Thanks for the feedback Kenshiro70. I have also shared it on the Deskthority project thread. I have not found the need to use a spudger with keycap removal; instead I prefer a very gentle rocking motion with a wire key cap puller.
Deskthority and reddit contributor HV_Medic has posted a thorough review of the Round 1 beam spring keyboard. My reply to the feedback is copied below.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/12vp1ys/another_new_beam_spring_keyboard_possible_end/My comments:
Thanks HV_Medic for your well-informed and thorough review. Project coordinator here. Kindly see my replies below:
"Replacing this key [spacebar] is kind of obnoxious because you have to trim a module to accommodate the stabilizer."
I recommend just replacing the white part (beam barrel part B) so you don't have to use a dremel to trim one of the spare modules. I have used various tools to separate the washer from the module including pliers and a hammer (supported by pliers underneath the washer so as not to break the module). The Round 2 modules, recently produced Round 1 modules with updated tooling, and virtually all Round 1 boards shipped from this week onwards use an improved, friction fit washer so no glue or paper clips are required to take apart or reseat a module.
"The beam spring modules are very loud"--> this is correct. The round 2 boards have an improved design to add more foam and a new inner assembly instead of the case acting as the top and bottom plates. In my testing the Round 2 boards are slightly quieter and have less ringing due to the sound absorption.
"The alignment of many of the keys is not perfect, there are noticeable gaps between some of the keys, and some keys are rotated compared to others, it is not a big deal, but aesthetically the keyboard is not perfect." This is correct. I see this with the original IBM beam spring modules too. The problem is a bit more noticeable with the repros in my opinion because of adapting the MX keycaps to the old beam spring design. The gaps between keys are a bit larger due to the width of the beam spring modules compared to the smaller footprint of MX switch modules, so gaps are more visible. I have also noticed rotation on keys for both Model F keyboards and beam spring keyboards because everything has looser tolerances. When the tolerances of the two beam spring plastic parts are too tight, the module is more likely to get stuck (this is another improvement for Round 2 and for the first aid kit modules of Round 1 that were shipped starting in the past week or so - the module tolerances have improved so they are not too tight). A very slight twisting of the keycaps in the opposite rotational direction may make the rotation less obvious, though this would need to be done at your own risk as it could snap the part B.
Regarding stabilizers, I found the stabilizers to negatively affect the performance of the non-spacebar keys so I recommended no stabilizers be installed or used. Some folks do prefer stabilized keys; Deskthority contributor darkcruix has suggested a mod that involves using costar style stabilizers for the other keys requiring stabilization and this seems like a good idea that may be preferable to many folks. The challenge is that the stabilizers are about 1mm lower than they should be for the Round 1 design because of the height of the MX plate being lower than the height of the beam spring plate. The round 2 design adds padding below the modules and above the inner assembly, in effect raising the plane of the plate mounted MX stabilizers, so installing the stabilizers may be less tricky with Round 2.
Regarding USB-C, some common feedback I received was to have the ability for folks to rotate usage among various mechanical keyboards in their collection quickly, by being able to use the same USB-C cable for multiple boards instead of dealing with various cables. I do agree with the suggestion of USB-B though and think it is a sturdy connection that would be good for keyboards since folks can trip over the cord. I will note also that the Round 2 boards, like all the classic style Model F keyboards, have USB cables internally stabilized by a metal P clip for strain relief. The compact style boards of both Model F and beam spring keyboards do not have such strain relief.
Regarding lock light wiring, the Round 2 boards of both the Model F and beam springs have the LEDs powered through traces on the same capacitive PCB, instead of separate wires. In the initial design, the worry was about the LED power signal interfering with the capacitive sensing so the wires were made separate, but this turned out to not be an issue during the Round 2 prototyping with traces.
Regarding modules being relatively fragile compared to Model F components, this is correct for the most part, though I have found F springs quite easy to damage by mistake while cleaning or adjusting them. The original beam spring modules were also relatively fragile. When I ordered two original IBM beam spring keyboards many years back, a number of the modules were damaged and I had to purchase spares from orihalcon to replace the damaged ones.
Glad you like the keycaps. It took over a year of searching to find this manufacturer. Many of the dozens of factories making components for the new Model F and Beam Spring projects do not advertise their products, not even on sites like Alibaba, so it is a matter of doing a lot of research and working with existing suppliers to find these additional potential suppliers. More details on the Model F reproduction journey can be found in the Google NYC Tech Talk embedded in the blog on the project web site. Due to the high MOQ of 1000 sets I won't be offering any additional color schemes besides the two already offered.
Regarding repairing the broken modules, I recommend saving all of the parts except for the broken part B because they can be reused. In my experience most of the Round 1 QC failures are due to improperly assembled part B (white parts) and replacing the part B (with its thin rectangular metal part built in) almost always fixes any issue with the module. For now to keep things simple I only sell completed, tested modules but I have ordered thousands of part B extras in anticipation of these parts breaking in shipping. So far I have shipped nearly 100 beam spring keyboards over the past 5 weeks and I don't think more than a few boards have needed replacement module parts mailed due to more than 4 failing beyond repair. 4 modules were included with each keyboard as part of a free mini first aid kit with the anticipation that up to 4 modules would arrive damaged, either due to assembly/quality control errors from the factory or due to damage sustained in shipping.
HV_Medic please do keep everyone posted on the forums with the results of any mods and experiments you do. I'd imagine the broken part B's can be repaired with super glue but it's probably better in the long run to just replace the part B's.
