you probably dont give a shit but if you're bored like me atm then you can watch pretty much all the new movies and series on InstaFlixxer. I've been watching with my girlfriend for the last couple of months =)
Now this is something that needs to come back, screw the RGB noise! We need Macro and Programmable Keys - so many work flows could be sped up by this Keyboard, I'd buy one tomorrow!
Personally I think the main thing roccat got right with the ryos (which I admit is flawed and not exactly the best keyboard, nor is it subtle), it has 8 dedicated macro keys and a layer shifting key to enable about one hundred macros.
One godly keyboard with some of the most desirable design features. I particularly like the 1.25u F-row keys and the super easy on-board macro programming. And of course without the "seemingly obligatory" LED disco backlighting aesthetics. Congrats on completing the projects and sorting out all the engineering failures of the original manufacturer, and with the coolest calculator mod. If a modern manufacturer create a keyboard like this, no matter with which brand of decent switches, I am tempted to change to a bigger desk to accommodate this beast.
Both the calculator and the macropad are amazing features! I wonder why nowadays no one puts those useful features on a keyboard. For office work it could really help to get things done faster, it would literally pay for itself!
The ducky pocket is something I have been keeping an eye on for some time, but at the end I never bought it. I am now using a cheap rubber dome wireless numpad, that has a button that opens the windows calculator. Not quite the same thing, but at least I can keep the real calculator in a drawer instead than on the desk! I plan to transform it to a mechanical wireless numpad, or in better words to transplant the small pcb to a case (probably custom built) and handwire it to the switches.
Suffice to say Varmilo got their primary inspiration for the VA104C "Calc" from this classic beauty here. Excellent, entertaining, informative and skillfully edited content per usual here.
Nice new calc module. It really needs the "send to PC" option that I saw on another of your videos (Weytec or Cherry Reuters G80-9009 KB?). It would be awesome calculating some total or other on the KB calc and then flinging it over to the PC with a single button.
Oh yeah, Roccat just released a new keyboard with their own version of Cherry MX Brown, im getting flashbacks to another Company, I feel it may be a company with horrible key cap lettering of some sort, and a gamer phone, couldn't possibly be a popular company for mechanical keyboards though...
I have a SIIG MiniTouch that came with the ALPS clones with mantis clicker and they were fine except when you got to full typing speed, they had a very raspy, crunchy sound. I replaced them with Matias Click switches and that took care of that issue. I used most of the remaining Matias leaves in my AT101W that I click modded. I noticed that if you swap the leaves in Black ALPS with the ones in Matias Click switches, you get a very close to the sound and feel of blues! (If I'm the first, I'd like to dub this as the Midnight Blue mod) Thanks for the videos as always! Cheers!
I see that "timestamps" on the keyboard are between 23:00 and 1:00, do you usually do your videos around those times? I'm also working and family man, and my non-work work time is in that exact timestamp. When everyone else is asleep and everything is quiet. Though my blue switches breaks the silence as they could.
Kamil Szabo I was wondering if anyone would notice :p . I usually film them after work and dinner, so yes, around that time. This one took four and a half hours to film which is above average.
I think having a calculator built in a keyboard is a very important feature since I use it a lot, even I bought a casio calculator to use it near my computer when I need. I don't like to use the windows calculator.
As an owner of a FK-5001 I would love one of those new calculator modules, as mine also has partially broken LCD. Of course if it wouldn't cost more than the keyboard itself. Also my board uses CR-2320 battery, like the one for motherboards, but has two covers on the bottom, one for the said battery (with contacts), and one for the NiCd like you show in the video (no connectors). I actually like the star nav, or rather the cross nav part that works normally. I found it slightly less fatiguing that traditional T nav.
As an illustrator I am starting to really understand the wisdom of placing Fn keys on the left. Top-row Fn keys which I use regularly in Inkscape and Photoshop are starting to feel like half a room away. If I accessed my functions on that left-mounted stack of F keys they would be nicely positioned between the keyboard proper and my mouse since I mouse on the left. It all makes sense.
Agreed. I took some ideas from both vintage boards, classic/alternate layouts, and some optimizations when building my own layout, and I've gotta say, side buttons, Ctrl/Caps swap, and stuff like that seems stupid but once you make the change it feels rapid. Then switching back from an HHKB backspace to bog standard layout makes me feel like I have to extend my fingers out further and waste time, same with my alternate hypen location right next to escape on my 60%, when you make those improvements and your fingers travel less it's really something to have to make them go full distance again.
