Futaba triskelion

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Something just occurred to me earlier: since Futaba "clicky" switches have a triangular arrangement of three legs, we could call them "Futaba triskelion".

Normally I wouldn't rename a switch from one unofficial name to another, but there's now compelling evidence that Futaba made identical-looking linear switches, with this being the most recent confirmation:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=67704.0

Consequently, the name "[wiki]Futaba clicky switch[/wiki]" is no longer viable, so a rename is necessary.

Unless anyone has objections, there's a way for someone to earn easy wiki brownie points.

[Muirium]

Nice name. But…

A triskelion or triskele (which invariably has rotational symmetry)

Is that true here? Are the three pieces rotationally symmetric, like the Manx flag?

This component looks promising, but only has two legs, not three:

[Hypersphere]

It's an "S". No, wait, it's not an S; it means "hope".

[Mal-2]

Safety switches.

Why? Because they look like the arm motion in the Safety Dance video -- 1:17 in if you have no patience.

[jacobolus]

I don’t actually believe any Futaba switches are perfectly linear. They’re just in this awkward in between state, where they’re not very tactile either. I could imagine that worn out ones start feeling closer to linear though.

(I’ve never seen any post by someone who claimed to have tried two versions of Futaba switches which were different from each other. Instead, I think it’s just different people classifying the same switch different ways.)

I think they’re awful. They feel awful. They sound awful.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Is that true here? Are the three pieces rotationally symmetric, like the Manx flag?

This component looks promising, but only has two legs, not three …

You're being a bit too literal maybe, but yes they have three legs: two on one side, one on the other. It's such an odd arrangement.

Other suggestions: trivet, tripod. Anything with the three legs arranged in a circle or triangle, since most three-legged switches have all three arranged in a row (Omron, KPT etc).

I don’t actually believe any Futaba switches are perfectly linear. They’re just in this awkward in between state, where they’re not very tactile either.

I couldn't say. I only have one switch, and it's very tactile and very clicky. The click is very loud and distinct, and there's no way you could mistake it for linear. Anyone who compares it to a heavier MX red is either immensely deluded, or has switches that are absolutely knackered. It's just that one of my sources is an online retailer, who would have had brand new keyboards in stock, and those didn't click or have a tactile feel either.

[Muirium]

Same here: I have just one of these switches. Very clicky indeed, and highly tactile. There's also that video of someone typing on a board full of them, which is alarmingly loud! No way you could mistake those for linear.

Surely someone around here has both kinds?

[jacobolus]

I’ve tried 3 different Futaba boards (still have 2 of them, but really should get rid of at least one), including both MX and Futaba keycap mounts, and all of them are very limp feeling, only a bit tactile (by my standard), but loud (terrible sounding, but loud). These are fairly new boards, so I don’t think they’re worn down.

If someone has some they think are “highly tactile” or “linear”, I’d love to swap a few loose switches for some of the ones I have, and see if there’s actually a difference, or if you folks just have crazy definitions of “tactile”.

That video of the full board of someone typing seems pretty similar to the ones I have, if we’re talking about the same video.

Surely someone around here has both kinds?

I’m still entirely unconvinced there are two different kinds. (But would be curious to see some proof either way.)

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Well, this is the reason why I consider switch samplers to be so worthless — without a full keyboard, on your desk, and correct posture typing, you won't ever get a good idea of how a switch feels.

On the one hand, you're right about the tactility — it's very smooth and refined, similar to Model M switches, which I don't consider to be particularly tactile. However, if I compare Futaba clicky to a loose Cherry MX blue, the MX blue feels rough, jittery and rattly. Futaba switches feel like a better compromise: Cherry is tinny, rattly linear with a bump, while Futaba is deep, smooth light tactile. However, that's from a single switch. I gave up waiting for ascaii to quote me for a couple of keyboards, one being a Futaba switch Chicony.

Now for sound: the video you posted is obviously clicky, and sounds a lot nicer than the only video I ever found. Of course, I don't know who's correct here, as either one could have wildly inaccurate audio. There's no way you'd mistake it for non-click though. I don't know Bromono, but I would like to think that he's pressed keys slowly and determined that there's no change in force and no click.

Of course, I would love to see a "linear" one dismantled, but I could not ask that of Bromono, as they're welded shut and would need very careful disassembly and to be glued back together. They're pretty rare switches to begin with, let alone the odds of finding a beat-up "linear" one to sacrifice.

At this point, I've done all I'm intending to do with these switches. I have no proof of my own to offer and we'll only ever go around in circles. Feel free to seek enlightenment.