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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: _rubik on Tue, 17 August 2021, 12:30:49
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It's been a year or so since I've gone switch shopping, and there are new options every time I look.
In the past I've used: holy trash pandas, v1 zealios and a smattering of other ~meh~ switches.
I'm looking for something ~67g with a rounder tactility.
I've thought about v2 zealios, but I've heard those a have fairly sharp tactile bump up top.
I've thought about tangerines, but their return sound is a bit... lacking.
And then there are all the durock options -- I have no idea!
What should I look at? Preferrably something that is in-stock or plans to be in-stock in the coming months.
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An interesting switch might be sp star meteor oranges, it’s a pretty light tactile and is in stock on paramountkeeb I think. They give a good clack
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SP Star Meteror Orange is basically an MX Brown.
It would have been helpful if you would have mentioned what tactile switches you chose.. or what are you looking for, terms like round and sharp are so relative it’s barely helpful.
I’d recommend trying the Tecsee tactile (aka Purple Pandas), goes for $25 on AE.
Holy Panda style switch with pretty light that almost feels round rather than a snappy small bump.
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SP Star Meteror Orange is basically an MX Brown.
It would have been helpful if you would have mentioned what tactile switches you chose.. or what are you looking for, terms like round and sharp are so relative it’s barely helpful.
I’d recommend trying the Tecsee tactile (aka Purple Pandas), goes for $25 on AE.
Holy Panda style switch with pretty light that almost feels round rather than a snappy small bump.
You're right that terms like "round" and "sharp" are relative, but even the switches you recommended are described as having a "large, round bump" on 1up.
What descriptors would be more helpful? I could maybe provide a force curve for switches I like?
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I've thought about v2 zealios, but I've heard those a have fairly sharp tactile bump up top.
The bump roundness changes depending on the spring. A 67g is really rounded compared to a 62g.
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I'm looking for something ~67g with a rounder tactility.
This should be relatively easy.
Isn't the Durock T1 basically the definition of a 67 G Zealio V2 with rounder tactility? Same with the Holy Panda and variants, although a minority says it is sharper than Zealio V2.
Those are your top two candidates.
Then there's the new U4T Boba. It's meant to be rounder than Zealio V2, it uses a 'D' shaped bump that takes up most of the stroke. So I wouldn't call it sharp.
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There's variants:
Holy Boba
-I find that a 68 G Spirit Progressive spring makes for a nice Holy Panda / Holy Boba. Put a Halo or Polia stem in a Boba housing, 68P spring, lube stem with 3204 [not the legs] and you should get a gentle, progressive and fairly rounded Holy Boba.
A 63.5 G spring will give you a snappier, more Ergo-Clear-like tactility.
T1
-You can put MX Clear stems, or even MX Brown stems in a T1 housing to get a snappier, sharper, but still somewhat-rounded Ergo Clear type switch at 65-67 G.
-There's an official derivative of the T1 switch called the Midnight switch, which is a Durock Medium Tactile (RARA) stem in a T1 housing. From factory. Weight is 67 G.
It's less-tactile than the T1 or Zealio V2 but still very snappy, maybe a little less-rounded than it could be because of the poppiness.
U4T
U4T tactility should decrease a little at higher spring weights like 67-68 but still have heft behind it. You can lube the stem a little and contact surfaces if it is too sharp initially - it's possible to make it a little more rounded via lube.
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Alternatives
There's a kind of 'lesser Panda' switch called the AKKO CS Ocean Blue that is a fairly rounded tactility, if memory serves. It's lighter than the 67 G weight, I think, although I could be wrong. I remember it being non-sharp in feel. Very cheap from AKKO store.
[I think there's a purple variant that may be a bit heavier.]
The stock Kailh Polia switch uses a Halo stem probably around 63-65 G, people describe it as a gentle medium tactile.
Don't get SP Star Meteor for your purposes - it's a refined MX Brown. But the above switches are closer to what you want.
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I'm looking for something ~67g with a rounder tactility.
This should be relatively easy.
Isn't the Durock T1 basically the definition of a 67 G Zealio V2 with rounder tactility? Same with the Holy Panda and variants, although a minority says it is sharper than Zealio V2.
Those are your top two candidates.
Then there's the new U4T Boba. It's meant to be rounder than Zealio V2, it uses a 'D' shaped bump that takes up most of the stroke. So I wouldn't call it sharp.
-----------
There's variants:
Holy Boba
-I find that a 68 G Spirit Progressive spring makes for a nice Holy Panda / Holy Boba. Put a Halo or Polia stem in a Boba housing, 68P spring, lube stem with 3204 [not the legs] and you should get a gentle, progressive and fairly rounded Holy Boba.
A 63.5 G spring will give you a snappier, more Ergo-Clear-like tactility.
T1
-You can put MX Clear stems, or even MX Brown stems in a T1 housing to get a snappier, sharper, but still somewhat-rounded Ergo Clear type switch at 65-67 G.
-There's an official derivative of the T1 switch called the Midnight switch, which is a Durock Medium Tactile (RARA) stem in a T1 housing. From factory. Weight is 67 G.
It's less-tactile than the T1 or Zealio V2 but still very snappy, maybe a little less-rounded than it could be because of the poppiness.
U4T
U4T tactility should decrease a little at higher spring weights like 67-68 but still have heft behind it. You can lube the stem a little and contact surfaces if it is too sharp initially - it's possible to make it a little more rounded via lube.
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Alternatives
There's a kind of 'lesser Panda' switch called the AKKO CS Ocean Blue that is a fairly rounded tactility, if memory serves. It's lighter than the 67 G weight, I think, although I could be wrong. I remember it being non-sharp in feel. Very cheap from AKKO store.
[I think there's a purple variant that may be a bit heavier.]
The stock Kailh Polia switch uses a Halo stem probably around 63-65 G, people describe it as a gentle medium tactile.
Don't get SP Star Meteor for your purposes - it's a refined MX Brown. But the above switches are closer to what you want.
Thanks for a pretty thoughtful response! After doing some research myself, I've narrowed the list down to T1 and U4T. I might get a handful of each for testing.
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Glad it could help. In your case, you might also want to consider the U4 Boba [silent Boba], as I found it to be more rounded than the comparable Zilent.
The T1 housing is incredibly versatile for modding, and I have used the following more rounded stems in it: MX Clear, MX Brown, and Aliaz. I also put Gateron Orange in one, but that just made it snappier.