Alps SKCM White

Alps SKCM White

Manufacturer	Alps Electric
Family	Alps SKCL/SKCM series
Product code	SKCMAQ SKCMCQ?
Precedes	Alps SKBM White
Supersedes	Alps SKCM Blue
Switch type	Clicky
Sense method	Metal leaf
Actuation force	70 gf
Keycap mount	Alps mount
Switch mount	Plate mount

Alps SKCM White, or complicated White Alps, is a clicky switch in the Alps SKCL/SKCM series.

Description

Complicated White Alps is thought to be the most common Alps switch found; it was widely used in Far East-made keyboards in the late 80s and early 90s. The 1994 Alps catalogue refers to it as SKCMAQ; an un-dated Alps datasheet describes a switch that appears to be identical except for lacking slits, which is given part number SKCMCQ. It is possible that the change from 'A' to 'C' indicates the redesigned switch with the slits removed, as the same datasheet depicts SKCLAR with the 'A' in the part number, and with slits.

The majority of complicated White Alps switches are branded "ALPS", but the earliest examples are reported to be unbranded. In most cases, they use the same mould numbering as other common generation Alps SKCL/SKCM switches, but in some cases, a simplified form of mould numbering has been found, with what often resembles hand-carved numbers, and a slightly distorted Alps logo. However, these do appear to be genuine Alps switches. Interestingly, these varieties of switches do not follow the standard practice of having the switchplate at the rear of the switch; in the same keyboard, the switches can be found with the branding and numbering both ways up.

White Alps is typically found to be less favourable than its predecessor, Alps SKCM Blue, with blue widely held to have a better feel; although feel is both subjective and dependent on switch condition, the consensus of opinion across recent years all points in favour of blue Alps being superior in feel and even sound, with a lighter tactile force and smoother action. The transition from blue to White Alps is the best-known example of the evolution of the SKCL/SKCM series. Curiously, it appears that the very first White Alps switches retained the dry lubricant and return spring material of blue Alps, indicating that the Blue-to-White transition was not a clean break but itself a series of transitions; here, the older dry-lubricated version is held to be superior.<ref name="DT-dry_lubricant" />

Variants

Known variants include:

Switchplate Color	Switchplate Length	Alps Logo	Generation
White	Long	No Logo	Pine (with slits)
White	Short	No Logo	Pine (with slits)
White	Short	Logo	Pine (with slits)
White	Short	Logo	Bamboo (without slits)

Keyboards

• Some Acer 6010 series
• Some Acer KB-084AS
• Some Acer KB-101A
• Aquarius CSK-2101<ref name="Aquarius" /> & CSK-2102<ref name="Aquarius1" />
• Canon A220-UKB84
• Canon A290-PSK<ref name="Biglobe"/>
• Canon CE-KB08<ref name="Biglobe"/>
• Some Chicony KB-5161 & KB-5162<ref name="Chicony5162"/>
• Some Chicony KB-5181
• Some Chicony KB-9600<ref name="Silencium-Alps" />
• Costar CSJ-2106<ref name="Biglobe"/>
• Some Costar CSK-7102N
• Dan 102 Key UK keyboard<ref name="Dan"/>
• Some Datacomp DFK-102
• Datacomp DFK-191 & DFK-192
• Some Datacomp DFK-2020
• Datacomp DSK-119<ref name="datacomp_dsk"/>
• Datacomp MTX-124
• Datadesk Switchboard
• DSI Modular Pro
• DTK SPK-101<ref name="Sandy_DTK" /><ref name="Klei_DTK" />
• Some Focus FK-2000 Plus
• Some Focus FK-2001 & FK-2002
• Some Focus FK-3001 & FK-3002<ref name="fk3002"/>
• Focus FK-5001
• Some Focus FK-6000
• Some Focus FK-7000P
• Some Focus FK-9000
• Some Forward Electronics FDA-102(A)
• Fuji Xerox XJ-T99<ref name="Biglobe"/>
• Great Wall KBD5-B<ref name="telecontrar"/>
• Some Jameco JE2016
• Jing Mold Electronic Technology JKB-6151M<ref name="Jing"/>
• Some Kinesis Evolution
• Some Leading Edge AK-1012
• Some Leading Edge DC-2214
• Lite-On SK-0002
• Mitac KB-5202
• Some Monterey K101
• Some Monterey K104
• Some Monterey K108
• Monterey MK-9500<ref name="monterey"/>
• Most Northgate OmniKey
• Some NTC KB-6151
• Some NTC KB-6251 & 6252
• NTC KB-6551EA<ref name="KB6551"/>
• NTC KB-6851
• Olivetti ANK26-105J<ref name="olivetti"/>
• Ortek MKB-84 SX
• Some Ortek / OEMMAX MCK-101 & MCK-101SX<ref name="MCK-101SX"/>
• Some Ortek / OEMMAX MCK-101 (curved)
• Ortek MCK-142 Pro<ref name="Ortek-MCK-142Pro" />
• Some Ortek / OEMMAX MCK-860
• Ortek Mac-105 / ETC Power Glide 105
• Ortek Portable Keyboard 102 (ポータブルキーボード)
• Pace VG-101<ref name="pace"/>
• Some Philips PM 3655
• Reveal KB-7061<ref name="pace"/>
• S.A.M. SK-102-2N<ref name="SK-102-2N" />
• Some SIIG Suntouch K101<ref name="SIIG_K101" />
• Some SIIG Suntouch Jr (FCCID: GM8CK-84KBPAD)<ref name="SuntouchJr"/>
• Susteen KB-9600<ref name="Biglobe"/>
• Some Toshiba PA5101E<ref name="Toshiba" />
• Some Tulip ATK 030244
• Tulip ATK 030253<ref name="Tulip ATK 03 02 53"/>
• Some Unitek K-258
• Some Wang 725-7951