I have so much nostalgia for this board - I had one on my 486 DX2/66 that I took to college in the early 90s. I have no memory of what happened to it unfortunately. I have a feeling I got rid of it when I had my brief flirtation with the first generation Microsoft split ergo keyboard around '95. #liferegrets
I think Focus boards are awesome. I remember getting offered one for free about 2 years ago with only a few broken switches and said no. I still regret that to this day.
I just picked up one of these on Ebay for 125$ and checked the switches and i got one of the boards that has all Alps White! looking forward to seeing if this board is in working order. the locking switches is also the futaba lock switch for the calculator, def one of the older versions of the board.
Proud Owner of a Gateway AnyKey keyboard. No silly calculator (extra keys above numpad are for key repeat rate, remaps & macros), same star nav, same left bank of extra keys. Every key is remappable (I made mine a Maltron sans the thumb E and reverted to inverted T arrow keys) so I used the numpad to prototype one-handed layouts.
Did Ben ever get these off of the ground or post up Gerber files, code, and a BOM? No lie, I have 2 Keypros (FK-9000), an FK-8000, and an FK-5001. They are some of the best keyboards for using with vintage computers, bar-none. I can build my own!
I picked up one of these at goodwill yesterday for $5. As soon as I saw it I thought, "this looks like the fk-9000 i saw Thomas review.". Battery was corroded of course, but it's in otherwise great condition. Now I'm hoping I can get one of those calculator modeuls.
The key repeat will work in some games, although it is eaten by the actual OS. The keyboard has to be in 'raw' mode, and the key repeat rate should work, however, in practice, it simply makes you move slower, but sometimes, with a very hilarious bugged out animation :)
I use a fair amount of PCB layout software in my spare time, and having the various commonly-used routing shortcuts mapped to the left-side cluster of an F122 battle cruiser is AMAZING. If you map the Move/Route/Ripup/Group/Ratsnest/DRC/Undo commands to the PF keys, you can locate them all by feel with your left hand, and the right stays on the mouse, and your eyes never have to leave the design. Where has this been all my life?
If you are willing to do a re-review of G80-9009 I have an adapter and another model which I am willing to give away. It also has built-in calculator in glorious large screen too!
This board is so cool to use! Glad that I picked up one for a reasonable price last month. Btw, your link to the manual and F-key cards are dead, could you re-upload them? Really wanted to have them.😂
My dad had this exact keyboard, havent seen it since then until now. Thank you so much. Now i guess its just tracking down a working one with Swedish layout and see if i could afford it...
I have one of these bad boys. My favorite keyboard! I don't use it because it's too wide for my pull-out tray. I love the calculator, but unfortunately, the display suffers from the designer's ass-piss. How much would a the retro-fit upgrade from your friend be?
As it turns out, the problem is that Focus for some reason routed the power through the calculator switch button, and this routing doesn't work properly if the calculator isn't powered. What maladroit BELLEND came up with THAT idea?!
I've got an FK-2001 I use nowadays, and while it has none of the cool features here, it's still got the colored modifiers, and it still is, technically speaking, really fucking cool.
that percent button is a mod operator, it calculates the reminder if you were to take two numbers and divide them. IDK why it seems to only be doing x mod 100
Well, I'd like something stiff and clicky/tactile....your kailh box navy video hyped me much xD, plus mx blues are less stiff and tactile than I anticipated.
I think the macro capability is very comprable to the programmability on the g80-2100 and g80-3700. the 2100 came with a little notebook style changable label for the pf keys, which you can flip when you change layers, but unfortunately most of those are missing. As for the calculators failing, I had a 3001 at one point, and the calculator lcd was also fucked. what a shame. if I hadnt sold that long time ago I would really love to have one of those calculator modules.
I got one of these about a year ago and of course the battery was completely fucked but somehow the calculator works perfectly even though it wasnt even NIB. The only issue is that its missing a D key and I dont have any spare focus keys to match :( Also Chyros, you forgot to mention that these boards tend to have genuine yellow alps for the locklight keys, just a small detail.
Hey Chyros! Amazing board! I would love to acquire a NIB Focus from the late 80s (88/88) and complicated White Alps. How does one go about finding one? Thanks!
