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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: turbocharged on Mon, 06 December 2010, 18:25:26

Title: This is why you remove the blood spatter guard from the TG3 BL82
Post by: turbocharged on Mon, 06 December 2010, 18:25:26
I got my BL82 in today and it's really neat...I love the back lighting on it, but damn does it take a lot of force to actuate a key. The rubber dome style "blood spatter" protector adds a tactile feel to the MX Black switches and a lot of force. Just to see how much force, I went to the nickel measurement system. I know it is not a perfect form of measurement, but for comparison sake it works.

I previously tested my Cherry MX-11900 with MX Black's and it took 13 nickels to actuate the switch and 17 to bottom it out (roughly 65g and 85g respectively). Well here is a picture of what it took to actuate and bottom out the TG3 with the blood spatter guard installed. (Note: Actuation and bottom out seems to be the same force because it doesn't actuate until the rubber dome gets over powered which is already above the force to bottom out a MX Black).

25 Nickels (125g) on what is probably a never used Pause/Break key and no actuation. I needed more nickels.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13845&stc=1&d=1291681424)

Finally...30 nickels (150g) and I get actuation. Now for a key that is probably well used.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13846&stc=1&d=1291681436)

The probably well used key (this was a used po-po board), the arrow key. It took 26 nickels (130g) to actuate. Needless to say...I will be removing the blood spatter guard later tonight with more pictures of everything torn apart.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13847&stc=1&d=1291681445)
Title: This is why you remove the blood spatter guard from the TG3 BL82
Post by: Mr. Perfect on Mon, 06 December 2010, 22:02:26
Blood spatter guard? Why in the world does it have a blood spatter guard? :twitch: Is it a medical keyboard that's really designed with a shield for medical waste, or are you just calling it that?
Title: This is why you remove the blood spatter guard from the TG3 BL82
Post by: RickyJ on Mon, 06 December 2010, 22:07:09
Keyboards built for use in police cars.  May as well be a coffee spill guard.
Title: This is why you remove the blood spatter guard from the TG3 BL82
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 06 December 2010, 22:26:30
My TG3 BL82 (newer vintage) has a thin saran wrap blood spatter guard. This adds nearly nothing to the force required to use the Cherry blacks.

My TG3 BLT (Trackpad) has a thick rubber blood spatter guard that required well more than 2x the force of a naked Cherry black. Your nickel numbers jive with my intuition/experience. Sounds like you have this kind of guard.
Title: This is why you remove the blood spatter guard from the TG3 BL82
Post by: turbocharged on Mon, 06 December 2010, 23:47:11
Quote from: ricercar;258441
My TG3 BL82 (newer vintage) has a thin saran wrap blood spatter guard. This adds nearly nothing to the force required to use the Cherry blacks.

My TG3 BLT (Trackpad) has a thick rubber blood spatter guard that required well more than 2x the force of a naked Cherry black. Your nickel numbers jive with my intuition/experience. Sounds like you have this kind of guard.


Yes, I took it apart earlier..it is the thick rubber membrane style guard. Typing is smooth and easy now with the m'fin stock mx blacks.
Title: This is why you remove the blood spatter guard from the TG3 BL82
Post by: chimera15 on Mon, 06 December 2010, 23:55:11
Quote from: Mr. Perfect;258423
Blood spatter guard? Why in the world does it have a blood spatter guard? :twitch: Is it a medical keyboard that's really designed with a shield for medical waste, or are you just calling it that?


No, donut crumb guard.
Title: This is why you remove the blood spatter guard from the TG3 BL82
Post by: ricercar on Tue, 07 December 2010, 01:14:48
Quote from: turbocharged;258463
Yes, I took it apart earlier..it is the thick rubber membrane style guard. Typing is smooth and easy now with the m'fin stock mx blacks.


I'll take the spatter guard if you don't plan on keeping it.
Title: This is why you remove the blood spatter guard from the TG3 BL82
Post by: turbocharged on Tue, 07 December 2010, 09:13:43
Quote from: ricercar;258498
I'll take the spatter guard if you don't plan on keeping it.


I probably want to keep it, but I will think about it.