How to make your keyboard PCB hot-swappable

[@chiuuuuuuuuuu]

This video was way ahead of its time considering the tread of custom keyboard atm...

[@Nezalu]

brilliant. I found your vid a month ago, parts arrived, took me two days... well actually 7 hours to lube my fav switches but... my corsair k100 is now hotswapable and with my fav switches ! and all thx to you ! THANK YOU !

[@hendoe9456]

Wow, cool to know that you did this on a Corsair! Congrats!

[@swissix4947]

Planning to do that on my K95

[@Jakelazzzz]

Yo, this is awesome, just what I was looking for, as I plan to eventually sometime down the line do this to my K95 as well, just wasn't sure if it was possible on any Corsair keyboards. Would you mind posting a picture or video of what it looks like? Just curious. Also, does your RGB still sync well with iCue? I was a little confused on this as well.

[@KDP2009]

I'm sure there is someone else who already said it, but just for reference, the reason there is a small notch on pretty much all LED's is so you can use that to notate orientation without having to look at the leads if they are trimmed off.

[@frosty_boba8790]

you are a lifesaver for my project, its insane how this was 7 years ago

[@brodyjohnstancliff4822]

FYI It looks like Holtite doesn't make the smaller 8134-HC-5P3 sockets anymore that you used for the LEDs.

[@meowzersilly]

You're voice is so relaxing

[@okdubunf]

This is really brilliant.

[@V4mplr3]

Do you think we can adapt this method to a prebuit cherry-mx keyboard if we desolder the switches? :/

[@jpan2545]

Yes, should be possible but it could be that the holes are too wide. However, the nice thing about a desoldered board is that the left-over solder will make the sockets stick better (if you use a hot soldering iron to press them in)

[@yourfriendcaspian]

I just got these for LEDs, which so far seem to be great but for switches the Mill-Max sockets work a lot better but you do have to solder them in.

[@hendoe9456]

Agreed. Millmaxes are better :)

[@shrishuikey762]

the problem is my pcb has outemu switches soldered so will this still work or are there different holtite sockets for that.

[@MuhammadIzuddin-y3f]

never think of hotswappable LED!! thx for the vid

[@MrMaxusy]

Hi, good video! How hard is it to change switches once they're installed in the winkeyless case? I imagine it is quite hard to pop switches out of a plate... or do you use a special tool for that?

[@tntdude64]

Well this is super late, but from what I've seen something like a flathead screwdriver should work but you risk scratching your switch plate. I would use something like an IC puller. I know 1upkeyboards.com sells them and I think they are called switch pullers or something like that.

[@OfficialXalt]

You can use a switch puller. They’re pretty cheap though

[@macintacos]

Could you (or someone else on this comment thread) comment on what temperature you should set the soldering iron for this tutorial?

[@TheRuancarlo]

I maybe will mod my otemu PCB to be able to use the gateron PCB, thanks for this I did not know it was possible to chance all of this

[@sahpek5843]

Great video! does it works with every pcb?

[@sshum00]

Dumb question, is the soldering iron hot whilst you're doing the installation process or do you just need a blunt object to push the sockets in place?

[@katrinaoctaviano4298]

is this for converting welding switch to swappable mechanical keyboard?

[@pinch-of-salt]

what's that keyboard? nice hhkb layout, I like that it keeps the 6.25u space

[@jpan2545]

It's a custom cut acrylic layered case. I might have the files somewhere still

[@BecomeSupreme]

Nice video man, was the soldering iron turned on when you were inserting the sockets? If so, at what temperature?

[@harjoat]

I was going to ask the same thing

[@jpan2545]

It has to be turned on, yes. Can't tell you what temperature as it's a really cheap, $15 iron. I would suggest starting at the minimum value, though.

[@jpan2545]

Thanks, btw :)

[@harjoat]

seems they're not available in the Europe ;(

[@jpan2545]

Not sure why TE removed it from there website but Digikey as well as Mouser list these sockets (and they ship to Europe).

[@peterfiser]

Thanks my dude, great resource.

[@hdcrackerger9332]

im so thankfull for this video bro!

