Penguin Switch

Marketplace Sharing fun finds
12

I’ve been reading comments elsewhere on these.

  1. The switches comes unlubed, but they’re supposed to be lubed. They’re meant for customizers who lube their own switches.

  2. 63.5 G is the bare minimum weight for a 1U switch to function. They give you 78 G springs for the larger keys.

  3. 67 G has been used as a default weight in similar switches.

  4. Apparently, MX Clear stems work well in the Penguin housings with the 63.5 G springs. 63.5 G was originally developed partially for Ergo Clears, so that makes sense. This might be a good Ergo Clear variant.

  5. v1 TX films seem to improve the stock switch.

5 Likes
13

Great details! I have been thinking about picking some of these up. I was hoping to not have to film these though.

Question for you that maybe you (or others have found elsewhere). Zealios V1s were supposed to be “ergo-clear” like. Outemu Sky stems were supposed to be “ergo-clear” like. Outemu’s have sharp tactility, but ZealV1s is more rounded. I don’t have any original Cherry Clears on me, but I would suspect that their bump is more sharp.

So are penguins more sharp or round bump?

Cheers!

14

I haven’t received mine yet, but I read that once filmed, the Penguins feel like a Clear stem [Ergo Clear, I guess].

So Penguins should be closest to MX Clear in design, rather than Zealios.

As for the other switches:

-I don’t think Zealio V1 was ever a perfect analogue to the Ergo Clear. People report that real Ergo Clears had more tactility, but Zealio V1 was smoother. That’s my experience from trying them at meet-ups. Zeal V1 was really its own switch.

-OUTEMU Sky were like Clear stems in the early variants. Then they moved to 2.2 or Tao or somewhere around there, it deviated from Ergo Clear and became its own variant.

-OUTEMU Silent Sky are not really like Clears, the bump is top-mounted and the travel is shorter. But the general tactile level is comparable to the Clear stem.

I think that the MX Clear stem probably has a larger ‘bump’ than Zealio V1, a greater overall force required. But Zealio V1 may have been sharper, although smaller. It’s kind of subjective, and depends on springs and lubing.

Missing from this discussion are the Everglide Jade stems, which seem inspired by Zealio V1. My recollection of the unlubed switches is that the weight is low, the bump is not large in terms of weight, but it is fairly sharp. Lubing rounds out the bump.

1 Like
15

Thanks for the info @HungerMechanic. This helps.

I recently did a project to salvage some old ZealV1s. I have really been likely the bump. I filmed them, but there is still a lot of wobble. I think this is mostly due to old tech.

I have been looking for a modern day equivalent recently, but it has been hard to parse all this info with the new mid-tactile switches coming out. Everglide Green Jades look interesting, but I wanted a different housing. That is why this penguins seemed so appealing. My gut is telling me that they are likely similar but Penguins are not equal to ZealV1s.

I have the Outemu Skys V2.2 and they are very sharp, I was not aware they deviated. Thanks for this tidbit!

1 Like
16

Yes, I wish I had more information. I don’t have access to the older OUTEMU Skies, but comments on threads indicate that people thought that they were closer to MX Clears before the late-model changes.

And I have experience with the Silent Skies, as I am building them right now.

For an Everglide Jade alternative, I wonder how close the forthcoming RARA V2 will be.

1 Like
17

Hmm, there isn’t much stem wobble. FWIW, I didn’t film mine, and on the product page for these, Kinetic says that they tested these extensively with films and without films—and there isn’t much difference. That’s just two data points, but hopefully they help you paint a picture along with @HungerMechanic’s roundup.

And here is another quick impression of these that lines up with my experience.

1 Like
18

The website says that you don’t need to film them.

However, someone who felt underwhelmed by the Penguin stems found them to more closely resemble MX Clear stems once filmed.

So it’s not necessarily about wobble, which is usually the issue under discussion, but instead that filming may improve the operation / characteristics of the stock stem.

This is only one data point, I’m sure we’ll know more in a few days. I wasn’t planning to film mine. Maybe just put MX Clear stems in, or raise the spring weight on the stock switch.

1 Like
19

Thanks, all! I’ll lube them over the weekend.
What I like about them is the sound, as they don’t have that plasticky rattle typical in T1s/Kiwis. But yeah, as stock, I’m not as impressed. Will report back!

2 Likes
20

Hi all.
I’ve modded the switches and have spent a few minutes doing typing test. The return catch have disappeared after modding (lube 204g0 just on tactile legs), with the tactility becoming rounder and closer to Ergo Clears–awesome if you’re a fan of medium-sized bump.

