Cherry Numpad Switch Tester

[litster]

I have a Goldtouch numeric keypad that I want to turn it into a cherry switch tester.  I am thinking of the following layout.  I am kind of trying to sort the switches from linear to tactile, light to heavy.  And since Blue is very different, and there are only 6 rows, I put it on the side.

Any feedback?

[aggiejy]

I call first dibs if you're planning to mail it around for testing!

[reaper]

In for second. lol  I have yet to try clear/ergo clear switches.  Btw, that looks good, lister.

[litster]

I haven't decided if/when I will send it around.  But that sounds like a good thing to do.  I am still missing red switches.  Input Nirvana is going to get some red switches and other switches. And I will trade him some black and clear switches for the reds.  If I send it out I will want pictures of the numpad with interesting background in your cities .  That will be fun!

[keyboardlover]

What is tacto black? Don't you mean panda clear?

[litster]

Whatever it is called.  It clear stem with black's heavy spring.  Albany and ivory, live together in perfect harmony....

[video=youtube;sssqBjaTzOU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sssqBjaTzOU[/video]

[CeeSA]

nice idea, my world tour of the
The Cherry Switch Try Gaming PCB's
is open.
but before the world tour there is the europe tour.

[litster]

Hi CeeSA!  Saw your thread over at DT.  I like your setup.  On my setup I don't have room for ghetto red like yours.  I have to give up ghetto red if I stay with using just what the numpad has room for.

[The Solutor]

What is tacto black?

 
It's the official name

[litster]

Here is the Goldtouch numeric keypad to be used for the mod.  It had Cherry browns:


With original keycaps pulled:


After the mod, minus Cherry red switches for the top row:


Tried to use markers to show the ergo clear and tacto black:


With clear keycaps from Round 3 group buy:


I think I will change to use re-legendable keycaps from POS keyboards instead.  And I am just waiting for Input Nirvana to get some red switches and I will be done! :-)

[REVENGE]

Sweeeeeeeet. Now add some multicolored LEDs! :happy: (j/k)

[litster]

Finally acquired the red switches I needed.  Now it is complete.

[agor]

Looks nice!

[VPX]

Did somebody ever try a full gray or green keyboard? For the tough guys. :smash:

[litster]

Would be pretty hard to do that because I have only seen green and gray switches on older keyboards and only one switch per keyboard for the spacebar.  It would take a lot of keyboards to make a keyboardful of green of gray switches.  Or are they available to buy in bulk?

[VPX]

Of course, they are available at the german Mouser Electronics.

[itlnstln]

Somebody here modded a keyboard with "ghetto-greens" (blue stem/black spring, IIRC).  I don't remember what they thought of it, though.

[VPX]

Seems Mouser only got the gray 37 ones, but I think I saw the green ones somewhere else.

[AlleyViper]

Just an ideia to pimp it, what about ordering some SP blank keycaps colored the same as the switches if there's some cheap ones in stock? Maybe a lighter shade of the correspondent spring color could be used on the frankensteins.

[litster]

That's a good idea!  It would for red, blue, brown, and clear switches.  I wonder what colors would work for ergo clear and tacto black.  

I just bought a set of clear transparent numpad keycaps.  Will see how they work.  I have been bringing my tester to work and letting people try it.  It is a great tool to promote mechanical keyboards :-).

[hashbaz]

What a great idea.  Are you going to send it around litster?  If so you should start a sign-up and picture thread.

[litster]

What a great idea.  Are you going to send it around litster?  If so you should start a sign-up and picture thread.

I want to send it around to let people try the different switches.  I only have one now, but I have 3 more Goldtouch numpads.  I want get one more modded before I send one out.  I want pictures of the numpad like the traveling gnome's.

[sordna]

Still pissed that MMTY stole my Redpill Poker Red with Clear Keys away from me - coulda spiffed this one up with those.

Here's clear/smoke keycaps available, if you scroll down there's clear/transparent ones too:

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?21674-Lots-of-key-caps-for-sale.-104-clear-37-PBT-Customized-keys-and-Aluminum-keys

[hashbaz]

I want pictures of the numpad like the traveling gnome's.

This is also a great idea.

[nolliepoper]

Let me know and put me on the list if you are going to send it around for people like me to test.
I really want to see if putting the time and money into a ergo clear mod would really be worth it for a plate mounted keyboard before actually going through with the mod.

[bpiphany]

I changed the springs on some blue cherries to springs from the linear gray switches mouser supplies. It was... too much, I changed them all back except for the keys on the F-row. I even replaced the spring on the spacebar with one from a black switch.

[AlleyViper]

That's a good idea!  It would for red, blue, brown, and clear switches.  I wonder what colors would work for ergo clear and tacto black.  

I just bought a set of clear transparent numpad keycaps.  Will see how they work.  I have been bringing my tester to work and letting people try it.  It is a great tool to promote mechanical keyboards :-).

