GIYF which leads to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na_Oe3Pn_G4 and https://www.tindie.com/products/stillwell/rep … q-portable-iii/

red-ray wrote on 2026-09-27, 11:43:

GIYF which leads to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na_Oe3Pn_G4 and https://www.tindie.com/products/stillwell/rep … q-portable-iii/

Thanks a lot for some great links!!

Unicomp, THE keyboard maker (former IBM, former Lexmark) used to have a lot of spare parts that now are marked out of stock

https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/1395110

Usually they aren't cheap, but they are very kind on replying to email request, and often things not even mentioned on their website are available, even a single keycap for a Korean keyboard...

...

Why think it should be expensive? This is just a DIN5 keyboard cable with one of the ends cut off.
https://www.cablesdirect.com/store/p/2633.aspx

Just cut one end off, and expose the wires.

I assume they consider theirself the same way Apple, Bose, Sony and alike do.

Also, i guess, they produce locally not in China.

The one you linked is a PS/2 keyboard cable for the removable cable keyboards though.... That's got a specially shaped "SDL" on one end, and PS/2 DIN6 Male on the other.

Since getting the boots (and crimping tool) for SDL is unobtanium, I can see why these would be expensive.

However, for a Compaq portable III, it's JUST a spiralling DIN5.