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Author Topic: Realforce modding (Silence mod on easy mode)  (Read 5125 times)

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Offline AKIMbO

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Realforce modding (Silence mod on easy mode)
« on: Mon, 22 July 2013, 19:55:00 »
I plan on modding my 55g RF into a 55g silent.  I'd rather do it the easy way (i.e. buy a stock RF 87u silent version and swap the metal plunger plates). 

So my question is...will swapping the top metal plate (with plungers still connected) from the RF silent onto the RF 55g PCB work?  Are the PCB's of the RF87u non silent and RF 87U silent exactly the same such that it would allow an easy swap of top plates to achieve a silenced RF 87u 55g?

The mod worked!  I listed the steps in a below post.
« Last Edit: Thu, 01 August 2013, 21:27:41 by AKIMbO »
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Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
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Offline khaangaaroo

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 22 July 2013, 23:25:35 »
I'm pretty sure they are the same, and that will work just fine. The only thing that might have changed over time between 87u models are the housings for keys with LEDs. (I think the "EK" edition had something different so that there would be less light bleed outside the key.) In that case, you might have to swap two or three housings between plates for the keys with LEDs if they don't fit right over the LEDs.

I've never seen any issues swapping cases between 87u's, so that must mean the plates are probably all exactly the same size.

EDIT: Also note that the white 87u has a unfinished metal plate, and the black 87u has a black painted plate. So keep that in mind when you buy the silenced model, what kind of look you want for the plate.
« Last Edit: Mon, 22 July 2013, 23:37:05 by khaangaaroo »
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Offline iri

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 23 July 2013, 05:09:33 »
don't you experience finger pain anymore on topre?
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(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.
-Ray Bradbury

Offline AKIMbO

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 23 July 2013, 07:15:21 »
Quote from: iri on Tue, 23 July 2013, 05:09:33
don't you experience finger pain anymore on topre?
Nope...I'm good.  I've got no idea what was going on in the past with my knuckles, but typing on topre is fine for me now.

Quote from: khaangaaroo on Mon, 22 July 2013, 23:25:35
I'm pretty sure they are the same, and that will work just fine. The only thing that might have changed over time between 87u models are the housings for keys with LEDs. (I think the "EK" edition had something different so that there would be less light bleed outside the key.) In that case, you might have to swap two or three housings between plates for the keys with LEDs if they don't fit right over the LEDs.

I've never seen any issues swapping cases between 87u's, so that must mean the plates are probably all exactly the same size.

EDIT: Also note that the white 87u has a unfinished metal plate, and the black 87u has a black painted plate. So keep that in mind when you buy the silenced model, what kind of look you want for the plate.

Thanks!  I'm probably going to get a black 87u silent.  A spare set of black dyesub caps and a black backplate on a white 87u 55g would be excellent.  I think I'll post a little pictorial how to if the mod works out smoothly.
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Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
| KBD75 (box reds)

Offline MJ45

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 23 July 2013, 11:45:14 »
You could turn your HHKB typeS into a HHKB typeS 55g with your 55g RF!
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Offline khaangaaroo

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 23 July 2013, 21:40:23 »
Quote from: AKIMbO on Tue, 23 July 2013, 07:15:21
Thanks!  I'm probably going to get a black 87u silent.  A spare set of black dyesub caps and a black backplate on a white 87u 55g would be excellent.  I think I'll post a little pictorial how to if the mod works out smoothly.

Just listed: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46122.0
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Offline iri

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 24 July 2013, 10:01:22 »
Quote from: AKIMbO on Tue, 23 July 2013, 07:15:21
Quote from: iri on Tue, 23 July 2013, 05:09:33
don't you experience finger pain anymore on topre?
Nope...I'm good.  I've got no idea what was going on in the past with my knuckles, but typing on topre is fine for me now.
congratulations. how much time did the "recovery" take?
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(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.
-Ray Bradbury

Offline KuhnTang

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 24 July 2013, 12:58:32 »
I'm curious to see how this turns out.  Also how much work is involved. 
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Offline AKIMbO

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 24 July 2013, 17:09:10 »
Quote from: iri on Wed, 24 July 2013, 10:01:22
Quote from: AKIMbO on Tue, 23 July 2013, 07:15:21
Quote from: iri on Tue, 23 July 2013, 05:09:33
don't you experience finger pain anymore on topre?
Nope...I'm good.  I've got no idea what was going on in the past with my knuckles, but typing on topre is fine for me now.
congratulations. how much time did the "recovery" take?

