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I know there's the running joke about blue switches being heard from the space station, but how annoying are they actually to people sitting around you? I'm starting to get some dead springs on my came-with-the-PC keyboard, and all of the cheap mechanicals seem to be blue switches.
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Apr 14, 2018 06:15
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Rexxed posted:They're pretty high pitched so they tend to annoy people. Most switches cost about the same unless you're looking for a weird one, though. I mean the cheap pre-made mechanicals. Not the switches individually. It seems like everyone gushes over the blues despite complaining about how loud they are, so everyone makes cheap stuff with blues. In this case it's my wife sitting about 4 feet away. Granted she's the loudest typist I've ever known, but two wrongs doesn't make a right.
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Apr 14, 2018 17:50
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It's funny, I actually just called Best buy and asked. They do have a couple mechanical ones out for testing. Is the noise from a cheaper board the kind of thing o-rings can fix, or is it something else? And can o-rings make blues less clicky, or am I right in thinking that the click is from coming up and o-rings only help avoid noise from bottoming out? I know buying o-rings costs money, but not much.
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Apr 14, 2018 19:11
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Tried a Corsair of some sort with browns and a Razer Chroma with Razer greens. Liked both of them. The browns were definitely easier to actuate (which is stating the obvious), and had a very obvious breakpoint, but the greens felt very satisfying and like it would be very easy to type quickly with them. I wonder how quickly I could type with them given that I get almost 100wpm with a membrane keyboard. The thing is that I don't really write anymore so 90% of my typing is shitposting on here, and you don't really need the ultimate in typing technology for that. My wife said that since she's such a loud typist she wouldn't care at all what I got, but I wonder if she would change her mind once I got a keyboard with blues. There's a Redragon Kumara 552 for sale for $20 locally. That one is apparently extremely loud, though. Is there really a significant difference between blues and reds/browns for gaming, or is that only if you're trying to be MLG pro? I really like the idea of a $20 used keyboard since that would still leave me enough in my discretionary fund to buy a much needed shirt for the office, but I don't want to make her hate me and go back to one of the crappy keyboards. I also really want to find a TKL one since I never use my numpad and I could use the mouse space on my keyboard tray. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Apr 14, 2018 |
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Apr 14, 2018 22:19
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I’m not getting a reply on the Redragon, so I think he might have sold it and not removed the posting. I’m also seeing the Velocifire TKL01 for $26 open box, HCMan 87 key blue switch for $22.50 open box, Bestek with black switches (can’t find any reviews on this) for $25, and a HCMan 87 key that might be black or blue switches (doesn’t say) for $27. All of those are open box / damaged box. Or a new Redragon Kumara for $30 or so. Are any of those way better or complete trash?
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Apr 17, 2018 19:38
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Thanks, I think I’ll probably go with the Velocifire. I liked the browns a lot at the store and while the Razer greens were nice, I hear the Outemou blues are heavier and louder than standard blues. The greens already felt a bit heavy and I liked the browns about as much as the blues. The brown volume was also a lot lower which would be nice for voice chat while gaming. And hey, if I don’t like it as much I can probably flip it for about $25 locally. TKL browns on a budget are hen’s teeth locally. How’s the consistency on the browns? I heard they can be significantly uneven for actuation pressure on the Velocifire.
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Apr 17, 2018 22:24
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mewse posted:I'd say that's bullshit. I have a velocifire full size and ducky one with genuine cherry browns and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the switches. Thanks. I pulled the trigger on it and found some other stuff I had been looking for too, so two birds and one stone. Looking forward to trying it out in a week when it gets here.
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Apr 18, 2018 04:36
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What other hobbies?  ... 
