Hard microswitches, tired fingers after playing.

[nordemoniac]

I have a couple of sets with joysticks and buttons, and one of them has REALLY hard microswitches. I would like to order new ones to replace them, so I've ordered one here and one there to compare them, but sometimes I feel like I get them at random. I want all switches to be the same, and I want them to be soft. One of the HAPP sets I ordered had 3 hard ones, two of them went to the player buttons, the last to a button which won't be used much - so that was OK.

Take a look at these pictures:
I did a test like this on a scale. I measured multiple times, and wrote down the highest number I could get before the button "clicked" into the casing.


I was shocked when I saw that the switch required no less than 230 grams of pressure to activate!


Then I did the same test on my HAPP switch:


Why?!
The hard one uses a spring to hold the tension for the switch, when you push it hard enough down, it snaps down, and activates.


The HAPP one uses a leaf spring method, and requires almost no pressure to activate, similar of a typical keyboard key.


The 230g switch is as hard as you would expect a door opener etc. to be, not a button on a gaming device.

These 230g ones belong to a set I bought on an auction, blue LED lit. I thought the LED lit buttons and joysticks was REALLY cool and awesome, but atm. I'm not that into LEDs I even bought the LED drive as well...
Will have to make a cool build with it sometime (active buttons lit on emulators etc).

Anyways, back to topic - Where do you get your microswitches? I'm talking $1 ones or less...

[Louis Tully]

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[nordemoniac]

Awesome! Guess I'll buy 100 of these

[Malenko]

I should also suggest the true leaf pro buttons/switches.  They are pretty great.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I've tried these as well and they're great too (although not the price you were looking for).
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=92&products_id=309

They will snap right into the standard button even though they look slightly different than the typical microswitch.

D

[Vigo]

Op has a good post on the importance of microswitch weight. 

[equlizer]

I use the microleafs for my main 6 buttons.  Just a bit more pressure needed to actuate these from a resting finger.  I want to replace the ones in my Blackhawk spinner with something less stiff.  Any ideas?

[WindDrake]

I was always a fan of the classic Cherry D44X, even though they are a little harder to get nowadays. 75g was just heavy enough to give me the feedback I wanted without all the finger fatigue.

[Generic Eric]

Op has a good post on the importance of microswitch weight. 

I heard it myself bot, it was very well worded.

[nordemoniac]

Op has a good post on the importance of microswitch weight. 

Thanks dude! 

I heard it myself bot, it was very well worded.

LOL

[BadMouth]

Am I the only one who mashes switches until they bottom out anyway?

[Malenko]

Am I the only one who mashes switches until they bottom out anyway?

Nope, its the only way to play 

[RandyT]

So it was you two who messed up all the leaf switch buttons back in the eighties. 

j/k