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VT100 Keyboard keys?

H

harry

Experienced Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
310
Location
United Kingdom
I have been looking for some time for a complete keyboard for my VT100, recently managed to ge one, but it is missing a few keys, Are the keys specific to the VT 100 keyboards, or were they used on other keyboards, or such like? Anyone found alternatives that fit/work?
thanks,

Harry
 
Hi Jack, Missing keys are.... large 'SetUp' key ... top arrow key pointing 'right' ,... ' PF4' key , large '0' key in numeral keys, and finally the ...' =+ ' key
If you have, or can supply any, or all of these, that would be great! please pm me if you can help.
thanks
Harry

Bitly.. thanks for wiki page , interesting stuff,
 
I too believe that these were either made by HI-TEK or are some knockoff. At Vulcan Scrap in Stamford CT some years back I saw a number of HI-TEK keyboards without keys, but with plungers and springs, so I bought some to get replacement plungers (see this earlier thread for reference: http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?53437-VT52-key-repair-advice it's a really good thread!). At the time, it was for my VT52s. Vulcan used to get a lot of surplus from Perkin Elmer, so there must be some PE keyboards that also were from HI-TEK. Over the years I have found that these plungers fit VT100, LA36, LA34 keyboards as well as the ones in my HP 83 and 85. The keycaps all fit in the same plungers, however the keycaps themselves are all differently angled and contoured (for ergonomics, or not.)

Lou
 
Last edited:
Lou,
Thanks for link to the earlier thread, and for your findings, It seems getting replacement keys was never going to be easy, but I do now have a better understanding of the keyboard, and its repair. I am at present working on the dead psu from the VT, so still time before I can try out the recent keyboard. Meanwhile I Hope Jack may have some spare keys.

...Harry
 
Harry,

I'm can't help you with much, but I do have the arrow and 0 keys for you. Cover postage and they are yours.
PM me with your mailing info and I'll get them out to you.

Jack
 
May be anybody made the keycaps model for the 3D printing?

I have the same problem - old keyboard without 5 keys - 3, Up arrow, A, C and big 0.
 
Does anyone know if the TI99/4A Hi-Tek keyboards can be used as a source of parts for repairing a VT-52 keyboard?
 
If anyone needs keys for VT1xx, I bought a bag of random keycaps off ebay a while back. Send me a PM with what keys you need and I might be able to help you out.
 
I need a shift key and the period key from the num-pad for my VT-102, if you still have any available.
These keys seem to fall off easy and sometimes pop off just from the spring recoil. I just bought this 102 and the seller lost the key-caps between offering it for sale and delivering it.
keyboard.JPG
 
On the subject of missing keys. The key caps on my VT100 keyboards seem to fall off easily. One or two will bounce right off the keyboard just from the spring rebound when typing.
Is this common on these keyboards?
Is there a tested method of getting them to stick down better without gluing them so they can be removed again in the future?
 
dfnr2 said:
Does anyone know if the TI99/4A Hi-Tek keyboards can be used as a source of parts for repairing a VT-52 keyboard?
Click to expand...

I have both a VT52 and a TI 99/4A. The 99/4A keys fit on the the VT52 stems, but the 99/4A's cap is, physically, a little bit smaller.

Did you ever find a suitable replacement for VT52 key caps? I am in need of one.
 
Hi all. I have recently acquired a vt100 after much searching and am cleaning it up and restoring it.
Would any of you have a spare up-arrow key that I could purchase? Mine is lacking one.
Thank you!
 
legalize said:
If anyone needs keys for VT1xx, I bought a bag of random keycaps off ebay a while back. Send me a PM with what keys you need and I might be able to help you out.
Click to expand...
If it have an up arrow key for a vt100, I'd love to purchase it! Thank you.

Tim
 
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