Editing Alps SKCM White

{{infobox dswitch
| image name        = Northgate OmniKey 101-white complicated Alps.jpg
| manufacturer      = [[Alps Electric]]
| family            = [[Alps SKCL/SKCM series]]
| product code      = SKCMAQ<br>SKCMCQ?
| contact mechanism = [[Contact mechanism#Metal leaf|Metal leaf]]
| switch type       = Clicky
| switch mount      = [[Switch mount#Plate mount|Plate mount]]
| keycap mount      = [[Keycap mount#Alps mount|Alps mount]]
| discontinued      = 
| precedes          = [[Alps SKBM White]]
| supersedes        = [[Alps SKCM Blue]]
| actuation force   = 70 gf
}}

'''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 [[Alps SKCL Yellow|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:

{| class="wikitable"
! 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==
<div style="-moz-column-width: 20em; -webkit-column-width: 20em; column-width: 20em; max-width: 65em; /* Three columns */">
*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 DFK102 | Datacomp DFK-102]]
*[[Datacomp DFK191 | Datacomp DFK-191]] & [[Datacomp DFK192 | DFK-192]]
*Some [[Datacomp DFK2020 | 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]] & [[Focus FK-2002 | 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 MCK-101 (curved) | 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]]
</div>

==Keypads==
*Genovation Parallel Micropad<ref name="genovation"/>
*Some [[Ortek MCK-18]]
*Ortek MCK-35<ref name="mck35"/>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:NTC KB-6251EA -- white complicated Alps switches.jpg  | White Alps switches
File:Alps SKCM White -- opened switch.jpg                  | Switch with upper shell and slider removed
File:Alps CM white complicated -- upper shell assembly.jpg | Upper shell assembly
File:Alps SKCM White -- base removed.jpg                   | Base removed
File:Alps SKCM White -- disassembled.jpg                   | Almost fully disassembled
File:Alps.tw Type BA1 -- Alps white complicated.jpg        | Various views of a rare version without the Alps logo on the base; be aware that the switchplate parts depicted are inconsistent
File:ETC Power Glide 105 -- Alps SKCM white internals.jpg  | Pine "scrawly" switch with hand-carved mould numbering
</gallery>

===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).

<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:Focus-FK5001 switch detail white Alps with slits.jpg  | Archetypal White Alps with previous logo, full numbering, and slits 
File:Alps SKCM White -- mould variations.jpg               | 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
File:Chicony KB-5182 -- Alps SKCM White.jpg                | Current logo, full numbering, slits
File:Canon-A220-UKB84-Keyswitch.jpg                        | Current logo, partial numbering, slits
File:Northgate OmniKey 101-white complicated Alps.jpg      | Previous logo, full numbering, filled-in slits
File:DSI Modular Mac -- switch shell.jpg                   | Upper shell from mould lacking most numbering, which may be the Alps source of [[Simplified Alps Type III]]; from a [[DSI Modular Pro]]
</gallery>

====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.

<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:Alps SKCM White -- scrawly bamboo, top.jpg    | Bamboo "scrawly" switch
File:Alps SKCM White -- scrawly bamboo, side.jpg   | Side view
File:Alps SKCM White -- scrawly bamboo, opened.jpg | Opened, showing genuine switchplate
</gallery>

==Specifications==

*[[:File:Alps Electric -- spec -- 5454 31.pdf|5454_31]] (SKCLAR and SKCMCQ)

