This is from Sneakbox the designer/creator of the MGA Standard and the AVA. I can’t believe this hasn’t been done before now. All of his hotswap PCB’s going forward will have this fallback implementation. And “salvage socket” is just a great name.
14 Likes
Pretty good solution. What I do is add extra solder on as preventive measure.
3 Likes
haha it looks like a frog with thick glasses
3 Likes
This is a really great idea!
1 Like
That is awesome!
Really smart how they ran the traces on the top side to the through holes on the front so it doesn’t matter what happens to the pads. My experience with Kailh hotswaps is limited but I did rip a pad off and I wasn’t able to fix it with bridging so I appreciate any backup options. I don’t know if I would fall back to gluing but nice that it is there
1 Like
Not a bad idea; a lot of Kailh hotswap boards are actually attached in a pretty flimsy manner imo. Especially with some hotswap keyboards having particularly stiff plates, it sometimes feels like an all or nothing every time you have to shove a switch in. Some reinforcement or recovery option would be nice if you accidentally pop out the hot swap socket.
4 Likes
I would gladly pay more for the labor costs it would entail to make hotswap sockets a soldered through-hole solution. Then they would never rip off during use, and could be easily replaced when they wear out.
2 Likes
I wonder if a strong glue applied up front could help strengthen the socket as well.
1 Like
Ever since I saw this video by NovelKeys, I’ve placed my finger under the socket when installing switches: NovelKeys | NK65 Switch Installation - YouTube
Doing this reduces the chance of the socket from popping off. I guess it would get annoying if you swap out switches often.
1 Like
Looks like a pretty cool idea. I don’t really understand the “glue channel” part.
While this is certainly a great idea, I think the majority of hot swap keyboards are more intended for people who don’t open up their boards
1 Like
I’m guessing it’s an added layer of attachment for the socket as it would only be soldered to the surface of ring pad under the pcb which could probably tear off as easily as the original square pad. It would have to be some good glue to help keep it in place though.
1 Like
Muji is awesome for this!
1 Like
Yeah, I like the guy and his constant iterative improvements on his designs – he’s not one to rest on his laurels. I picked up a MGA Standard this year and overall really like the board, especially for the price. It’s does have a slight alignment issue between the top and bottom pieces (shifted a mm or less horizontally which leaves an edge), and I do wish there was more testing on the hotswap PCBs so my semicolon position switch is fully seated. But the anno is great, and the feel and sound match that sentiment. I think the best is yet to come for his work, and I’m excited to see where he goes.