A little bit click-baity title, but I needed attention. Has anyone noticed this?? I basically can't use 4 keyboards after noticing
So, upside down switches are often used in per key backlit boards to place LEDs at the top to best illuminate legends.
But did you know that R3 GMK keycaps (the row with caps lock, a, s, d, etc...) make incorrect contact on these switches and don't allow the key to properly bottom out!?
Yep, that's right.
Row 3 cherry profile (GMK) keycaps DO NOT FIT PROPERLY on Cherry MX switches (and possible all clones) when the switches are rotated for North LED placement (logo upside down)! AND NO, IT'S NOT THE LEDI bought a Cooler Master TKL (Rapid-i) with MX blues on the cheap. I planned to change out the switches put it in a CNC aluminum case. I received the board today and started putting my GMK Dolch set on it to see how nice they will look and feel.
I had this Dolch set on another Cooler Master board with MX brown switches. I was transferring the caps from the brown MX board to the new blue MX board. I started with the left modifier column and noticed that the caps lock key didn't sound right when it bottomed out. I wasn't getting the clack as on the other switches. Hmm...that's weird. I swapped the OEM caps back on it, seems fine. I put the caps lock cap back on the old keyboard and it sounded fine there too. Well, probably a weird keycap or switch, right? So I try the "A" key. Same result. "S" key. Same. OMG... IT'S THE WHOLE ROW!
I found it strange that it wasn't happening on one board but it was on the other. What was the difference??
The difference was the new board had rotated switches for backlighting, so that the LEDs faced North. I thought, "Oh, I know exactly what this is... the led is hitting the keycap. Silly OEM manufacturer using 3mm leds instead of 1.8." I knew this was an issue because I had experienced it when adding LEDs to keyboards in the past. So, I promptly desoldered the LED and tried it again. WHAT??!!! It still didn't clack!
I quickly got paranoid about my other boards. I grabbed my S60-x and went to R3. All clacky. hmm... but wait, that board has South facing LEDs. I grabbed a pok3r. OMG, they're muted. I grabbed a Masterkeys Pro... R3... all muted. What about my Filco? clack. Guess what? South facing LED holes.
So, I have confirmed with 4 keyboards I have (all with Cherry MX switches and GMK keycaps), that R3 keys are not fully compatible. Yeah, they work, but not like they're supposed to. It's like learning what stabilizers SHOULD feel like and never being able to go back to the old mushy/rattly ones.
I have to experiment more with some Gateron switches and see if I get the same result. I tried really quick before I left and I
think it wasn't an issue with the Gateron black switches I had. But, I'll have to get a few on the board side by side to see for sure.
Also, I tried the R3 caps upside down and they clack properly.
Tonight I will try more Gateron switches and also some EnjoyPBT cherry profile to see if it's limited to GMK.
**** guys. I'm really mad I discovered this.