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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: bigDave on Mon, 07 August 2017, 15:50:11
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I have used MX Blues for a year or so and Gateron Blacks for the last year and a half and I'm looking for a change of pace.
I like weight of MX Blues a lot more and the bump as well, so I am looking for a tactile (and maybe clicky) switch.
Taking suggestions and I don't mind taking the time to lube, sticker or swap springs for a new and fresh typing experience. I'm currently using a 60% board I built with a plastic case (worth upgrading to aluminium?) so will be swapping out the switches.
My current thinking is MX Clears with slightly lighter springs or Gateron Blues because Gaterons are smoother than their mx variant but I am completely open to suggestions.
Thanks
Dave :thumb:
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Alps? Hoow about white, orange, or blue(if you have $$)
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Alps? Hoow about white, orange, or blue(if you have $$)
Yeah seems like a good idea, could always attempt to salvage some. It would require a change of pcb however or me to handwire my board.
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Why not? Good way to get into the custom buisness of things. The intrrnet shall guide you on your adventure
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Alps64 is a great PCB. Slots right into Poker cases too.
Oranges are my vote- readily available, and just so good. They weren't hit by the Blue Alps fever.
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If you have spare cash for switches I would recommend combos
I'll be listing combos and stock switches from most tactile to least tactile. If not indicated, I'm not swapping springs
1. Halo stem in Panda Housing
2. Clear Stem in Panda Housing
3. Zealio Stem in Panda Housing <------- IMO more tactile than SKCM Orange
4. Mod-M Stem in Panda Housing
5. Clear Stem in Mod-M Housing
6. Mod M
7. Zealio 62g
8. Cherry MX Clear
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If you have spare cash for switches I would recommend combos
I'll be listing combos and stock switches from most tactile to least tactile. If not indicated, I'm not swapping springs
1. Halo stem in Panda Housing
2. Clear Stem in Panda Housing
3. Zealio Stem in Panda Housing <------- IMO more tactile than SKCM Orange
4. Mod-M Stem in Panda Housing
5. Clear Stem in Mod-M Housing
6. Mod M
7. Zealio 62g
8. Cherry MX Clear
Thanks for all the suggestions, let the research commence. :thumb:
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Try something non-MX. The horizon is far broader than Cherries and their ilk.
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Try something non-MX. The horizon is far broader than Cherries and their ilk.
What do you recommend for someone whos afraid of new things
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Try something non-MX. The horizon is far broader than Cherries and their ilk.
Sourcing them is the problem for me and I don't have tons of cash lying around. There is a recycling centre round the corner might go check it out.
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I'm really loving 67g zealios. Haven't tried the Zealio stems in Panda housing but it sounds great from what I've heard. Then there's the Halo True coming out at some point which seems interesting but that might be a long wait.
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how about the Kailh Box Switches?
Due to the IP56 water resistant construction of the switches, Kailh Box switches are compatible with SMD LEDs only. They are not compatible with regular through-hole LEDs
The 4 new Kailh BOX Switches colors are: White /Red/ Brown/ Black
I have used MX Blues for a year or so and Gateron Blacks for the last year and a half and I'm looking for a change of pace.
I like weight of MX Blues a lot more and the bump as well, so I am looking for a tactile (and maybe clicky) switch.
Taking suggestions and I don't mind taking the time to lube, sticker or swap springs for a new and fresh typing experience. I'm currently using a 60% board I built with a plastic case (worth upgrading to aluminium?) so will be swapping out the switches.
My current thinking is MX Clears with slightly lighter springs or Gateron Blues because Gaterons are smoother than their mx variant but I am completely open to suggestions.
Thanks
Dave :thumb:
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MX White.
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wow, Kailh is pretty aggressive.. hahahaha
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Try something non-MX. The horizon is far broader than Cherries and their ilk.
What do you recommend for someone whos afraid of new things
Go to someone in the US with a ****ton of real keyboards and try them out :p .
