New Poker II--not enjoying my feels

[mercuria]

I got a clear switch Poker II, and it has an inconsistent feel between rows. The number row feels good, but the rest of the rows lack that solid feel. It's really disapointing compared to my husband's red switch Leopold 750. Is there anything I can do to address the rest of the rows, or is it just inherent to the Poker II? Will a better case help?

[Lastpilot]

Number row usually does feel a little better because the keycaps are larger and have less resonance. The Leopold 750 has a mat beneath the PCB that helps with sound absorption and harsh bottom-outs, so that's probably why it feels better.

So you can try unscrewing your Poker and putting some shelf liner between the case and circuit board. That might help.

[mashby]

I got a clear switch Poker II, and it has an inconsistent feel between rows. The number row feels good, but the rest of the rows lack that solid feel. It's really disapointing compared to my husband's red switch Leopold 750. Is there anything I can do to address the rest of the rows, or is it just inherent to the Poker II? Will a better case help?

It's partly the case. The default plastic case is rather light, so you might try putting a rubber mat beneath the keyboard to see if that produces a better feel.

[derb2k2]

sorry to hear that. I don't think this is a prevalent problem with Poker IIs. I remember getting mine with blue switches and I tested for consistency right away. I was very satisfied with the results.

[mercuria]

I tried the shelf liner under the PCB already, and it made the feel slightly worse, more mushy. The shelf liner under the whole case made it feel better overall, but didn't help with the row differences.

I'm not sure how to explain it. If I hit the number row hard, there's a thock when it bottoms out, where it actually stops. The other rows feel more like I've hit soft dirt, and it's more of a thud. When just typing, the number row feels more "clean."

[mashby]

That's odd that you're feeling a difference between the rows. Glad to hear that the shelf liner under the keyboard helped, but sorry to hear it wasn't a total solution. Do you have any other key caps you could try?

[sdothum]

Did you "seat" the keys? When I got my Poker 2, I noticed that most of the keys needed to be seated. Pressing firmly on each keycap, I could feel it seat downwards (I'm assuming it's the keycaps not being completely seated on the Cherry stems -- the plate and switches look pretty solid).

Not sure if loose keycaps would account for the variance in feel you are experiencing.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

How odd — my Poker II's feel is completely consistent and rock solid. The stabilised keys feel a bit different, as they have Cherry stabilisers, but that's to be expected.

This Poker II was new? Or second-hand?

[mercuria]

Well! I think this has all been entirely my fault. (Sorry for the delay; been without real internet for a week)

I re-tried the shelf liner thing, but without the last layer of shelf liner (the full sheet) and that helped a bit. While I was doing this, I noticed that the problem exists outside of the case. I swapped keycaps between rows, and the problem follows the keycaps.

I think it might be the Leopold keycaps I have on it (I swapped them pretty much as soon as I got the thing because I really dislike the way the stock keycaps look), which makes me pretty pouty. I don't have the stock keycaps here, so I'll have to do some traveling to see if the stock keycaps have the same problem. I'm guessing they don't

Anybody know where I can get thick OEM PBT side prints without the vortex dimples?

[mercuria]

Quick update: Putting the ugly stock keycaps back on fixed it. I'd assumed it wasn't the keycaps because the same keycaps on the red FC750 don't have this problem.

[munch]

could it be that the mounting part on the stem is different between the boards? so it doesn't quite go all the way "in"?

[mercuria]

could it be that the mounting part on the stem is different between the boards? so it doesn't quite go all the way "in"?

I think it's more about what Lastpilot mentioned in his first reply (the larger keycaps). I think shorter, smaller Leopold just didn't have the presence that the OEM keycaps did. I'm guessing it wasn't an issue on the reds because of the weaker springs.