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Apr 18, 2018 19:42
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Got my Velocifire TKL01. It's going to take some adjusting since the keys are actually slightly smaller than the keyboard I was using before, but it's nice. The spacebar is really light, though. The switch itself doesn't seem any lighter than any of the other ones when I take the bar off and press the switch itself, is it just that the extra mass of the space bar causes it to be easier to actuate? It's also not too much louder than the keyboard I was using before, which is nice. Any recommendations for a cheap wrist rest for a tkl board? This is much taller than I'm used to and I think my wrists are at a bad angle. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 23:03 on Apr 21, 2018 |
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Apr 21, 2018 22:57
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mewse posted:Does it have feet? The glorious gaming wrist rests look ok, and the grifiti ones on amazon get good reviews. Yeah, it does have feet. Unfortunately I just noticed that the Y key is working really intermittently unless I really bash on it. Is there anything I could check on there to see if it's something I could fix rather than having to send it back as broken? I'd rather not have to wait another week or so for a replacement. E: Huh. Switched keycaps with another key, it still did the same thing. Switched them back, now it's working. I guess it just wasn't seated right, and I must have put it on more firmly? 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Apr 21, 2018 |
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Apr 21, 2018 23:32
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Might be. It always worked when I pressed directly on the switch. What’s the heavier version of a brown? I might see about snagging one of those in a while. I keep accidentally jumping in games because I’m used to resting my thumb on the space bar. E: I'm dumb, just noticed you said that's a clear. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Apr 22, 2018 |
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Apr 22, 2018 01:37
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Brown switches are actually lighter than my old came with the computer rubber dome keyboard.
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Apr 23, 2018 22:46
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If you want tactile without the numpad, the Velocifire TKL-01 is good too.
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May 14, 2018 16:28
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You won’t regret it, I love it. It’s louder than a “normal” keyboard, but it’s not super loud and if you get used to not bottoming out the keys and just pushing down until you feel it actuate it gets a lot quieter. I have not come close to that point yet.
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May 14, 2018 20:16
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Yeah, it’s definitely an interesting change in feeling on the keys. Especially once you’re playing something that involves a lot of rapidly changing the keys you’re hitting. You really start to notice that.
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May 16, 2018 19:43
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Does anyone make wingding keycaps?
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Jul 5, 2018 18:06
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Both. One of the ones with uppercase large and lowercase right next to it.
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Jul 6, 2018 03:02
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Why does different weights for different fingers matter, though? Does it help you get a feeling for where you are on the keyboard if you get your hands in the wrong position, specifically for typing while not looking at the screen? I don't really see 15-20g making that big of a difference to your pinkie fingers. I mean, going off of the Wikipedia definition, I thought most people who grew up with computers did touch typing.
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Jul 22, 2018 23:02
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Redragon are by all accounts solid entry-level boards. I was considering getting one but I decided I would rather have browns than blues because even a brown is loud enough and I didn't want my wife to beat me over the head with a blue switch board. I also really didn't want her to try and like a blue switch board because she already makes as much noise with a rubber dome keyboard as most people do with blues.
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Jul 26, 2018 05:07
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My keyboard's y and 8 key are intermittent but seem to work better when pressed a bit towards the bottom of the keyboard. This is a problem because I type pretty fast and tend to push a bit upwards since that's the direction my fingers go. Is there a way I could fix that at home? It's a Velocifire TKL-01, so I don't want to drop a lot of money on it. Switching caps doesn't help.
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Aug 13, 2018 00:05
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tater_salad posted:You can buy a switch and try to desolder your current switch and solder a new one in it's place.. it may just need to be resoldered. Thanks, I'll try that. Now that I think about it, it is kind of like when a headphone jack's solder is starting to go and you've got to kind of wiggle it to get it to make contact right. Speaking of which I have to resolder the aux jack in my car anyway. I misplaced my key puller when I moved a couple months ago. Is there something else around the house that can be used in its place? I'm figuring I'll try resoldering and then if that doesn't work I'll buy a new switch (and a clear for the space bar while I'm at it). It's a pain because I love this keyboard in general. Ergonomics are great, kes feel good, not too loud, TKL is nice because it gives me more room for m mouse, but it's at the point where 90% of the time it doesn't register those two kes, and the result is everthing looking like this line if I don't go back, slow down, and hit the ke very carefull.
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Aug 13, 2018 14:52
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Thanks. On a whim I tried switching caps again and this time it seemed to work. So I figured it had to be a wiggly keycap that just wasn't actuating the switch every time. So I looked it up and some people do scotch tape on the socket to put a bit of width on it and fit better. I didn't have scotch tape, but I had a little bit of super thin cellophane, and tried applying that. So far it's working, but we'll see if it stays working. Hopefully it does, it's nice being able to type at full speed without having to backspace constantly.
