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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: atomcracker on Mon, 23 December 2013, 20:59:38

Title: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: atomcracker on Mon, 23 December 2013, 20:59:38
Hey everyone,
I'm new around there parts and I appreciate all the help that you guys have given me here. With that being said, after trying cooler masters switch tester, I fell in love with the clears. As you may all know, the clears are rarer than blue steak.

So far I have done the following:

I called cooler master today to see if they might be announcing the availability at CES. Sales has no word or updates for that matter in regards to launching a clear keyboard. I saw a thread here that a CM representative started but nothing came of it. That was back in April.

I sent an email to Ducky, but I haven't heard back.

Corsair sales does not know about plans for clears.

The Code keyboard with clears will not be out for another year.

There is one on eBay but the last one that I tried to win went up to $500 USD.


That's about it.

I decided to make this thread to pool the updates of others as to stock for clears.

If CES comes and goes and there are no updates then I might just stick with Browns.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: Stevenator21 on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:02:52
If you are willing to take a board apart, you could always switch the browns to clears.
Also, you can look in the classifieds.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: fourzeropooh on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:03:38
either get leo f660m with clears or there are ducky pros with clears, also ugly deck legend

or u can mod your own board with clears from mk.com
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: SpAmRaY on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:11:26
The easy way to get clears is to buy a cherry G80-300 with clears and/or buy any PCB mount board and buy clear switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com and transplant them.

Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: 1pq on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:21:27
Quote from: fourzeropooh on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:03:38
either get leo f660m with clears or there are ducky pros with clears, also ugly deck legend

or u can mod your own board with clears from mk.com

+1 for the FC660M. I have the 660C, it's topre twin, and it's a great board with a great layout.
If you want TKL or are feeling adventurous, you should try modding your board to clears! Make sure to lube the for the best experience, though :D
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: MJ45 on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:36:49
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:11:26
The easy way to get clears is to buy a cherry G80-300 with clears and/or buy any PCB mount board and buy clear switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com and transplant them.
You can clip the PCB mount pins with a flush cutter for a Plate mount transplant.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: terran5992 on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:37:24
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:11:26
The easy way to get clears is to buy a cherry G80-300 with clears and/or buy any PCB mount board and buy clear switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com and transplant them.



Or from 7bit's group buy
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:49:44
Indeed the Cherry G80-3000LQCEU (US ANSI layout) or DE if you prefer, is the way to go if you want very easy to get complete keyboard for low price. They are usually around 55€ from Germany.
There are also Keycool models with clear switch, I'm not sure why people are often forgetting about them, they are good mid range mechanical too.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 25 December 2013, 10:11:53
Quote from: terran5992 on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:37:24
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Mon, 23 December 2013, 21:11:26
The easy way to get clears is to buy a cherry G80-300 with clears and/or buy any PCB mount board and buy clear switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com and transplant them.



Or from 7bit's group buy

7Bits are quite a bit higher.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 25 December 2013, 10:29:01
7bit is probably cheaper if non USA, once account for shipping price.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: riotonthebay on Wed, 25 December 2013, 10:52:57
I bought a bunch of clears from mechanicalkeyboards.com and swapped out the browns that came on my board. It was my first (de)soldering job and turned out to be not so difficult at all. I was able to sell the brown switches on this forum shortly afterwards, so all in all it was only about a $20 upgrade.

Of course, that doesn't include the $50 I spent on lube, the $10 of different springs, the $6 on switch stickers, etc., but those things are optional ;).
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: TheSoulhunter on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:04:53
Clears became rare? Perhaps it's time to make some money...
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=49399.msg1068179#msg1068179
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:09:17
guys.. clears are very over-rated...

They're good sure... but people are coveting them simply due to lack of supply, and NOT objectively evaluating the experience.

I would rank their mechanical properties/attributes in this order

Mx Blue
Mx Green
Mx White
Mx Red
Mx Black
Mx Clear
Mx Brown

remember pokemon cards, and omega yoyos, and tomagachis, and tickle'me'elmo..

ALL pretty drab stuff if you look at it from today..  But at the time, it's like, oooooooo.... mx-clear....
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: riotonthebay on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:15:17
Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:09:17
guys.. clears are very over-rated...

They're good sure... but people are coveting them simply due to lack of supply, and NOT objectively evaluating the experience.

I would rank their mechanical properties/attributes in this order

Mx Blue
Mx Green
Mx White
Mx Red
Mx Black
Mx Clear
Mx Brown

remember pokemon cards, and omega yoyos, and tomagachis, and tickle'me'elmo..

ALL pretty drab stuff if you look at it from today..  But at the time, it's like, oooooooo.... mx-clear....

Boy, if this isn't just opinion presented as fact, I don't know what is…
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: TheSoulhunter on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:18:55
Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:09:17
guys.. clears are very over-rated...

They're good sure... but people are coveting them simply due to lack of supply, and NOT objectively evaluating the experience.

I would rank their mechanical properties/attributes in this order

Mx Blue
Mx Green
Mx White
Mx Red
Mx Black
Mx Clear
Mx Brown

remember pokemon cards, and omega yoyos, and tomagachis, and tickle'me'elmo..

