Need to find some of these!

Chyros · 21 Jan 2018, 20:09

I'm trying to get hold of some LARB01 switches, the red-and-black Alps clone ones.

We don't know a lot about these AFAIK. I remember having seen a large batch of them on Taobao a while ago, but I can't find any trace of them anymore. Does anyone know where I might find a bunch of these?

Daniel Beardsmore · 21 Jan 2018, 20:39

How many more do you need? I already sent you two.

Chyros · 21 Jan 2018, 22:42

Daniel Beardsmore wrote: How many more do you need? I already sent you two.

I want to make a whole board full!

The ones you sent me are really intriguing, I'd like to see how they'd feel like in actual use.

Menuhin · 21 Jan 2018, 22:47

My favorite red-black color combo - checked
Affordable I guess (Chinese) - checked
Alps and Cherry caps dual compatible - I can never dream of ...! And I don't have to mod my Alps switches.

I must have missed an important post about these some time again.

Are those linear, clicky, or tactile?
How do they perform compared to other switches out there?

Daniel Beardsmore · 21 Jan 2018, 23:36

Oh. I only got 20 and the AliExpress sellers who had them, no longer sell them. From the colours, I'm guessing they're modern, made by someone who copied old (early 90s) Tai-Hao switches/

They're clicky, with a very sharp tactile point, but not hugely heavy. However, they also seem to be fairly inconsistent in feel, as you'd expect from cheap switches.

Chyros · 22 Jan 2018, 00:07

As Daniel said, they seem very cheaply made, but they're intriguing nonetheless. Inside is an uncharacteristically long spring which is very light, and a pretty normal-looking steel click leaf that's somehow crazy tactile. I'm intrigued mainly because of this interesting idea of shifting the weighting away from the coil spring and into the tactility. Daniel gave me two of them ages ago, and I've been looking for a long time, but couldn't find any. It doesn't help that we know virtually nothing about them.

I don't think the caps are Cherry-compatible though, what makes you say that? Oo

Menuhin · 22 Jan 2018, 00:26

SO they are inconsistent and not Cherry-compatible. :\
The biggest selling point of these switches for me is that it seems that they may fit both Alps caps and MX caps compatible - as seen with two extra notches on the stem. And now I realize somehow I was sensitive enough to recognize a cross-pattern on their stems but not full awake enough to see that will at the most take a Cherry switch stem, instead of a Cherry MX style cap.

Alps are the "female" switches and Cherry MX are the "male" switches - I have to remember.

Perhaps some of the Chinese members on this forum can help. I hope they are not just Cherry enthusiasts and only Chinese speaking.

rich1051414 · 22 Jan 2018, 09:44

Man I saw a bunch of these on ali express a while ago, and I nearly bought a batch to try them, but I assumed they probably going to be terrible.

Chyros · 22 Jan 2018, 10:48

rich1051414 wrote: Man I saw a bunch of these on ali express a while ago, and I nearly bought a batch to try them, but I assumed they probably going to be terrible.

I'm not sure they'd be particularly great, but they're novel at least. Do you think you could find those switches back?

rich1051414 · 22 Jan 2018, 12:50

Chyros wrote:
rich1051414 wrote: Man I saw a bunch of these on ali express a while ago, and I nearly bought a batch to try them, but I assumed they probably going to be terrible.
I'm not sure they'd be particularly great, but they're novel at least. Do you think you could find those switches back?

I looked, they aren't on there anymore. I looked at the seller who sold them tho, and all he has now are these: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100PCS- ... 42800.html

ohaimark · 22 Jan 2018, 13:31

Chyros wrote: . . . I'm intrigued mainly because of this interesting idea of shifting the weighting away from the coil spring and into the tactility . . .

SKCM Brown Alps are another fine example of that. As are Kaihua Box Navys. Having it in clicky Alps form, however, would be neat.

Scarpia · 22 Jan 2018, 19:00

ohaimark wrote:
Chyros wrote: . . . I'm intrigued mainly because of this interesting idea of shifting the weighting away from the coil spring and into the tactility . . .
SKCM Brown Alps are another fine example of that. As are Kaihua Box Navys. Having it in clicky Alps form, however, would be neat.

Ahh -- now it surprises me less that I liked the Kailh Box Navys (I liked the Box Whites too - maybe even more than the Navies). I guess that's what makes SKCM Browns and Tactile Neon Greens so incredibly bumpylicious.