Novatouch

[phinix]

I'm wondering how many of you guys still have Novatouch keyboard in your collection.
Did you keep it stock, or did you mod it somehow? What did you do to it?
Maybe you could show some pics too?

[Aruberon]

I keep mine around as a secondary board at all times, sometimes as the only one depending on the rotation and feeling at the time.

Case is stock, keycaps are some double shot pbt idobao keycaps, not the best but they were only 40 dollars and fits the stock case very nicely.

Switches are lubed and silenced with silence-x rings, des landing pads under the stabilized keys and a thin coat of lube on the entire top surface of the PCB, apparently this reduces/removes spring ping, honestly I didn't hear much ping before and idk if it actually changed anything, but people recommended it.

Best mod, by far though is the cable going from a very fragile micro USB port without strain relief to a permanently fixed internal cable using the original parts, I had spares so the original JST to micro USB and micro USB to USB a cooler master cable is still around but in storage.

[phinix]

I keep mine around as a secondary board at all times, sometimes as the only one depending on the rotation and feeling at the time.

Case is stock, keycaps are some double shot pbt idobao keycaps, not the best but they were only 40 dollars and fits the stock case very nicely.

Switches are lubed and silenced with silence-x rings, des landing pads under the stabilized keys and a thin coat of lube on the entire top surface of the PCB, apparently this reduces/removes spring ping, honestly I didn't hear much ping before and idk if it actually changed anything, but people recommended it.

Best mod, by far though is the cable going from a very fragile micro USB port without strain relief to a permanently fixed internal cable using the original parts, I had spares so the original JST to micro USB and micro USB to USB a cooler master cable is still around but in storage.

des landing pads under the stabilized keys - does this change a lot of sound of mods?

[Aruberon]

It's effectively the same as the bandaid mod for mx equivalents, with the stab wire no longer hitting the PCB it's just a muffled and deeper sound.

[phinix]

It's effectively the same as the bandaid mod for mx equivalents, with the stab wire no longer hitting the PCB it's just a muffled and deeper sound.

I'll try that, thanks.

[phinix]

There is a Novatouch for sale on ebay, tempting!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325765121204

[Aruberon]

Thats hilariously overpriced though, and missing parts.

For reference I got mine for 130 eur earlier this year, also on ebay, ansi layout.
Admittedly without aftermarket keycaps, but these arent even that pricy.

[mcmaxmcmc]

There is a Novatouch for sale on ebay, tempting!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325765121204

Poor price


But to join in, yes, I also have a Novatouch. It's mostly stock -- it's got a dome swap from a 45g 108u just to make sure I have 45g domes on it (it really didn't change much -- guess the heavier feel than normal is just from the scratched up sliders). I also have some Cherry keycaps on it, and some o-rings to bring the keycap up just a bit else the keycap hits the housing. (I think all rows have 1 o-ring on it except R3 and R2 which has 2)

[Muirium]

300 quid!? For a lousy Novatouch. For fuck sake!

I do still have mine, having sold phinix the ISO one of these two long ago:



Damping rings are the key. Once you’ve sorted that, they’re a decent enough, low-key showcase for MX mount caps. Much prefer mine to MX keyboards for that purpose.

[Aruberon]

Damping rings are the key. Once you’ve sorted that, they’re a decent enough, low-key showcase for MX mount caps. Much prefer mine to MX keyboards for that purpose.

Those dampening rings look so thick though, despite being foam, doesnt it massively mess up the keyfeel?

[Muirium]

Nope. They don’t spoil anything at all. Quite the opposite for the clunky Novatouch! I put Hypershere’s rings into my Realforce and second HHKB, I like them so much. Compared to my stock HHKB Type-S, they’re just as good as Topre’s own factory damping, to which I’m so deeply used to in my main keyboard since 2014.

If you’re thinking O-ring thick, think again.

[Aruberon]

Fair, my only point of reference is these:

HTB1x4OeX1sAV1JjSZFsq6ydZXXaT.jpg (107.19 KiB) Viewed 14083 times

Which are ultra thin rubber ones, keyfeel is more or less identical to stock, but with the desired dampened sound, I enjoyed them, they went into both the Novatouch and Realforce sa0100, overall both boards feel more or less identical before and after this mod though.

Cant comment on HHKB, I am yet to join the cult

[Muirium]

Yeah, going by the pic, Hypersphere's are a bit thicker, but a matte black material instead. I still have a few spare, I should take some macro pics of them. Hypersphere tested a few different thicknesses with his supplier, and settled on 0.5 mm, going by my DT-search-fu. That sounds a bit thick, but doesn't feel it. I’m typing on my black HHKB just now, with them installed, and frequently swap to my white Type-S. The boards are strikingly differently weighted thanks to use, but the damping seems identical to me in person. Certainly a lot nicer than the ` key which I left undamped as a reminder.

