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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ChronoBodi on Sat, 15 February 2014, 02:19:56

Title: Is China the only place to get Clears switch keyboards now?
Post by: ChronoBodi on Sat, 15 February 2014, 02:19:56
Every US-based store (WASD Code, Tigerimport for Duckies, Amazon) doesn't show any Clears at all.

It takes AliExpress.com to buy a KeyCool 108 Clears direct from China.


Ok what is it with Clears? every other switch is easy to get, even Greens thanks to Cooler Master offering it in their keyboard lines, but Clears is like the holy grail out of the main 6 switches, so hard to look for.


Ok really, maybe Clears isn't the Holy Grail, but its close to there for non-clicky tactile.    Speaking of which, what truly is the Holy Grail of switches, some obscure switch that makes Clears look like common rubber domes in terms of availability?
Title: Re: Is China the only place to get Clears switch keyboards now?
Post by: xuanwumen on Sat, 15 February 2014, 02:59:42
I guess cherry has limited supply of the mx clear switches, making the kb with clear rare in the market. The keycool series with clears are also limited versions for snake year .
Title: Re: Is China the only place to get Clears switch keyboards now?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Sat, 15 February 2014, 08:00:32
Pretty much everyone that use clear I would consider as more like a limited edition than a standard model. Outside of the community they are largely not as popular or known as the other MX so therefore manufacture do not make so many and they are not as readily available. Other than Cherry, who does have a steady production models with clears available in G80 line. Clear is quite common in MX8000 POS models, and also readily available on 3000 and 18XX.
Title: Re: Is China the only place to get Clears switch keyboards now?
Post by: oscillik on Sat, 15 February 2014, 09:05:47
the holy grail of switches are ThorprerŪ switches
Title: Re: Is China the only place to get Clears switch keyboards now?
Post by: ChronoBodi on Sat, 15 February 2014, 19:41:18
Pretty much everyone that use clear I would consider as more like a limited edition than a standard model. Outside of the community they are largely not as popular or known as the other MX so therefore manufacture do not make so many and they are not as readily available. Other than Cherry, who does have a steady production models with clears available in G80 line. Clear is quite common in MX8000 POS models, and also readily available on 3000 and 18XX.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-OF-3-CHERRY-MODEL-MX8000-POS-KEYBOARD-CREDIT-CARD-SCANNER-/261193508140?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd058a52c

do those have Clears? and what's with the extra keys around the arrow keys, do they actually work normally or are they disabled by default? I'm looking at it closely if its Clears indeed, although the huge bezel on top is kinda putting me off.
Title: Re: Is China the only place to get Clears switch keyboards now?
Post by: Pacifist on Sat, 15 February 2014, 19:57:18
If you want a clears board really badly just buy a pack of them from mk.com and desolder and resolder
Title: Re: Is China the only place to get Clears switch keyboards now?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Sun, 16 February 2014, 08:59:06
MX 8000 series can be either clear or brown. Sadly Cherry use the same model codes for both on those POS boards so you will need to get seller to confirm. For other models like 1800 or 3000 series the 2nd letter on the model code should be either *E* or *Q***