I use a keyboard shortcut (CTRL ALT C) and the standard 10-key on my crappy HP keyboard I have at work. It’s fairly efficient. It gets the job done. The Windows®️ calculator does indeed do math. Other calculator apps are also available. For larger sets of numbers, I just use a spreadsheet. The original functionality was no doubt handy and being able to use it offline with persistent number display and the like. And then there’s the replacement calculator assembly. Huh. God damn it, I want one.
It's a Ntc kb 6151 en with alps clones. It has an at/xt switch, I'm thinking that a 5 pin to ps2 then ps2 to USB (active) will work for it. Also your channel has gotten me into keyboards, it's massively helpful and fun to watch!
I have a FK-5001, desperately trying to figure out how to program on it. It has a "MACRO" button where the programming button is on yours, but it just types a "\"
G80s, and most boards by Cherry, use PCB-mounted switches. You can remove the top of the switches with a special tool, allowing you to swap the stem and spring.
Hey there ! I found your channel a few days ago while I was looking for some extended advices about switches, and I'm really into it I love your videos they are really refreshing and relaxing I even watch them for sleep ( nohomo mate ) Anyway keep up the good work :D Since you're really passionate and you know your shit it would be nice if you could help me out, I currently own a Filco majestouch ninja 2 with Cherry MX brown, I've tried several others Cherry switches like red whitch people highly recommended because I'm a gamer but guess what it was just an enormous sack of garbage experience to type and play on those i kept missclick all the time. Then I've tried Blue switches because I wanted tactility and the clicky sound was at my taste, and it was complete trash, I mean it was so scrachy it was like typing on the bones of my dead grandma, anyway THEN I've changed for the brown ones, and it is less scratchy, a lot smoother but less tactile than the blue ones, but at least a lot more at my taste. And I recently heard some pretty good reviews about the gateron switches so I'd like to get the brown gaterons and put them in my Filco but I would need then to remod and desolder the whole thing completly and I'm not a master of soldering, or I was considering buying the Glorious keyboard whish is completly moddable but it would hurt to let go of my Filco I just love this keyboard best one I had ever by far, So it would be great if I could have your opinion on that one :D PS: I think you would like the Glorious keyboard since you can fully mod it and I would love your review about this one '-' and btw sorry about my English it is not my main language, cheers mate
I would honestly buy this if you guys managed to get a few together for sales. I don't know which of your personal projects I like more, this or the modified Model F. Probably the ModF, but that's gotta cost a ton. ALSO! What are your thoughts on Doom -- SIGIL? :D
I still like my Logitech G15v1 when it comes to pretty dang wide keyboards, sure it lacks the utter GIRTH of a more classic offering but damn is it still big!
In his Q&A he said he'd like to do it as a side gig sometime but hasn't done audiobooks or any sort of voiceover, as his job as management at a chemical research plant and this hobby is time consuming enough.
It depends if you have a lot of stuff around. If you have you want small (tenkeyless or tenkeyfless) keyboard (though 60 percent keyboard is absurd). If you have a lot of space than that doesn't really matter so much. Btw you can have two keyboards on your desk if those are tenkeyless xD and yeah if you buy keyboard with numberpad ehy it doesn't have calculator ? At least that simple one.
Hi Thomas Where can I buy the focus fk-9000 keypro keyboard new can u help ? That’s if u know thanks mate Hi and can Can your friend Ben Send me the focus fk-9000 keypro keyboard and the calculator that if he can I will buy it to Australia?
The LCD failure is familiar, even though i've never seen one of these keyboards - i sure handled a bunch of calculators, and the LCD is likely straight reused from there. It's usually a heat-activated electrically conductive glue that holds on the ribbon connector. Needs to be heated to 130-160°C thereabouts to reactivate the glue. Oh, as an extra challenge, the cable that is held on by thermally activated glue is actually not heat resistant, it's not polyimide like you'd expect in such use but a random... something, i really have no idea, just that it's not something a sensible person would do. Good luck fixing all this - sometimes a K-knife soldering station will do, other times it'll just ruin the cable. Ideally you'd have a linear heater, like a big flat piece of copper or aluminium covering the whole width of tape at once, with thermal control, and an alignment jig, which is probably how they were made in the first place, except they'd likely use timing instead of thermal feedback.
I remember I saw a video where you were reading some German instructions but I don't remember neither the title or the thumbnail of the video :/ Nevermind, I finally found it again xd
Damn son. I thought that calculator screen was too sexy to be true.
Of course it's a modern OLED or some shit. Looks gorgeous.