[@channalname5771]

Will this work with any pcb?

[@ViXoZuDo]

Nope, there is a link in the description with pcb already tested. But you can always test it yourself.

[@leemoulton7776]

@@ViXoZuDo do you happen to know if this works with the rk61 pcb

[@incongruous4]

Any leads to find LED sockets these days? They've been out of stock for so long I've lost track

[@rock962000]

I wonder if these will work on a mouse

[@thexenian]

Its been 3 years since this video, how is that keyboard holding up? This is the most important question :o

[@puriwatw.1323]

wanna know too

[@jpan2545]

I am still using it. It's not as tight as in the beginning but it's still good!

[@thexenian]

@@jpan2545 What about chattering or similar problems bound to loose contacts?

[@VileAce]

I know this is a very old video and there are newer hot-swappable sockets, but for these...the lead version are you just burnishing the insert with the iron or do you heat the iron? and if you heat the iron, what temp do you set it to?

[@jpan2545]

I don't have temperature settings on my iron so I wouldn't know. But yes, it should be heated so sockets become more flexible

[@robiimadot.9273]

Will it change the polling rate of the keyboard

[@andrewchiappetta1262]

This is great. Maybe I missed it somewhere in the video, but is the installation for the smaller LED sockets the same pressure/circular motion with the iron? Thanks!

[@swissix4947]

That would make sense.

[@LumenateTV]

Thanks for this video thinking about making my Corsair k95 Plat. hot swappable.

[@JNcorp_]

Hey thanks for the tutorial, but i have outemu sq pro switches and i don't know what sockets to get for this mod.. a little help would be appreciated here

[@shadowxporoblox2643]

will you ever upload again

[@replicant8532]

So you don't have to solder the holtites to the PCB after you put them in? Are they sitting firmly enough not to be pushed out by plugging the swtich? I was hoping to desolder switches from by Vortex Pok3r and making it hot pluggable.

[@jpan2545]

Yes, should work firmly. See here: www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/5uqltx/hot_swappified_my_pok3r/

[@sikeyy6881]

what black plastic plate do you have in the beginning of the video? it looks really thick and I want one for the thockinessss

[@knasiotis1]

How do I search for alternatives for the LEDs? Most websites are rarer in eu or they are out of stock or very expensive per unit

[@stefanozaghi2059]

This is a very interesting tutorial. I am wondering if there are "alternative" connectors: I have difficult to find the connectors you used in Italy thus I need to buy an alternative. Can you suggest an alternative available in Europe? Thank you very much for sharing your work.

[@jpan2545]

There are also Millmax sockets which are basically the same but have an additional shell around them, which makes them easy to fully solder in. As for retailers, I am pretty sure Mouser ships to Italy.

[@rousseau327]

What temperature is your soldering iron at when doing this?

[@hikarii8758]

he did not solder or anything, he just used it to push the holtites into the PCB

[@rousseau327]

@@hikarii8758 I'm asking the temperature of the soldering iron, as some say it helps with the adhesion. No solder is used, but heat from the iron can help

[@Zaseb]

ewt415 I think the temp doesn’t matter. I think he said you can use something else than a soldering iron but he uses the soldering iron because he has nothing else to use and that’s what he saw online. So yeah, doesn’t really matter.

[@stefanmrvic4652]

Is it possible to do this on Redragon Aryaman PCB which has blue Outeme switches and 4 pin RGB LEDs?

[@evanjrowley]

@J Pan is the soldering iron turned on while you're doing this? I'm curious to know if heat is important while getting these small metal pieces to bend.

[@ofi1831]

Evan Rowley no

[@jpan2545]

Yes, it's turned on.

[@tungpham1123]

Thank you for video. can i ask how to remove it? incase i need to repair or replace them ?

[@hendoe9456]

Yeah sure. Take a hot soldering iron and push from the other side.

