What switches are used in the Cherry 1800 line?

[jaydub]

Does anyone know what switches Cherry uses for its 1800 compact keyboard line?

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/Industrial/1800/index.htm

[keyb_gr]

The models on the linked page are all with linear (black) MX switches - P with PS/2+USB combo or U with USB. Others are probably available if you're an OEM who'd like a thousand or two.

[IBI]

The models on the linked page are all with linear (black) MX switches - P with PS/2+USB combo or U with USB. Others are probably available if you're an OEM who'd like a thousand or two.

Actually the ones listed on that page as the G81s which use FTSC switches, but the G80-1800 do use linear MXs. (older ones may have non-linear ones, as well as custom bulk orders).

[jaydub]

What are the characteristics of an FTSC switch?

Also, it would appear that the only Cherry keyboard that uses Cherry Blues would be the G80-3000LSCRC-2?  Is that correct.  Odd, considering it is the maker of those switches.

[keyb_gr]

What are the characteristics of an FTSC switch?

It's a plunger-over-membrane mechanism that gives a linear response and bottoms out quite softly. Some prefer it over blacks due to the latter, while others find it to be stiff.

Also, it would appear that the only Cherry keyboard that uses Cherry Blues would be the G80-3000LSCRC-2?  Is that correct.  Odd, considering it is the maker of those switches.

Oh, a few years back you could pretty much only pick up 3000s with blacks, so the current situation is an improvement already (here in Germany, both white -0 and black -2 versions of the G80-3000LSCDE can be picked up). I guess the production capacities weren't there for overly many different versions, they make a lot of other things as well after all. I'd also assume the blacks to be the least expensive type of the bunch.

Which variants of the G80-3000 are currently made in Germany and which in the Czech Republic, don't ask me. Seems to be no distinct pattern.

[jaydub]

Well, I have a Compaq KU-9963 which is a membrane board, non-clicky of course, but with a 55g peak force bump fairly high in the travel.  I have to say that I do like the action on this board, especially because of the bump.  I tried out the Filco with Cherry browns and it is nowhere near as tactile.  As far as mechanical non-clicky switches, it sounds like the Alps blacks are the only other game in town.  Are they significantly more tactile?  ABS M1 seems to be the most well known.  Are there compact alternatives?

[IBI]

Well, I have a Compaq KU-9963 which is a membrane board, non-clicky of course, but with a 55g peak force bump fairly high in the travel.  I have to say that I do like the action on this board, especially because of the bump.

Membrane is just the mechanism that registers the keystroke, it determines nothing about the feel, do you mean Rubber Dome?

If you do then I agree, I've got a rubber-dome gateway non-anykey that's very nice to type on. I wondered if yours was the same keyboard, but looking at a picture it appears to be a lot newer

 I tried out the Filco with Cherry browns and it is nowhere near as tactile.  As far as mechanical non-clicky switches, it sounds like the Alps blacks are the only other game in town.  Are they significantly more tactile?

If by 'tactile' you mean a sudden change in the feel as the switch goes down (i.e. a silent click) then no, or at least not for the real alps. (They're very nice though). I don't think any of the mechanical switches give the collapsing behavior of rubber domes, they're all fairly consistant all the way down, with some having a click in the middle.

The Cherry Cymotion Expert seems to be fairly popular around here (it's a rubber dome keyboard), but with a quick search I couldn't find any posts describing it's feel.

[pmyshkin]

I just bought one of these (g81-1800 LUMUS-2). I guess I didn't do my homework because I thought they would have clicky type mechanical switches. The label on the back of the keyboard makes it sufficiently clear that these boards use MY (aka FTSC) switches, which have linear response and feel really stiff to me. It's almost impossible for me to type on this keyboard because there's no tactile or auditory feedback at all and bottoming out the keys takes more strength than I have in my fingers. There's also no USB ports, which I swear I saw advertised on one datasheet or another. Cherry's datasheets are very confusing in general. They don't clearly write out what color switches are used, just "Mechanical switches," and some versions say "FTSC membrane technology" and others don't. It almost seems like they're intentionally trying to confuse you.

It's pointless for me to return it because the place I bought it from (totalbarcode.com) has a fascist return policy.

2 redeeming qualities though - the construction is very solid and impressive, and I like the compact layout that manages to squeeze all 104 keys into a board that's 3 inches shorter than normal.

Oh well, I just hope other people don't make the same mistake as me and buy this keyboard.

[cchan]

pmyshkin, Sorry you had to suffer through a Cherry FTSC keyboard. If it's any consolation, they tend to sell quite well on ebay.

[pmyshkin]

cchan, thanks for listening to me gripe. Truth is, I probably got what I deserved for trying to procure a high quality product without being willing to shell out the cash or doing enough research.

I still haven't figured out why anyone would want this kind of switch on a keyboard though.

[cchan]

Durability basically. It is rated for fifty million keystrokes.
And if you wanted a really nice keyboard take the g80-3000lscrc-2:
http://www.totalbarcode.com/product/Cherry_G80-3000_Standard_PC_Keyboard.html

I have one, and I love it.

[IBI]

there's no tactile or auditory feedback at all and bottoming out the keys takes more strength than I have in my fingers.

Small Nitpick: There is tactile feedback, it's the keys getting stiffer as you press them down. You just don't like it.

There's also no USB ports, which I swear I saw advertised on one datasheet or another. Cherry's datasheets are very confusing in general. They don't clearly write out what color switches are used, just "Mechanical switches," and some versions say "FTSC membrane technology" and others don't. It almost seems like they're intentionally trying to confuse you.

If you've been looking at the Cherry US site then you might want to use the cherry europe site in future, as the US one does seem to be pretty poor.

http://www.cherry.co.uk/english/products/compact_keyboards_G81-1800.htm

Cherry don't use the switch colour in any official documentation as far as I know, but the do usually describe the switch type by it's feel (linear, click action, soft pressure point etc.)

2 redeeming qualities though - the construction is very solid and impressive, and I like the compact layout that manages to squeeze all 104 keys into a board that's 3 inches shorter than normal.

Having used that layout for a year (in the form of a Raptor-Gaming K1) I didn't find myself that keen on it, for me it wasn't compact enough to make a difference over a large keyboard and it had some problems like the position of the delete key

EDIT: LSCRC is the Clicky (blue) switches, but the last two letters are usually layout (the second one is US layout with Euro key for example), so what's RC?

[xyzzy]

LSCRC is the Clicky (blue) switches, but the last two letters are usually layout (the second one is US layout with Euro key for example), so what's RC?

People's Republic of China probably

[cchan]

People's Republic of China probably

Nope, Republic of China, aka Taiwan.