Hi,
I’ve been searching for the right switches for a while now. And I have a box full of keyboards I don’t like to prove it.
I found a keyboard I like but it’s got the wrong switches on it.
I got a mathew yg108, that seems alright, though I have firmware trouble with it so far.
The keyboard came with switches as follows
Brown switch:Operating force:45g Pressure Force:55g
Operating Travel: 2.0mm Tactile Travel:1.2mm Total Travel:3.40±4.00mm
The tactile feels like almost nothing, almost like linear switches and while it’s great for gaming, I like having way more resistance than that.
I know a keyboard that has the switches I like. It was a victsing pc315a
No idea what switches this uses but they have a lot more resistance at the activation point
Anyway, I tried my luck buying switches that looks like they might be like that
I got a set of outemu branded “orange” switches
here are the specs
I received them and installed one of them
original switch
new switch
new switch behind
switch hole
And after all this was said and done… I cannot tell the new switch apart from the other ones ! Feels exactly the same ?
Do I just need a stronger spring value ? I had a 45 or 55 gram switch Now it’s almost 60 gram switch
How high to these values go ?
What is the next tactile standard switch force I can search for after 60g ?
What does the victsing keyboard use ?
Regarding this Victsing Keyboard: It’s hard to find anything about this board, but it looks like this isn’t even a mechanical keyboard. More like a cheapish rubber-dome board.
If you wanna have more of a “rubber dome” feel, you wanna have something without pretravel. E.g. Gazzew Bobba U4T
Additionally, silent switches don’t bottom out as hard as normal switches, so they feel a little more "rubber dome"in that regard.
Thanks I haven’t taken it apart but I think yes, it feels rubber and the mid point resistance is very pronounced.
I have very few accidental press nor missed press nor double press
Is there a generic name to find that kind of switch?
Since rubber domes are a completely different technology, there is no direct comparison to them in mechanical switches.
Edit: The closest to a “Name” we have in the community would be “Heavy Tactile”. But this might not necessarily be the thing you are actually looking for…
You can check out this selection of force curves: https://github.com/bluepylons/Open-Switch-Curve-Meter/blob/main/Force curve measurements/README.md
Maybe you find a switch that is interesting to you.
And I have two suggestions for you:
- Since it sounds like you have not written on mechanical keys for a long time yet - get used to the ones you have at the moment and try to “forget” the feeling of the rubber domes that is present in your fingers. And experience what mech. keys are generally good at. E.g. that you don’t need to bottom out. That would be the FIRST thing to do. Otherwise you might end up spending a lot of money in the search of something that just can’t exist.
- Order a broader range of switch samples, from different switches & manufacturers. Maybe just 2 switches each at first. Try them out and see what you really like. It is hard to find the right switch just by looking at the theory. You can find a list of vendors here: https://kbd.news/vendors
Thanks, that was spund advice. I do like my keyboard, but I always bottom the key still. The “step” of 45g is still to subtle to me to register reliably.
I went back to my old keyboard and I like the feel more for typing still.
But I want to run an advanced open source firmware in my keyboard and have individual leds to tell me what state/layer that keyboard is in.
You might look into the Kailh Box switches. The click leaf adds a distinct tactile bump, plus the sound factor. The Box Navy is almost painfully tactile.