[@umm4x4]

thanks for the tutorial man! :) The only problem is shipping to Portugal omg

[@carlos.morgado]

Isn't that always the problem

[@carlos.morgado]

BTW in case you are still looking pt.mouser.com/Search/Refine?Keyword=TE+Holtite+8134-HC-8P3

[@kingjohnunn7215]

@@carlos.morgado that one in particular has 100 000 units minimum order. Yeah, I wouldn't spend 10.000 € and 8 weeks on this 😅

[@winwinwin420]

dont you have to desolder all your switches first on your board before doing this?

[@Aurora12488]

They're assuming you have an unassembled PCB, like may people get when making split ergo keyboards. Yes, if you have a fully-assembled keyboard already, you'd need to desolder first.

[@weeklygolf]

So if I have cherry mx blue switches and switch my newly just bought my NK Creams and that don’t fit. If I do these steps my NK Creams will work ? Ik that it’s not the plastic pins but maybe it’s cause the medal ones don’t fit

[@menuhin]

Very nice video. Some questions: Why didn't you need solder for this mod? How firm can they stay there without solder? And when may solder be necessary?

[@jpan2545]

They will stay very firm. Don't move at all. I have not seen one of them coming off, yet. Depends a bit on the PCB (see docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTEpMxu0-9QZoqANt2piXOzjxHSEIafLuUYjJIw1J0JFAH_xiA6n6MSeU7UlZ0oli9fbNn87rjUl_Ov/pubhtml?gid=986897710&single=true for a compatibility table that we currently have). That being said, do NOT TRY to solder them. The solder will get into the socket and make it impossible for the switch to go in.

[@menuhin]

J Pan That is a very handy table, thanks for the good work! Has anyone done these non-solder mod for Alps compatible PCB? MX switches (except for the vintage Cherry and Nixies) are widely available, however, older genuine Alps switches (not the Matias simplified versions) are relatively quite rare to come by and of much higher quality and key feel. Having a proven non-drilling method to make Alps compatible PCBs (e.g. Input Club's Infinity 60%, Alps64 by Hasu, or Duck's Eagle PCB) hot-swappable with similar performance will be great for all the Alps enthusiasts.

[@hendoe9456]

menuhin yes. the required sockets are in the table as well I think (8134-HC-12P3). Pm E3Eves on geekhack or reddit. He knows best about how to do it with alps.

[@jpan2545]

I guess you'd have to test it with one of the PCBs you mentioned. Sorry :>

[@princesa__jujuba]

I've to ask you something: I've the Philips G614 and it has 19 RGB light modes. I want it to be only blue, but none of this 19 modes are a single color in the whole keyboard. I think that inside of it there's a kind of light control. I wish I could make it be JUST blue. Could you help me about it? Can you tell me what should I search and study for making it right?

[@ihalatch]

What is the special tool needed to install these?

[@jeirs4231]

ihalatch waiting for the same question

[@hendoe9456]

As you can see, it's not needed. Just use a soldering iron. As for this "special tool", it's named somewhere here in the comments.

[@comment2891]

Here's where it's discussed in the comments: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHOUiKBurpd2rZo&lc=Uggre_EDm5RlTXgCoAEC.8KderT79Nur8NASn7rGnkw and below that there's a mention of a much cheaper tool that might also work. In case those comments get deleted, here's a summary: The "Application Specification" linked on the product website mentions "Spring Loaded Hand Tool 5-1437514-3, 5-1437514-5, 5-1437514-7" and "Pneumatic Hand Tool System 5-1437514-8". Possible alternative: tools called "spring-loaded automatic center punch" cost like one dollar.

[@butchukoybuluyagon5483]

What switch did you use here? Is this fit on gateron switches? It looks like this is small socket.

[@hendoe9456]

They work on all MX stylr switches (including gateron)

[@chrheca]

does the soldering iron need to be on to help shape the holtites into place?

[@hendoe9456]

I think that helps!

[@tonsoffun49]

I have a pcb that have sockets like this already. What is the best way to get them out?

[@jesus-wankenobi357]

Just wondering are they secure enough to hold a 3 pin switch

[@j.c.k.6883]

do you have a tip for getting the led sockets in? I am using a soldering iron just like you said but they don't go in at all

[@jpan2545]

Your PCB's LED holes might be too tight :/

[@SimGunther]

Mill max vs holtite sockets: which is better? I'm leaning toward Mill max, but I'd like to hear your thoughts.

