Amiga 600 mechanical keyboard kits available

Hey everyone - I am ordering another run of PCBs so A600 keyboards are going to be available. If you would like a PCB, complete keyboard or some combination (see the very first post in this thread) now is the time to express interest. If you do then when I actually have things to sell I'll PM and let you know. PMs to me please.

I'm interested in a kit with everything if you have it. I can assemble and solder it all myself. Could you message me if you are doing this still and a price?

I’d be interested in 2x keyboards fully assembled and ready to be installed, if you still offer that option with the new batch.
Shipping to Australia, happy to pay in advance to help cash flow.
PM now on its way...

PM received and payment sent! For 2x keyboards.
Thanks mate!

PCBs, key switches and stabilisers are ordered!

I'd like an unassembled kit if possible (cos i like putting these together i guess) PM incoming.

Exciting news - I just looked on the pimpmykeyboards.com store for something else and I noticed they now sell DSA keys with any of a large range of legends in ANY SIZE. 1U Caps Lock? Yes. Looks like it is now possible to outfit an Amiga keyboard using Cherry MX switches with the best keycaps around. Sure it isn't cheap, but if cheap was all that mattered I'd have a no-name laptop!

Wow, nice. I'd be happy to plumb for the extra. Did anyone help out with a 600 case top or unit?

Yes, I have the A600 on the way now. PCBs are also in shipping, have 3D printed a bunch of keyboard parts, more connectors are shipping from Mouser, it’s all coming together.

Keycaps are going to have to be left to individuals to buy direct I think - the cost is something like US$130 for the Signature Plastics perfect setup, and that’s not going to be for everyone when you can quite reasonably do it for much less if you can tolerate ABS plastic and a few blank keycaps. Maybe you just want to buy the 1.25U Amiga keys there, which they have for $3 each. Still once I have it all together I will certainly send pics back to Signature Plastics and suggest they get a kit together for Amiga, I am sure they could get it under $100. Something like 28 keys at $3 each really pushes up the price.

Hi.
Expressing interest for one fully assembled keyboard please. Next in line. Thanks.

Hi all, a quick update on parts status. The PCBs have arrived and so have connectors. I am still waiting on stabilisers and keyswitches so that is the holdup. I did order another batch of PCBs so that is also on the way and I will be able to make a keyboard for myself (I realised I would have none left after sending out the ones promised )

Anyway thanks for your patience and I'll keep updating as things arrive.

Hello Aeberbach.
Im currently exploring the website pimpmykeyboard.com.
However, I struggle between all options.
If you have a chance, could you please show us how to select a kit, what key characteristics we need to look at, and how to customise it a bit? That’s help.
Im not after something fancy: as close as possible to original colors, AZERTY layout (French), and Amiga keys if I can find them....
Thank you again. No rush.

I can help with that:

A600 keyboard layout showing sizes required: A600 English (sorry I have no French layout details - but from this you can probably work it out)

To populate the keyboard I have ordered:
Now I haven't received this yet so I don't know yet if I made a mistake. I think it's going to be close to original colours and be very close to a full keyboard, the exception is the "Help" key which doesn't exist, I decided to use an "OS" key for that position. There's also the space bar - you need to oder an 8U space bar in a color close to matching but space bars are usually in ABS and the colors are slightly different.

I also ordered:

DSA Granite individual key from Bonus Pack “left Amiga” 1.25U (outline red italic A)
DSA Granite individual key from Bonus Pack “right Amiga” 1.25U (solid red italic A)

Which space bar is better I will work out when it arrives. Note the Amiga keys, I think maybe WASD makes Amiga keys too but if anything they will be as good as Signature Plastics, they will not be better!

And your prices may vary - at $3 each per key this is going to add up to US$100+ pretty quickly - but look at the bright side, if your hobby was collecting guitars that are 30 years old this wouldn't even get you a tenth of one!

I have played with their Keyboard Layout Editor (LINK), it was great fun!
Their website is fantastic but you need to be a pro to understand everything... Thank you for your list the, I will for sure have a look at it in detail.

Now, here is what I did:



This is an AZERTY layout but I noticed that the QWERTY ones exactly have same layout, same shape of keys, and same numbers and locations. This is good because the A1000, for example, doesn't have the same number of keys in those 2 configurations. I have in front of me all those original keyboards.

In regard to dimensions, I have found:

- Row1 (top): Escape key, Help key and all functions keys 1.25U (4 groups are spaced by 0.5U)
- Row 2: ~ key 1.5U
- Row 3: Tab key 2U and Return key is ISO (1.5U at the top and 1.25U at the bottom)
- Row 4: Control key 1.25U
- Row 5: Shift keys 1.75U
- Row 6: Alt key and Amiga keys 1.25U, which leaves 8.25U for the Space bar.... which is weird because you say it is 8U.

In order to check the sizes of the keys, I have made an Excel and found out that all rows are 16.5U, except rows 3, 4 and 5 because of the A600 LED (one 1U key less).
I probably made a rookie mistake somewhere but I can't see where...

Anyway, thanks for your list!

Did you account for left the offset in the bottom row? I am pretty sure the space bar is 8U.

Aeberbach said:

Did you account for left the offset in the bottom row? I am pretty sure the space bar is 8U.

Click to expand...

Yes, 0.5U space.
Well, if you look on a real keyboard, the Left Amiga key ends 0.25U inside the key above, while the right Amiga key starts 0.5U inside the above key. All keys above the space bar are 1U so it is 8.25U...
Anyway, 8U shouldn't make a huge difference when balanced in the middle.

- - - Updated - - -

By the way I haven't found out how you can buy an individual key from a pack and buy the Amiga keys but anyway...

Another thing I'm wondering is if the keyboard layout designer can be sent to their shop for direct purchase, but I can't find how to. Maybe it's not. I'm going to ask them.

Somehow it works out now but with no hardware in front of me I can't put my finger on it. I have made 8U space units, 3D printed, that use a 7U space bar with 0.5U either side - so I am sure it works out.

If you cut and paste lines like I posted they will get back to you and send you a PayPal invoice. I had to put it all in the comments box of the order... don't forget to suggest that this A600 order should be something available as a regular kit!

I got curious so laid out some 1U keys on one of my PCBs. It is definitely an 8U space bar.

(I am still waiting for keyswitches, stabilisers and my set of keycaps. I am worried it might take a little time, one order I placed for Amiga bits recently is held because there's some idiocy going on in the postal system - one carrier claims that nothing is being accepted from outside the country that is thicker than 5cm.)

They gave me a price of $850 for my set. Lol

Something must be wrong there, you need to choose the base set then a bunch of individual keys at $2 each - did you specify enough for 6 Amigas?

Anyway, another week has passed and I still have received nothing but the PCBs - shipments are about a month overdue. No keyswitches or stabilisers. Just keeping those who are waiting on me informed.