Cherry G80-8113HRBUS Roulette -or- I got clears, now what?

[FourOhFour]

Well, I made a bit of an impulse buy on ebay and got a G80-8113HRBUS. These can have browns, blacks, or clears (at least, according to a quick search), and I got the clears.

I like the key switches so far, but the layout is going to make me throw this thing out a window before too long. Arrow keys in the wrong spot, a useless trackpad, and I keep hitting \ instead of enter. Plus after using compact keyboards, it feels like my trackball is in the next zipcode.

Also odd, I can't hold left shift and use the arrows to select. Right shift works fine, and holding left shift to type caps works fine, but left shift gets released after the second arrow key press. Also the switch for the left shift key feels like the space bar's gray switch.

So... I could harvest the switches and stick 'em in my SMK-88. (they're PCB mount, but swapping the internals with the panel mount ones isn't too difficult, right?) Or I could sell it as is. Or I could throw it out the window, which might be amusing.

So... just how much pain and suffering am I in for doing the switch swap?

[WhiteRice]

I just did a switch swap. White XM alps to blue alps.

It's not hard, however I will say it is work. Be prepared to invest 2-6 hours.

The pay off is immensely gratifying.

[erricrice]

Yeah, if they are both PCB mounted, switching the internals out(without de-soldering switches) is actually really easy once you get it down.  You just have to have the right tools.  There's some guides to taking apart cherry switches in the wiki, take a look there.  

And the holding left shift thing, are you using a PS/2 to USB adapter with that keyboard?  If so that is probably the problem.

I'm currently typing in a 8113 with browns, and I'm not having any of the problems with the shift, I can press as many arrows as I want with the left shift.

You get used to the vertical enter key and the arrows eventually, but you just have to kind of dedicate yourself to the layout and not use another layout or you'll just mess yourself up.  

And scratch the scratchpad, just leave it unplugged so it doesn't get in the way.

EDIT:

This pic shows you the tabs you have to release to open the switch up.  Doesn't work for plate mounted though...

[FourOhFour]

And the holding left shift thing, are you using a PS/2 to USB adapter with that keyboard?  If so that is probably the problem.

Yes, but the same adapter works fine with my model M. Wouldn't surprise me if that's the case, though.

This pic shows you the tabs you have to release to open the switch up.  Doesn't work for plate mounted though...

Show Image

Well, I'm going from the PCB mounted Cherry keyboard to a plate mounted keyboard... so I'd be desoldering them and opening them up to swap the internals, right? (Ok, I suppose I could skip desoldering the cherry keyboard, but if I'm gonna need the soldering iron anyway...)

[FourOhFour]

Well, I got most of the switches swapped... skipped the F keys for now. I think I like buckling springs better, and judging from typeracer, I'm typing slower on the cherry clears... but I should probably give it a couple of days.

I might be crazy, but they feel stiffer than buckling springs.

BTW, I wasn't expecting the caramel smell from burning old spilled soda when desoldering the old switches.

[erricrice]

Well, I got most of the switches swapped... skipped the F keys for now. I think I like buckling springs better, and judging from typeracer, I'm typing slower on the cherry clears... but I should probably give it a couple of days.

I might be crazy, but they feel stiffer than buckling springs.

BTW, I wasn't expecting the caramel smell from burning old spilled soda when desoldering the old switches.

Great job getting those all switched out!  And yeah, it's hard to compare bucking springs to other things, they're strangely smooth, and because of this, many don't notice that they're heavy, you have to really pay attention to tell the difference.

Yes, but the same adapter works fine with my model M. Wouldn't surprise me if that's the case, though.

Actually, I just tried my brand new blue cube with my 8113, and it does exactly the same thing!  Works just fine on PS/2 though.

Anyone else out there with an 8113 and a blue cube to test this out?  

Does anyone know why this keyboard doesn't work properly with even a bluecube?

[FourOhFour]

Great job getting those all switched out!  And yeah, it's hard to compare bucking springs to other things, they're strangely smooth, and because of this, many don't notice that they're heavy, you have to really pay attention to tell the difference.

Well, I couldn't give it the couple days... it's sitting next to me and I'm back on my model m.

Oh, well. I should have known better than to mess with perfection ;-)

Actually, I just tried my brand new blue cube with my 8113, and it does exactly the same thing!  Works just fine on PS/2 though.

Mine's the blue cube too.

[Hak Foo]

Yep - there seems to be a bug in the Blue Cube where you press the LSHIFT, then UParrow and then Leftarrow key releases LSHIFT.  RSHIFT works fine.  Works fine on a Ziotek dongle.  Anybody have a Belkin?

Also, I think Aquakeytest itself has a few odd bugs.  For example it reports RALT and DOWNarrow as resulting in a stuck DOWNarrow but in real life it's not.

My Y-mouse adapter had odd behaviour with right-shift and the editing block (adding an extra keycode on release).  Left-shift worked fine, and I eventually switched to a native-USB board, so it didn't matter if it disrespected my old 1391401.