reducing alps tactility?

[roadblock2thesun]

Hey everyone,

I have fallen in love with alps switches for a number of reasons, primarily the ease with which I can modify them.

I have come to an impasse however, I would like a switch that is a little "lighter." I have tried reducing the spring pressure by cutting down the spring, but this does not seem to achieve my goal.

I tried using the "non-click" leaves from a dell at101, but this is not what I want either. I want the switch to remain clicky, but just a little less resistance before the click.

I'm not sure If I have been clear or not...
Just wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions.

Looking forward to your replies,

[chimera15]

Hey everyone,

I have fallen in love with alps switches for a number of reasons, primarily the ease with which I can modify them.

I have come to an impasse however, I would like a switch that is a little "lighter." I have tried reducing the spring pressure by cutting down the spring, but this does not seem to achieve my goal.

I tried using the "non-click" leaves from a dell at101, but this is not what I want either. I want the switch to remain clicky, but just a little less resistance before the click.

I'm not sure If I have been clear or not...
Just wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions.

Looking forward to your replies,

Well you want real complicated first, they have the lightest touch. I would say that the real cream dampened are probably the lightest.  If you have real complicated already, and it's still heavy, I'd say like Ripster said, maybe lubricate them, but I haven't had much success with that method.

I'd say get a Monterey keyboard.  They're clicky, but significantly lighter.  


One strange thing I've noticed with my steampunk hack, which uses fake whites, is that it's significantly lighter than it was.  Probably due to the added weight of the old typewriter keys sitting on top of the switch.  Maybe something like that would help, pre-weighting the switch, maybe with something under the key cap like modeling clay or something.

Low profiles in the m1242 are really nice too.  But of course not as modifiable.

[roadblock2thesun]

@Chimera15

The cream dampned ALPS contain a click-leaf that is nearly identical to the one found in the dell at101w, unless I'm missing something.

I have never heard of Monterey but will have to look into the, thanks for the suggestion.
I'm also intrested in the low profile switch you mention...

In the mean time, I'll continue watching your mod threads, you've got some good stuff.

thanks for the tips

[chimera15]

@Chimera15

The cream dampned ALPS contain a click-leaf that is nearly identical to the one found in the dell at101w, unless I'm missing something.

I have never heard of Monterey but will have to look into the, thanks for the suggestion.
I'm also intrested in the low profile switch you mention...

In the mean time, I'll continue watching your mod threads, you've got some good stuff.



thanks for the tips

Yes, you're right the leaf spring is the same.  The feel is different imo though.  Maybe I just got some very used blacks or something.  Perhaps it's that I don't bottom out as hard with the creams so it feels lighter to me as a result of that.

Edit:  You know what the difference is.  I figured it out.  The main barrel spring is slightly shorter on the creams I believe.  Going to verify that.

Cancel that, I popped open two new ones.  There doesn't appear to be any difference in length.  One appears to me, although it may just be because of bad lighting to be slightly more silverish, and the other slightly more yellow though.

I definitely had a larger spring in one of the keys I popped though.  Not sure if it was from one I tried to modify or what.....

Looking at them for like the 5th time now I think there might be a subtle difference in the springs.  A very small difference in how many times on the end they were wound a little different length.  It might just be from wear and use though.  I've mixed up which spring came from which switch at this point though and don't want to pop any others. lol

You already tried modifying the spring though to no effect? What happens when you do that?

The clicky leaf is half the height of the creams/blacks, they should be a little less resistant... but you already tried them and want even less hmm..  maybe if you press the clicky leaf in a book for along time or something it'll lessen it's resistance. lol

Try my weighting idea though, that might work well.

Didn't one of Sandy's pages compare the different springs?

[ch_123]

The Blue Alps are also meant to be lighter, and if I recall correctly, a different spring. I intend on getting a Blue Alps board soon so I can comment then.

[microsoft windows]

How much force is required to actuate a blue ALPS switch?

[chimera15]

I should try that coin trick, but it's my general impression right now that blue alps are a tiny bit stiffer than my white real complicated alps.  I originally thought they were lighter, but I've changed that opinion.  But again it's tough to tell from my one case of them, and lots of other stuff can effect the overall feel of a board.

  It's possible that when I took my switches out of the pcb, and mounted them without a pcb the impression of them changed because they're no longer mounted in a pcb....

[microsoft windows]

It doesn't really matter if they feel just about the same. That could be why people use blue ALPS when repairing Northgates.