Any Futaba / SMK Lovers Out There ?

[fohat.digs]

So today I found a "Laser" keyboard at a salvage store and picked it up.

The keys feel very nice, light, tactile, clicky, overall very pleasant and MX-compatible doubleshots to boot.

Although it has the bigass Enter that I loathe, this seems like it could be a particularly nice board.

Plus, I have another donor board if I need to replace switches.

What is the consensus on these?

Thanks!

[CPTBadAss]

I honestly didn't care for the Futaba switches I tried.

[rootwyrm]

So today I found a "Laser" keyboard at a salvage store and picked it up.

The keys feel very nice, light, tactile, clicky, overall very pleasant and MX-compatible doubleshots to boot.

Although it has the bigass Enter that I loathe, this seems like it could be a particularly nice board.

Plus, I have another donor board if I need to replace switches.

What is the consensus on these?

Thanks!

I'm a fan of the SMK "Heavy" version which is found in the Lasers sometimes. Mostly it's found in later versions though, sadly. There is no ANSI layout version I'm aware of, but I may just not have seen it.

They are a bit on the fragile side as far as mounting.

BTW, if you haven't noticed yet, the keycaps are ABS but they are true double-shots and RIDICULOUSLY thick. At least on MOST of the examples I've found.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Wait — are these SMK or Futaba? They're quite different!

SMK Cherry MX mount
Futaba clicky switch

Note that they could hardly be any more different (for metal contact switches, anyway)

[terrpn]

So today I found a "Laser" keyboard at a salvage store and picked it up.

The keys feel very nice, light, tactile, clicky, overall very pleasant and MX-compatible doubleshots to boot.

Although it has the bigass Enter that I loathe, this seems like it could be a particularly nice board.

Plus, I have another donor board if I need to replace switches.

What is the consensus on these?

Thanks!

i have the same laser board, easily one of my favorites!!

good pickup

[terrpn]

Wait — are these SMK or Futaba? They're quite different!

SMK Cherry MX mount
Futaba clicky switch

Note that they could hardly be any more different (for metal contact switches, anyway)

never had apart- but possibly smk

[Daniel Beardsmore]

It's fairly obvious which it is from simply pulling a keycap!

[terrpn]

 

It's fairly obvious which it is from simply pulling a keycap!

smk..............sorry

[fohat.digs]

Wait — are these SMK or Futaba? They're quite different!

SMK Cherry MX mount
Futaba clicky switch

Note that they could hardly be any more different (for metal contact switches, anyway)

Sorry, I thought that they were very similar.

Both keyboards have second generation SMKs. I like the feel a lot, but a bigass Enter is just about a deal-killer for me anymore.

One board has several dead keys scattered around it, so I plan to harvest the switches. Are they compatible with anything else?

I may use the Laser for a bit, but I feel sure that I will put it up for sale soon. Unless there is a way to harvest the switches and use them somewhere better!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

So far as I know, no, they're not compatible with any non-SMK switches. Pity, as they're good switches.