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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Aidenknives on Wed, 17 September 2014, 17:32:51

Title: Soft Landing Pads with LED's?
Post by: Aidenknives on Wed, 17 September 2014, 17:32:51
Does anyone know if they get in the way of the light shining through? Looking to put some on an LED board but don't want to get them if it is just going to ruin the LED effect. Anyone have any experience?
Title: Re: Soft Landing Pads with LED's?
Post by: spiceBar on Wed, 17 September 2014, 20:13:38
Quote from: Aidenknives on Wed, 17 September 2014, 17:32:51
Does anyone know if they get in the way of the light shining through? Looking to put some on an LED board but don't want to get them if it is just going to ruin the LED effect. Anyone have any experience?

You guessed right, they do get in the way. I don't recommend landing pads if your keyboards has backlighting.

O-rings will interfere less with backlighting, but it will still be visible.
Title: Re: Soft Landing Pads with LED's?
Post by: Oobly on Thu, 18 September 2014, 01:47:54
Trampoline mod.
Title: Re: Soft Landing Pads with LED's?
Post by: infiniti on Thu, 18 September 2014, 07:34:25
I used clear/translucent white o-rings from eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/261269381932) on my Shine 2.

Black o-ring:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/001a.jpg)

Look at the letter O.  Take notice of the bottom part of the letter O.  There's a slight shadow with the black o-ring.

Clear/translucent white o-rings:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/001b.jpg)

clear/translucent white o-rings vs black o-ring:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/IMG_9857_esw.jpg)
Title: Re: Soft Landing Pads with LED's?
Post by: Aidenknives on Thu, 18 September 2014, 19:20:40
Quote from: infiniti on Thu, 18 September 2014, 07:34:25
I used clear/translucent white o-rings from eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/261269381932) on my Shine 2.

Black o-ring:
Show Image
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/001a.jpg)


Look at the letter O.  Take notice of the bottom part of the letter O.  There's a slight shadow with the black o-ring.

Clear/translucent white o-rings:
Show Image
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/001b.jpg)


clear/translucent white o-rings vs black o-ring:
Show Image
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/IMG_9857_esw.jpg)

Are these clear or white? - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/tex-cherry-mx-rubber-o-rings
Title: Re: Soft Landing Pads with LED's?
Post by: wes1099 on Thu, 18 September 2014, 19:23:41
Quote from: Aidenknives on Thu, 18 September 2014, 19:20:40
Quote from: infiniti on Thu, 18 September 2014, 07:34:25
I used clear/translucent white o-rings from eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/261269381932) on my Shine 2.

Black o-ring:
Show Image
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/001a.jpg)


Look at the letter O.  Take notice of the bottom part of the letter O.  There's a slight shadow with the black o-ring.

Clear/translucent white o-rings:
Show Image
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/001b.jpg)


clear/translucent white o-rings vs black o-ring:
Show Image
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20523800/GH%20Pictures/2014-02-03a%20O-Rings/IMG_9857_esw.jpg)

Are these clear or white? - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/tex-cherry-mx-rubber-o-rings
They are translucent, so light can get through but they are not perfectly transparent.
Title: Re: Soft Landing Pads with LED's?
Post by: exitfire401 on Thu, 18 September 2014, 19:31:35
Quote from: spiceBar on Wed, 17 September 2014, 20:13:38
Quote from: Aidenknives on Wed, 17 September 2014, 17:32:51
Does anyone know if they get in the way of the light shining through? Looking to put some on an LED board but don't want to get them if it is just going to ruin the LED effect. Anyone have any experience?

You guessed right, they do get in the way. I don't recommend landing pads if your keyboards has backlighting.

O-rings will interfere less with backlighting, but it will still be visible.


Soft landing pads make no difference in light at all. I used them on my pink backlit pure for the entire time I had it. Not sure where you got your information from.
Title: Re: Soft Landing Pads with LED's?
Post by: spiceBar on Fri, 19 September 2014, 08:25:04
Quote from: exitfire401 on Thu, 18 September 2014, 19:31:35
Quote from: spiceBar on Wed, 17 September 2014, 20:13:38
Quote from: Aidenknives on Wed, 17 September 2014, 17:32:51
Does anyone know if they get in the way of the light shining through? Looking to put some on an LED board but don't want to get them if it is just going to ruin the LED effect. Anyone have any experience?

You guessed right, they do get in the way. I don't recommend landing pads if your keyboards has backlighting.

O-rings will interfere less with backlighting, but it will still be visible.


Soft landing pads make no difference in light at all. I used them on my pink backlit pure for the entire time I had it. Not sure where you got your information from.

Where I got my information from? A hippo told me a tiger had seen an elephant who told him that...

Seriously: I use landing pads (soft and firm) or O-rings in all my keyboards, so I know a little bit about them.

I have at least 3 backlight keyboards in which I have tried both: 2 Pure Pro and one Poker 2. All have white backlighting.

The landing pads have a tendency to rotate on the key stems, and depending on how they end up, some keys will be more obscured than others.

It is possible to avoid the problem partially by cutting the corners of the landing pads.

With landing pad or O-rings, you may not notice any adverse effect on your keyboard, it all depends on the position of the LEDs and the path the light follows inside the keycap.

As a general rule, however, I would expect landing pads and even O-rings to interfere with backlighting. You can't just bet there will be no interference, you need to test it.