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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: DreamTwister on Tue, 26 May 2020, 23:13:48

Title: Newbie question on stabilizers
Post by: DreamTwister on Tue, 26 May 2020, 23:13:48
Thanks in advance for your input! Are stabilizers something I could add to most retail keyboards? Like say, a Ducky One 2, or a SteelSeries Apex Pro? I have a Glorious GMMK as well and I ordered some for an upcoming Drop CTRL. Should I get them for all keyboards I own?
Title: Re: Newbie question on stabilizers
Post by: ddrfraser1 on Tue, 26 May 2020, 23:18:49
Thanks in advance for your input! Are stabilizers something I could add to most retail keyboards? Like say, a Ducky One 2, or a SteelSeries Apex Pro? I have a Glorious GMMK as well and I ordered some for an upcoming Drop CTRL. Should I get them for all keyboards I own?

Those all come with stabs. To you mean aftermarket stabs?
Title: Re: Newbie question on stabilizers
Post by: Scragg on Wed, 27 May 2020, 00:49:44
for most retail boards I have taken apart, you aren't going to be modding any stabs unless you are bothered enough by whatever kind they have on them to desolder every single switch. I would honestly prefer spending the money to build a brand new board over taking the time to desolder every single switch on a retail board for any reason.
Title: Re: Newbie question on stabilizers
Post by: yui on Wed, 27 May 2020, 01:25:56
stabilizers are the parts that allows you to press large keys off center, if your keyboard does not have them the space, shift, enter, backspace and tab keys would be very difficult to use, pretty much all keyboards come with some type of stabilizers some will allow to upgrade to better ones that make less noises of are less scratchy, and if you buy parts to build a keyboard from scratch you will need to by them, but if you buy a keyboard premade you will have them already.
Title: Re: Newbie question on stabilizers
Post by: Leslieann on Wed, 27 May 2020, 02:36:21
for most retail boards I have taken apart, you aren't going to be modding any stabs unless you are bothered enough by whatever kind they have on them to desolder every single switch. I would honestly prefer spending the money to build a brand new board over taking the time to desolder every single switch on a retail board for any reason.
Plate mounted stabs can be removed without removing switches, quite a lot of boards use plate mounted stabilizers.


Even on PCB mounted stabs you can sometimes remove the spacebar stab with little to no desoldering and it's the one people are most likely to complain about. Not saying it's easy, but it can be done on some boards.
Title: Re: Newbie question on stabilizers
Post by: typo on Sun, 31 May 2020, 22:42:25
You can lube them. bandaid them ETC. Or upgrade them. I prefer OEM Cherry. Others like something else. If on a PCB you probably want screw in. Plate mounted I do not bother bandaid. Just Cherry with a lot of lube. If you have Costar or something then probably want to go Cherry IMO. YMMV.