[@jpan2545]

Millmax is better these days (and easier to install since it's just soldering like any switch)

[@MemeScreen]

How did you do this without destroying your soldering iron tip? I have the TS100 and the tip couldn't stand the pressure and heat so it bent and broke off the tip by the end.

[@jpan2545]

You shouldn't need much pressure.

[@dualgunz8699]

Can I still do this if I have a lifted pad ? Like the silver circle around the hole is gone but do u think if I buy the sockets it will basically have the same function ?

[@jpan2545]

Technically, yes, but maybe not with these sockets. Get the Milmax sockets instead. Those you can easily "jump", meaning you have to connect the trace (the thing that connected to the pad originally) with the socket, through a small wire for instance. The holtite sockets don't really work for that because they will get clogged with solder as soon as you try to connect them to a wire. The Milmax sockets have another layer on the outside, which you can solder.

[@castdawn5501]

Hey, 1 question how much heat did you put in the iron?

[@hendoe9456]

My iron doesn't have a temp meter 🤫

[@hellfire1773]

The pages you have linked sell the sockets at a minimum quantity of 100000, which costs around 27000 USD, are there any other retailers that sell these sockets??

[@jpan2545]

Check mouser and digikey. Example: www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/8134-HC-6P3/4030451

[@hellfire1773]

@@jpan2545 Thanks pal

[@Jackgogym]

Do you tin your soldering iron when you do this? wouldnt it either oxidize or get solder all over the sockets, whats the strategy as far as tinning goes here?

[@jpan2545]

I didn't tin anything. I am not using any solder either. It's press-fit with the soldering iron just used as heating source.

[@isencredo7039]

can I do this method with other pcb's?

[@dominickmendoza9607]

That s my question too

[@MirelRC]

Nice tutorial. I have one question. Do you know the diameter of the led pins? I want to get some socket's for my keyboard, for switches I've found something, but for LEDs I haven't, I want some sockets that I can solder. For switches I am gonna use mill-max 7305.

[@jpan2545]

Hmm. I wouldn't bother tbh. But you can take the diameter from the specifications of the sockets in this video.

[@Reksrat]

So when using these sockets would you treat the switches as plate mount? It looks like they don't interfere with anything on the front but i figured i would ask

[@jpan2545]

Plate and PCB mount both work just fine.

[@filbert_sebastian]

Can you do this with mill max?

[@jpan2545]

I haven't tried that yet so I can't comment on it. However the beauty of mill max is that you can solder them (since their "fingers" are guarded by another layer of metal). Soldered sockets can't fall out.

[@animationcanceling]

are gold and lead version both good to be used without soldering?

[@jpan2545]

They should be, yes

[@animationcanceling]

@@jpan2545 cool thank you, and for the leds, is it the same process where I have to push gently with the soldering iron?

[@jpan2545]

Yes. It's the same process. But keep in mind that the success of this very much depends on the hole size of the PCB. If the holes are too large, the sockets fall through. If they're too small, you won't get them in.

[@animationcanceling]

@@jpan2545 Sorry for the late question but I ended up purchasing the sockets and led just now for my space65. Would I have to use qmk/via and code in order to get these to work?

[@jpan2545]

@@animationcanceling There is no coding needed. This is purely a hardware job

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

How much did the sockets cost? I'm seeing what appears to be a ridiculous price on Digikey.

[@hendoe9456]

I went over the cost at the end of the video. That was a few years ago, though .. These days you should consider looking into millmax instead.

[@gigachad3113]

cant I use something else instead of a soldering iron?

[@kurianmathew3299]

Was the soldering iron ON?

[@TheDrghu]

in earlier comments he said yes

[@kindsaturn9569]

Hi, can i ask is mill max the same process?

[@jpan2545]

Not quite. Millmax are not press-fit. You need to actually solder them in. That makes them also superior and compatible to more PCBs.

[@ihmpall]

What they had electronics back then ?

[@pornol88]

I heard that hotlites will fit only some pcb's.Which pcb do you use for this project??