Would also for Grey and Green for the large keys. For the frankenclears I'd cut colored tape (either black electric tape or brown packaging to match springs) in four small parts with a cut corner and glue them inside the tops of clear keycaps. Colored cardboard, (if light to keep weight even) should also work, and be easier to cut exactly in the rounded part, but that way you'd have to mess with separate glue to fix them.

[The Solutor]

I wonder what colors would work for ergo clear and tacto black.  
.

Obviously beige and dark brown

[itlnstln]

Obviously.

[litster]

Obviously beige and dark brown

Beige for ergo clear and dark brown for tacto black?  I don't get it... :noidea:

EDIT:  the black background doesn't show the emoticon's black-colored arms...

[The Solutor]

Beige for ergo clear and dark brown for tacto black?  I don't get it... :noidea:

i was in hurry so I wrote dark brown instead of dark gray, by mistake

BTW

white + brown = beige



white + black = gray (we have already a gray switch so, dark gray)


brown + black (the stiffer browns)= dark brown

[itlnstln]

I tried brown + black before.  It almost felt like a black. You have to press so hard that the tactile bump almost ceases to exist.

[The Solutor]

I tried brown + black before.  It almost felt like a black. You have to press so hard that the tactile bump almost ceases to exist.

Indeed browns are pointless, and stiffer browns are even worst.

[itlnstln]

After I tried browns, all other switches are pointless.  Like Solutor's post.

I have until Monday.  I need to get it all out.

[itlnstln]

I like broad statements.  Like, "Damn, that broad is hot!"

I've probably told this one before, but in fourth or fifth grade in reading class, my teacher asked, "Does anyone know what 'abroad' means?"  After no one spoke for awhile, one kid offered, "I don't know, but my dad calls my mom 'a broad.'"  The teacher, of course, was speechless while the rest of us were still clueless.  These days, I kinda wonder what was going on in that kid's house.

[The Solutor]

After I tried browns, all other switches are pointless.  Like Solutor's post.

What a strange mutation for a good Sicilian DNA :tongue:

[litster]

"This 122-key model F keyboard is broad!"

[itlnstln]

ItlnStln, you get this one?  Perhaps it's my German blood blocking the humour.

Mainlanders don't typically care for Sicilians and vice-versa.

Kind like the movie Heat, or so I've been told (I don't know why I haven't seen it yet).

EDIT: I don't think was Heat, but now I can't remember what movie it is that I'm thinking about.  It was one of these mob-type flicks.

[keyboardlover]

It's true. My grandmother doesn't like sicilians. She's Abruzzese.

[itlnstln]

The Jersey Shore kids are just stupid.  Some of them aren't even Italian.

[The Solutor]

Mainlanders don't typically care for Sicilians and vice-versa.

Actually "continentals" is the term used in Sicily to define the people from the mainland.

Btw we should have one of them to know his opinion...

[itlnstln]

I wish A&F would pay ME to not wear their clothes.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind that kind of pay out.
 

Actually "continentals" is the term used in Sicily to define the people from the mainland.

Btw we should have one of them to know his opinion...

Personally, I don't care, and my family never shared any feelings like that with me, but that doesn't mean they didn't feel that way towards Continentals.  I have a hard time buying into general dislike of people, personally.  I abhor bigotry and racism.

[itlnstln]

So if it was the year of the Goat would it be Ducky Goatse?

Yes.

And no, there will not be pics.  I bet that guy could fit the keyboard, though.

[The Solutor]

Personally, I don't care, and my family never shared any feelings like that with me, but that doesn't mean they didn't feel that way towards Continentals.  I have a hard time buying into general dislike of people, personally.  I abhor bigotry and racism.

Hey hey, relax yourself, personally I'm jocking here, and BTW there's nothing of offensive in the term "continental" it's just the therm used in Sicily, which is uncommon in the rest of Italy

[itlnstln]

Hey hey, relax yourself, personally I'm jocking here, and BTW there's nothing of offensive in the term "continental" it's just the therm used in Sicily, which is uncommon in the rest of Italy

Oh, I know.  I was just throwing that out there.

[litster]

I've been called oriental.  I say if you are not oriental, you are disoriented.  Continental vs. discontint?

[The Solutor]

I've been called oriental.  I say if you are not oriental, you are disoriented.  Continental vs. discontint?

Incontinent...

In need of a diaper...:biggrin:

[litster]

They must have good breakfasts.  Those Continentals.

No hot breakfast?  Just cereal and cold milk, maybe a bagel?

[crazing]

Eaten over a copy of USA Today.

Anyways, I'd be super interested in this.  Baited breath and all that.  Bated? Bated.

[Danny356]

Is there anywhere i can buy one of these cherry samplers? Either a number pad like this or a full keyboard, idc. I would LOVE to have one of those