BKE Spring Noise and Inconsistency

[Slusho64]

I just got BKE light domes and put them in my keyboard. Every key has spring noise no matter how well aligned and if I push the springs into the domes before or just lay them in. I've read others on here saying the same thing. Does anyone not experience this or is it unavoidable due to the difference of how the BKE dome pushes on them? I don't hear this with the stock domes.

Also, my sample pack had 6 domes and several of them are way less tactile and lighter. It seems that BKE Redux are very inconsistent.

[chyros]

Strange, I haven't had any issues - what board are you using them in?

[Slusho64]

Strange, I haven't had any issues - what board are you using them in?

Novatouch. But even just putting a topre done side by side with a blessed dome with springs underneath, the topre is silent and the bke makes a bunch of noise from the spring.

[vegs]

If you're talking about springs "creaking", I have the same issue on some of the keys on my HHKB. It seems to be very random, and I haven't found any good fix for this. I remember someone talking about lubing the springs with dry lube, but I haven't tried that myself. I would be careful lubing the springs regardless as it can mess up the capacitance.

Not sure about the BKE inconsistency, but I've heard some say the domes need time to break in.

[audax989]

I too notice this. I think the creaking noise is made due to that hole in the bke dome. I don't want to mess with the springs so will just swap them back to stock domes.

[Sup]

Hmm i didn't notice anything weird. But i did have the first batch of BKE domes. so maybe the batch you got has something wrong.

[Slusho64]

Here's a video of it: https://streamable.com/4mei1

I moved the middle one up and down in the middle a lot to make it really obvious.

And here's someone describing it too: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=89611.msg2579717#msg2579717

I did end up taking the domes out tho because of a major flaw in the domes shape. Bke domes crest at a lower point. Stock domes are more round. Stock domes compress springs by pressings on the very top of the spring with the underside of the apex of the dome. Bke domes due to the shape press on the side of the springs about 25% of the way down with the side of the dome. This leads to spring binding and grinding and an impossible to remove noise that drove me crazy. What's the point of trying to silence a board if every switch press grinds worse than the last?

I reset the domes 3 times.  I played with domes and springs externally on my desk as well for a long time.  Under no circumstance was I able to eliminate spring noise to my liking.  As soon as I went back to stock domes the sound was 100% gone.

And another person further down:

Finally someone confirms it's not just me. I really liked your detailed explanation on why this is happening. I also use BKE domes (both light and heavy), but only of a limit number of keys (about 8 ). Literally all of them produce noise, which is a shame, but feel-wise they are really nice. Reseating is not the solution - I tried that a few times. Also I can hear the spring having too much space, thus producing additional noise. I guess I have no other option but to remove them and forget about them

As for the inconsistency, it's definitely not a matter of breaking in. Some of the domes are totally different, feeling way mushier, more like the original domes, and it's obvious they'll never become snappy.

[8Bitterness]

I had this happen on the spacebar of a Realforce Hipro once. I opened it up, swapped the spring and it kept happening where I relocated the noisy spring. Eventually it stopped making that noise though after I just hit the key real hard to see if it would do anything.

That sound really drove me nuts especially when it was on the spacebar.

[Olumin]

Hmm..

wanted to do the same thing with a Novatouch...

Have to overthink that now...

[Delmondo]

i've actually had this problem while installing my ultra lights as well. there an audible and tactile "crunch" that i thought was a result of a spring being loose. after around 10 different re-seatings or so, i could not feel or hear this on any more of the keys. i wish i could give more insight, but i have no clue what caused it and what fixed it other than some half-educated guesses (the domes and springs were slightly misaligned?).

[Slusho64]

i've actually had this problem while installing my ultra lights as well. there an audible and tactile "crunch" that i thought was a result of a spring being loose. after around 10 different re-seatings or so, i could not feel or hear this on any more of the keys. i wish i could give more insight, but i have no clue what caused it and what fixed it other than some half-educated guesses (the domes and springs were slightly misaligned?).

I tried several more times, pushing the springs in, leaving them loose, etc, and I could not get it to go away. Right when I release a key, I hear the spring. I'm giving up and selling my Novatouch.