Is it possible to know the PMK color codes used for this?
BCT and BDJ.
I should point out, though, that BDJ is much closer in tone to BCT than it appears in my photato. If you want a really pale blue set, kinda like you see there, then go with BFE instead of BDJ.
Last edited by zslane on 13 Feb 2017, 23:56, edited 1 time in total.
Just swapped some 60g springs from sprit into my USB-converted IBM 5140 with brown Alps switches. This reduced the stiffness quite a bit, so far it's much more pleasing to type on. I got a switch opener tool made based on mrbishops design. It doesn't work perfectly since the prong in the middle doesn't grip the stem of the switch (probably my fault), but it makes opening Alps much easier. I've got six more lying around and will ask mrbishop if it's ok to give them away.
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Edit: I just realized that the white balance is off quite a bit, sorry!
This is much better:
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Hope there is someone running an online shop in Europe like how elecplus does.
@Nuum
Those dye-sub (dye-sub right?) caps look gorgeous!
Does the lighter browns give your keystroke the roundness to feel like some rubber domes (e.g. Topres)?
Yup, dyesubs! And I didn't even need to rip this off an IBM 5140, it came as a replacement unit.
From my limited experience with Topre I would say it comes very close! I love those switches now, previously they were a little bit too much on the stiff side.
I am surprised swapping springs into the 5140, and 60g ones (unless this is a different metric being used) incredibly, actually did anything to lighten the switches. The original springs are supposed to be very light to begin with, I believe E3E tested them at ~50g with a coin test. The majority of the stiffness should be coming from the tactile leaf.
Hmm, maybe the force slope is different or maybe Alps changed the spring weight somewhen. I'm not sure whether the spring weight that Sprit gives is the actuation weight or the bottom out weight but i suspect the last.
If I press an unchanged brown Alps switch against those with 60g springs, the ones with 60g springs give way first. Also they definitely feel distinctly lighter.
I can post a photo of both springs next to each other tomorrow.
That's very interesting, I've always wanted to somehow reduce the stiffness of the brown Alps in my keyboard but I thought it wasn't possible. I'll definitely have to consider getting new springs and trying it myself..
emdude wrote: That's very interesting, I've always wanted to somehow reduce the stiffness of the brown Alps in my keyboard but I thought it wasn't possible. I'll definitely have to consider getting new springs and trying it myself..
EDIT: Pics would be appreciated!
Actually there has been a belief that the weight of Alps switches very much depend on the leaf springs (and its material and its bending angles etc) instead of the springs under the stems.
Whether Nuum is experiencing some placebo effect can only be told by the measurements from a key switch force curve gauge. I do think there should be some difference in weight after swapping the springs, but it is unknown to me (or have it been discussed already?) in an Alps switch how much or what aspects of the weight / tactility is determined by the leaf springs and what and how much is determined by the coil springs.
Maybe HaaTa could measure it with his switch gauge thingy.
@HaaTa: Have you measured Alps switches with different springs to find out whether the spring makes a big difference in switch weight?
If not, I could send you one brown Alps with 60g, 65g, 70g and the original spring if you want. Or maybe someone from the US could give you some switches and springs since it would make shipping more worthwhile.
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I need to adjust the alt keys and the keycaps in front can't be pressed fully because the spacebar stabilizer wire and mount is in their way, but I will find out a solution.