Pok3r after a year and half, problems?

[MrZammler]

Hi all!

I was drooling over mechanical keyboards for some time, until I broke down and got a pok3r with browns about a year and half ago. Gone through a bit of pain trying to adjust (I'm old), but once that's gone, I loved it. I have been using it back and forth from home and work every day for a good 6-7 hours per day.

But a month ago, the m key started to chatter. Not by much (i.e. once per 20 presses maybe), but enough to trigger my OCD (it also stops me from what I'm doing, and I hate that). Then a few days ago the 1 key started to miss presses.

Cleaning them both helped a lot, but not entirely. I generally do not mess with the keyboard. I just need to work with it. Don't not eat around it, nor smoked, etc. But I can not keep track of every piece of dust in the atmosphere.

I've bought new switches to replace them, but I can't stop thinking that there's no way I'm gonna keep doing this. I need a keyboard to work for me, not me for it.

Are the switches so fragile? Is this a common theme among mechanical keyboards? Is there a way I can prevent it from happening in the future? Could be e.g. bad solder from Vortex?

What is your opinion on long term mechanical keyboard usage?

Thanks a lot!

[killyou]

Shouldn't it be covered by the warranty? What about that 50mln keypresses being advertised. I have Pok3r with MX Clears for about half a year and so far everything is perfect and I'm messing with mine - I installed holtites. You might stumble upon bad batch of switches or something but think of it this way, if that wouldn't be a mechanical keyboard you could just throw it away instead of resoldering bad switches.

If you want to avoid this issue you might just go ahead and get Topre board. Different switch design and not affected. If my MX Clear switches will start to play numbers on me I might go back to Topre. So far I like Pok3r layout and built better than Topre keyboards and it works for me so I will stay on MXs for a while. Although if Pok3r like keyboard will be released with Topre switches then I will seriously consider switching over.

[HotRoderX]

Honestly sounds like just bad luck. Could be bad solder joints are just bad roll of the dice for keys. I mean there are lots of cherry boards going on 20-30 years old now. That are still in perfect working condition. Thats one thing about Cherry they have a reputation for reliability going back as far as the early 1980's. My guess is you just had a bit of bad luck. I can't really say the exact cause but it does sound like its most likely related to that given board.

[MrZammler]

Hi, thanks for your replies.

About the warranty, I think I'm half a year off, I think it's just 1 year overall. But bad luck is something I actually can live with, since basically the switches can be changed. I'll stick with the pok3r since I really really enjoy it and see where it goes.

I'll have a friend do the swap the following days and will check for any bad solder joints in the process.

[dante]

Are the switches so fragile? Is this a common theme among mechanical keyboards? Is there a way I can prevent it from happening in the future? Could be e.g. bad solder from Vortex?

What is your opinion on long term mechanical keyboard usage?

If you don't want to suffer chattering issues my recommendation is to stick with Rubber Domes (and/or Topre) or buy a keyboard with hot swap sockets.

Just because Cherry switches are made in Germany doesn't mean their good.  Ask any VW owner what they think of their German engineered car.

Vortex is a bit crap though.  They can't seem to release any new product without firmware updates.

[MrZammler]

If you don't want to suffer chattering issues my recommendation is to stick with Rubber Domes (and/or Topre) or buy a keyboard with hot swap sockets.

So, you're saying it's gonna happen eventually with mechanical switches? I think I read somewhere that mx switches were build to address this....

[dante]

If you don't want to suffer chattering issues my recommendation is to stick with Rubber Domes (and/or Topre) or buy a keyboard with hot swap sockets.

So, you're saying it's gonna happen eventually with mechanical switches? I think I read somewhere that mx switches were build to address this....

It happens to most switches.  It doesn't matter how it gets there only that it does.

Why do most enthusiasts not encounter this often?

1. They change out keyboards like underwear.
2. They get SUPER excited to warm up the soldering iron.  Chattering is not a problem but a party for these folks.
3. They have stacks of cash and when it breaks it's just an excuse to buy another one.

[MrZammler]

@dante

I appreciate your response, thanks. (No irony whatsoever, I really do).

[HotRoderX]

If you don't want to suffer chattering issues my recommendation is to stick with Rubber Domes (and/or Topre) or buy a keyboard with hot swap sockets.

