TTC Hey Linear Switches: Shining Light Through
This is an elaborated writeup on the new Hey Linear switches from TTC.
TL;DR
Hey linears are great for RGB enthusiasts and perhaps gamers to some extent. They offer variety in light dissipation and typing experience. However, the sound and push feel (to some extent) leaves a lot to be desired.
Introduction and Structure
The Hey Linears are PCB mount (5-pin) switches manufactured by TTC consisting of Cream colored Box shaped POM stems, Black Nylon top & bottom housings, and 18.5mm 2-stage 58g gold plated springs. The stems being boxy, reduces the stem wobble to minimal levels and the housing is what I would call of medium tightness, allowing the usage of films. The metal pins were very strong and it is one of the very few switches that I’ve received without any bent pins.
These cost SGD 0.95 (~INR 53) per switch.
Light Guides
This switch, as can be seen in the above picture to the far right, comes with an extra component, a light guide that is used to direct the light towards the top. This component is translucent and manages to avoid scattering of backlighting of the keys. This component is also removable and does not add anything to the normal functioning of the switch.
An additional unintended side effect of these light guides is that there is no place to grip the switch in the south direction while seating them onto the plate. This means, we need to make that little extra effort to seat the switch properly.
Springs
Apart from the light guiding pieces, the switch also comes equipped with double staged gold plated springs that offer a different switch push experience.
These springs are essentially two springs attached vertically, thereby increasing their lengths. The increased length means the spring sits preloaded in the switch and offers a slower force curve. Sadly, some springs (10%) in my batch of 70 were bent and created some problems while closing the switch post lubing.
The springs were donut dipped (at the factory) with grease at the bottom ends to prevent any ping from the housing. The factory lubing was so inconsistent that in some cases, a large portion of the grease was shifted to the bottom housing and in some cases none.
Typing Feel
Typing test sounds depend on various factors and should not be considered at face value as recreating the same conditions are difficult and unnecessary. The typing feel is my personal opinion and it can be influenced by my preferences as well.
Stock
The switches definitely feel smooth to the press with some minor scratches. The scratchy feeling is inconsistent and was not present in all switches. The boxy stem means the travel is reduced by 0.3mm to 0.6mm from the usual standard of 4mm. The long double springs offer initial resistance in the downstroke and then smoothens out with constant force. These springs also make the upstroke (return stroke) a little faster when compared to regular springs. Snappy returns are mostly preferred by gamers and fast typists.
I felt the sound was quite hollow and very inconsistent throughout. The spring crunch and leaf crunch was also audible on some poorly factory lubed switches.
Lubed
Since, I was unhappy with the inconsistent feel and sound of the stock switches, I decided to lube and film them. I used Tribosys 3204 for the bottom sliders, and stems. I also bag lubed the springs with Krytox GPL 105. Filming these switches presented a challenge as the light guiding components come in the way of the films.
On regular switches, there will be a gap in the south direction and the film sits along the perimeter of the bottom housing. In the case of Hey switches, the light guide will get inserted into that gap thereby obstructing the perimeter on which the film rests.
I managed to find Swagkeys Foam films, these allow the light guides to be inserted after filming. The above image shows the Swagkeys films having a gap while traditional films such as Deskeys enclose the housing perimeter completely. Below is a joint photo of the filmed switch.
Post lubing and filming, I did not find any noticeable differences to the typing feel barring the disappearance of minor scratchiness. The downstroke was smooth enough and was accompanied by a quick upstroke. The sound however, was still hollow to my ears and the pairing of the switches with a PC plate was also aggravating the issue.
Conclusion
After all the hype of the light guides, I was hoping for a good light and sound show by the Hey switches. The light was certainly there, but the sound could not keep up with the lights. However, the typing feel was certainly smooth and these switches can be used in situations where sound is not of utmost importance.
I will sign off with the best part of these switches!