Beam Spring sound video

daedalus · 18 Feb 2011, 19:26

I had to reupload this on Geekhack, so I thought I might post it here so that it can be heard once more.

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=59ydlk&s=7

sixty · 18 Feb 2011, 21:50

Cool, a separate module? Should be included in the switch try bag!

daedalus · 19 Feb 2011, 01:03

Let's just say that I was given a loan of one.

webwit · 19 Feb 2011, 01:57

*click* *clack*

I'm hesitant to provide one for the switch bag, because out of its position it falls apart by looking at it and they are, uhm, quite hard to replace. Maybe I'll sacrifice the ugly Displaywriter once though so I can send some out.

Mrinterface · 19 Feb 2011, 12:28

Does the displaywriter have switches you can use as a single switch?

webwit · 19 Feb 2011, 13:00

Same thing as in the photo.

sixty · 19 Feb 2011, 13:32

I bet somewhere in some warehouse there is are boxes full of these rotting as never used replacement parts.

daedalus · 03 Mar 2011, 02:27

It's funny how effective sound is at triggering memory. If I close my eyes and listen to that video, I remember exactly how the thing feels.

webwit wrote: I'm hesitant to provide one for the switch bag, because out of its position it falls apart by looking at it and they are, uhm, quite hard to replace.

There's a certain knack to it. The method described in the IBM manual is quite finicky.

daedalus · 28 Mar 2011, 01:34

Nice video

Three minutes in, he starts typing on his 3279. You can just about hear the sound of beam spring typing over the roar of fans

daedalus · 18 Aug 2011, 00:30

To paraphrase Die Hard, "Now I have got a beam spring. Ho Ho Ho."

Expect pics and videos when I get the chance.

webwit · 18 Aug 2011, 00:47

Ooooh!! Is it a 3278? I'm spotting the secret compartment under the space bar. It seems to be in excellent (new?) state, considering the look of the condom over the switches.

daedalus · 18 Aug 2011, 00:55

Yeah, it's from an IBM 3276, which was a variant of the 3278 with a built in modem. This one is a data entry version like this -

The shielding, unlike the Canadian-made ones shown around here and Geekhack, is made of Silicone instead of rubber. Unfortunately, like any good condom, they ruin the feel... The keyboard felt awful, and the keys rattled a lot until I removed the shielding, at which point the keyboard's feel could best be described as...

Findecanor · 18 Aug 2011, 14:54

I read in another thread that the beam-spring key needs about 49 grams of force to actuate, but what is the starting resistance?
Almost all Cherry MX switches have a starting force of about 40 g, and most of the ALPS have a starting force of 30 g, which is one of the big reasons why I prefer Cherry MX over ALPS. I am guessing that a lot of the allure of the Topre switches is that the force curve is practically flat, with a starting force that is almost the same as the actuation force.

nathanscribe · 18 Aug 2011, 15:52

A keyboard like that should have a key marked "open secret volcano hideout" or similar.

daedalus · 18 Aug 2011, 18:00

Findecanor: I refer you to our excellent (no bias *coughs*) wiki article on the Beam Spring, which has a force graph for the switch.

The thing about the Beam Spring is that it's almost perfectly linear up until the point of actuation, and thus the tactility feels like it has come out of nowhere as there's no lead in to it.