That calculator mod is soo cool! Thanks for showing it.
you probably dont give a shit but if you're bored like me atm then you can watch pretty much all the new movies and series on InstaFlixxer. I've been watching with my girlfriend for the last couple of months =)
@Kyrie Waylon definitely, been using instaflixxer for since december myself :D
Now this is something that needs to come back, screw the RGB noise! We need Macro and Programmable Keys - so many work flows could be sped up by this Keyboard, I'd buy one tomorrow!
It's very much a functionality-oriented board. A far cry from many modern boards.
my ibm m 122 using soars converter comes pretty close minus the calculator. but i have a button dedicated to opening the os calculator
Personally I think the main thing roccat got right with the ryos (which I admit is flawed and not exactly the best keyboard, nor is it subtle), it has 8 dedicated macro keys and a layer shifting key to enable about one hundred macros.
Consider this: a lot of the stupidly egg keyboards also have fully programmable keys
@@Chyrosran22 Functionality doesn't necessarily mean 98534572 keys and 1.5 meters in size tho.
Now I know why I couldn't get my FK-9000 working even after removing the leaking battery. I guess that's part of the "Inno-Value"...
VWestlife inno-"value" indeed xD
What maladroit BELLEND came up with THAT idea?!
"Now, I could walk you through all these features, but I will ..."
😂😂😂
I can smell the fresh air of new old stock from here :)
There's nothing like opening a NOS box :D .
One godly keyboard with some of the most desirable design features.
I particularly like the 1.25u F-row keys and the super easy on-board macro programming. And of course without the "seemingly obligatory" LED disco backlighting aesthetics.
Congrats on completing the projects and sorting out all the engineering failures of the original manufacturer, and with the coolest calculator mod.
If a modern manufacturer create a keyboard like this, no matter with which brand of decent switches, I am tempted to change to a bigger desk to accommodate this beast.
Both the calculator and the macropad are amazing features! I wonder why nowadays no one puts those useful features on a keyboard. For office work it could really help to get things done faster, it would literally pay for itself!
I have both on my Logitech G710 (read a bit too quickly, no calculator on my G710.. yet..)
Check out the ducky pocket.
I've never heard of a G710 with a calculator on it Oo .
oh sorry, was a bit quick with that comment. I thought he was talking about a numpad, this does make me want to wire up a calculator though.
The ducky pocket is something I have been keeping an eye on for some time, but at the end I never bought it. I am now using a cheap rubber dome wireless numpad, that has a button that opens the windows calculator. Not quite the same thing, but at least I can keep the real calculator in a drawer instead than on the desk! I plan to transform it to a mechanical wireless numpad, or in better words to transplant the small pcb to a case (probably custom built) and handwire it to the switches.
Suffice to say Varmilo got their primary inspiration for the VA104C "Calc" from this classic beauty here.
Excellent, entertaining, informative and skillfully edited content per usual here.
10/10 Queenie impression, would be colonized by again
Can't say I like the keyboard but the calculator - SWEET! Good job Ben, you da man!
Very cool video! And that calculator on the keyboard is so cool! He really went above and beyond for that fix
This has to be the nicest visual and functional keyboard I think I have ever seen!
Now I want the guy who built that calculator from scratch? does he have a tutorial or something to do the same thing he did looks amazing
Pavilions his alias on Deskthority is Engicoder, contact him about it if you want one.
I love the voice...serious.
Nice new calc module. It really needs the "send to PC" option that I saw on another of your videos (Weytec or Cherry Reuters G80-9009 KB?). It would be awesome calculating some total or other on the KB calc and then flinging it over to the PC with a single button.
EscapeMCP Yeah, that's a very useful feature as well. Focus added it in their later FK-9200.
Sounds like if you find one of those, we may get to see that in action
I've had one for three years almost :p . Sometime I'll review it! xD
Oh yeah, Roccat just released a new keyboard with their own version of Cherry MX Brown, im getting flashbacks to another Company, I feel it may be a company with horrible key cap lettering of some sort, and a gamer phone, couldn't possibly be a popular company for mechanical keyboards though...
I have a SIIG MiniTouch that came with the ALPS clones with mantis clicker and they were fine except when you got to full typing speed, they had a very raspy, crunchy sound. I replaced them with Matias Click switches and that took care of that issue. I used most of the remaining Matias leaves in my AT101W that I click modded. I noticed that if you swap the leaves in Black ALPS with the ones in Matias Click switches, you get a very close to the sound and feel of blues! (If I'm the first, I'd like to dub this as the Midnight Blue mod) Thanks for the videos as always! Cheers!
