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Kinesis Advantage Contoured and replacing brown with blue Cherry MX

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yetanothergeek:
Hi,

I have a Kinesis Advantage Contoured Keyboard and I'd like to change the brown Cherrys to the blue ones to get back the feeling of my old Cherry G80-3000.

However, it's very hard to get to the switches for the two main keyfields. The thumb-keys are very easy, because they are not frame-mounted and I've replaced these. The other ones however are frame-mounted so you cannot easily access them.

I've made some pictures so you can get an idea of how it looks:
https://twice-irc.de/misc/Kinesis_Clicky/

Has anybody of you ever managed to change the switches? If yes, how?

Best regards

itlnstln:
There are several keyboards that use similar mounting of the switches.  AFAIK, you can't change these out without desoldering each switch or otherwise damaging the 'board itself.

lowpoly:
Someone here lately tried to pull the top of a frame mounted MX switch and broke all the clips.

De-soldering should be the way to go.

sandy55:

--- Quote from: yetanothergeek;18695 ---The other ones however are frame-mounted so you cannot easily access them.
--- End quote ---

You can not access them.  If you go further to try remove upper housing, you will break switches.



--- Quote from: yetanothergeek;18695 ---anybody of you ever managed to change the switches? If yes, how?
--- End quote ---
Did it on several boards but not on Kenesis Contoured.
Method; De-solder switches then solder replacements.
Yours is with LEDs, and ( through your pictures I can see ) most of leads were bent before soldering.  It will be rather tough and hard to straighten/de-solder those pins so that you can remove key modules. (I broke three LEDs when I did it on TG3 BL3 because I'm not so good at soldering.)  Another problem is material of curved PCB. I'm not sure if it is tough enough for de-soldering and soldering.  Overheating may cause fatal damages on copper traces and lands and PCB itself.
It seem to me that replacing MX key modeules on Contoured is very dangerouse adventure.

lal:

--- Quote from: lowpoly;18715 ---Someone here lately tried to pull the top of a frame mounted MX switch and broke all the clips.
--- End quote ---


That was me.


--- Quote ---De-soldering should be the way to go.
--- End quote ---


Agreed!

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