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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: madhias on Wed, 04 February 2015, 16:41:07

Title: NovaTouch Topre Slider Compatibility: A Discussion
Post by: madhias on Wed, 04 February 2015, 16:41:07: MOD NOTE: Split from a WTB, here is a discussion on the compatibility of NovaTouch sliders with other Topre keyboards.

== == == == ==

Quote from: CPTBadAss on Wed, 04 February 2015, 14:59:20
Quote from: Findecanor on Wed, 04 February 2015, 14:57:00
You are aware that Novatouch sliders don't fit in any other Topre keyboard?

Are you sure about that? Tjcaustin and epzy have done the swap.

Show Image
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2947/15219235028_2c84159759_b.jpg)

Tj's HHKB.

I've read they don't fit properly with Realforce Keyboards?
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: exitfire401 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 16:51:37: Quote from: madhias on Wed, 04 February 2015, 16:41:07
Quote from: CPTBadAss on Wed, 04 February 2015, 14:59:20
Quote from: Findecanor on Wed, 04 February 2015, 14:57:00
You are aware that Novatouch sliders don't fit in any other Topre keyboard?

Are you sure about that? Tjcaustin and epzy have done the swap.

Show Image
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2947/15219235028_2c84159759_b.jpg)

Tj's HHKB.

I've read they don't fit properly with Realforce Keyboards?

They fit...they're the same size...
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: ideus on Wed, 04 February 2015, 17:19:23: Make a GB !? Is that doable?, then the Topre users might enjoy MX freedom. Is this similar to the Matt3o sliders development?
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: Phinominal on Wed, 04 February 2015, 17:34:11: Quote from: Findecanor on Wed, 04 February 2015, 14:57:00
You are aware that Novatouch sliders don't fit in any other Topre keyboard?

What are you basing this off of?

I've swapped these sliders into my RF 87U and it works fine. The only problem I am aware of are the space bar stabilizer positions. They don't match up perfectly.

Every other key should work perfectly.
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: Findecanor on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:00:18: I think there was a review that said that Novatouch sliders were slightly wider than the sliders in the Realforce. Maybe I misinterpreted it...

Yes, the RF has a 6.0 units wide Space Bar and the Novatouch's is 6.25 wide.
Are the stabilised sliders really swappable, or do you mean swapping the entire key module?
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: tjcaustin on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:02:49: Quote from: Findecanor on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:00:18
There was a review that said that Novatouch sliders were slightly wider than the sliders in the Realforce. I'll go find it.

Yes, the RF has a 6.0 units wide Space Bar and the Novatouch's is 6.25 wide.

That's the only even kinda stag in the whole thing and that's only because it's difficult to find 6x cherry spacebars in the correct stabilizer configuration. The sliders, stabilizer sliders and the little stabilizer pods swap with no problem in any plate mount topre board and only the 2 2x stabilizer sliders have issues with hhkb.
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: intelli78 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:20:35: What about the weird left Ctrl on 87u? Don't think a NT slider will fit there.
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: Findecanor on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:36:47: Hmm.. I measured the sliders in my Novatouch to 8.4 mm in diameter and the ones in my Realforce to 8.2 mm, and that means that they are different in outer diameter by 0.2 mm. Apparently that difference is not large enough to make them untransplantable. Maybe the author of the review I read just assumed or was referring to the stabilised keys.
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: FrostyToast on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:40:55: Quote from: intelli78 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:20:35
What about the weird left Ctrl on 87u? Don't think a NT slider will fit there.

What's weird about the left ctrl?
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: intelli78 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:42:08: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=63320.0
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:45:11: so has anyone done a full realforce slider swap or not??
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: FrostyToast on Wed, 04 February 2015, 23:32:45: Quote from: intelli78 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:42:08
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=63320.0

MX stems are still fully omni-directional. (if that is even a word)
This means that I can put a switch upright, 90 degrees, 180, even 270 degrees on a stem. Assuming that the MX stem on the novatouch has the same specifications, it doesn't matter if it gets put sideways.

So yes, I expect you can do a full novatouch conversion on an 87u without any hitches.
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: intelli78 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 23:34:20: But the slider is a considerably different shape, not just rotated...
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: FrostyToast on Wed, 04 February 2015, 23:36:59: Quote from: intelli78 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 23:34:20
But the slider is a considerably different shape, not just rotated...

Won't the slider still fit in the housing?
As long as it can do that, you're golden.
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: intelli78 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 23:45:08: I don't know if it will. Maybe. If it does, then you're right, the rotation won't matter for MX. At least one guy is claiming he's done it successfully, so let's see if he can post conclusive proof.
Title: Re: Re: [WTB]NovaTouch Topre Sliders
Post by: madhias on Thu, 05 February 2015, 10:31:07: Thanks for splitting up the thread, mighty mod!

Quote from: SpAmRaY on Wed, 04 February 2015, 20:45:11
so has anyone done a full realforce slider swap or not??

That's what i am wondering. I am getting about 2Kg of Round 5 caps, different space bars and caps in almost all sizes, so well prepared for various cap swapping actions.