This keyboard has personality alright. Especially since you have history with it, it will be memorable.
daemn.. that calculator mod is awesome
I see that "timestamps" on the keyboard are between 23:00 and 1:00, do you usually do your videos around those times? I'm also working and family man, and my non-work work time is in that exact timestamp. When everyone else is asleep and everything is quiet. Though my blue switches breaks the silence as they could.
Kamil Szabo I was wondering if anyone would notice :p . I usually film them after work and dinner, so yes, around that time. This one took four and a half hours to film which is above average.
I think having a calculator built in a keyboard is a very important feature since I use it a lot, even I bought a casio calculator to use it near my computer when I need. I don't like to use the windows calculator.
I use the calculator function key on my keyboard to open SpeedCrunch
dang, love that layout!
As an owner of a FK-5001 I would love one of those new calculator modules, as mine also has partially broken LCD. Of course if it wouldn't cost more than the keyboard itself.
Also my board uses CR-2320 battery, like the one for motherboards, but has two covers on the bottom, one for the said battery (with contacts), and one for the NiCd like you show in the video (no connectors).
I actually like the star nav, or rather the cross nav part that works normally. I found it slightly less fatiguing that traditional T nav.
If you're interested in a calc module, ask Engicoder on Deskthority about them :) .
As an illustrator I am starting to really understand the wisdom of placing Fn keys on the left. Top-row Fn keys which I use regularly in Inkscape and Photoshop are starting to feel like half a room away. If I accessed my functions on that left-mounted stack of F keys they would be nicely positioned between the keyboard proper and my mouse since I mouse on the left. It all makes sense.
Agreed. I took some ideas from both vintage boards, classic/alternate layouts, and some optimizations when building my own layout, and I've gotta say, side buttons, Ctrl/Caps swap, and stuff like that seems stupid but once you make the change it feels rapid.
Then switching back from an HHKB backspace to bog standard layout makes me feel like I have to extend my fingers out further and waste time, same with my alternate hypen location right next to escape on my 60%, when you make those improvements and your fingers travel less it's really something to have to make them go full distance again.
I have so much nostalgia for this board - I had one on my 486 DX2/66 that I took to college in the early 90s. I have no memory of what happened to it unfortunately. I have a feeling I got rid of it when I had my brief flirtation with the first generation Microsoft split ergo keyboard around '95. #liferegrets
I think Focus boards are awesome. I remember getting offered one for free about 2 years ago with only a few broken switches and said no. I still regret that to this day.
I just picked up one of these on Ebay for 125$ and checked the switches and i got one of the boards that has all Alps White! looking forward to seeing if this board is in working order. the locking switches is also the futaba lock switch for the calculator, def one of the older versions of the board.
Proud Owner of a Gateway AnyKey keyboard. No silly calculator (extra keys above numpad are for key repeat rate, remaps & macros), same star nav, same left bank of extra keys. Every key is remappable (I made mine a Maltron sans the thumb E and reverted to inverted T arrow keys) so I used the numpad to prototype one-handed layouts.
Also a pretty cool board! :) I'll be reviewing that one at some point too.
Did Ben ever get these off of the ground or post up Gerber files, code, and a BOM? No lie, I have 2 Keypros (FK-9000), an FK-8000, and an FK-5001. They are some of the best keyboards for using with vintage computers, bar-none. I can build my own!
Crack myself up watching these reviews
I picked up one of these at goodwill yesterday for $5. As soon as I saw it I thought, "this looks like the fk-9000 i saw Thomas review.". Battery was corroded of course, but it's in otherwise great condition. Now I'm hoping I can get one of those calculator modeuls.
I want some of those calculator replacements, All my 9000s have dead calculators. I also really wish they made an ANSI version.
Ask Ben on Deskthority!
Ben who?
@@ferulebezel his alias is Engicoder.
The key repeat will work in some games, although it is eaten by the actual OS. The keyboard has to be in 'raw' mode, and the key repeat rate should work, however, in practice, it simply makes you move slower, but sometimes, with a very hilarious bugged out animation :)
I use a fair amount of PCB layout software in my spare time, and having the various commonly-used routing shortcuts mapped to the left-side cluster of an F122 battle cruiser is AMAZING. If you map the Move/Route/Ripup/Group/Ratsnest/DRC/Undo commands to the PF keys, you can locate them all by feel with your left hand, and the right stays on the mouse, and your eyes never have to leave the design. Where has this been all my life?
