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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => DIY Discussions ARCHIVE => Topic started by: pfink on Mon, 01 February 2010, 17:24:18

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: pfink on Mon, 01 February 2010, 17:24:18

OK, so I've come into possession of a Deck 82 keyboard and I'm contemplating some future mods for it and have a couple questions regarding Cherry switches.

I'm thinking that at some point I might attempt to desolder and remove all or most of the Cherry black switches and replace them with either Cherry blues or Cherry browns. Based on the wiki article here:

http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Cherry+switches+and+boards

it appears that there are different types of Cherry switches depending on whether they're mounted on a PCB or plate. The Deck 82 switches are PCB mounted so I guess I'll need to replace them with other PCB mounted switches unless the plate mounted switches can be modified and mounted on a PCB.

So, my questions are:

1) Is a PCB mounted version of the Cherry brown switch available? The wiki article only lists digikey numbers for black, blue and white.

2) Can plate mounted Cherry switches be modified to mount on a PCB?

3) Buying 80+ switches from digikey will cost me more than I paid for the keyboard. What's the least expensive common keyboard I can get to harvest either PCB mounted browns (if available) or blues from in order to get started on this?

Thanks.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 01 February 2010, 18:15:59

Quote

plate mounted switches can be modified and mounted on a PCB.

They can be mounted without modification

Quote

Is a PCB mounted version of the Cherry brown switch available?

Yes, all plate mounted browns are PCB mountable. Evidence suggests they are the same.

Quote

Can plate mounted Cherry switches be modified to mount on a PCB?

Yes. See immediately previous answer, and invert.

Quote

What's the least expensive common keyboard I can get to harvest either PCB mounted browns (if available) or blues from in order to get started on this?

Compaq 11800 = browns
Scorpius M10 = blues

For the next n posts, expect (n + 1) different and conflicting answers.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: Chao on Tue, 02 February 2010, 00:36:44

The Cherry website, although nigh-incomprehensible at times, does make a big deal about the different mounting options. Pretty much every type of diagram has two forms, one for with guiding pins, and one for without:
http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: ricercar on Tue, 02 February 2010, 01:18:28

That Ricercar is full of ****; don't listen to him. I just tried to replace a switch in a LED keyboard, but the mx LED and mx regular diode switches have different lead spacing.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: pfink on Tue, 02 February 2010, 03:30:44

Quote from: ripster;155494

Let me be the first to contradict Ricercar.  There are two different versions of the Cherry lower housing, one with guiding pins and one without.

OK, so I guess the Scorpius M10 is the least expensive source of PCB mounted Cherry blues. What about browns? Are the switches in the Compaq 11800 PCB or plate mounted?

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: itlnstln on Tue, 02 February 2010, 07:26:22

The MX11800 is Cherry-made, and thus, PCB-mounted.  Used, the MX11800 will probably be the cheapest brown 'board available.  Otherwise, you will have to step up to the i-Rocks 6230 or the Cherry G80-3000 from Datacal.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: itlnstln on Tue, 02 February 2010, 09:56:52

That... actually... sounds pretty horrible.  I think I would just buy a new keyboard.  I almost don't like spending the time to swap keycaps.  I'm pretty lazy, though.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Tue, 02 February 2010, 10:29:38

Quote from: ripster;155610

Worst that could happen is you have to desolder, take apart the switch, swap parts, reassemble, solder.

That's what I'm planning to do with a Steelseries 7G. When I have a lot of time. And new glasses. Next winter. Probably. Or so.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: billm on Wed, 03 February 2010, 14:55:13

I swapped my deck 82 with cherry browns. Using a decent solder puller, and once you get into a rhythm, it doesn't take that long. Maybe 2 hrs.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: zwmalone on Wed, 03 February 2010, 15:06:55

Quote from: pfink;155565

OK, so I guess the Scorpius M10 is the least expensive source of PCB mounted Cherry blues. What about browns? Are the switches in the Compaq 11800 PCB or plate mounted?

The M10 is plated mounted IIRC.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: itlnstln on Wed, 03 February 2010, 16:36:18

Quote from: zwmalone;156003

The M10 is plated mounted IIRC.

Correct.  You would probably have to go with the G80-3000 from Gemini to get PCB-mounted blues; which would suit your purpose, because they don't cost much more than the Scorpius M10.  The only problem is, they seem to be out of stock without a solid ETA.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: elbowglue on Sat, 27 February 2010, 00:16:32

Ok.  Dumb question.  Does the deck 82 have PCB mounted switches or plate mounted switches?  Thanks everyone.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: elbowglue on Sat, 27 February 2010, 00:17:04

Ok.  Dumb question.  Does the deck 82 have PCB mounted switches or plate mounted switches?  Thanks everyone.

Oh wait.  I read the OP.  It's PCB mounted.  Smart am I.

Well, another question.  Would it be as simple as popping the top of the housing off and removing the spring, then replacing with your new spring and new stem and new top?  Or is there something funny with the LED you need to worry about?

Thanks again :P

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: elbowglue on Sat, 27 February 2010, 01:58:47

Ohh..  that is not easy.  Wait, so you can't even pop the top of the cherry switch on a deck Keyboard without unsoldering the LED first?

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: pfink on Sat, 27 February 2010, 14:06:16

Quote from: elbowglue;161094

Ohh..  that is not easy.  Wait, so you can't even pop the top of the cherry switch on a deck Keyboard without unsoldering the LED first?

Correct. The top of the switch can't be popped off because the LED is in the way.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: ricercar on Sun, 28 February 2010, 16:31:22

So my bad switch on a BLT-82 requires ...? Anyone have a convenient link to a plate + PCB switch replacement guide?

Crap crap crap.

Title: Seeking Advice - Deck 82 Switch Replacement
Post by: ricercar on Sun, 28 February 2010, 18:48:32

> Unsoldering the switch AND the LEDs can be a PITA.

Yah, I've opened it up and lost all ambition maybe four times so far.

Thx for the link. I hadn't realized your Kinesis pad had a plate too.