Just a few days.  I have no idea what was going on?  It could have been bad typing technique or lupus.  I'm going with lupus though.
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Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
| KBD75 (box reds)

Offline badcop

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 24 July 2013, 17:30:22 »

Quote from: AKIMbO on Wed, 24 July 2013, 17:09:10
Quote from: iri on Wed, 24 July 2013, 10:01:22
Quote from: AKIMbO on Tue, 23 July 2013, 07:15:21
Quote from: iri on Tue, 23 July 2013, 05:09:33
don't you experience finger pain anymore on topre?
Nope...I'm good.  I've got no idea what was going on in the past with my knuckles, but typing on topre is fine for me now.
congratulations. how much time did the "recovery" take?

Just a few days.  I have no idea what was going on?  It could have been bad typing technique or lupus.  I'm going with lupus though.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
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Offline oTurtlez

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 25 July 2013, 14:28:47 »
Quote from: badcop on Wed, 24 July 2013, 17:30:22

Quote from: AKIMbO on Wed, 24 July 2013, 17:09:10
Quote from: iri on Wed, 24 July 2013, 10:01:22
Quote from: AKIMbO on Tue, 23 July 2013, 07:15:21
Quote from: iri on Tue, 23 July 2013, 05:09:33
don't you experience finger pain anymore on topre?
Nope...I'm good.  I've got no idea what was going on in the past with my knuckles, but typing on topre is fine for me now.
congratulations. how much time did the "recovery" take?

Just a few days.  I have no idea what was going on?  It could have been bad typing technique or lupus.  I'm going with lupus though.

Show Image



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

I just died. Omg House.
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Quote from: mkawa on Tue, 03 December 2013, 15:06:18
TOO BAD FOR YOU

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Offline AKIMbO

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Re: Realforce modding question
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 01 August 2013, 21:17:59 »
Quote from: KuhnTang on Wed, 24 July 2013, 12:58:32
I'm curious to see how this turns out.  Also how much work is involved. 

So I just did the mod (swapped the metal plate from a stock silenced board and installed it onto a stock not silenced board).  It worked flawlessly.  Total time spent was about 30 minutes. 

Steps involved:
1) Remove cases from both keyboards.
2) Unhook the usb cables from the PCBs on both boards.
3) Flip the boards over so the plungers are on resting on your desk/table/worksurface.
4) Unscrew the PCB from the plate.
5) Flip PCB over so plungers are on top.
6) Lift plate away from PCB.
7) Swap the plates/place plates on top of PCBs (note: PCBs will still have the rubber domes installed...we are only swapping the metal plates with this mod).
8) Flip boards over (plungers on your worksurface) and screw the plates back into the PCB.
9) Reinstall usb cables.
10) Reinstall the cases on the keyboard.
11) Enjoy newly silenced realforce keyboard.
« Last Edit: Thu, 01 August 2013, 21:19:35 by AKIMbO »
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Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
| KBD75 (box reds)

Offline KuhnTang

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Re: Realforce modding (Silence mod on easy mode)
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 02 August 2013, 10:29:00 »
So what is your opinion of the new silenced 55g?
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Offline oTurtlez

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Re: Realforce modding (Silence mod on easy mode)
« Reply #13 on: Fri, 02 August 2013, 10:33:46 »
Uniform silence sounds wonderful.
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Quote from: mkawa on Tue, 03 December 2013, 15:06:18
TOO BAD FOR YOU

              Phantom 62g MX Whites    

Offline AKIMbO

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Re: Realforce modding (Silence mod on easy mode)
« Reply #14 on: Fri, 02 August 2013, 10:36:41 »
Quote from: KuhnTang on Fri, 02 August 2013, 10:29:00
So what is your opinion of the new silenced 55g?

It's heaven. 

Near dead silent.  It doesn't thock as much as an 87u-silent (variable weighted) nor an HHKB Type S.  The actuation force required doesn't seem to be affected by the silenced plungers or foam disks and the scratchiness of a silenced topre switch is somewhat reduced (probably due to the heavier actuation force required of a 55g switch in comparison to 30g, 35g, 40g, or 45g topre switches). 

I think it's my favorite keyboard, but I will reserve final judgment for a few months. 
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Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
| KBD75 (box reds)

Offline wendell

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Re: Realforce modding (Silence mod on easy mode)
« Reply #15 on: Fri, 02 August 2013, 11:34:25 »
I wonder if EliteKeyboards would be interested in doing this. They could take a Realforce 87U Tenkeyless 55g and a Silent, swap the plates, then sell the 55g/silent for a bit more and the variable/normal for a bit less. I would expect a lot of people to be interested in both. The trick would be to make the price differential enough that they didn't get stuck with a lot of variable/normals.
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Offline Neo.X

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Re: Realforce modding (Silence mod on easy mode)
« Reply #16 on: Fri, 02 August 2013, 11:36:16 »
That a great and easy mod. I have a 55g one and silent one as well, maybe I should try this mod as well.

Thanks for sharing :thumb:
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All those keyboards will be lost in time....
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