If you are willing to do a re-review of G80-9009 I have an adapter and another model which I am willing to give away.
It also has built-in calculator in glorious large screen too!
Yao Wei hiya mate, yes definitely, very interested! I'd love to get that thing working!
3:13 I took a drink of water and nearly choked at the punchline I didn't see coming, damn you.
Water is bad for you mate, it can kill you ;D .
now, a message to Ben, I WANT YOU TO BE THE FATHER OF MY BABIES
This board is so cool to use! Glad that I picked up one for a reasonable price last month.
Btw, your link to the manual and F-key cards are dead, could you re-upload them? Really wanted to have them.😂
My dad had this exact keyboard, havent seen it since then until now. Thank you so much. Now i guess its just tracking down a working one with Swedish layout and see if i could afford it...
I have one of these bad boys. My favorite keyboard! I don't use it because it's too wide for my pull-out tray. I love the calculator, but unfortunately, the display suffers from the designer's ass-piss. How much would a the retro-fit upgrade from your friend be?
Bob B. Dunno xD . Ask Engicoder on Deskthority.
God I love that layout!
i think the focus and omnikey layouts are probably the best from commercially made keyboards
Now, I could walk you through all these features, but I will.
10:37 the cry of a man whose soul is filled with pure anger
As it turns out, the problem is that Focus for some reason routed the power through the calculator switch button, and this routing doesn't work properly if the calculator isn't powered. What maladroit BELLEND came up with THAT idea?!
I've got an FK-2001 I use nowadays, and while it has none of the cool features here, it's still got the colored modifiers, and it still is, technically speaking, really fucking cool.
that percent button is a mod operator, it calculates the reminder if you were to take two numbers and divide them. IDK why it seems to only be doing x mod 100
This keyboard is enough to make me a fan of focus. I'd love to have one honestly. Maybe decked out with kailh box navies though.
This keyboard is not compatible with any MX-pinout switches.
I guess blue or green alps do then.
Gaius Trollius a hard compromise :p .
Well, I'd like something stiff and clicky/tactile....your kailh box navy video hyped me much xD, plus mx blues are less stiff and tactile than I anticipated.
Well, they are very stiff and very tactile! But you can't use them in this chassis xD .
Who would we contact about requesting one of the calculator modules? I'd definitely be interested in one if it's in my price range
sparton175 his name is Engicoder on Deskthority.
I think the macro capability is very comprable to the programmability on the g80-2100 and g80-3700. the 2100 came with a little notebook style changable label for the pf keys, which you can flip when you change layers, but unfortunately most of those are missing.
As for the calculators failing, I had a 3001 at one point, and the calculator lcd was also fucked. what a shame. if I hadnt sold that long time ago I would really love to have one of those calculator modules.
The 3001 uses a rather different module, I don't think it would've been straight-up compatible. A cool board though, I got one in the post this week!
hey, will be looking forward to the review. it was an interesting board, and apparently was made early enough that it still could use SKCM blue.
HMS Keypro had me in tears once again, you're a fucking genius LOL
Wobbled xD
Hey Chyros, thanks for another awesome content. I've always been curious, how did you create that intro clip?
JungHwan Min Kyle made it for me, I think he used Blender.
Repairing that calculator is the most nerdy thing i have ever heard about.
I got one of these about a year ago and of course the battery was completely fucked but somehow the calculator works perfectly even though it wasnt even NIB. The only issue is that its missing a D key and I dont have any spare focus keys to match :(
Also Chyros, you forgot to mention that these boards tend to have genuine yellow alps for the locklight keys, just a small detail.
Hey Chyros! Amazing board! I would love to acquire a NIB Focus from the late 80s (88/88) and complicated White Alps. How does one go about finding one? Thanks!
A 2001 would do for me. 😅
Be on the lookout xD .
It's weird when you get an FK-5001 inside a 9000 chassis. This seems to be variant b of the 5001 but there isn't much information about it.
the modifier key colors are the same on the Vortex Race 3: red for Esc and Ctrl, green for Shift, and blue for Alt...
Asspiss!
I'll probably be using this a lot in the future
Armacalypse Roguewind I can't claim responsibility, it's a South Park reference xD .
