Mechanical Keyboards...

Picked myself up a Deck Francium Pro over the holidays, as this one features a nice TKL design, ABT caps and a very solid reputation. Extremely happy with it so far.

 

Picked up a Ctrl from Drop and replaced the switches with Kailh box Navys... which I kinda regret. They're a little bit stiff and loud for typing.

Maybe it's just the contrast between those and the silenced 55g Topre on the other PC that makes it so jarring. It's like popping bubble wrap when I type. I really haven't found an MX type switch that I like. A buckling spring with the same form factor as the Ctrl would be my dream.

 

I can switch between Topre 55 and MX Ergo Clears without any problems. The difference would be slightly more noticeable with silenced 55s though as they start with the domes partially depressed already. I actually find the silenced versions a little too soft.

 

Well, you got click switches so yeah - they gunna be LOUD.

Options, assuming you want tactile bump like the topres:

- Zeal makes pretty good tactiles. Also some which are "silent". They are *very* expensive.
- Holy Pandas from MD. Not very tactile, but pretty smooth and not horribly expensive.
- Novelkeys Box Royals - tactiles with sharp bump like navies - or Novelkeys x IC Hako Royal, which have a softer/smoother bump.

Its also fine to just prefer Topre. It's kinda hard to beat a rubber dome when it comes to quiet tactile, though this does come at the cost of mushiness, because you're literally pushing on rubber.

Edit: as a rule, non-click tactile is the weakest part of mx-style switches. There's only really a few good ones. Most, like Cherry Brown, and the Romer-G logitech uses, just feel like dirty linears.

 

Crikey, I just checked out Zeal pricing. I'd seen it before and thought that it was $80 for a set of a hundred. But it's $80 for a set of ten switches.

I've just ordered another keyboard, which should facilitate easier switch replacement, so have just started looking around for whatever approximates Ergo Clears these days, looks like there are more options now. Hoping not to have to assemble my own again.

 

@JustAnotherRando both those prices are wrong, it's 10-12$ per 10 switches. Still expensive, but not actually insane.

 

Recently bought 80 Tealios V2 linear switches I’m planning on lubing for, hopefully, a nice thocky sound. I was really hoping to find the FF Cheese switches. No dice.

I liked my MX Browns but no matter what, I always bottom out the keys making the tactile part of it moot. Looking for these switches to be smooth.

 

Tealios are nice! I have Zilent V2s.

You'll want some light spring oil, Zeal uses PC for the housing, so unlubed springs can be a little grindy.

I have your same issue sometimes, so I picked up some Novelkeys x IC Hako Royal, these have a progressive spring, to see how I like them.

All the places that sell progressive springs on their own seem to be out of stock, due to COVID-19 I guess

 

I might pick up a sample pack of Zeal's if I can find one.

 

@cizx
Here: https://zealpc.net/collections/switches/products/zealio-switch-sampler-pack

 

I'm not a gamer, but the Razer BlackWidow Lite has been working out well. Much quieter than my 1984 IBM Model M.

 

Ah, thanks. They're back on the list then.

I had the purple V1s a while back (come to think of it, might still have a bag of them) and they were obviously high quality. The V2 sounds like it would be preferable for the different bump location.

 

@zerodeefex How would you describe the hall effect board, compared to anything else you have?

I was temped, but by then had decided that I preferred to go down the electro capacitive route, and was also wary of all the long, drawn out dramas that seem to accompany production runs in the mech board world.

 

They are finally doing round 2 on Nautilus and May 5 is the absolute last day to join. ship date is next year.

https://dixiemech.store/collections/gmk-nautilus-2/products/gmk-nautilus-2-keycap-set

 

Sorry, I meant to say I was posting for anyone else that didn't know it was back and the window is closing. I waited for two years for this to come back and glad he added Mac keys. Just now I saw they have a deskmat which I added

 

A bit of web wandering led me to this extremely clear explanation of what "beam springs" are. The 1:40 mark shows it in action. Reminds me of buckling spring, but rotated 90 degrees. Also shows why they are inherently clicky.

 

I would love a keyboard with a switch between MX Brown and MX Blue. Blue might be too clicky although I wouldn't mind too much. Browns are are too mushy for me (current KB). Would prefere slightly more pressure or more pronounced actuation point. Any suggestions?

 

I watched this video yesterday, and there are some switches I'd be very interested in testing. Maybe the video can help with a switch between brown and blue.