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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: AwareString on Fri, 11 January 2019, 20:32:23
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Got a tkl which uses its own switches which are supposed to be like cherry blues...a bit loud but ok to live with. What is really annoying though is the ping noise...it's nearly as loud as the key switch noise and makes an echo'ing ring noise on all of the keys. It's driving me NUTS.
Any ideas on some good TKL's that don't have this? I think I would prefer browns too. And some kind of white backlight would be great.
Thanks
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What kind of board is it?
Most boards that you buy will have this to some effect.. some worse than others. You can always unsolder and lube etc.
There are many great options on switches out there. If you are looking for something tactile (like browns) I would recommend trying some Zealios. You can get them at zealpc.net.
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Redragon K552-N-UK KUMARA Mechanical Keyboard 87 Key Compact Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, Blue Switches PC Computer Gaming Keyboard (UK-Layout – No Backlight)
It's much nicer to type on than the Microsoft Curved it replaced but the ping is so loud...might record it actually.
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That is awesome that you got a mech! I am sure you will love.
Unfortunately, the problem you are having may only be able to be fixed by desoldering and lubing the stabs etc.
POst a vid or something and maybe someone can help you out
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I got a video but it doesn't pick it up...
I have a gigabyte osmium with reds too but I hate typing it the keys just tend to bottom out with no resistance.
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There are three main potential sources of noise:
- Switch click/ping
- Bottom-out and upstroke clatter
- Stabilizer rattle
The first can be eliminated by avoiding clicky switches, especially IBM buckling springs which create a holy racket nobody should have to endure. The second is harder to eliminate because this particular problem is internal to the switch and common to nearly all MX-style switches. If you can find a "silent" version of the switch, go with that, though I have found that Cherry MX silent reds are very quiet in terms of bottom-out and upstroke noise but in return that just makes the noise of the slider friction all the more audible (you trade "clacka-clacka-clacka" for "shuff-shuff-shuff"). Bottom-out noise can be somewhat attenuated by putting acoustic dampening sheets inside the case under the PCB, and while that does help a bit, it isn't perfect. The third problem is solved by periodically applying thick lube to the stabilizer arms.
I avoid most of these problems by using Topre boards, which only need occasional lubing of the stabilizer arms to stay nice and quiet.
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My own messing around with it on my Filco and a Matias board I came to a few conclusions.
Ping comes from the springs, spring rate, how they are mounted, lube and alignment all matter. A bit of lube on the base will help, but different springs also will. I put dampened white Alps springs in some Matias switched and it all but eliminated ping on the worst ones. Springs matter.
The plate and case amplify it.
The harder the plate and more loosely it is held, the more it can amplify it. Case shape makes it worse by amplifying it right towards you. The more you can dampen the plate by clamping or dampeners the better. A softer material such as aluminum can also reduce the sound. This is why the Filcos ping so badly, the plate is a very hard material, the shape makes it worse and because it's not clamped in place very well, the plate is allowed to just sit there and ring. Best mods you can do to a Filco is get a Vortex or Tex case, they clamp the heck out of the plate reducing it's ability to vibrate. Adding some foam to help dampen reflections also further reduces it. It needs to be static safe, not just generic foam, I used the foam you get when you buy a motherboard. Don't have any? Ask a local computer shop they probably will give it to you (check their trash dumpster if they say no).
As for keyboards without ping...
Find something with no plate (blah!), something other than steel, or well clamped.
Beware Matias Quiet Click or Cherry MX Blues as both have had the worst ping I've seen
If you can put thick , THICK lube (plastic safe grease?) at the base of your springs.
Install some foam into the case.
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1) Don't buy ****ty keyboards with ****ty switches.
2) lube springs.
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Ping is good,
Embrace the Ping
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Ping is good,
Embrace the Ping
No TP, this type of ping bad
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All the TL:DR explanations about what is ping... good grief.
Get a Leopold or Varmillo TKL. They have the least ping of the not quite so mainstream brands I've seen
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Get a Leopold or Varmillo TKL. They have the least ping of the not quite so mainstream brands I've seen
A quick Google search shows that both of those have reports of ping as well.
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Get a Leopold or Varmillo TKL. They have the least ping of the not quite so mainstream brands I've seen
A quick Google search shows that both of those have reports of ping as well.
Just how quick, eh? ;)
Keep in mind I said "the least" ping. I think you'd have to mod a board to make it totally pingless, but those have good designs stock. My varmillo has ONE key that pings noticably (the R) but it's pretty much pingless compared to some others
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None of the boards in my sig has ever made ping noises. The listed Kul now has lubed switches, but even when it came in as stock it wasn't making weird sounds. The Raptor board that came with stock Blacks didn't ping either.
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I had a Leopold FC980M with reds and most of the keys produced a very annoying ping. I returned it (also because of the scratchy switches) and ordered the same model with blacks. Surprisingly, no ping at all with this model, and butter-smooth switches. I purchased another unit later on (also with blacks) and perfect too. So, I understand that it was a problem with the switches, not with the keyboard.