I use a keyboard shortcut (CTRL ALT C) and the standard 10-key on my crappy HP keyboard I have at work. It’s fairly efficient. It gets the job done.
The Windows®️ calculator does indeed do math. Other calculator apps are also available. For larger sets of numbers, I just use a spreadsheet. The original functionality was no doubt handy and being able to use it offline with persistent number display and the like. And then there’s the replacement calculator assembly.
Huh.
God damn it, I want one.
Which is better clicky switch? Complicated blue ALPS, matias click, or kailh box White?
Karras Bastomi IMO blue Alps.
Any links for that replacement calculator? Would like to get my FK 9000 working again.
Contact Ben aka Engicoder on Deskthority ;) .
Hey, I have a FK-9000 of my own, and was wondering if you could send a link to where you got the battery. Thanks!
What kind of chemistry are you researching?
Catalysis mostly.
Vinegar is a good way to get rid of battery corrosion on PCBs.
I would buy a Focus just for the sake of that little OLED. Looks amazing. Old with new.
Hey Thomas, I will be getting a complicated white alps board with a 5 pin connector, what should I get to convert it to USB?
NostarOFTO if it's an AT/XT board and plug, you could use a Soarer's converter. What model is it?
It's a Ntc kb 6151 en with alps clones. It has an at/xt switch, I'm thinking that a 5 pin to ps2 then ps2 to USB (active) will work for it. Also your channel has gotten me into keyboards, it's massively helpful and fun to watch!
I am disappointed that the upgraded calculator does not play Doom.
Did that replacement calculator end up getting sold somewhere?
Apparently you contact him via Deskthority. That's what Thomas said in a reply to a comment. His alias is Engicoder.
I have a FK-5001, desperately trying to figure out how to program on it. It has a "MACRO" button where the programming button is on yours, but it just types a "\"
Jonathan Crabtree it thinks it's a Monterey layout. Are you in cmd or notepad or something similar?
Chyrosran22 I was in notepad.
Jonathan Crabtree are you using Windows?
yeah, windows 10
And the turbo key worked fine on my system btw. I was always wondering what that did.
Jonathan Crabtree Christ in staples, this is getting weird xD .
Why am I CRYING over a calculator screen? 🥺😭
Question about g80 boards, you can swap switches without desoldering them on g80 kbs right?
Yes, AFAIK G80 lineup uses PCB mounting. You should be able to swap everything except the bottom housing and the leaf spring.
There only a handful of modular keyboards these days like Glorious GMMK and a few others.
SMGJohn im talking a used keyboard from the 90s, as i as thinking if it was easily upgradable, to get a g80-11800 as its interesting to me
G80s, and most boards by Cherry, use PCB-mounted switches. You can remove the top of the switches with a special tool, allowing you to swap the stem and spring.
Patrick Bonner thanks
Hey there !
I found your channel a few days ago while I was looking for some extended advices about switches, and I'm really into it I love your videos they are really refreshing and relaxing I even watch them for sleep ( nohomo mate )
Anyway keep up the good work :D
Since you're really passionate and you know your shit it would be nice if you could help me out, I currently own a Filco majestouch ninja 2 with Cherry MX brown, I've tried several others Cherry switches like red whitch people highly recommended because I'm a gamer but guess what it was just an enormous sack of garbage experience to type and play on those i kept missclick all the time.
Then I've tried Blue switches because I wanted tactility and the clicky sound was at my taste, and it was complete trash, I mean it was so scrachy it was like typing on the bones of my dead grandma, anyway THEN I've changed for the brown ones, and it is less scratchy, a lot smoother but less tactile than the blue ones, but at least a lot more at my taste.
And I recently heard some pretty good reviews about the gateron switches so I'd like to get the brown gaterons and put them in my Filco but I would need then to remod and desolder the whole thing completly and I'm not a master of soldering, or I was considering buying the Glorious keyboard whish is completly moddable but it would hurt to let go of my Filco I just love this keyboard best one I had ever by far,
So it would be great if I could have your opinion on that one :D
PS: I think you would like the Glorious keyboard since you can fully mod it and I would love your review about this one '-' and btw sorry about my English it is not my main language, cheers mate
where can he comercialize his calc mod becuse i want one for my fk 5001
I actually found a broken FK-9000 for free (some keys not working), its battery has leaked BUT it has genuine alps white switches.
