Converting a French stf keyboard

[larrylaffer]

Hi folks!

 

I got an AZERTY ST(f) and I am trying to figure out how to convert it the US standards... Obviously I need a 110V PSU but this post specific to the keyboard...

 

The obvious answer is to find a US (or even UK) ST (any model really other than the Mega as the Megas I believe have different plungers?) and swap the keys or even better the whole keyboard (the keyboard swap is better since AZERTY has the > and < symbols right next to the left SHIFT which is reduced in size). But this can get expensive.

 

Getting the keys from ebay I think is a daylight robbery, they are sold pretty expensive, especially for the number of keys I am looking to swap out (I think it might be cheaper to just get another computer for parts ;-)). 

 

But what about stickers? I have found stickers for the 8 bit ataris... (here) But not for ST...

 

Does anybody have done anything like what I am trying to do? I bet someone has... Any thoughts would be awesome!

[ParanoidLittleMan]

More important from keyboard is replacing TOS - French v. with US v. Surely TOS 1.04 US - and avoid 1.00, 1.02 (US) .  Replacing only keyboard will not make it US English, to say so ..

Although, it's probably already done, since no mentioning of French text on screen - or did not power it on so far ?

As temporary solution replacing key caps should serve. I really don't know is there some diff in physical key layout between French and US ST kb.

[larrylaffer]

A few weeks (maybe months) ago I had asked questions about TOS versions and where to find it. You (of course) gave a few good pointers, and someone living really close offered to burn some eeproms for a very small fee, so I got a couple of extra US TOS roms just in case. So yeah, I already changed the TOS to a US one, that is why I don't complain about French menu or characters in thre screen.  🙂

 

Moving the keys around does work (kind of) but gives a very ugly feeling typing as they all have a specific angle based on where they sit on the keyboard. As an example AZERTY has W at the bottom row, so moving out at the top is ugly... also the numbers and the characters are totally off. Then other characters out pair of characters are off... I can live with that for a while as you also said, but I want a more elegant solution... 

 

I am attaching the keyboard as it looks right now so that people can really see what I mean by "ugly" although in the picture it is not that obvious than it is in touch... just see the height of Q, W, E and R. They are totally uneven...