Looking for "Futaba friendly" switches.
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
Hi guys. About a year ago I got a Televideo TS 803H. The keyboard itself is beautyful, but uses crap Futaba MR switches. Scratchy, super heavy and short travel switches, they are horrid. My idea was take some SKCC switches to build a new board using the chassis and keycaps, but is a bit expensive, I also found SMK vintage linear clones on Ebay, but shipping kills my wallet considering that I need two batches to cover all the keyboard. Do someone has an idea of a kind of not so horrible switch that could be compatible or at least friendly with this keycaps? If it can be scrapped from other keyboards or machines, much better.
Last edited by PlacaFromHell on 16 Sep 2018, 08:09, edited 2 times in total.
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- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- DT Pro Member: 0011
I can't tell much about it if you don't post pictures on how the stems look like.
According to The Wiki, the Futaba MR-6C switch should have a cruciform mount that is arms at 4.0 and 4.7 mm respectively, and 1.2mm thick. Cherry MX is about 4.0 uniform and 1.2mm thick, i.e. slightly smaller on the vertical. I think that the keycaps for the switch in the wiki might therefore fit onto Cherry MX. Have you pulled a keycap and tried it on a Cherry MX switch?
... Or is the mount on your keyboard completely different?
According to The Wiki, the Futaba MR-6C switch should have a cruciform mount that is arms at 4.0 and 4.7 mm respectively, and 1.2mm thick. Cherry MX is about 4.0 uniform and 1.2mm thick, i.e. slightly smaller on the vertical. I think that the keycaps for the switch in the wiki might therefore fit onto Cherry MX. Have you pulled a keycap and tried it on a Cherry MX switch?
... Or is the mount on your keyboard completely different?
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
Yes, they fit, but the stems are bigger than normal Cherry sliders so it can't go down. I need a tall switch with a large slider and compatible mount.
Yep, is this one
Yep, is this one
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
I was trying to do that, but shipping to Argentina is quite expensive. I need something more common and scattered. I also found type 1 Mitsumi Standard Mechanical as an option, but don't know where to seach for it.
- Sangdrax
- Location: Hill Country
- Main keyboard: Harris 1978 Terminal
- Main mouse: Mammoth
- DT Pro Member: -
You can get NOS Futaba MD's that should be a drop in replacement for cheap. They're still short throw and kinda heavy but new and very smooth. Should be about $15+shipping for enough for a whole board. And it's a straight upgrade. The old complicated linears are better than the MRs. https://www.electronicsurplus.com/futab ... kage-of-20
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
Seconded. Those MDs are pretty decent. I was given a handful of new old stock switches, likely from that source, and they’re deliciously vintage, what with being so monumentally big! If your board can take them, do it!
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
For now is the best option. They are dirt cheap. I have some MD's and they are much more good, but still kinda meh. My idea is replace the entire board, use the case and keycaps and change some things of the layout.
- Sangdrax
- Location: Hill Country
- Main keyboard: Harris 1978 Terminal
- Main mouse: Mammoth
- DT Pro Member: -
The only thing I don't like about them is they activate too high up for my taste. It means someone with hammer fingers like me constantly makes typos on them. I did fully replace dirty MD's on a board with NOS awhile back though, and the difference was pretty impressive. I'd compare it to dirty vs. clean alps. The MD's seem to be dirt sensitive in the same way.
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
Well, I'm that kind of typist with hammer fingers. Another option could be use 3d printed stem lifters and Cherry switches from Wyse keyboards but I'm afraid of the wobble.
- abrahamstechnology
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Laser with SMK Cherry mount
- Main mouse: Mitsumi ECM-S3902
- Favorite switch: Alps and Alps clones
- DT Pro Member: 0212
What about cutting the walls off of Box switches?
- Blaise170
- ALPS キーボード
- Location: Boston, MA
- Main keyboard: Cooler Master Quickfire Stealth
- Main mouse: Logitech G502
- Favorite switch: Alps SKCM Blue
- DT Pro Member: 0129
- Contact:
If you are interested in getting the switches from a Pingmaster, I could always desolder one for you and send you the switches?
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
Should happen the same as with Cherry switches but I can use lifters anyway. Is the tactile brown good? They are very cheap.abrahamstechnology wrote: ↑What about cutting the walls off of Box switches?
I discovered that one isn't suficient but if you don't mind I'll keep that offerBlaise170 wrote: ↑If you are interested in getting the switches from a Pingmaster, I could always desolder one for you and send you the switches?
- Blaise170
- ALPS キーボード
- Location: Boston, MA
- Main keyboard: Cooler Master Quickfire Stealth
- Main mouse: Logitech G502
- Favorite switch: Alps SKCM Blue
- DT Pro Member: 0129
- Contact:
It would only theoretically work with first gen box switches too, something to consider. Feel free to keep that offer and just message me in the future if you decide you want one (or a few).
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
I'ts a cool idea but I preffer the Televideo layout. A member from my country has some SMK vintage linear switches that should work fine with this project, so this is starting to look well.
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- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM/M
- Favorite switch: ALPS
- DT Pro Member: -
And here it is. Dirty AF, sorry, I found it that way and haven't got to restore it yet.
Cable was cut before I got it. Switches are SMK clones AFAIK, linear, a tad scratchy, and quite pingy. Space bar works well, it's the only stabilized key.
It used to be on a government facility, thus the neglect and the stickers over the keys (much easier than to remember what does each one
Cable was cut before I got it. Switches are SMK clones AFAIK, linear, a tad scratchy, and quite pingy. Space bar works well, it's the only stabilized key.
It used to be on a government facility, thus the neglect and the stickers over the keys (much easier than to remember what does each one
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
Looks a lot like my new XT, maybe even the case could be compatible, so you gave me two reasons to buy this thing. If you found one, should be more out there, AND with more switches to fill the entire board
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
GUYS GUYS GUYS! I GOT SOMETHING AWESOME!
Just look at this, also I have another on sight And just for a buck
Keycaps fit awesome!
Just look at this, also I have another on sight And just for a buck
Keycaps fit awesome!
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
A long time passed, lel. They do fit in the PCB, but not in the plate, which by the way is now part of my microwave. I wanted to print a plate for this build but it was expensive as fuck. I don't think SKFF switches are worth enough for it, maybe some keycap raisers and a bunch of MX blacks will end there. At some point this keyboard will be reassembled, I just don't know when.
P.S.: I'm also retarded, as the plate could be mounted ON the switches and not between them, but it got scrapped by my family and the remaining pieces, as I said, ended being part of my microwave.