I'm surprised that Focus is your favorite keyboard manufacturer.
Why? xD
I would've thought it were Zenith or something. But after watching the video I can see why you like Focus.
You strike me as a man who is fond of durability and build quality in general, which don't seem to be one of Focus's strongsuits.
Socky Noob Zenith is probably second :) .
Galileo Gaming yes, very true. Focuses are built like wet newspaper. But they're just really funny in a cutesy way xD . A bit like Lancia!
I would honestly buy this if you guys managed to get a few together for sales. I don't know which of your personal projects I like more, this or the modified Model F. Probably the ModF, but that's gotta cost a ton.
ALSO! What are your thoughts on Doom -- SIGIL? :D
I still like my Logitech G15v1 when it comes to pretty dang wide keyboards, sure it lacks the utter GIRTH of a more classic offering but damn is it still big!
I was an idiot
Mechanical supremacy
Though the 1st gen G15 is a behemoth still
i would love to have a bored like this in gray with alps blue switches
Great video! Have you ever thought about doing voiceover work? Your voice would be terrific for audiobooks and documentaries.
In his Q&A he said he'd like to do it as a side gig sometime but hasn't done audiobooks or any sort of voiceover, as his job as management at a chemical research plant and this hobby is time consuming enough.
It depends if you have a lot of stuff around. If you have you want small (tenkeyless or tenkeyfless) keyboard (though 60 percent keyboard is absurd). If you have a lot of space than that doesn't really matter so much. Btw you can have two keyboards on your desk if those are tenkeyless xD and yeah if you buy keyboard with numberpad ehy it doesn't have calculator ? At least that simple one.
Badass board
Hi Thomas
Where can I buy the focus fk-9000 keypro keyboard new can u help ? That’s if u know thanks mate
Hi and can Can your friend Ben Send me the focus fk-9000 keypro keyboard and the calculator that if he can I will buy it to Australia?
Red Man The FK-9000 was discontinued twenty or so years ago xD .
Chyrosran22 thanks for getting back to me Thomas mate p.s. have a good day ho and keep up the good work I found a model ( M ) IBM ON EBAY SO YE
The 50's british accent is spot on...
정지호 wat xD
The LCD failure is familiar, even though i've never seen one of these keyboards - i sure handled a bunch of calculators, and the LCD is likely straight reused from there. It's usually a heat-activated electrically conductive glue that holds on the ribbon connector. Needs to be heated to 130-160°C thereabouts to reactivate the glue. Oh, as an extra challenge, the cable that is held on by thermally activated glue is actually not heat resistant, it's not polyimide like you'd expect in such use but a random... something, i really have no idea, just that it's not something a sensible person would do. Good luck fixing all this - sometimes a K-knife soldering station will do, other times it'll just ruin the cable. Ideally you'd have a linear heater, like a big flat piece of copper or aluminium covering the whole width of tape at once, with thermal control, and an alignment jig, which is probably how they were made in the first place, except they'd likely use timing instead of thermal feedback.
Not ALL CAPS'ing the Turbo button in the star nav (TM) is a considerable wasted opportunity imho.
is there someone who makes standalone calculator/numpad like that? I'd love to have one of those
JR Ducky Pocket comes to mind
the calc is beaut
What keyboard switch is in ur intro?
Fate alps skcm blue
spacebar resonance? Rattle? how come
i grew up on the Focus FK-2001
my grandpa owned it, idk what he ended up doing with it
Function keys grouped by 3's is just so weird. I have never seen another keyboard like that.
I don't quite get why you like this keyboard so much if it has so many downsides like build quality?
your upload of the manual has gone down! please re-upload
Wait what.. spontaneous combustion? :)
reav3rtm yes, the first iteration turned into a big fireball when I connected the other battery to it.
Geekhack thread on the FK-9000 calculator upgrade. geekhack.org/index.php?topic=103408.0
I want this product!!!!
Wait, I can't afford Foucs keyboard for that. ._.
Way to go Ben! But really...you're a Focus fan because???
They just make these really funny, crappy products that were such good ideas but executed so poorly xD . And they look good and use Alps!
back in the days when $100 was ludicrous for vintage keyboards :(
Noo! An OLED? Really? Belh! The keyboard should have a reflective LCD, maybe a good one, but still reflective LCD.
I remember I saw a video where you were reading some German instructions but I don't remember neither the title or the thumbnail of the video :/
Nevermind, I finally found it again xd