So, you're saying it's gonna happen eventually with mechanical switches? I think I read somewhere that mx switches were build to address this....

It happens to most switches.  It doesn't matter how it gets there only that it does.

Why do most enthusiasts not encounter this often?

1. They change out keyboards like underwear.
2. They get SUPER excited to warm up the soldering iron.  Chattering is not a problem but a party for these folks.
3. They have stacks of cash and when it breaks it's just an excuse to buy another one.

are its just not a massive issue your making it out to be cause logically speaking we are less then .01% of the worlds Mechanical keyboard users.

[dante]

If you don't want to suffer chattering issues my recommendation is to stick with Rubber Domes (and/or Topre) or buy a keyboard with hot swap sockets.

So, you're saying it's gonna happen eventually with mechanical switches? I think I read somewhere that mx switches were build to address this....

It happens to most switches.  It doesn't matter how it gets there only that it does.

Why do most enthusiasts not encounter this often?

1. They change out keyboards like underwear.
2. They get SUPER excited to warm up the soldering iron.  Chattering is not a problem but a party for these folks.
3. They have stacks of cash and when it breaks it's just an excuse to buy another one.

are its just not a massive issue your making it out to be cause logically speaking we are less then .01% of the worlds Mechanical keyboard users.

Look around outside GeekHack, the problem exists everywhere.

Topre will last but will lose their new car smell feel over time.  Buckling Spring will last if the plastic rivets haven't broke yet.  Hall Effect will last if you can tolerate that the rest of the XMIT board is a POS.

Yeayea, I know you like your feels but at least acknowledge it comes at a price.

[HotRoderX]

If you don't want to suffer chattering issues my recommendation is to stick with Rubber Domes (and/or Topre) or buy a keyboard with hot swap sockets.

So, you're saying it's gonna happen eventually with mechanical switches? I think I read somewhere that mx switches were build to address this....

It happens to most switches.  It doesn't matter how it gets there only that it does.

Why do most enthusiasts not encounter this often?

1. They change out keyboards like underwear.
2. They get SUPER excited to warm up the soldering iron.  Chattering is not a problem but a party for these folks.
3. They have stacks of cash and when it breaks it's just an excuse to buy another one.

are its just not a massive issue your making it out to be cause logically speaking we are less then .01% of the worlds Mechanical keyboard users.

Look around outside GeekHack, the problem exists everywhere.

Topre will last but will lose their new car smell feel over time.  Buckling Spring will last if the plastic rivets haven't broke yet.  Hall Effect will last if you can tolerate that the rest of the XMIT board is a POS.

Yeayea, I know you like your feels but at least acknowledge it comes at a price.

not really... want to say most likely solid 80% of the worlds POS..and work terminals are mechanical switches if the failure rates were anywhere close to what your thinking. Companies would have lobbed for something better along time ago.

[dante]

If you don't want to suffer chattering issues my recommendation is to stick with Rubber Domes (and/or Topre) or buy a keyboard with hot swap sockets.

So, you're saying it's gonna happen eventually with mechanical switches? I think I read somewhere that mx switches were build to address this....

It happens to most switches.  It doesn't matter how it gets there only that it does.

Why do most enthusiasts not encounter this often?

1. They change out keyboards like underwear.
2. They get SUPER excited to warm up the soldering iron.  Chattering is not a problem but a party for these folks.
3. They have stacks of cash and when it breaks it's just an excuse to buy another one.

are its just not a massive issue your making it out to be cause logically speaking we are less then .01% of the worlds Mechanical keyboard users.

Look around outside GeekHack, the problem exists everywhere.

Topre will last but will lose their new car smell feel over time.  Buckling Spring will last if the plastic rivets haven't broke yet.  Hall Effect will last if you can tolerate that the rest of the XMIT board is a POS.

Yeayea, I know you like your feels but at least acknowledge it comes at a price.

not really... want to say most likely solid 80% of the worlds POS..and work terminals are mechanical switches if the failure rates were anywhere close to what your thinking. Companies would have lobbed for something better along time ago.

You are proving my point for me.  I bet if you walk through Cherry HQ in Germany none of the workers have mechanical keyboards.

Mechanicals in POS do exist but the trend has been migrating to sealed membranes.