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Switch Longevity Comparison

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zegonix:
Thanks for the replies.
I exclusively use hotswap PCB's for the flexibility and because I'm lazy. You mentioned mechanical stress during manipulation as a big factor in switch longevity which seems very plausible to me.  Interestingly enough, the switches who failed where installed just once or twice, others I used and moved more. Could be actual difference in quality or coincidence of course.

Leslieann:

--- Quote from: zegonix on Wed, 21 February 2024, 13:32:15 ---Thanks for the replies.
I exclusively use hotswap PCB's for the flexibility and because I'm lazy. You mentioned mechanical stress during manipulation as a big factor in switch longevity which seems very plausible to me.  Interestingly enough, the switches who failed where installed just once or twice, others I used and moved more. Could be actual difference in quality or coincidence of course.

--- End quote ---
Those that failed may have had bent pins originally or just pushed in further during install, or something else, hard to say.

It's important to remember, hot swap is a hack, these switch tabs were never meant to be used as pins for swapping, therefore they lack the necessary strength (and/or rigidty) for insertion, let alone multiple insertions. Then you have any movement/vibration which can just make it worse as time goes on. I'm not trying to make hot swap sound like garbage, just trying to explain the realities of it, for all the bad, the good side is when one does fail it's easily replaced so...

Mandan:

--- Quote from: zegonix on Sun, 04 February 2024, 11:44:48 ---I'm quite new to the custom keyboard hobby and have only just two years of experience. Lately I noticed misses and bouncing on several switches I used for about half a year.

--- End quote ---

I'm typing this on an IBM Model F keyboard made in 1984.  I have written several books and magazine articles with it, and my outgoing email runs about a megabyte each month.

I had to buy a DIN-to-USB adapter for it when DIN ports went away, but the keyboard still works just like it always did.

The IBM Model Ms use a plastic key-plate and plastic rivets that sometimes have to be serviced, but it's not unusual for them to go over 20 years without needing service.  Unicomp makes them now.  Modelfkeyboards.com sells some Model F variants

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