Keypads

• Genovation Parallel Micropad<ref name="genovation"/>
• Some Ortek MCK-18
• Ortek MCK-35<ref name="mck35"/>

Gallery

• 
  White Alps switches
• 
  Switch with upper shell and slider removed
• 
  Upper shell assembly
• 
  Base removed
• 
  Almost fully disassembled
• 
  Various views of a rare version without the Alps logo on the base; be aware that the switchplate parts depicted are inconsistent
• 
  Pine "scrawly" switch with hand-carved mould numbering

Variants

White Alps has seen by far the greatest number of variations across any Alps switch, often contradictory. The implication appears to be that Alps had several switch factories that were not altering or replacing their tooling in the same manner. One indicator of this this is the crossover between the removal of slits, and the introduction of the current Alps logo (bold face) in place of the previous logo (medium face).

• 
  Archetypal White Alps with previous logo, full numbering, and slits
• 
  Archetypal White Alps (1) compared with three other variations (2) (3) (4) all confirmed to be genuine White complicated Alps; note the indiscriminate branding orientation
• 
  Current logo, full numbering, slits
• 
  Current logo, partial numbering, slits
• 
  Previous logo, full numbering, filled-in slits
• 
  Upper shell from mould lacking most numbering, which may be the Alps source of Simplified Alps Type III; from a DSI Modular Pro

Scrawly

"Scrawly" switches have hand-carved mould numbering. These switches were presumably sourced from a contract manufacturer such as Forward Electronics, either as overflow capacity or for cost reduction. Internally, they are the same as regular Alps switches. The bamboo version has the slits filled in.

• 
  Bamboo "scrawly" switch
• 
  Side view
• 
  Opened, showing genuine switchplate

Specifications

• 5454_31 (SKCLAR and SKCMCQ)

References

<references> <ref name="Silencium-Alps">Atelier Silencium — alps keyswitch (Japanese only) Dated 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2015-07-22.</ref> <ref name="Sandy_DTK">Sandy — DTK Grafika</ref> <ref name="Klei_DTK">klei's Backspace — DTK SPK-101 (Korean only) Dated 2005-07-13. Retrieved 2015-07-22.</ref> <ref name="Ortek-MCK-142Pro">Deskthority — Ortek MCK-142Pro(Alps), Alcatel MFII(Acers), Chicony KB-5582</ref> <ref name="SK-102-2N">Deskthority — S.A.M. SK-102-2N</ref> <ref name="DT-dry_lubricant">Deskthority — Alps Appreciation</ref> <ref name="Aquarius">YouTube — Aquarius CSK-2101 Keyboard Typing Video</ref> <ref name="Aquarius1">Deskthority — Aquarius CSK-2102 - White ALPS</ref> <ref name="Toshiba">Deskthority — Toshiba-branded Alps Bigfoot keyboard with red + clicky Alps switches Posted 2018-12-07.</ref> <ref name="MCK-101SX">Reddit — Recent find for 5$.It’s an ortek technology MCK101SX with white alps switches.My first mechanical keyboard,pretty happy about it. Posted 2017-12-15.</ref> <ref name="SuntouchJr">Imgur — Suntouch Jr. (Real Alps?) Posted 2014-06-27.</ref> <ref name="SIIG_K101">YouTube — Suntouch SIIG k101 keyboard with pine white alps sound test Uploaded 2021-02-20.</ref> <ref name="Biglobe">Biglobe — ALPS key switch Updated 2014-03-02.</ref> <ref name="Chicony5162">YouTube — Chicony KB-5162F REDUX (Alps SKCM White) Uploaded 2017-08-19.</ref> <ref name="KB6551">Deskthority — Alps Appreciation Posted 2020-01-11.</ref> <ref name="Jing">Deskthority — Jing Mold Electronic Technology JKB-6151 - Clicky White Alps Posted 2014-05-31.</ref> <ref name="Dan">Imgur — Dan 102 UK White Alps Uploaded 2022-06-05.</ref> <ref name="mck35">Imgur — [1] Uploaded 2022-12-06.</ref> <ref name="Tulip ATK 03 02 53">Imgur — Tulip ATK 03 02 53 - Alps SKCM Pine White Uploaded 2022-07-19.</ref> <ref name="fk3002">Deskthority — Focus FK-3002 (ISO version) discovered Posted 2017-05-29.</ref> <ref name="genovation">Imgur — Twin Genovation pads from 92 with Pine Alps SKCM Whites Uploaded 2018-04-26.</ref> <ref name="monterey">Reddit — Here's my reversible keyboard/keyboard, sorry for my non existing piano skills... Monterey MK-9500 with alps white Posted 2021-02-02.</ref> <ref name="pace">Deskthority — Ergonomic or Split Alps Keyboards Posted 2013-02-07.</ref> <ref name="telecontrar">Telecontrar — Keyboard list</ref> <ref name="datacomp_dsk">Imgur — Datacomp DSK-119 (Alps SKCM Pine White) Uploaded 2023-03-03.</ref> <ref name="olivetti">Twitter — [2] Posted 2020-05-10.</ref> </references>