Issues:
First, 2-3 switches out of the 67 I modded (I usually keep 3 stock switches for future reference) still have the return catch.
Second, spring swapping to 78g (6 come with the order) causes considerably decreased tactility. I also don’t like that spring weight for pinky finger keys (backspace for example).
Third, I noticed that the switches with flat or low-profile caps. There’s a bit of resistance for SA Row 1 caps, where the cap slope causes an angled press.
Finally, I’m a fan of the sound profile and the colourway!

All these issues may be just my inconsistent lubing, but would love to hear other people’s experience. I truly support expanding ErgoClear-range of tactility, so I think Penguins are in the right direction.

Cheers!

7 Likes
21

My Penguins arrived [ahead of schedule]!

I tried a stock one in hotswap for about 5 seconds, but it was clear the stem was catching. These are meant to be lubed.

So I lubed a couple with 3204, and the spring with its own lube.

The difference was marked. In hotswap, the switches function perfectly, without any hitch.

They are smooth, as if JWK manufactured an Ergo Clear. The stem is only somewhat more tactile than Brown, so I can see why some people don’t like it. The spring weight is a notch above Brown, to match the tactility.

When I started typing on the lubed Penguins, it was actually … kind of pleasant. I was expecting it to be underwhelming, but it was a reasonable weight and level of tactility.

I typed very quickly for a sustained period of time, and noticed that I was likely to fatigue more quickly than with Browns [where I would not experience fatigue for a very long time].

So these stock switches when lubed are kind of like slightly heavier, slightly more tactile MX Browns.

What’s really different about them is the thock. I don’t know if these are thic-thock springs. But it’s all combining to produce a lower-pitch. They are deeper than any Cherry tactile I’ve ever heard, and remind me of Alpacas lubed with 3204. It is really very deep, even with my mediocre lubing.

Wobble is minimal. I don’t know who was talking about wobble, if anyone, but these wobble way less than stock Cherry.

So my overall impression of the lubed stock switch is mildly positive. I can see what people might put an MX Clear stem in them, and I will try that next. The build quality of the switches appears adequate, and the colourway is nicer in person than in the photos. [And it would be an interesting match to Dasher/Dancer].

I am not sure if I will use them in a build or not. I am kind of tempted to order an IKKI68 Aurora and put them in. Some fun build with an attractive case.

7 Likes
22

Okay, I tried two using MX Clear stems, but everything else the same as before.

I can see why some people might like the MX Clear stems here. I think that the bump may be a little more well-defined. It’s like a whole more ‘rounded’ up-and-down experience.

It’s not quite as deep-sounding as the lubed stock Penguin, and there’s more of a shuffling noise. Maybe I didn’t use as much lube on the stem as before.

It might be preferable to type on this ‘Sky-Penguin’ for some users.

3 Likes
23

Are you lubing the legs like @keyves?

24

Not intentionally. I was just lubing crudely the stem rails on the stem, some of which got near / on the legs, and lubing the stem rail guides in the housing.

I could try just lubing the stem legs and see what happens.

1 Like
25

I wonder, all lubed, how these compare to the Dragonfruits that were just released.

4 Likes
27

I just got the Dragonfruits as well. Will try to compare soon.
So many tactile switches arrived this week so don’t know where to start.
Ahaha

3 Likes
28

I agree with your assessment. I’m not super impressed the switch overall, even the lubed ones, but one thing I really like is that deep sound.

1 Like
29

So the rumours are true.

You can get away with just lubing the legs on an MX Clear stem inside the Penguin housing.

It’s a pretty decent Ergo Clear that way. Nothing special, but it works.

You can even get away with using a 60 G TX spring this way, although I notice that the stem catches a little on the way up if you release it slowly.

I wonder if 62 G TX or Spirit would be a good weight for the Clear-stem Penguins. I don’t have any to test with, just generic 62 G OUTEMU springs from the Bobas.

This all makes me want the OxBlood project even more. A smoother Brown with slightly larger tactile bump that you can run around 60 G.

3 Likes
30

Please do, I am interested in hearing some thoughts as well!

31

I was checking out the ox bloods the other day, unfortunately it seems to have fizzled out for the time being.

1 Like
32

Yes, I noticed the OxBloods had gone quiet. Inadequate sample quality, maybe?

I made 2 Kailh Pro Penguins by putting the Penguin stem in a Pro Purple housing. They’re a little underpowered with the 63.5 G springs when using OEM-profile keycaps, but I didn’t lube them very carefully. Not sure if this is worthwhile.

I also made a Purple Penguin by putting a Pro Purple stem in the Penguin housing. Fairly low tactility, about the same as Pro Purple, used a 62 G spring I found, which is a good weight. But it is noisy, in a bad way. So I can’t recommend it as is.

1 Like