ALL pretty drab stuff if you look at it from today..  But at the time, it's like, oooooooo.... mx-clear....

Oh, you put em in the wrong order, but I fixed that for you:

Mx Clear
Mx Red
Mx Black
Mx White
Mx Green
Mx Blue
Mx Brown

...
So yeah, it's a matter of taste/opinion! :P
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:21:05
Quote from: riotonthebay on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:15:17
Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:09:17
guys.. clears are very over-rated...

They're good sure... but people are coveting them simply due to lack of supply, and NOT objectively evaluating the experience.

I would rank their mechanical properties/attributes in this order

Mx Blue
Mx Green
Mx White
Mx Red
Mx Black
Mx Clear
Mx Brown

remember pokemon cards, and omega yoyos, and tomagachis, and tickle'me'elmo..

ALL pretty drab stuff if you look at it from today..  But at the time, it's like, oooooooo.... mx-clear....

Boy, if this isn't just opinion presented as fact, I don't know what is…

It is fact...

Mx blue has the mobile slider, which reduces perceived friction LOWER than the linear switches.
Then the Green adds to friction, because less energy is transfered to the slider due to the heavier spring..
The MX white is not really in any order, since it's not really in production quantities where it matters.

The mx linears are obviously not ordered between red and black..  but they feel more friction-ee because the slider is in constant contact with the contact leaf spring.

and Clear and Brown are on bottom because they produce the most perceived friction as they're designed to.


In the world of ergonomics.. the only relevant world in keyboarding.. low friction is the only benchmark..

Your preferences be damned.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: Pacifist on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:39:55
I agree that clears are overhyped but when I got my sampler pack before all the hype, I felt they were the best for me because I needed something quiet but tactile
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:44:14
Clears aren't hyped more than anything else. They are just the best MX switch.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 25 December 2013, 16:36:20
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:44:14
Clears aren't hyped more than anything else. They are just the best MX switch.

(http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/k/y/kyleoniplz.gif?1)
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: MJ45 on Wed, 25 December 2013, 17:21:35
Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 25 December 2013, 16:36:20
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:44:14
Clears aren't hyped more than anything else. They are just the best MX switch.

Show Image
(http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/k/y/kyleoniplz.gif?1)

How come nobody even mentioned "Topre" (oops that's another best list).
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: rowdy on Wed, 25 December 2013, 17:38:32
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Wed, 25 December 2013, 13:44:14
Clears aren't hyped more than anything else. They are just the best MX switch.

Heh, like greens aren't :p
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: JaccoW on Wed, 25 December 2013, 17:43:16
Did somebody say Clears? :D
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: TheSoulhunter on Wed, 25 December 2013, 17:52:44
I think tp4tissue is correct, Clears are the best MX switches...
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: CalmB4tehPwn on Thu, 26 December 2013, 14:48:36
Here's what I would do:

Buy a PCB mounted keyboard with browns, go to MechanicalKeyboards.com and order as many clears as you need for the board.

Buy Beast's switch tools from somebody on the forums, or make some yourself (lots of guides on the forums, or at least one very very good one)

Take off all the keycaps for your new keyboard, and using the switch tool, take the tops of the switches off one by one, replace the stem and the spring (or just the whole top, if that's quicker) or leave the old spring in if you want ergo clears.

While it's open, you can lube and sticker, finish up the board and you've just made your own custom creation with absolutely no soldering required.

You end up with as many browns or blues that you can sell back into the community (that's why I say browns, blues are flush) and you're set.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: 1pq on Thu, 26 December 2013, 15:00:50
Quote from: CalmB4tehPwn on Thu, 26 December 2013, 14:48:36
Here's what I would do:

Buy a PCB mounted keyboard with browns, go to MechanicalKeyboards.com and order as many clears as you need for the board.

Buy Beast's switch tools from somebody on the forums, or make some yourself (lots of guides on the forums, or at least one very very good one)

Take off all the keycaps for your new keyboard, and using the switch tool, take the tops of the switches off one by one, replace the stem and the spring (or just the whole top, if that's quicker) or leave the old spring in if you want ergo clears.

While it's open, you can lube and sticker, finish up the board and you've just made your own custom creation with absolutely no soldering required.

You end up with as many browns or blues that you can sell back into the community (that's why I say browns, blues are flush) and you're set.

Unfortunately, tactile switches are so much more satisfying with that "clacky" bottom out.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: CalmB4tehPwn on Thu, 26 December 2013, 17:45:48
Oh, and if you wanted to do ergo clears, but a keyboard with blues. Swap the stems from the blues and the clears, and you're left with Ergo Clears and Ghetto Greens.
Title: Re: MX Clears (Supply Log)
Post by: katushkin on Thu, 26 December 2013, 17:56:00
I too have been in pursuit of clears for a while now, and for the last three months I have been surveying my options.

What I have ended up doing is buying a WASD V2, and a pack of 110 switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com. I am going to hand it over to margo baggins and get him to unsolder and replace every switch with clears.

After searching for boards with clears for so long, I realised this was more or less my only option due to the fact I know not a lot about the ins and outs of keyboards and I'm not confident in my own abilities with a soldering iron!