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Aug 14, 2018 03:30
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mewse posted:Get a velocifire with browns they are great and cheap They are great, except the Y and 8 on mine are on the fritz. Putting something between the keycap and switch helps temporarily, but I haven’t found anything that lasts. Maybe I just need to buy a tiny roll of scotch tape. Otherwise it’s at least new caps, and maybe paying the markup for two new switches. Probably a clear for the space bar while I’m at it. Are the Velocifires soldered? I’ve got a cheap Harbor Freight iron and solder, how hard is it for a novice to do it? I’ve only soldered maybe twice, and that was with help. I know how, I just don’t have much experience. E: Apparently the Gateron clears are linear and light. What would be a good choice for a heavier switch with the same feel as a Gateron Brown? 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 21:20 on Sep 15, 2018 |
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Sep 15, 2018 21:07
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Worth a shot at least. Not sure if it’s the switch or key wiggle. It seems to work with no keycap, but that could just be changing the way I’m hitting it. I edited after other people posted. What could I use that feels the same as a Gateron Brown but heavier? I want my space bar to be a bit heavier. The weight of the bar itself makes it very easy to hit accidentally.
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Sep 15, 2018 21:22
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Rexxed posted:For Cherry MX switches, Clears are browns with heavier springs. However it seems like Gateron has changed it up and their clears have lighter springs and are linear. Space bars are what the cherry mx clears were originally designed for, with the stiffer spring counteracting the heavier keycap. Even though they're not the same manufacturer I'd consider getting a cherry MX clear for the spacebar since I can't seem to see a heavier tactile non-clicky gateron available (at least looking at mechanicalkeyboards inventory). Thanks. That’s what I was thinking, just not sure how similar the feel would be aside from the weight. Grittiness, actuation point, weight curve, etc. E: How do the Gateron silent browns feel compared to the normal browns? How quiet are they actually? It really doesn't matter right now since I've got an office to myself at home, but I'm curious. I specifically picked a brown switch keyboard because I wanted something quieter than blues / greens, the tactile feel was nice, and reds or black switch keyboards have a pretty hefty gaming markup. E2: What are the Aukey typewriter keycaps like to use? They look cool, but I'm concerned about the round shape messing me up after a lifetime of using rectangular caps. Also, the place I was looking that had super cheap switches doesn't have cherry clears right now. What about Zealio 65g switches? Also is Meckey alpha legit? 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 22:43 on Sep 15, 2018 |
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Sep 15, 2018 22:07
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Is there a disassembly manual/video for the TKL01? I can only find one for the model with the ten key, which has a different screw layout than mine. My Y button is nearly completely dead, so I’m hoping it’s just a bad solder. Is MecKey Alpha legit? They’ve got super cheap switches and ship from Hong Kong. I was thinking they seem a bit too cheap, but they probably just buy straight from the factories, and if you can get a board with Gaterons for $30, they must be like a nickel each from Gateron. The site is out of Cherry clears, though. Would a 65g Zealio be the same? 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 17:33 on Sep 16, 2018 |
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Sep 16, 2018 17:31
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Another question: when I get into my Velocifire, is it obvious how to desolder the switches or do I need a video?
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Sep 16, 2018 18:11
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Huh, interesting. I was reading that a cotton sock inside-out can wipe it off pretty well. I've never had to remove it before, I've always needed to do it because a wire broke or I was just replacing a push-in Tamiya connector with a Deans. At least for now I'm just checking the old switch, if I get new switches I'll have to get them shipped anyway. I could probably find a cheap solder sucker at Harbor Freight, where I got my cheapass iron.
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Sep 16, 2018 19:21
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Question Friend posted:It's a regular USB keyboard, and I don't think I have. Can you pop the key off? See if something looks damaged underneath? Could be the mechanism, could be a stabilizer if it is a key that has one, that would cause it to be pushed unevenly. If these guys do sucker you into the rabbit hole of mechanical keyboards, the Velocifire ones are about $30 on Amazon for the wired models. Just get a new one. I got an open box one off of eBay and two of the keys have never worked right. So now I’m pulling it apart to check the solder. If I had gotten it new I could have just done an exchange. I’m exaggerating by rabbit hole. Mechanical keyboards are one of the many things goons can go over the top about, but since all of the knockoff switch makers came around you can get stuff that feels way better than any normal keyboard for $30-40.
