Fastest Switches for Buttons???

[coconut]

I at first didn't think the switch would make a difference, but since its Olympic time, I've been spending alot of time trying to set new all-time records in Track & Field, and Hyper Sports.  My cab has old Misubitue switches for one player (these came with my old generic caberet) and new cherry switches (that I added) for player two, and I can confidently say the cherry swiches are significantly slower, over 1 second in the 100m dash. This has been confirmed by multiple people and since I have no extra Mits switches I was forced to put cherry switches on each side so competitions are fair (unfortunately records are now no longer a possibility, even just qualifing in some events is tough now!)

Has anyone else experienced this, and if so what are the very fastest switches out there, I'll need to get these because there is nothing more satisfing then getting a world record (12.29 secs in the 110m Hurdles)

[RetroBorg]

Perhaps coconut you need to change your method of hitting the keys, instead of pushing the buttons I rub my finger nail and the tips of my fingers accross the edge of just one button, give this a try if you don't do it already. It will take a bit of practice and plenty of skin but after a while those times will come down.

[RayB]

He's right though, some microswitches have a "harder" feel to them.

[NoOne=NBA=]

The fastest buttons you are going to get are well adjusted leafswitches.
If you bend the bottom leaf on them to where it is just BARELY stays open, ANY pressure on the top of the button will close it.

You need to KEEP them adjusted this way though, as the leaves will tend to bend away from the buttons with time/use.

[RayB]

The fastest buttons you are going to get are well adjusted leafswitches.
If you bend the bottom leaf on them to where it is just BARELY stays open, ANY pressure on the top of the button will close it.

He's right about that! The original Track n Field machines used leaf-switch, and I remember playing it where all I did was lightly tap the tops of the buttons and I did that really fast by alternating index and middle finger really fast over each button. I got long jump distances over 10', close to 11'.

[Tiger-Heli]

1Up had a suggestion to remove the button springs so you are just using the internal microswitch springs to hold the button up.  This should give a lighter feel and faster response time.

You might want to try it.

[NoOne=NBA=]

The button springs don't make that big a difference with either type of button.
I've tried both, with and without the springs, and didn't see a real difference.

On leaf switches, the location of the switch in relation to the button DOES make a big difference though.
The closer to the end of the leaf the button sits, the easier it is to press the button.

I had some leafswitch bases that centered the button just inside the contact area, and the buttons felt really stiff.
I ditched the bases in favor of using a small block of wood to hold them, moved the switches back so that the button was closer to the end of the leaf, and that softened them up alot.

[Jakobud]

Well, i think leaf switches are perhaps a little faster...

But I wouldn't totally blame the switches on your records... I have all Horizontral Happs Micros (with Cherry switches) and this is what I have for 110 Meter Hurdles top 3:

11:24
11:35
11:47

... so don't be so quick to blame the switches

[Pieman2004]

I thought he said he had much better results with a different kind of switch. If his performance was hindered only when he changed switches I think he would be able to blame the switches. His method did not change but his performance decreased with the different button. I may have misunderstood though.

I think part of this may be because you were used to the way your original buttons played and have not gotten used to the new button. I don't actually know but it seems like it could make sense.

[RayB]

I'll say it again, some microswitches feel "stiffer" than others.

[2600]

Aren't the problem with microswitches the fact after you trigger the switch, you have to raise your finger enough to disengage the microswitch before you can trigger it again.

With leaf switches, tuned correctly, you could have the separation between the contacts very small so that you don't have to raise your finger as much.

[RetroBorg]

My switches are SAIS - Switzerland my best time using the method I described earlier is 10:69 you could run faster by running a small cylindrical object back and forth across the edge of one button but I consider this cheating. I just put some cherry microswitches in just to see what sort of time I would get and got 11:12 first up which isn't too bad seeing I haven't played it for ages.