Hey there,
recently I discovered that I have some spare switches, springs and stems.
Some months ago, I bought some R1 Zealio switches (tactile, 67gr) because I wasn't quite satisfied with the MX Brown and MX Clear switch. The brown one was too light and I had no "feeling" for the bump. The clear one was way too scratchy.
My Zealios had some problems with chattering and the stem seemed to be a bit smaller than the switch cover - the stem was a bit wobbly. This is why I haven't continued with my project.
As of now, I am using lubed vintage black switches with 62gr springs. The weighting is a tiny bit too light for my taste, so I am using 67gr for my next project.
So my next project is a 60% board with ISO DE - layout. My problem is that I don't know which switch I should use (typing 70%, gaming 30%).
I don't want to use Browns and Clears. I can't stand the cheap sound from Blues. Stock black is too heavy for me. Stock Red is too light for me.
So I had the fancy idea of joining vintage black switches with tactile Zealio switches:
Vintage black bottom cover
Vintage black leaf (no problem with chattering like the Zealios)
Tactile Zealio stem (for the tactile feeling)
67gr spring - seems to be my sweet spot
Vintage black top cover
So essentially, this is a black Zealio tactile switch - minus the chattering problems. I just don't know if the wobbly feeling will annoy me over time. Cherry stems are a bit wobbly, too. But the Zealio / Gateron-Stems seem to be wobblier...
What do you guys think?
Blackio - Vintage MX Black with purple Zealio stem
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Redmaus
- Gotta start somewhere
- Location: Near Dallas, Texas
- Main keyboard: Unsaver | 3276 | Kingsaver
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade
- Favorite switch: Capacitative Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
I think it would look nice, but how do the tactile zealios compare to browns? I am typing on browns right now on my Orion and they feel quite nice. Granted these are apparently vintage browns from kinesis boards and not vintage ones.
-
hKing
- Location: Germany
- Main keyboard: 60% custom
- Main mouse: Glorious Model O
- Favorite switch: Cherry Vintage Black /w 85 cN
- DT Pro Member: -
The 67gr tactile Zealios are just so much better than MX Browns - it is really hard to compare them.
In my opinion, the browns feel dirt-cheap (just like most of the cherry switches). The bump is barely noticable, the switch feels a bit like there's sand in it. The Zealio switch is buttery smooth, the 67gr spring really helps to feel the actuation point.
The problem: There are some QA issues. On Geekhack, you can find quite some posts where the users mention problems with chattering switches. As far as I can tell, the problem lies within the switch, it's the leaf (But I am not an engineer).
The problem doesn't seem to be solved in Round 2, and Round 3 (which is live right now) is essentially Round 2 - no updates on the manufacturing process. As these switches are made in small batches (compared to the standard Gateron switches), I don't think the problem will be solved in the near future. But of course, it's possible that you receice perfect ones in terms of chattering.
Other than that, the stem is a tiny bit smaller than the MX pendant - or the cutout for the stem is bigger than it has to be. I can't measure that because I don't have precise tools. That leads to the stem being a bit wobbly because it has more room for travelling.
The problem with the wobbling stem is just a tiny one because the Cherry stems wobble, too.
In my opinion, the browns feel dirt-cheap (just like most of the cherry switches). The bump is barely noticable, the switch feels a bit like there's sand in it. The Zealio switch is buttery smooth, the 67gr spring really helps to feel the actuation point.
The problem: There are some QA issues. On Geekhack, you can find quite some posts where the users mention problems with chattering switches. As far as I can tell, the problem lies within the switch, it's the leaf (But I am not an engineer).
The problem doesn't seem to be solved in Round 2, and Round 3 (which is live right now) is essentially Round 2 - no updates on the manufacturing process. As these switches are made in small batches (compared to the standard Gateron switches), I don't think the problem will be solved in the near future. But of course, it's possible that you receice perfect ones in terms of chattering.
Other than that, the stem is a tiny bit smaller than the MX pendant - or the cutout for the stem is bigger than it has to be. I can't measure that because I don't have precise tools. That leads to the stem being a bit wobbly because it has more room for travelling.
The problem with the wobbling stem is just a tiny one because the Cherry stems wobble, too.