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Sep 17, 2018 16:16
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Has anyone replaced switches on their TKL01? I’m having a hard time getting the faceplate off. There’s one spot up at the top near the cable where it’s just sticking. I’ve been trying to pry at it but I can’t find whatever is holding it shut. I can’t find a video of teardown for it, just for the VM01, which is completely different as far as screw placement and such. E: the dickheads hid one last screw behind a QC sticker.
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Sep 17, 2018 21:09
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Yeah, I’m used to screws under rubber. I just didn’t think to check under that sticker. There’s no wiggle on the switch itself, the solder points seem solid. Are there any other bits on the board I should look at? Otherwise I have to hope that scotch tape works better than the other stuff I’ve tried, and have a backup of buying new switches. And a new keycap puller while I’m at it. What’s the term to look for to specify switches that have a round stem going through the board and that are soldered in two places? I know there are different mounting types.
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Sep 17, 2018 23:37
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Would I need to pull the switch out before I put the alcohol in the switch? I’m assuming yes, but it’s just if I don’t I can do it tonight rather than waiting until tomorrow. Would I have to pull it out for contact cleaner? Basically I have a soldering iron and 70% isopropyl (30% water). I don’t have contact cleaner or the solder sucker thing you posted upthread. Trying to figure out what I need to get tomorrow or if I can do it tonight. I also don’t have a switch disassembly tool so I have to pull the switch off the board before I can take it apart. And since I’m not making a hobby of working with these things I don’t want to buy one if I don’t have to.
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Sep 18, 2018 03:17
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Thanks to Rexxed I seem to have fixed my Velocifire TKL01. Just dripped a bit of 70% isopropyl into the problem switches, waited a couple days, and put it back together. So far, so good. Now I’m just waiting a bit to put the screws back in to make sure.
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Oct 17, 2018 00:16
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gently caress you all for getting me into this poo poo. Now I want to pick up another Gateron Brown keyboard and some stiffer springs, and then swap the springs out because I want to see what a heavier board would be like but I don't want to dish out the extra money for high-end switches and I can't find a cheap board with a clear-equivalent anywhere. Even if I don't do that I might end up just buying a single clear switch or try to find a roughly equivalent spring to put on my spacebar. Are there any old POS keyboards that tend to go cheap with clear switches, or has everyone already caught on to the fact that some POS keyboards used to be mechanical with Cherry switches?
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Oct 26, 2018 22:51
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Well yeah, but I can get another $30 mechanical keyboard with browns and $8 of springs, I guess the question is how much of my time is $40 worth, which right now is a lot. OTOH, that's also why I shouldn't be buying anything in the first place.
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Oct 26, 2018 23:10
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iospace posted:So, I have a Razer Blackwidow Stealth keyboard (uses brown switches). Yesterday, at some point, my left alt key died, which makes alt tabbing and other assorted tasks with that key a chore now. mewse posted:You can order a pack of brown switches for a couple bucks from aliexpress and repair the board without cannibalizing a working key. If the pcb is screwed you could solder a bodge wire. It’s possible the switch is still working and the solder broke. Also try just cleaning it out. I used 71% isopropyl and let it sit a couple days but you could do a higher percentage or I know there’s stuff specifically for that. Something might have worked its way into the switch.
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Nov 6, 2018 18:29
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You can also use tweezers if you have them. A lot of boards come with pullers, but they disappear pretty easily.
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Nov 6, 2018 18:50
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Is there a cheap way to mod browns into feeling like clears? I bottom out my browns as well. At the least I want to get my spacebar heavier.
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Dec 14, 2018 21:02
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Question for people that use 67 key boards or whatever the ones without the six keys on the top right. Do you ever miss the end/home/delete keys, assuming you used them in the first place? Or are the key combinations to do the same thing pretty easy? I’ve noticed myself using page up/down, home, and end a lot more now that I’ve started coding again, but OTOH if there’s some sort of function+ other button equivalent that’s even quicker that could end up being handy.
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Dec 16, 2018 17:55
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Part of it has to do with the case of the board itself, how the internals change the acoustics. Think about a guitar, how it has a hollow body so the sound ends up much louder than the strings would be by themselves. I’ve never done it, but I know some people fill the body of their keyboards with sound-dampening foam if that’s the issue. Personally I really like brown switches over reds, and they seem to be a bit easier to find at a budget price.
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Mar 10, 2019 20:52
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