In search of 4B3A Microswitch Keyswitches (for a system restoration, not keyboarding)

> On Jul 9, 2020, at 21:58, Brent Hilpert <bhilpert at shaw.ca> wrote: > ?On 2020-Jul-09, at 9:39 PM, Ian Finder via cctalk wrote: > >> I know what you guys are thinking- no, this isn't for a keyboard collection >> or some modern build or some other nonsense like that. >> >> I have a friend who is restoring a fairly interesting and historically >> significant vintage computer- >> The correct SD-series replacement switch would be the 4B3A- >> >> *** These can allegedly be found on some of the Diablo printing >> terminals.*** >> >> Subject to what /appears/ to be a batch-related encapsulation failure in >> the glue on the proprietary hall effect sensors, around a little over half >> of the switches on the current keyboard are bad. >> >> It is possible other switches ending in ***A could be made to work with a >> bit of labor and disassembly (swapping the fairly brittle sensors). >> >> I am not a keyboard expert but I have learned that you can remove a key on >> some of these microswitch keyboards and read the model fairly easily on >> each switch. >> >> Please let me know if you have a lead on a donor for these switches. They >> will be put to good use, and you can reply to me off-list for more details. > > Are these the key-switch model which snap into a thin-gauge springy stainless-steel U-channel to form the rows of the keyboard?

No, as I understand it that is the predecessor