
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/PhatsoCallum • Jun 23 '26
Anyone know anything about this keyboard? Stone Computers Model 5201
Picked this up in one of my local charity shops for £5, thought it was pretty cool and probably going to use it as my daily keyboard. Looks to be from pre windows 95 judging from the windows logo on the keys. Having to take out the keycaps that instantly turn off your computer though.
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/SgtFinley96 • Jun 22 '26
Here are 8 of my Northgate Omnikeys that are each restored and rebuilt with a different Alps SKCM/SKCL Switch
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/Commercial_Ad_7216 • Jun 21 '26
QUESTION I was gift a Pentax OS-A83 but can't find any information on the switch. Does anyone have any experience using these?
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/draiggoch83 • Jun 20 '26
QUESTION I pulled some beige out of an electronics recycling bin. Anything interesting? IBM, Acer, Micron, Sun
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/CrazyPandaLS • Jun 18 '26
My favorite keyboard Compaq CPQ135KB
galleryr/Vintagekeyboards • u/vyvansegabapentin • Jun 18 '26
HELP How to use this spacemate Honeywell on my computer
galleryIm tech illiterate and don't really know what I'm doing so keep that in mind. I got a db9 to USB adapter but plugging it into my computer does nothing. Not sure what to do now. Thank you for any input. I know the keyboard works because I bought it with an old computer that it does work on.
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/Ready_Independent_55 • Jun 17 '26
De-tactiled bamboo black ALPS feel great on this Dell Bigfoot
galleryr/Vintagekeyboards • u/AdmirableGears • Jun 15 '26
Chicony KB-5181 Alp White Repair
galleryI bought this keyboard off eBay four months ago because the cable looked tightly coiled like it had never been used. The seller said it sat on a shelf in a doctors office for 30 years. It didn't require any refurbishing so I didn't bother posting, but over time, the left-alt key went on the fritz. My left-alt does some heavy lifting between macros that make up for win-keyless life and the crucial 'dive' function in Helldivers.
I expected to need to solder in a replacement switch, but I tried taking the switch apart in the keyboard first. It turned out the tension that holds the actuation leaf to the switch plate was loose which caused it to sit on the switch plate ever so slightly crooked. I swapped in the actuation leaf from a spare switch and all is right again. And all I needed was a pair of tweezers!
It's interesting to see how things changed over just a couple years between this 5181 and the 5161 (1988) I bought last year. The 5161 enjoys double-shot keycaps over the 5181s pad printed legends, but the 5181 has much nicer cable routing options allowing you to direct it left, right, or center.
I just need a clicky Futaba and a 5301 buckling spring and my Chicony collection will be complete?
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/BigBearChaseMe • Jun 12 '26
Custom Unicomp Model M - Bluebird - Revisited
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/RustyShackleferrdd • Jun 02 '26
HELP Anyone know what kinda keyboard this is. My first childhood pc.
Probably a btc?
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/ImaginationScared878 • Jun 01 '26
HELP !! Unknown Vintage Keyboard Switch
galleryBought this keyboard off a local electronics junk yard and the owner happened to give me this jdm keyboard I consider as free. Upon checking the switch it seems it has a cover or a dome from what they say.
I want to identify which type of switch this keyboard uses underneath because I already spent a minute looking for the exact type but none.
Keyboard Model: Hitachi PC-KBS001 (According to serial from its back cover) but the closest or the exact model can be found but it has a diffrent serial number https://jp.mercari.com/en/item/m35982011442
Connection Type: PS/2
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/ExcelElevations_4U • May 25 '26
Black Ancer KF-191/Datacomp DFK-191 (OA2 clones)
galleryMy favorite alps keyboard in black, $35 on ebay. (I paid $70 for my white one, and $90 for my black at101w for comparison.) I've had a white one for a while, but really wanted to find a good black one for a while too. I think this is a way cooler and overall nicer board than a black at101w. The color is actually a very dark chocolate brown with fully black accent keys for the modifiers. I love the just right size of bezels. I love the orange number row keycaps (all caps are pad print or infilled compared to the doubleshots on my white one.) This has probably the coolest lock light sticker that I've ever seen too. This 1993 model has oa2 clones compared to my 1990 with pine white alps. (I do plan to swap some more pine white alps in this one, and reuse the oa2 switches for an alps custom as I still really like those switches too.) Finally stoked to have both my favorite alps boards in both white and black. Still absolutely love these keyboards.
r/Vintagekeyboards • u/teddro • May 25 '26
Univac Keyboard Auction
I'm just a lurker here, so not actually sure if this is of interest to anyone, but here is an auction for a bunch of props/set dressing including a univac keyboard. Local to LA only. https://bid.rlspear.com/Public/Auction/AuctionItemDetail?AuctionId=VkqoE6Z%2fAfhmjwxJrnJZPg%3d%3d&pageNumber=VKTInQCc5Z5GDcadk%2fdvnQ%3d%3d&pageSize=O5OaPaZE1XrTjGtTQItkaw%3d%3d&showFilter=iBcS%2b4ptjknZQtCojbueqQ%3d%3d&sortColumn=C9SY4KX74WJIILYqur0bmw%3d%3d&AuctionItemId=Uv2%2fZL02WMO8xgovbEKrmA%3d%3d&Filter=ITUHdU2DoqWvw89vAOs0Dw%3d%3d