[@math001]

Where did you hear that? While I'm pretty confident that most holes are of the same size regardless of the pcb, I'm planning on doing this on my next build and would like to be sure.

[@ofi1831]

Kappa Kreygasm there's something like the kbd75 and I know that messes with holtities

[@jpan2545]

Here I used a Winkeyless B.face PCB (see winkeyless.kr website). Not all keyboards have the exact same hole diameter, though. We created a table with our current findings: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1qt70E2mcuaHBXYrpPHXlpl7FNaXLo0u_TOe67cVdY/pubhtml?gid=986897710&single=true

[@okdubunf]

J Pan aw man I was eyeing to dz60 for the split space. Looks like I'd have to solder

[@davidgalstyan1569]

Is there any way to change the amount of switch sockets because I want to mod my keyboard but unfortunately I don't have the money to buy 100 000 and pay 30 thousand for it.

[@jpan2545]

I am certain you can find a vendor which sells on the order of 10s instead of 10,000s! :)

[@green--apple]

@@jpan2545 It seems like these are not being manufactured anymore :/

[@moebro5903]

Hey man , nice video i liked the easy expalnations... i have a question though.. do i need to put the leds in lets say my new switches everytime i want to try new ones ? or can i just put the leds in the pcb somehow?

[@jpan2545]

There are PCBs with SMD LEDs built-in. For those, you don't need LEDs at all. In all other cases, yes, you need to take the LED out to take the switch out.

[@Waypse]

Does the Kbd75 V2 PCB is compatible with these holtites ?

[@pinnyskenis]

I guess so as long as it’s a cherry mx PCB

[@ajitpai5205]

PinnySkenis Im pretty sure cherry MX switches are compatible with all pcbs right?

[@darckshark1]

This modd change the sound of the keyboard?

[@jpan2545]

Not that I noticed

[@Vertigo2099]

I know I’m 4 years late but if my PCs already has a white led does this make it easier or harder

[@hendoe9456]

I am not sure what you mean ..

[@TerribleEddie]

How would you go about removing holtites to transfer to another board or location?

[@jpan2545]

You press them out with a hot iron from the backside of the PCB. If you're careful enough to not damage the fingers, they should still work on the next location

[@hittaren]

SO... To do this you'll need a Mechanical Keyboard PCB which is EITHER PCB-mounted or plate-mounted... You said that we'll need a "MX Cherry PCB" which I cannot really understand.. Does this mean a PCB which is MX Cherry compatible? I'm unsure, I have a plate-mounted keyboard which uses red Kailh switches and I want to replace them with blue/brown/green Gateron switches. Will this work for my keyboard? Q: How hot does the soldering iron have to be to melt the solders? Oh, and did you remove the solders before doing this? (All of them.)

[@jpan2545]

There are other types of keyboard switches (e.g. ALPS) which have different pin layouts and sizes and those need a PCB that support it. The sockets in this video are for Cherry MX switches (or switches who use the same design such as Gateron) only.

[@KyleRick6000]

what LED did you use sir ?

[@Horizon-jq6bf]

TE Holtite 8134-HC-8P3 aren't sold by Mouser / digikey anymore citing that they are "obselete" anyone know a replacement component for this? *edit: replacements are Mill-Max 7305 Hotswap Sockets or Mill-Max 0305 Hotswap Sockets

[@catgirldoll]

PSA: KBDfans keyboards have much larger holes for the pins on the top row, and these will not fit. Hole sizes on other rows are inconsistent, and these don't fit in all.

[@h4z11s4]

you probably can find similar, but larger sockets if you search a bit.

[@catgirldoll]

@@h4z11s4 in theory, yes - but the inconsistencies in hole size still present a problem. It's probably just better to go with a higher end PCB if you want to hot-swap mod your keyboard.

[@styxwickorfrost811]

Just checked Winkeyless' website and... they, for some reason, recommend a flat tipped screwdriver or something like it. Either way, what are your thoughts?

[@jpan2545]

Works as well if the holes have the right size (winkeyless boards have a perfect size for the sockets so this works well). Pressing them in with heat (soldering iron), especially the lead sockets, will make them fit better, imho.

