White Omron B3G-S?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Hhaase updated the [wiki]Omron B3G-S series[/wiki] page on the wiki to note that white Omron B3G-S switches are linear, but did not cite a reference to any forum topic or collector's website.

Typically, boards with amber B3G-S series switches will have a white switch under the spacebar. Does this mean that spacebar switches on Omron boards are linear? Is anyone able to confirm/deny this?

[mbodrov]

The white switch under the spacebar in the Costar CSK-1101P that I have (http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8 ... t5759.html) does not feel the slightest bit different from the normal orange switches; it is tactile and clicky. Maybe the spring is stiffer (like in Cherry grey switches found under spacebars), but my fingers could not feel any difference.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

This is why it's important to cite references on the wiki back to a forum topic or a collector's website. I have no idea what keyboard has the white linear switches.

[hasu]

Omron white switches from Sony BVE-910 are just tactile without click.


In comparing to Cherry brown this Omron has tactile bump near bottom of stroke, so it is somewhat difficult to discriminate tactile from bottom out crash. I thought this is a linear switch at first.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Now that's really interesting.

There's a brown Alps switch with a tactile leaf that's based on the switchplate actuator leaf:

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/yamahak.htm

One imagines that Alps first tried making these brown tactile switches before introducing the more familiar folded tactile/click leaf design (blue clicky and orange tactile). Very little is known about this comparatively rare Alps variant.

That white Omron switch appears to be a copy of the brown Alps switch. This should give us a rough idea about the dates of both switches.

And now we know that white Omrons can be clicky, tactile, and possibly linear …

Do you have a page with more details on about this keyboard, that I can link to from the wiki?

[hasu]

No detailed page unfortunately. I no longer own that keyboard and have only desoldered swtiches and crappy pictures.
http://imgur.com/a/XW2RW

My another keyboard has another version of white Omron without slit but it feels same as BVE-910 switch.
http://imgur.com/a/Dd8Ko

And I just found this collector's page says Omron white on JDL keyboard has tactile and no click.
http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~silencium/k ... nical.html

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Thanks, I'll reference those pages from the wiki later! Always great to have a primary source, though it's preferable if people upload their images directly as it's less clicking around for visitors.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

… this collector's page says …

Ha, we'll have to get you translating Sandy's and MouseFan's websites, as Google's and Microsoft's Japanese→English is terrible.

So much knowledge trapped in Japanese websites ^_^

(And we're allowed to use both Sandy's and MouseFan's images on our wiki, credited appropriately.)

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Hm .... interesting .... I nearly bought a Sony BVE keyboard once, and it had really lovely switches inside. From your photos, they could have been Omron tactile instead of Topre (although this was before I'd ever used a Topre, they felt a bit too clean to have been Topre; I just knew that it was a beautifully smooth tactile switch that was better than Cherry MX brown).

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Finally, quadruple posting: yes, MouseFan's website lists Omron white as having clicky and linear variants.

[002]

A BVE 900 was posted on reddit a little while back: http://imgur.com/a/YCbHt
I think the 900 and 910 probably don't exist with Topre switches. There are about 6 or 7 of them on eBay at the moment and none of them are Topre.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

There are a lot of different BVE keyboards (some Topre) and I don't even remember what it looked like now, other than that I counted up the switches and decided that there were too few to make it worth reselling the board to someone here for a custom project. It was only £3 — I really should have bought it, as the switches were superb.

It was grey, and had multicoloured keycaps. That's all I remember for sure.

[hasu]

My another keyboard has another version of white Omron without slit but it feels same as BVE-910 switch.
http://imgur.com/a/Dd8Ko

I desoldered the switch from that board(Sony word processor Series 35) and took some photos. First I have to withdraw my previous description: "it feels same". It feels more linear and very very lesser tactile bump than BVE-910 one.

Series35 switch is on left and BVE-910 on right. As you can see Series35 has a tactile leaf , I am not sure it is linear or tactile switch after seeing this. I would say it almost feels linear... but I can still discriminate its bump at very bottom if I am with full attention.


Comparison of tactile leaves. Series35 one is in the back and BVE-910 in the front.


And Series35 keyboard was made in 1984. This type of B3G-S existed in *1984* at least.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

It's interesting to see how much the slider has yellowed. On various occasions I've looked at sliders and wondered if they're not the colour they were when they came out of the factory. Was that key always missing a keycap, though? With a keycap on, it shouldn't yellow as it would see no sunlight and no oxygen.

And we still don't have a linear switch confirmed …

[jacobolus]

I’m pretty sure the ones thought to be “linear” are the type Hasu is talking about (not quite linear, but not very tactile).

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the “tactile” white Omrons used in Sony BVE boards. I got one for cheap from ebay in great condition (not scratchy at all), but the force curve is just too mushy for me. They remind me of a mix between dampened tactile Alps switches and super lightly tactile “Ivory” Alps, but with a tactile point lower in the stroke.

Compared to my preferences they’re not tactile enough, have almost no audio feedback, and have the tactile point too far down in the stroke. I can see how someone who likes Cherry MX brown would like these even better though.

[hhaase]

Hello all;

Sorry I never saw this one previously, but I wanted to give a bit of background on this to cure some confusion I may have caused. I didn't even know this topic had been started until I received a PM from David today.

The white B3G-S switches I previously had didn't actually come from a keyboard. A couple of arcade companies used the B3G and B3G-S as trigger and thumb button switches on control yolks. In my case it came from the game Starblade by Namco with a B3G-S. They were also used by Atari in the game Roadblasters and Vindicators. They actually have a very poor reputation among arcade collectors, and are considered one of the parts to make sure and have spares when possible.

All 4 in my game were no longer functioning and I've since replaced with Alps switches that I had to trim the sides of the housing. When I did have the Omron switches, I was unable to feel any type of tactile feedback in the switch. Heck, I could barely feel any spring pressure at all, they were all very soft. No audible click either. Very mushy.

Here is another forum link that shows the Starblade switches disassembled.

http://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/in ... 141#msg141

-Hans

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I didn't realise this topic was well over a year old.

Looking back at the wiki, I've already referenced white linear to an Omron keyboard that MouseFan borrowed from a friend:

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/sx9100.htm

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Now we just need to find the [wiki]Omron B3G series[/wiki] …