Tacky sticky sound after HH bottom out.

[lam47]

I am still getting a sticky sound with my new HH.
Its after the key bottoms out. It sounds as if it gets stuck in something sticky and the sound is it becoming unstuck. Does that make sense?

Now I opened it and cleaned some of the oil away but it still does it on some keys.
Has anyone else noticed this with a new HH and has a way to stop it?

Thanks guys.

[ozar]

Hi, lam

I don't have a new HHKB Pro2 to test for the issue you described above, so really can't answer on that, but I've been wondering about something somewhat related.  Other than the sticky sound issue, have you noticed any other differences in the way a "brand new" HHKP Pro2 feels or sounds from one that has been used a bit?

Mine isn't even a year old yet (I've never owned a new one), but I'm wondering if the key presses start feeling or sounding substantially different after a few months of use, or if they keep feeling pretty much the same throughout the life of the board?

Hope my question makes sense.

Thanks.

[xsphat]

Hey Lam, I know you don't eat around your keyboards, but maybe you shouldn't spank it around them either.

And ozar, my first HHKB Pro 2 was a year old when I bought it, and I used it for a year and sold it to Pook. This new one took a few weeks to loosen up right and now it is just as I remember the old one. Same sound, same satisfying Topre feel and all that. The reason I did this was to get a printed white one — my old one was a printed black model.

[xsphat]

And neither of my HHKB Pro2s have done this, and I bought one used and one new.

[lam47]

Mine is still making the sticky sound

[ozar]

And ozar, my first HHKB Pro 2 was a year old when I bought it, and I used it for a year and sold it to Pook. This new one took a few weeks to loosen up right and now it is just as I remember the old one. Same sound, same satisfying Topre feel and all that. The reason I did this was to get a printed white one — my old one was a printed black model.

xsphat - thanks for the info, that's exactly what I was wondering about.

I'm considering buying another one myself, but haven't decided whether to go with black or another white model.  I'm really leaning toward the white version.

[o2dazone]

Unless of course someone in the factory was munching on a caramel bar while assembling.r

Pocky you mean

hope you get it resolved

[lam47]

I have re seated all of the springs and rubber domes
What I have not tried is to check the underside of the back shafts or the top of the rubber.
I may open it later and have a look. You know it is there ever so slightly on some of they keys on the realforce. I think it is just new parts that need to wear a bit to be honest.
Still It wont hurt to have a look will it.
Thanks guys.

[anitract]

I just got my new hhkb pro 2 today no sticky sound that I can detect.  Some keys do have slightly different pitches and I do notice a bit of a plastic "ring" if I come off a key harshly (if that makes any sense), but it is not an unpleasant sound at all.

[lam47]

A way to see if you have the same sound is to push the key all the way down firmly. Hold it there and then slowly let it come up. See if there is any sort of tackiness to it.

[Korbin]

Does this happen with all the keys?h Or is it only certain ones?

[ssb]

Hold it there and then slowly let it come up. See if there is any sort of tackiness to it.

Well, I've noticed something similar with a few keys of my 87U; From a distance it definitely sounds like something is becoming unstuck.
Did you try with a naked board? Does it sound the same when pushing rubber dome with your finger?

[lam47]

Just gave it a go with just the domes and they do do it. So its unrelated to the sliders.
I still think it is most likely just because the board is new and the rubber needs to wear in.

[ssb]

Just gave it a go with just the domes and they do do it. So its unrelated to the sliders.
I still think it is most likely just because the board is new and the rubber needs to wear in.

Did you try with just the dome without spring? I wonder if it's the spring actually that produces this sound.

[lam47]

I didnt think to do that no! I might have another go Later and see if I can find out for sure what is causing it.

[keyb_gr]

My guess would be that ventilation does not work as intended for the affected domes. Obviously if air can't be drawn back in quickly enough, you'll get a "suction cap" effect.

[ssb]

Could be that British fog too...

Hmm, seems that the British fog drifted southward over Greece because I notice the same "Torpe fart" issue on my 87U. :lol:

[ozar]

Hmm, seems that the British fog drifted southward over Greece because I notice the same "Torpe fart" issue on my 87U. :lol:

Once I get my 87U back on the desktop, I'll check for the same issue, but I don't recall having any such sounds with it from before.

[anitract]

Using the method described here, I cannot get my new hhkb to stick...but I am still in the break-in period.

[Korbin]

Hmm, seems that the British fog drifted southward over Greece because I notice the same "Torpe fart" issue on my 87U. :lol:

Out of curiosity, how long have you had your 87u?

[ozar]

lam, I ordered a new HHKB Pro 2 earlier today, so when it comes in I'll check it for this issue and report back if it makes the same sticky noise.

[ssb]

Out of curiosity, how long have you had your 87u?