It's quite possible his rings—which are quite soft—get flattened with initial use. I remember them seeming a bit flatter than my spares when I pulled some from the Novatouch I sold Phinix, which I'd used lightly for a year or two. There may well be a an initial breaking in period.

[phinix]

300 quid!? For a lousy Novatouch. For fuck sake!

I do still have mine, having sold phinix the ISO one of these two long ago:



Damping rings are the key. Once you’ve sorted that, they’re a decent enough, low-key showcase for MX mount caps. Much prefer mine to MX keyboards for that purpose.

Yeah, pretty a lot, but its from Southampton - I heard that place is expensive!

[phinix]

Yeah, going by the pic, Hypersphere's are a bit thicker, but a matte black material instead. I still have a few spare, I should take some macro pics of them. Hypersphere tested a few different thicknesses with his supplier, and settled on 0.5 mm, going by my DT-search-fu. That sounds a bit thick, but doesn't feel it. I’m typing on my black HHKB just now, with them installed, and frequently swap to my white Type-S. The boards are strikingly differently weighted thanks to use, but the damping seems identical to me in person. Certainly a lot nicer than the ` key which I left undamped as a reminder.

It's quite possible his rings—which are quite soft—get flattened with initial use. I remember them seeming a bit flatter than my spares when I pulled some from the Novatouch I sold Phinix, which I'd used lightly for a year or two. There may well be a an initial breaking in period.

Yeah, I remember when I got that ISO one from you I've put Deskeys rings on it, thin once, before I gave it to my daughter - she prefers ISO.
For me, years ago I decided to dump ISO, because it was too hard and expensive to get ISO kits in all caps I was buying.
BUt yeah, modding Novatouch is pretty much an obligation - I mean mods need to lubed, those rings are optional, depends if you like that clacky upstroke or not.
I once lubed Realforce (all sliders rails) and I thin overlubed it, so not going to do it again I think lubing rails may affect those slider rings and start to be sticky icky icky...

I would love to get Norbatouch case, that Aperture !!!!

P.S.
Muirium - do you have some spare from 8bits round 5 or 6 - I'm looking for grey tsangan bottom row (1.5u caps).

[wobbled]

For novatouch silencing opt for 0.3 mm rings, and you wont find a better deal than: https://unrealkeyboards.com/products/un ... cing-rings
$10 for 120 rings with $2.71 international shipping.

[Muirium]

Yup, very good price if they work.

[wobbled]

Yup, very good price if they work.

I exclusively use them now, made out of the same material as deskeys

[phinix]

I bought one, ANSI, for £200. Still expensive but at least I can try it out - I already have 55g Realforce modded with mx sliders, so now I can get back on Novatouch 45g. Of course modding recommended.

[Dingster]

For novatouch silencing opt for 0.3 mm rings, and you wont find a better deal than: https://unrealkeyboards.com/products/un ... cing-rings
$10 for 120 rings with $2.71 international shipping.

I ordered a set of these, just installed them and the difference is actually pretty insane. The board sounds and feels 100x better. If only there was a way to improve the spacebar rattle

[wobbled]

For novatouch silencing opt for 0.3 mm rings, and you wont find a better deal than: https://unrealkeyboards.com/products/un ... cing-rings
$10 for 120 rings with $2.71 international shipping.

I ordered a set of these, just installed them and the difference is actually pretty insane. The board sounds and feels 100x better. If only there was a way to improve the spacebar rattle

There is - Just put thick lube (xht bdz) on the two ends of the metal wire on the spacebar. Might also want to take the spacebar stabs out of the metal plate and put some tape around the square holes to bridge any gaps - this will stop the assembly from rattling against the plate.

[Dingster]

For novatouch silencing opt for 0.3 mm rings, and you wont find a better deal than: https://unrealkeyboards.com/products/un ... cing-rings
$10 for 120 rings with $2.71 international shipping.

I ordered a set of these, just installed them and the difference is actually pretty insane. The board sounds and feels 100x better. If only there was a way to improve the spacebar rattle

There is - Just put thick lube (xht bdz) on the two ends of the metal wire on the spacebar. Might also want to take the spacebar stabs out of the metal plate and put some tape around the square holes to bridge any gaps - this will stop the assembly from rattling against the plate.

Will give it a shot, many thanks for the recommendations