$15 of Omron switch (B2R-M or M1)

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I figured they'd be smooth, since they should be. My smoothest "switch" is probably the ITW magnetic valve stabiliser dummy, which has the exact same slider plastic as the B2R: white, very smooth and very hard, and those also have a slider that has to be pulled out of the top of the switch. (I bought them as NOS switches of an unknown brand from Well Gain (they didn't see the branding on them) but after opening one, I couldn't find the ferrite ring or magnet!)

Reed switches do sometimes click, yes, but only faintly if at all. Supposedly some types are quite audible.

[Harshmallow]

I figured they'd be smooth, since they should be. My smoothest "switch" is probably the ITW magnetic valve stabiliser dummy, which has the exact same slider plastic as the B2R: white, very smooth and very hard, and those also have a slider that has to be pulled out of the top of the switch. (I bought them as NOS switches of an unknown brand from Well Gain (they didn't see the branding on them) but after opening one, I couldn't find the ferrite ring or magnet!)

Reed switches do sometimes click, yes, but only faintly if at all. Supposedly some types are quite audible.

I love ITW Magnetic Valve switches...I can't wait to get my AT to PS/2 adapter next week so that I can start using my Heath Zenith in my rotation. Are you saying they're the smoothest 'traditional/contemporary' switch? Excluding leaf springs and hall effect? Or is it just because your particular switch is missing its ferrite core?

That makes sense now - the Fanuc board switches did appear to have some sort of cover over them, since they see a lot of industrial use. Interesting to note it's just a removable sleeve - I wonder if Fanuc designed it or if Omron came up with it.

[seebart]

I'm assuming you've tried Fujitsu Leaf Spring 3rd gen. Daniel? And this ITW magnetic valve stabiliser dummy is smoother?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I have comparatively few keyboards, so my typing experience is very limited. I do have a huge amount of loose switches (at least 2,200 at the moment), and having sorted those out into a several boxes by category, they're much more accessible. Oddly, of my four standard RS 76 C switches, two of them have disappeared! Very odd.

I have Fujitsu leaf spring 1st generation, NOS, and likely from a batch made near the end of the production lifetime. I also have ITW magnetic valve generation 2 (?) dummy switches (1980s I guess, I'd have to devote a month or two to crawling through Jacob's photos to check), and every production variant of RAFI RS 76 C and 76 M.

The difficult part is that the Fujitsu switches are heavy (say, 70–80 g), the standard RAFI RS 76 C switches are light (50-55 g) and the ITW dummy switch is ultra-light at maybe 30 g, so the lighter ones will just feel smoother from being easier to press. RS 76 C is certainly smooth (and I'd love keyboard using entirely RS 76 C illuminated), but I can feel a slight vibration when pressing it. The Fujitsu switches definitely have friction present: they're not as smooth as they're suggested to be, but if these are late issue, they may be more cheaply made or made from worn tooling. It's hard to say given their unknown origin.

The ITW dummy switches though are flawlessly smooth, and in theory they'd feel just as good as real switches, being electromagnetic. They're soft and smooth, like what Cherry MX Red only dreams of being. The normal switches won't be this light: I assume the reduced weight is dummy switch–specific.

In terms of production switches, I have no idea. I haven't bought a new keyboard since late 2014.

[Ail]

Well, I tried everything to get that damn bottom piece to pull out from the top piece and while I did not break anything, I certainly did not get them to separate and the pins are starting to loosen on the switch I attempted to pull apart. I tried putting tweezers in between the two parts and pulling the pins, but it would not budge. I'll probably end up breaking it before getting them apart.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

It's not easy, but I got two of mine apart without damage. The solder on the legs did take on the grip pattern of the pliers, and for the most part would not melt and reflow. At some point I'll buy a couple and have a go.

I didn't need to see inside them — it's just nice to have a photo or two of the G1 variant to show that more shapes existed in the range besides M.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I knew that the LED version (now suggested to be B2R-ME1) couldn't use the same internals, but I didn't know what I'd find inside. It's definitely not what I was thinking:

B2R-ME1 1.jpg (72.25 KiB) Viewed 2841 times

B2R-ME1 2.jpg (159.68 KiB) Viewed 2841 times

B2R-ME1 3.jpg (105.09 KiB) Viewed 2841 times

"ME1" is written on the switch but you can't see it in the photo; the corresponding non-illuminated switch is M1, which is otherwise identical to M.

It's hard to see in the photo, but there's a cam track on the slider, so an alternate action version exists, and therefore this confirms one reason for the greebling on the shell.

I can't get the magnet out, as my tweezers have been stolen by evil leprechauns.

[ohaimark]

The leprechauns always run wild for a bit after Paddy's day.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Well, they did the right thing in the end.

[seebart]

I knew that the LED version (now suggested to be B2R-ME1) couldn't use the same internals, but I didn't know what I'd find inside. It's definitely not what I was thinking:

Very good pictures though.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I'm contemplating opening another (I have three) but leaving the LED alone — if executed correctly, the slider and both springs will all come out together. The conductor springs just rest in the bottom of the switch (giving you in effect sprung terminals). However, the POM slider is very slippery and since the pliers are likely to slip, it could end up crushing the LED. Getting the slider out isn't easy, and I've broken the keycap mount off one slider in the process already.

If I could get it right, I'd have the springs intact. However, you can't then remove those as they're soldered to the LED.

I'd like to straighten out the wires, but I'm not sure quite what shape they're meant to be. Largely vertical, since they go up inside the slider.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

By the way, to add to the confusion:

In addition to M vs M1/G1/ME1, there is also B2R-ME:

https://detail.1688.com/offer/530581103869.html

It looks the same as ME1.

It's ca. $3.63/piece, and the MOQ is 100, making them too expensive to buy. Too bad.

I have just one M1, and I don't want to risk destroying it to compare it with M. Externally though they are the same, and they seem to be the same weight.

[seebart]

That construction with the LED atop those wires seems generously intricate.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

The LED is wedged in fairly securely.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

And yes, you cannot disassemble these safely without special tools. I got lucky the first time: the slider came out easily. Switch no. 2 required such intense force that it tore apart the ridge that holds the slider in, and ripped one of the springs clean in two. I don't even know where the rest of that spring is. The other spring got totally unwound.

To open these, you need a jig to hold both the slider and shell securely, and the very slowly (using low gearing) pull on the slider under constant motion until it comes out. There's nothing holding the springs down, but the slider removal is so violent that it will destroy them anyway.

That's my last spare switch used up — I have three, and I have one good one left. (8 good M, 2 broken M, 1 good M1, 1 good ME1, and 2 broken ME1. I can make 9 good M from the parts I have.)

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Well, I tried everything to get that damn bottom piece to pull out from the top piece and while I did not break anything, I certainly did not get them to separate and the pins are starting to loosen on the switch I attempted to pull apart.

The legs cannot possibly loosen, but the one that you pull on gets badly bent in both axes from the extraction force. I'd already straightened it before I shot this:

G1-1.jpg (101.85 KiB) Viewed 2759 times

In theory you may be able to lever out the base, but I couldn't get that to work.

The slider is exactly the same as B2R-M, but the rubber dampening rings are omitted:

G1-2.jpg (95.96 KiB) Viewed 2759 times

These therefore can be used to replace broken keystems in B2R-M switches if you can get the broken stems out. These stems come out the bottom, so they can be removed safely.