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Want different, try the super clicky Kailh Speed Switch Golds, the one with the click bar. Closest thing to it is hand modded vintage Cherry Jailhouse Blues, but with more noise.
Or order up some switch packs from Mehkee and see what feels good.
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Be a real man—er, I mean, person—and go with buckling springs.
Cherrys and Alps and such are okay, but their springs don't reach catastrophic buckling points (https://deskthority.net/wiki/IBM_buckling_spring) to actuate. That's right: When you type on BSs, you're actually generating characters by creating a series of catastrophes. If you have even a bit of daring and adventure in you, you should find this appealing and hear your keeb fate calling you.
Don't just push a bunch of sliders. Type catastrophically.
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No, use Beam Spring. You are pushing with so much force it makes the contact plate levitiate of the bottom of the board! Ok, really who uses beam spring for gaming? Get a model F AT and have a ball.
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Want different, try the super clicky Kailh Speed Switch Golds, the one with the click bar. Closest thing to it is hand modded vintage Cherry Jailhouse Blues, but with more noise.
Or order up some switch packs from Mehkee and see what feels good.
Kailh gold switches don't use a click bar.
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Have you checked out Outemu blue switches? I have a CyberpowerPC keygoard that came with them. There was too much clacking until I put some WASD blue O-rings on them, but that tamed it down, made it a lot more pleasant. The switches are clicky and a little pingy, but it's a dainty, musical ping that I kind of like. It's not my absolute favorite keyboard, but it's good value-for-money and one I'd be perfectly OK with using as my daily driver.
Also, the new Matias clicky switches are quite good. I suspect they'll become popular as word gets around.
And BTW, I picked up a 30 year old IBM XT keyboard off fleaBay, and the converter. The feel and sound is fantastic, but the weirdo layout gave me fits at first.
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Have you checked out Outemu blue switches? I have a CyberpowerPC keygoard that came with them. There was too much clacking until I put some WASD blue O-rings on them, but that tamed it down, made it a lot more pleasant. The switches are clicky and a little pingy, but it's a dainty, musical ping that I kind of like. It's not my absolute favorite keyboard, but it's good value-for-money and one I'd be perfectly OK with using as my daily driver.
Also, the new Matias clicky switches are quite good. I suspect they'll become popular as word gets around.
And BTW, I picked up a 30 year old IBM XT keyboard off fleaBay, and the converter. The feel and sound is fantastic, but the weirdo layout gave me fits at first.
Outemu switches are freaking awesome.
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Want different, try the super clicky Kailh Speed Switch Golds, the one with the click bar. Closest thing to it is hand modded vintage Cherry Jailhouse Blues, but with more noise.
Or order up some switch packs from Mehkee and see what feels good.
Kailh gold switches don't use a click bar.
Oops, I should have said bronze, regardless, I specified the bar because ordering gold is like playing roulette, you may get bronze, gold or something else entirely as companies seem to be calling them whatever they want. It also doesn't help that the colors don't match the name and there actually is two different gold. I like the switch, but they really need to get ahold of the color/naming scheme they are using.
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Topre?
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If you have spare cash for switches I would recommend combos
I'll be listing combos and stock switches from most tactile to least tactile. If not indicated, I'm not swapping springs
1. Halo stem in Panda Housing
2. Clear Stem in Panda Housing
3. Zealio Stem in Panda Housing <------- IMO more tactile than SKCM Orange
4. Mod-M Stem in Panda Housing
5. Clear Stem in Mod-M Housing
6. Mod M
7. Zealio 62g
8. Cherry MX Clear
I made four custom Bsun's w/Zealio stems using the Zeal 62g, 65g, 67g and 78g springs. To me, the 65g zeal spring feels the most tactile of the lot and seems to have the best interaction with the panda housing. I won't know for sure until I build a whole board and do a proper type test.