==References==
<references>
<ref name="Silencium-Alps">Atelier Silencium — [http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~silencium/keyboard/html/alps.html alps keyswitch] (Japanese only) Dated 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2015-07-22.</ref>
<ref name="Sandy_DTK">Sandy — [http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/dtk_grafika.html DTK Grafika]</ref>
<ref name="Klei_DTK">klei's Backspace — [http://curio.egloos.com/376228 DTK SPK-101] (Korean only) Dated 2005-07-13. Retrieved 2015-07-22.</ref>
<ref name="Ortek-MCK-142Pro">Deskthority — [http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ortek-mck-142pro-ibm-model-m-alcatel-mfii-chicony-kb-5582-t4799.html Ortek MCK-142Pro(Alps), Alcatel MFII(Acers), Chicony KB-5582]</ref>
<ref name="SK-102-2N">Deskthority — [http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8/s-a-m-sk-102-2n-t5241.html S.A.M. SK-102-2N]</ref>
<ref name="DT-dry_lubricant">Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/alps-appreciation-t12915-420.html#p299646 Alps Appreciation]</ref>
<ref name="Aquarius">YouTube — [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUyxTkDh8hk&ab_channel=mcmaxmcmc Aquarius CSK-2101 Keyboard Typing Video]</ref>
<ref name="Aquarius1">Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=7544 Aquarius CSK-2102 - White ALPS]</ref>
<ref name="Toshiba">Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=20339 Toshiba-branded Alps Bigfoot keyboard with red + clicky Alps switches] Posted 2018-12-07.</ref>
<ref name="MCK-101SX">Reddit — [https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/7jyuxn/recent_find_for_5its_an_ortek_technology_mck101sx/ 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 — [https://imgur.com/a/fr9lZ Suntouch Jr. (Real Alps?)] Posted 2014-06-27.</ref>
<ref name="SIIG_K101">YouTube — [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ_avDEx1f0&ab_channel=EddGecko Suntouch SIIG k101 keyboard with pine white alps sound test] Uploaded 2021-02-20.</ref>
<ref name="Biglobe">Biglobe — [http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~silencium/keyboard/html/alps.html ALPS key switch] Updated 2014-03-02.</ref>
<ref name="Chicony5162">YouTube — [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roxb3-JT-Hc Chicony KB-5162F REDUX (Alps SKCM White)] Uploaded 2017-08-19.</ref>
<ref name="KB6551">Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=12915&start=3360 Alps Appreciation] Posted 2020-01-11.</ref>
<ref name="Jing">Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=8141 Jing Mold Electronic Technology JKB-6151 - Clicky White Alps] Posted 2014-05-31.</ref>
<ref name="Dan">Imgur — [https://imgur.com/a/DQfnbor Dan 102 UK White Alps] Uploaded 2022-06-05.</ref>
<ref name="mck35">Imgur — [https://imgur.com/a/oJyKMUG#xUoipUg] Uploaded 2022-12-06.</ref>
<ref name="Tulip ATK 03 02 53">Imgur — [https://imgur.com/gallery/GzAZkgI Tulip ATK 03 02 53 - Alps SKCM Pine White] Uploaded 2022-07-19.</ref>
<ref name="fk3002">Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=17379 Focus FK-3002 (ISO version) discovered] Posted 2017-05-29.</ref>
<ref name="genovation">Imgur — [https://imgur.com/a/Y34zIeN Twin Genovation pads from 92 with Pine Alps SKCM Whites] Uploaded 2018-04-26.</ref>
<ref name="monterey">Reddit — [https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/lbdmak/heres_my_reversible_keyboardkeyboard_sorry_for_my/ 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 — [https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5113&start= Ergonomic or Split Alps Keyboards] Posted 2013-02-07.</ref>
<ref name="telecontrar">Telecontrar — [https://telcontar.net/KBK/Keycombo/keyboards Keyboard list]</ref>
<ref name="datacomp_dsk">Imgur — [https://imgur.com/a/BpANtup Datacomp DSK-119 (Alps SKCM Pine White)] Uploaded 2023-03-03.</ref>
<ref name="olivetti">Twitter — [https://twitter.com/Beamspring/status/1259419223014567938?cxt=HHwWhMCnsYrHrfoiAAAA] Posted 2020-05-10.</ref>
</references>

[[Category:Alps SKCL/SKCM series]]
[[Category:Keyboard switches with Alps mount]]
[[Category:Metal contact switches]]
[[Category:Clicky switches]]
[[Category:List of all keyboard switches]]