Just a few days! Still in break-in phase. :smile:

[lam47]

Thanks all. It is seriously annoying me now!

[ssb]

Thanks all. It is seriously annoying me now!

Give it some time!
Honestly I don't find it particularly annoying. After all, this sticky sound is nothing when compared to sounds produced from mechanical switches. I wish it will disappear after break-in period though!

[lam47]

Yeah but I like the mechanical switch sound. Its supposed to be like that.
This is annoying as its not every key and makes me feel like there is something nasty under the ones that do it. Spoils the experience a bit. I am probably overly sensitive to sounds and to the feel of things too. I cant use my new Dell 101 as the lasered keys feel horrible on my poor fingers
Stlensbar is going to ask PFU after the Japanese holiday if they know what it is and if there is a fix.

[ssb]

I've noticed that even those keys that didn't produce this sound, started to do so after being used for a while.
I'm not sure if it's dome, but still sounds like a spring noise to me. Put your ear onto the back cover and try one of those keys.

[ssb]

I hear the ocean.

Ha ha haa :lol:

Did you try doing this? I had not noticed the sticky sound until following these steps.

[lam47]

exactly rip! nice analogy.

[ozar]

For the record, I just tested about a dozen or so keys on my used and broken in HHKB Pro 2 and didn't hear the described noise on any of them.

[lam47]

The white one Ozar has never did it when I had it either. I think it could well be a break in thing.

[ozar]

Hey, lam

The new HHKB Pro 2 arrived today, and it does indeed have the sticky key sound(s) on some of the keys.  It is very quiet, though, and I'm not sure that I'd ever have noticed it had you not brought it up in this thread.  On the other hand, perhaps I would have heard it on my own after hearing it for a while.

Either way, I'll keep an eye (or an ear) on it to see if it goes away or gets worse.

[ozar]

It's odd really because after typing on this board for a few hours, I'm not hearing the suction sounds at all.

Perhaps it is something that comes and goes.

[ozar]

lam47

I've continued to play around with the keys on my new HHKB Pro 2, testing for that sticky key sound and it seems to be somewhat of an intermittent issue.  It's also barely perceptible at times and I literally have to put my ear next to the keyboard to hear it.  To me, it sounds like a sticky/tacky liquid substance noise of some type, but I've not taken the board apart to investigate.  Now that I understand better what to listen for, I'll pay more attention to the sounds made by the keys on the white HHKB Pro 2 the next time it's on the desktop.

Please do keep us updated should you get to the bottom of the mystery sounds.

[watduzhkstand4]

does it kinda sound like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5CeNunbHto

[lam47]

No that is how the board sounds normally. The sound is not really noticeable at that speed either.
The slits sound interesting.
I will open the hacker up later and take a look.
Thanks ripster

[watduzhkstand4]

Thanks ripster!

That gas doesn't bother me, it's just that I've never heard of anything like that before and I was kinda curious about what's making that sound =D

[rdjack21]

I take it that dome is off your 87U? What I've noticed in some pictures of older Topre boards is that the dome design has changed over time. And I'm begging to wonder which design is in the HHKB Pro 1 and 2. I think after I start getting some of those older board I'm going to be taking them apart and see.

For reference take a look at dome in this picture:


As you can see no channels in that dome.

[clickclack]

The pic ripster was showing was the bottom of the dome, yours and the one you were refering to was the top.

All rubber domes and the like have some sort of gap/channels under it. If they didn't, they would get stuck, become slugish, or harder to push.


oops, sorry! I should have refreshed ripster beat me to it! =P

[defn]

Hey all.  I am actually quite okay with the "stick" sound -- but all of a sudden out of the blue my spacebar started making a weird squeaking noise.

To reproduce it I:
1. Depress the spacebar all the way (not too hard, not too soft, just the regular weight of my thumb like I'm typing the spacebar.
2. Rock the spacebar gently forward (towards the top of the board) and backward (towards the bottom of the board).

I am getting a screechy sound that doesn't happen every time, but I want to figure out how to stop it because when it happens it makes me feel like I'm typing on a piece of junk plastic kid's toy.  Not to mention it's high pitched and annoying sounding.

Anyone have any ideas?

I popped the spacebar off and ran some compressed air over everything, I tried doing the same rocking motion without the space on there, and I couldn't reproduce it, but I put the spacebar back on and lo and behold it's back.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Defn

[defn]

Quick update -- I have no idea what I did but I removed the cap for the spacebar again and put it back on and for some reason it's gone.  I really have no idea what was causing it.  If anyone can solve this mystery I'd be interested to know what's causing that noise.  It sounds like like a really really tiny mouse.  Like, a baby mouse--  I guess.  Heh.

Anyway, thanks in advance all!

Defn