Do you recommend lubing the spring and rails. The Bsun/Zeal stem combo seems to have less ping and wobble vs stock Zealios.
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If you have spare cash for switches I would recommend combos
I'll be listing combos and stock switches from most tactile to least tactile. If not indicated, I'm not swapping springs
1. Halo stem in Panda Housing
2. Clear Stem in Panda Housing
3. Zealio Stem in Panda Housing <------- IMO more tactile than SKCM Orange
4. Mod-M Stem in Panda Housing
5. Clear Stem in Mod-M Housing
6. Mod M
7. Zealio 62g
8. Cherry MX Clear
I made four custom Bsun's w/Zealio stems using the Zeal 62g, 65g, 67g and 78g springs. To me, the 65g zeal spring feels the most tactile of the lot and seems to have the best interaction with the panda housing. I won't know for sure until I build a whole board and do a proper type test.
Do you recommend lubing the spring and rails. The Bsun/Zeal stem combo seems to have less ping and wobble vs stock Zealios.
I only ever lube my stabilizers so I might not be the best person to answer that. I'm glad someone else is doing Panda + Stems from other MX switch experimentation!
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I was messing around and put some tactile grey stems in a kailh pro purple housing with the stock spring and they're ever so slightly more tactile than an mx clear stem in a bsun housing with a 67g spring. It's the best tactile MX switch I've tried. Honestly kind of irked because I just got in a 65 pack of BSUN browns hoping to make grey sun switches but now I'm really considering selling off my bsuns to make these ergo kailhs. Seriously, try these things.
edit - after more time playing with the switch, I've come to the conclusion that they're actually a little LESS tactile than the ergo panda/suns. however it's still a nice option when you consider how cheap kailh pros are.
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edit - after more time playing with the switch, I've come to the conclusion that they're actually a little LESS tactile than the ergo panda/suns. however it's still a nice option when you consider how cheap kailh pros are.
I just ordered 120 BSUNs so that's very comforting to hear. My current plan is to use some of them on a Planck with spare Clear stems, recently harvested from a dead Vortex Core, then use the rest with Zeal Zilent stems when they arrive.
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I'd build a board with the SMK switches that you can get in MX mount these days. Plenty of tactility and equal amount of click. I'm currently typing on my Monterey keyboard and it's delightful!
Especially after using white Alps for some time, these feel sooo light (Don't get me wrong, I currently like the Alps feel and sound more, it's just that I'm in the process of cleaning the switches)
edit: oh, I realised this thread is kind of old now, so OP must have made up his mind already
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I've been trying to decide what switch to use for my next build, and waffling between BOX Pale Blue versus Kailh Pro Sage (70g). I've already used the BOX Pale Blues in a build and know that I like them very much. I have some of the Sage switches here in a tester, but never tried them in a built keyboard yet. They're a more conventional switch with a loud click on the downstroke but none on the release. There's not much talk about the Pro switches, not sure why. The ones I've tested (both Sage and Plum) seemed quite good to me.
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If you like blues then you might like Hi-Tek blacks that are normally found on NMB keyboards. They can be a bit scratchier but they have they have one of the best clicks IMO.
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buckling springs or Matias :thumb:
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edit: oh, I realised this thread is kind of old now, so OP must have made up his mind already
No he hasn't. Haven't really been following keyboards much recently tbh. Currently looking Kailh Pro Tactile Switches.
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Well since we're all necro'ing this tread... I'd like to know where the "readily available" orange Alps switches are. I guess something changed completely between August of 2017 and today?
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Well since we're all necro'ing this tread... I'd like to know where the "readily available" orange Alps switches are. I guess something changed completely between August of 2017 and today?
some of the vint. black guys also had a stock of oranges, but i think they're out of the game
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Are oranges Click?
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_ You should try Topre, it's another side of the world full of Cherry variants lol
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Are oranges Click?
They're not clicky but they are tactile. But being Alps they are still loud.