geekhack
geekhack Community => New Members => Topic started by: bloodninja on Thu, 17 January 2013, 07:54:27
-
Hey everyone!
Well my story with mechanical keyboards begins back in the 80's and 90's when I really didn't appreciated them as I should have. Years went by and I was forced by my job to move to laptops so I was stuck with crappy keyboards, but now I have some spare time and I decided to build myself a gaming rig and with that came the mechanical keyboard - a CM Storm Quickfire Rapid with Cherry MX red switches.
Now, the problem is that the switches feel like nails on chalkboard (literally) to me. When I press them down slowly, keep them floating just above actuation or releasing them slowly they get scratchy like there is too much friction... literally the nails on chalkboard kind of feel, and it drives me mad. It's not really that bad, but everytime I try to type on it I get shivers.
So, is the normal behavior of the switches or is something really wrong with my keyboard (faulty batch of switches maybe)?
-
What type of cherry switch is it?
-
Welcome to Geekhack!
You didn't mention the type of Cherry MX switch on your QFR. Are they MX Blues, Browns, Reds, Blacks, Greens?
You can have all the switches lubed, which helps get rid of that "gritty" feel. Several members here do that service. A few that I can think of are TheProfosist, WhiteFireDragon, MMB, alaricljs, SmallFry. The fees for that service are pretty reasonable, considering the amount of labor that goes into desoldering all the switches, opening and lubing every switch, and soldering everything back.
-
They're reds.
Must have lost a word or two in the original post :)
I've been reading about greasing the switches, but I'm afraid I'm not that mechanically inclined to do it myself and I live in a forgotten corner of Europe, which makes it kinda difficult to ask someone else to do it for me...
Do blues or blacks feel the same or am I terribly unlucky? My heart is breaking thinking that otherwise I have to return it and get some rubber dome instead. :-[
-
Yup its mostly about preference in the keyboard world. I'll say it before anyone else does; Try Topre!
-
Welcome to Geekhack!
You didn't mention the type of Cherry MX switch on your QFR. Are they MX Blues, Browns, Reds, Blacks, Greens?
You can have all the switches lubed, which helps get rid of that "gritty" feel. Several members here do that service. A few that I can think of are TheProfosist, WhiteFireDragon, MMB, alaricljs, SmallFry. The fees for that service are pretty reasonable, considering the amount of labor that goes into desoldering all the switches, opening and lubing every switch, and soldering everything back.
I don't lube unless it's supplied. Lube is pricey...:(
-
Yup its mostly about preference in the keyboard world. I'll say it before anyone else does; Try Topre!
Well I trully love the MX reds - I was the single component of my PC that I trully got excited about it, I was even considering getting some custom key caps - but that scratch is ruining it.
Topres are something I can't find here and if you say the other colors will feel equally scratchy I think it's rubber domes...
Thank you everyone, even if this is the saddest day of 2013 so far for me :(
-
I would say that my QFR (blacks) did feel slightly "scratchy" at first but either I've got used to it or its gone away. Is sticking with the keyboard a month or so not possible?
-
The scratchiness does subside, but never goes away on modern switches. If you want smooth, linear Cherry switches, you need "vintage blacks". These are harvested from much older boards before Cherry changes the plastic used for the stem. Substitute the springs for the ones in your reds and you should end up with very smooth reds.
-
My mx browns don't feel scratchy at all, but they are somewhat "wobbly"
-
Welcome to Geekhack!
I can't really add anything to what everyone else has said, except to mention that the QFR is usually a very good keyboard, having one myself.
-
its because you forgot your robe and wizard hat
seriously what kind of rhino are you
-
I have to say that I do not much care for Reds. If you used mech boards in the past, I would think that you most likely had white alps or buckling springs.
Buckling springs boards are faithfully recreated by Unicomp, and I used it happily as my daily typing driver until we swapped out our KVM switch with one that seems to be incompatible. I'm now using a FK-2001. I used to regard white ALPS highly until I had to use this for hours a day every day. It feels stiff, scratchy and uncomfortable compared to a buckling springs board.
You may benefit from trying one of the "switch testers" as they're going around (or see if you can pay to get one sent to you and back, I think Hashbaz did the round that I got in on)
If you're trying to re-create your original mech experience, do just that. Get the same switch type, or a switch that would make a good analogue for it. Although white ALPS are less common and more expensive than buckling springs, you can still get new boards with them, but you can always get MX Blues which are not dissimilar.
I reccommend trying out Blacks and Clears as a good quiet analog for buckling springs. They have a similar force needed to press the switch, but are not tactile or clicky so you shouldn't feel any sort of "grinding" or have the noise associated with ALPS, MX Blues or BS boards.
Sorry to hear that you're not happy with your switches, but as some members said, there are courses you can look into to give a "smoother" experience (these are becoming mass-marketed units nowadays, so something may get lost in the transition from "enthusiast" to "gaming")
As somebody who uses blacks at home, and BS/ALPS at work, I can say there is a huge difference if you can distinguish between the switches, and, as some other users have said, nothing wrong with rubber domes if they're well made. (Ironically, I also use a Dell SK-8135 at work and really enjoy the RD feel on that one. Feels like a poor man's MX Black to me.)
EDIT: I did notice other users commenting about how the "grinding" is just inherent due to the plastic in the switch. I have to say I personally did not notice any sort of "grinding" on my MX Black board. I think it's mostly about how hard you're trying to notice it.
A lot of it, in my opinion is thinking "I just spent 10 times more on this than I would have on a basic RD keyboard" so you try to appreciate it and, in doing so, you find every little flaw that comes with any mass-produced product. As the "feeling" of getting your money's worth fades, so too does that flaw-finding. You get used to it or it stops becoming so apparent so long as it doesn't interfere with operation.
Just my two cents.
-
I have a bag full of vintage Cherry MX blacks. I forget if it's 101 or 104 or what. They were harvested from a Triad Hardgoods (Wyse) terminal board. Send me a PM if you're interested in them. I'm sure we can work something out.
That said, I've never noticed any scratchy feeling in a Cherry MX. I've used old browns, old and new clears, and I've played with those blacks a little. Never tried reds or blues.
-
My heart is breaking thinking that otherwise I have to return it and get some rubber dome instead. :-[
You should try Topre switches: what do you mean by "not available where you are"? It's 2013 and you can have (nearly) anything shipped (nearly) anywhere :))
I was a long time buckling spring user (nearly ten years) and I still do love and collect Model Ms but... My daily keyboard is a HHKB Pro 2 (they're using Topre switches) and they're nothing short of amazing.
To me they're worth every penny of their high price and in case you don't like you Topre board you could sell it back with losing too much money.
I mean: it would be sad to go back to rubber domes and not pick what is probably the best rubber domes switch ever made ; )
-
I can explain this sensation, it is common with un-broken-in switches. My 7G was like this (and still is on rarely used keys) HOWEVER, this is only temporary and the wasd cluster glides silently and completely smoothly without lubrication.
Just give it some time the contacts need to break in mate!
-
Ahhh.... You're using them wrong...
Nobody sits there and "hovers" their finger above and below the actuation point... they were "not" designed in any way for that, NO KEYBOARD was designed for that...
the only thing that matters is that they're smooth going down.. and that it's consistent from multiple angles..
If your modifier keys are scratchy, it is likely due to the switch having bad alignment with the plate,, just desolder, and straighten it..