Identify this Keyswitch please

[Duewester]

I am refurbishing a TI-99/4a I got on e-bay. The keyboard was the absolute dirtiest I have ever seen but the PC as a whole is (internally at least) almost untouched. Outside looks like it was dropped and glued back together.

Anyway, after doing the opening and inspecting I took apart the keyboard for sanitary cleaning as much as anything else. I have 4 black TI's and one beige. This keyboard is different from any other I have or have seen. The keyswitch in the pic is the Space Bar KSw. It was stuck closed. I pulled it out (desolder some big hunkin pins) and gave it an %90 IPA bath. Still stuck. dried it out and gave it a DeoxIT bath. Was about to post about the KSw and ask if anyone had ever seen, replaced or repaired one, when it started working.

I have since finished initial power checks and turned on the unit. Works like a charm. Using a LCD tv with AV inputs so the graphics look cruddy (can't even read the lower case keys) but, they all type and don't bounce or require any effort to operate.

I have a MK1 F18 board arriving Tuesday. Can't wait to see what this thing looks like then.

The case metal is so bent up and the plastic has so much glue on it I think I'll do a special metal and paint job on this one. Gonna paint it a gloss white with black and silver accents.

 

So, anyway thanks for taking time to read this and I'll get back to you guys when I get the paint job done. - Before and after pics. 🙂

 

[Stuart]

12 hours ago, Duewester said:

The case metal is so bent up and the plastic has so much glue on it I think I'll do a special metal and paint job on this one. Gonna paint it a gloss white with black and silver accents.

Then you can sell it on eBay as one of those special/limited edition models ... 

[sikotik]

That's a Futaba keyswitch.  A friend of mine gifted me a TI last year that had those. My U key was stuck so he had me return it. I searched around for replacement switches and I couldn't find any at a price I was willing to pay.

[Duewester]

Thanks for the info @sikotik. So far (knock on plastic) the DeoxIt soak is still working. I did have to resolder the keyswitch after installing the keyboard in the case. A VERY slight alignment issue caused the bar to rub against the case.

Sorry I didn't get any "Before" pics. It's not like we haven't all seen some pretty sad TI's in our lifetime.

Here's first boot of the White Ti99-4/aW with TiPi called up from Ti Basic. I used a headlight restore kit to polish the aluminum pieces. Some of the dents and scratches were just too deep to get out. I left the Power switch and the cart deck black to give it a little depth. The aluminum base of the 'Solid State Software' insignia was pretty corroded but I managed to make it sorta respectable with a black Sharpie.

 

This is the 32K 'size' test of the other half of the TiPi/32k board using TI Extended Basic from FG-99.

OBTW, I forgot to mention, NEW F18A MK1 VDP installed (connector still hanging out the back waiting for final decision on how to mount and get sound) and working like a charm on a Dell 20" LCD monitor providing the display. 🙂 

I am very much liking the white body. I used a plastic paint primer and a gloss white paint. The first coat of paint went on really well but when I went to do a second coat, it wrinkled up. I had waited a full 24 hrs between coats so I don't know what happened. At least I saw it happening on the bottom of the bottom piece and stopped there. I went on to try a clear coat as well and that was even worse wrinkling. Well at least I got a good primer and base coat on the whole thing inside and out.

Thanks to all for reading and comments. Be safe and keep coding.

[jrhodes]

So shiny! You're going to need sunglasses using that thing .