Author Topic: What is the travel distance?  (Read 5336 times)

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Offline TotalChaos

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What is the travel distance?
« on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 21:34:34 »
I went to the Matias website.

I looked under "Specifications" and none of the specifications I am looking for were there.

The Matias website is a failure.  >:D

What is the travel distance?

What is the actuation distance?


I have read the corporate website, 3 reviews and 10 pages of comments on forums and I still don't know anything about the product.

If there were force graphs on the website then they would have told me total travel distance and the actuation distance.
Rosewill RK-9000RE #1 (Broke on day 26, fixed with Scotch Tape on day 42, barely holding together)
Rosewill RK-9000RE #2 (Lubed, still in the box.  I am afraid to use it because it will break like the first one)

Offline dorkvader

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 11 December 2012, 09:02:39 »
I am interested in this as well, but I would expect the travel distance to be similar for most alps-like switches: just under Cherry's 4.

Offline alaricljs

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 11 December 2012, 09:19:15 »
Matias has stated a few times that when the switches are available for purchase separately that they will publish their datasheet.  Wish it was 3 months ago but what can you do?

Anyhow... There's an Alps datasheet here that was provided by Matias as being physically identical to their switches.  So 3.5mm if you check that lower left drawing in the image.
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Offline TotalChaos

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 11 December 2012, 15:17:09 »
@alaricljs

Thank you!

So it only has 3.5mm of travel.  That is not good but I assume that some of the reduced travel is due to rubber padding they have installed so the  situation might be the same thing as a Cherry MX + thick O-ring.
Rosewill RK-9000RE #1 (Broke on day 26, fixed with Scotch Tape on day 42, barely holding together)
Rosewill RK-9000RE #2 (Lubed, still in the box.  I am afraid to use it because it will break like the first one)

Offline Binge

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 11 December 2012, 16:30:26 »
You are looking at this in an odd way... the matias ALPS switches have almost -0- distance to actuate.  I was not aware ALPS were different from this.  The moment you get the key to start pressing down it has registered.  3.5mm of travel is more than enough.

@alaricljs

Thank you!

So it only has 3.5mm of travel.  That is not good but I assume that some of the reduced travel is due to rubber padding they have installed so the  situation might be the same thing as a Cherry MX + thick O-ring.

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Offline TotalChaos

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 11 December 2012, 17:57:13 »
You are looking at this in an odd way... the matias ALPS switches have almost -0- distance to actuate.  I was not aware ALPS were different from this.  The moment you get the key to start pressing down it has registered.  3.5mm of travel is more than enough.

Holy crap!  I didn't know that!  It is a good thing that you work for Matias and can personally educate the populace since their website is useless.

A low actuation distance certainly changes things.  I don't think I have ever typed on such a keyboard.  Never even heard of one.

I will go restudy those diagrams now to see what exactly the actuation distance is.

Thanx!
Rosewill RK-9000RE #1 (Broke on day 26, fixed with Scotch Tape on day 42, barely holding together)
Rosewill RK-9000RE #2 (Lubed, still in the box.  I am afraid to use it because it will break like the first one)

Offline TotalChaos

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 11 December 2012, 18:03:15 »
Sorry, I don't see anything about actuation distance on the datasheet.
Rosewill RK-9000RE #1 (Broke on day 26, fixed with Scotch Tape on day 42, barely holding together)
Rosewill RK-9000RE #2 (Lubed, still in the box.  I am afraid to use it because it will break like the first one)

Offline tufty

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 13 December 2012, 11:07:31 »
The Matias website is a failure.
It is a good thing that you work for Matias and can personally educate the populace since their website is useless.
It's a good thing you work in public relations and know how not to get people's backs up.  John Gabriel's GIFT lives on.

Offline Binge

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 14 December 2012, 13:14:22 »
Holy crap!  I didn't know that!  It is a good thing that you work for Matias and can personally educate the populace since their website is useless.

From one community member to another.  I do not work for Matias and I'm sorry you are unable to find any information on ALPS switches on the internet besides the Matias website.

Google provided a great number of results, but most of the results in english which addressed actuation of alps come back to this forum or DA forums.  When it comes to cherry switch keyboards there are a number of keyboard manufacturers without the actuation distances etc etc.  Those websites which have the information take a lot of that info from places like GH and DA.  If you are continuing to have problems with using basic searches on google you might benefit from consulting your local IT guru and get your PC checked out.  Usually when someone is unable to go to a common website it denotes a form of malware.  If it isn't malware you might have a more personal problem :(
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Offline Matias

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #9 on: Sun, 16 December 2012, 08:57:51 »
I went to the Matias website.

I looked under "Specifications" and none of the specifications I am looking for were there.

Sorry about this.  We haven't released the final specs — since the switches are not shipping as standalone parts yet.

Quote
What is the travel distance?

3.5 mm

Quote
What is the actuation distance?

2.2 ± 0.2 mm, which is 0.3 mm after the tactile bump.

In other words, actuation happens immediately after the tactile bump, so you can feel exactly when it actuates.

You are looking at this in an odd way... the matias ALPS switches have almost -0- distance to actuate.  I was not aware ALPS were different from this.  The moment you get the key to start pressing down it has registered.  3.5mm of travel is more than enough.

Holy crap!  I didn't know that!  It is a good thing that you work for Matias and can personally educate the populace since their website is useless.

Friendly advice for you...

The GH moderators have a very low tolerance threshold for bad behaviour.

Insulting posters trying to help you is a fast way to get yourself banned, and all your posts deleted.  They've done it before, for lesser offences.

Please be respectful of other GH community members.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming...


Offline Quarzac

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Re: What is the travel distance?
« Reply #10 on: Sun, 16 December 2012, 20:52:14 »
Friendly advice for you...

The GH moderators have a very low tolerance threshold for bad behaviour.

Insulting posters trying to help you is a fast way to get yourself banned, and all your posts deleted.  They've done it before, for lesser offences.

Please be respectful of other GH community members.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming...


It should be noted the the moderators do not, and have not, banned any members. We merely respond to behavior we do not think is conducive to cultivating a positive atmosphere here at Geekhack. While bans, when enacted, are discussed among the moderators as a sort of tribunal, the power and ultimate say in the matter lies with the admin.
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