Tempted to try this ... couldnt find any mx clear to do a franken

I have one from a tester. I did try an ergo clear long ago. It was meh to me. Too light. A standard clear felt better.

actually ergo is only swapping spring right ??

Yes. I don't remember the details but people were complaining browns were not tactile enough, clear is more tactile but too heavy. Swap a brown spring into a clear==ergo clears.

My preference is quite different than the majority though. I like to spring swap my browns with a heavier spring. Lol.

Anyone know any shop selling keychron Q6 in KL? Checked shopee. Got one but it ship from china. Would prefer to have it immediately xd

I am planning to get a split keyboard for programming? Any recommendation? ergodox-ez seems good but expensive. Thinking to get Sofle V2 Split Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard.

Check out Keebio. I"m not a programmer but system/network admin. I daily drive a Keebio FoldKB at work. Previously using Keebio Sinc.

Where you buy?

Cherry’s new mechanical switch hails from ’80s terminal keyboards


Nicknamed Nixies, they're like MX Blacks, but stiffer and, purportedly, smoother.


Cherry, the original mechanical switch maker, is continuing to tap the mechanical keyboard community for new product ideas. Its new mechanical switch, the Cherry MX Black Clear-Top, is a nod to enthusiasts who would love to turn in their modern-day clacker for an old-school terminal keyboard with extra-smooth typing.

’80s roots
Before Cherry's Thursday announcement of plans to release the MX Black Clear-Top, the switch was known to hobbyists as the Nixie switch. Cherry made the switch in the 1980s for German office machine-maker Nixdorf Computer AG. The German switch maker was tasked with creating a version of its linear MX Black switch with "milky" upper housing, a 63.5 g actuation force rather than 60 g, and "the relatively rare solution at the time of having a diode integrated into the switch for n-key rollover," Cherry's announcement explained.

What’s so special about this switch?
But what's so great about typing with this switch? The switch formerly known as Nixie is like an MX Black switch but with a heavier actuation force requirement and a more striking appearance. The linear switches each have 4 mm of travel and 2 mm of pre-travel; however, the MX Black Clear-Top switches require more force to start depressing (40 g versus 30 g for MX Black switches).


Like with many mechanical switches, obsession is based on reportedly admirable smooth travel and what Cherry described as "decent acoustics."

Switch reviewer ThereminGoat, described the Nixie switch as "absolutely" smoother than "most" Cherry switches.

They also said the switch makes a "solid, muted, and deep bottoming out noise; whereas, the topping out noise is ever so slightly thinner and shifted toward a higher pitched sound." Curious ears can check out Chyrosran22's review of the Nixdorf CT06-CT07/2 M Softkeys on YouTube (among others) to hear more.

With a nearly mythical reputation like that, you might wonder why Cherry decided to rebrand the Nixie to a name with much less imagination.

Cherry said it renamed the Nixie switch to reflect "enhancements" it made. The switch looks like it used to, but Cherry will sell it with Krytox GLP 205 Grade 0 Grease inside for "lower-friction actuation with optimized acoustics without negatively affecting the typing feel" or durability claims. This a popular lubricant, especially for linear switches like the MX Black Clear-Top.


This may be a wise investment, as ThereminGoat said the Nixies were "not free from scratch," and not as impressively smooth compared to some of today's switches, which, of course, include much more than Cherry brand options.

For those who prefer a different type of lubrication or to do it themselves, Cherry is also releasing a lube-free version of the MX Black Clear-Top.

Additionally, some (although not Cherry) might say the switch's descriptive name falls more in line with how Cherry's other switches are named (MX Black, MX Red, MX Brown, et cetera).

The new name also hints at the switch's connection to the MX Black.

Overall, Cherry claims the switch improves on the '80s design because it's made with modern manufacturing techniques, enabling a 50 million actuation warranty. It goes without saying that switches harvested from a decades-old keyboard you found at a thrift store or on eBay do not have comparable durability claims.



Cherry said MX Black Clear-Top mechanical switches will be available from "all official distributors worldwide" at the start of 2023.

The switch is the second release from Cherry that was recently inspired by community interests. Last month, it announced the Cherry MX Ergo Clear, based on a so-called Frankenswitch (a mechanical switch that combines parts from different switches) design shared by an enthusiast in a forum post in 2011.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/che...inal-keyboards/

Hello to all sifu,

I have a keyboard that quite a lot of keys are malfunctioning. Any recommended sifu can help to check & fix?