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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Kayla on Sun, 16 July 2017, 06:33:03

Title: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: Kayla on Sun, 16 July 2017, 06:33:03
Since they are not your typical switch housing (black plastic) is it possible that modders can switch my YOTG from black to some other type of switch? Black was all that was available when I got mine, and I'm getting a bit tired of my hands getting sore quicker when I use it.
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: Kayla on Mon, 17 July 2017, 22:57:20
bump
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: nmur on Mon, 17 July 2017, 23:00:46
for Ducky boards and pretty much every off-the-shelf board, you would have to desolder the switches from the pcb

then you could either change the stem/springs inside, or replace the switch entirely
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: Kayla on Mon, 17 July 2017, 23:39:41
yes but my issue is the switches themselves are not black housing they have the windowed/transparant housing for RGB lighting which i dont know if you can buy replacements for those or whatever.
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: Kayla on Mon, 17 July 2017, 23:40:59
also it would appear that the LED is behind the housing so i might be able to just clip off the switches and change the springs and stems.. i just want confirmation or advice from someone who knows more about it.
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: nmur on Mon, 17 July 2017, 23:54:20
also it would appear that the LED is behind the housing so i might be able to just clip off the switches and change the springs and stems.. i just want confirmation or advice from someone who knows more about it.

for Ducky boards, you can only remove the switch tops to access the springs if you desolder the switches
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: Kayla on Tue, 18 July 2017, 00:11:08
this is a year of the goat, which uses a ducky 5 framework, which is a double layered PCB which the switches sit on and the LEDs are on the second PCB independant of the key switches, to my knowledge. its not like a ducky shine 3.
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Tue, 18 July 2017, 10:57:27
It is still a plate mounted board so you have to take it all apart and desolder the switches.

If anything it seems like people have had a hard time separating the two pcbs on these newer duckys.

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Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: Kayla on Thu, 20 July 2017, 06:01:22
i thought the switches layed on top of the soldered LEDs? what part of the switch is soldered on? o_O i know in my shine 3 and every other board with leds the leds are soldered on but theyre looped through the switch but these switches arent like that.
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 20 July 2017, 06:13:13
i thought the switches layed on top of the soldered LEDs? what part of the switch is soldered on? o_O i know in my shine 3 and every other board with leds the leds are soldered on but theyre looped through the switch but these switches arent like that.

The switches have pins protruding from the bottom they  are soldered to the PCB. That's how the switches work.

There are some boards with hot swap switches that have sockets for the pins to fit into so they can be removed and replaced without soldering but they are not the norm.



(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170720/6d9767c568e094d5bb7f6d87b3208986.jpg)

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Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: ygor on Thu, 20 July 2017, 07:20:34
Those are SMD LEDs on your PCB. The good news about those is that you don't have to desolder each LED in order to get the switches out... However, if you want to swap the switches you'll have to take the board apart and desolder the pins holding them to the PCB. If you have no experience with soldering/desoldering you'd be best off trying to sell that board and pick up another with lighter switches... Maybe reds or silvers.
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: Kayla on Fri, 21 July 2017, 16:44:17
that sounds impossible for such a niche board. i doubt people are selling/swapping top plates. :( and its probably even worse that im in canada. can i separate the switches and ust replace the pins and stems one by one instead of desoldering?
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 21 July 2017, 16:46:55


that sounds impossible for such a niche board. i doubt people are selling/swapping top plates. :( and its probably even worse that im in canada. can i separate the switches and ust replace the pins and stems one by one instead of desoldering?

No

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Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: Kayla on Fri, 21 July 2017, 17:04:51
alright thanks guess im screwed. sad.
Title: Re: Can YOTG's light up switches be modified?
Post by: ygor on Fri, 21 July 2017, 17:22:34
I own a Ducky One TKL that I've modified pretty heavily. It's not impossible at all, it's actually pretty easy... But you do need to be able to desolder/solder. At any rate, soldering is a good skill to have in yer tool belt of tricks and messing around with keyboards is a decent way to learn. For education's sake, I would encourage you to watch some YouTube tutorials 'n pick up a pump n iron at the risk of ruining your board, but I am a maniac. Most will advise you to just sell that one and get another with lighter switches... They're probably right. But... Your brain... It must growwww!!

Edit- Why did only half my post submit... Hmm...