Modding a new SIIG minitouch

[Dwhangkhui]

I really like the layout of the SIIG Minitouch but I am concerned the new ones come only in the rubbery flavor...
Can I mod it with fake ALPS/Cherry MX switches easly?

[clickclack]

If by "mod" you mean to sell it for a siig with mechanical switches, then yes!
If that's not what you mean then perhaps a magic lamp is more in order.

[Brodie337]

Buy a GeekHack Space Saver. Band new mechanical SIIG MiniTouch, And you'll be supporting a GeekHack member.

http://5k177.com/more/

[Harry_Y]

I really like the layout of the SIIG Minitouch but I am concerned the new ones come only in the rubbery flavor...
Can I mod it with fake ALPS/Cherry MX switches easly?

I have 2 of these and they are good for mackines where you
want a small keyboard but are not going to type on it much.
(AKA they are stiff and not that nice feeling)

I also have tow GeekHack Space Savers  (1 that I use daily the othere is a spare)

The GeekHack Space Savers are by far a nicer keyboard.

[Dwhangkhui]

Buy a GeekHack Space Saver. Band new mechanical SIIG MiniTouch, And you'll be supporting a GeekHack member.

http://5k177.com/more/

the shipping is too much for me

I think It's cheaper to buy a bunch of rubber dome keyboards and dirt-cheap 1000 fake alps.
I think I forgot the epoxy too. :der:

[chimera15]

You can, but it takes a lot of work, and you need a plate/alps from another keyboard.

Check out my steampunk mod.

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=6313&do=comments&highlight=steampunk+mini

[Dwhangkhui]

chimera15, I thought the Minitouch plate can be used itself.
mounting the keys to the switches sounds like a real pain

* Edit: king of unattentive

[chimera15]

chimera15, I thought the Minitouch plate can be used itself.
mounting the keys to the switches sounds like a real pain

* Edit: king of unattentive

Mounting what keys to what switches.  You need to get a full sized mechanical board which is usually fairly cheap, then you can cut down the mechanical to the minitouch size, and wire the pcb to the cut down board.  You can use the original plastic keys, you don't have to make the classic keys.  I was pointing out the way I used the pcb which is a btc version of the new siig minitouch.

[lowpoly]

chimera15, I thought the Minitouch plate can be used itself.
mounting the keys to the switches sounds like a real pain

* Edit: king of unattentive

Mechanical switches need to be mounted on a pcb. A rubber dome has a membrane instead. Look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_technology

[chimera15]

Mechanical switches need to be mounted on a pcb. A rubber dome has a membrane instead. Look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_technology

Huh? No they don't.  Mechanical switches only need to have wires connected to them, and arranged in a solid form.  They don't need to be mounted into a pcb.  The only reason manufacturer's use pcb, is because it's convenient, and costs less to create a pcb with all the wiring, than having to solder every switch.  The siig minitouch 2, the new version is a conductive rubber board over pcb, not rubber dome, which means you can scratch off the junk over the contact points, solder wire to the pcb, then to a mechanical switch.  If you then suspend the switch over the pcb, in a plate, it's perfectly good.

Read my steampunk hack page.

chimera15, I thought the Minitouch plate can be used itself.
mounting the keys to the switches sounds like a real pain

* Edit: king of unattentive

You can't use the siig minitouch plate, because it doesn't have one.  It has plastic plungers, and it's almost totally impossible to use the plastic even if you cut it out to mount mechanical switches.   You need a donor board to create a cut down plate from.

[didjamatic]

All of my Minitouches have a metal plate over PCB.  The switches click into the metal plate, then have 2 pins that go through the PCB below and are soldered in place from the other side.  Did you mean the Minitouch Plus?  Those are membrane/rubber domes and might not have any plate in them at all.

[chimera15]

All of my Minitouches have a metal plate over PCB.  The switches click into the metal plate, then have 2 pins that go through the PCB below and are soldered in place from the other side.  Did you mean the Minitouch Plus?  Those are membrane/rubber domes and might not have any plate in them at all.

Show Image

Yes, he's talking about the plus... "rubbery flavor".  There is no plate in them.  I believe the caps are actually cherry compatible though, which means you could cut down a cherry board like the scorpius and use my method, and have a cherry compact. You might even be able to fit it into the original case with some cutting work.

[lowpoly]

Huh? No they don't.  Mechanical switches only need to have wires connected to them, and arranged in a solid form.  They don't need to be mounted into a pcb.

Maybe I misunderstood the OP but I thought his idea was to just replace the 'rubber switch' by a mechanical one. Which suggests a misunderstanding about keyboard basics. Which I was filling in. Of course you're right. Have to know the basics first though.

[aegrotatio]

Yes, he's talking about the plus... "rubbery flavor".  There is no plate in them.  I believe the caps are actually cherry compatible though, which means you could cut down a cherry board like the scorpius and use my method, and have a cherry compact. You might even be able to fit it into the original case with some cutting work.

Well I'll be damned.  The Minitouch Plus keycaps *are* Cherry compatible but it looks like you're going to need lower-profile Cherry keycaps to fix them on this keyboard.