Not All Linears Are The Same!
Figure 1: Not even all of these (mostly) KTT-made linears are the same! After all of my years of collecting, reviewing, and obsessing over switches, I can say with certainty that linear switches are the most misunderstood of all of the switch types. No, I’m not talking about mechanically either, as all of the claims of them “just going straight up and down” are somewhat kind of true. (Not too much though, don’t get that excited.) The part that is often misunderstood, though, is usually in what is being implied when people say that these switches just go straight up and down – “All linears might as well be the same.” If the title of this article didn’t make that obvious enough to you, I find that sort of idea to be completely and utterly wrong. The people who make these implications wouldn’t say that a Cherry MX Black is the same as a Novelkeys Cream switch? They also certainly wouldn’t ever claim that every Gateron-made linear is the same as every fancy TTC one out there...
May 29, 2024
PCB-Mount Stabilizers Because of their popularity, there is a wide variety of choices when it comes to purchasing PCB mount stabilizers. As of writing, in February of 2024, the most popular choices for stabilizers are TX AP, AEBoards Staebies, Durock V2, Gateron Ink V2, and Owlab Owlstab V2. Starting with TX AP stabilizers, the AP stands for almost perfect. These stabilizers are unique in that they are the main offering of 1.2mm stabilizers. They come in both clip-in and screw-in varieties and even have a special offering called Long Pole. These are designed to work well with switches that have shorter travel distances which we refer to as long pole switches. They are currently the only stabilizer producer to offer this choice. Speaking of unique features, TX AP stabilizers feature a built-in Holee Mod. The Holee Mod is a popular modification done to stabilizers to address ticking between the wire and the stem of the stabilizer. This is typically done through bandaids, Teflon tape, or precut strips included with stabilizers. TX AP uses a double shot stem that features a softer material where the wire touches the stem, thus reducing ticking greatly. This feature makes them a favorite of novice and experienced builders alike. TX also includes shims with clip-in stabilizers to help create a secure mount. This addresses a common complaint of older-generation clip-in stabilizers as they would sometimes pop off the PCB.