[@jeffestrada8641]

Would this be compatible on an Anne Pro 2? Anne pro 2 comes stock with gateron switches installed

[@EMS9729]

Jeff Estrada i want to know the same

[@trentedwards7365]

I have a ducky one two mini, if do what you did, should I be able to take the switches out and replace them.

[@yatharthyadav7]

Hey so I am thinking of making my super cheap outemu switch keyboard to hotswappable, so can you help me/tell me which socket would I need to use for that? Can anyone help me?

[@jpan2545]

It depends on the PCB, really. And I have tested this method only with a few different PCBs. Probably none of which are the same as yours. Sorry, you have to try yourself. I'd suggest to use Milmax sockets though. Please search KZbin and you'll find a guide on how to do it

[@yatharthyadav7]

@@jpan2545 Sooooo long story short i ordered a sample of the sockets you suggested and they don't fit :''( . Will try another sockets. Thanks for recommending milmax tho.

[@rizkip7211]

What if we have the rgb keyboard and just want to change it to hot swapable,does u still need the led?

[@raza4989]

are the rgb smd or the two pin?

[@rizkip7211]

@@raza4989 2

[@raza4989]

@@rizkip7211 yea you gotta need the led

[@Joe.Scav.]

So does it make ur keyboard hot swappable

[@MrGrandis852]

do you recommend using 3pins switches or 5pin switches?

[@hendoe9456]

Alwintheboy ? cherry mx style switches have 2 pins

[@MrGrandis852]

Oh i also count the middle plastic stem, some switches have 2 extra small plastic legs, i afraid those will make swpping the switches harder

[@hendoe9456]

Alwintheboy not that much. in the video i use switches with legs for PCB mount. they are a little harder to insert but not that much. you can also trim those legs a bit.

[@Demosophist]

Is the soldering iron hot?

[@Demosophist]

OK, I see what's going on. The idea is that the little lip on the entry end is supposed to hold it in, but it doesn't. If the socket stays in long enough to get the pins in, then it might hold, but what should really happen is that there should be a thin film of solder and the iron should be hot enough for that film to make a solid enough connection to hold.

[@EnnTomi1]

hello, i want to do it on mice PCB, you think they are the same size? please reply xD

[@hendoe9456]

Sorry, no idea.

[@yubinator7455]

is it compatible with RK61?

[@jacobbuchanan4447]

How do you remove a socket in case you mess one up?

[@jpan2545]

Take a hot solder iron and press from the other side.

[@OnThe100]

Why it's not aviable for sale?

[@LyIaKing]

Can you do this with millmax sockets?

[@hendoe9456]

I'd recommend soldering millmax

[@jayleefish6392]

how to remove a switches in my keyboard?

[@jpan2545]

Search for desoldering!

[@sirchips204]

will this work on my Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition 2014?

[@regnillot4614]

probably, but you'd have to desolder your current switches.

[@Hodgey10]

I just bought a Dz60 pcb and Kailh sockets before seeing this video :( damn

[@Keylimesicle]

I was about to do the same thing so glad I saw this video.

[@AbrahamMusalem]

sweet video man. Thanks for the info.

[@AX-fx7ng]

Literally could not find this kinda video or article.

[@shilo.5087]

But what switches can you use?

[@ThatGuyNL]

he seems to be using MX style switches

[@shilo.5087]

Nicholas Larcher the stem doesn’t change nothing, its about the pins/connection

[@jpan2545]

@@shilo.5087 All MX switches and their clones have the same footprint (pins).

[@_daeyangiee]

Thank you soo much

[@jackstezsavage3815]

does this work for gateron pcb?

[@jpan2545]

I don't know what you're referring to.

[@McGillAttorneyAtLaw]

It doesn’t make sense because I want to make it hot swap cause I DON’T HAVE A SOLDERING IRON

[@josezuniga3747]

if you have walmarts near you they sell a cheap 7 dollar soldering iron. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a more pricy soldering iron but it should get the job done.

[@shield4815]

How to remove these holtites after install on pcb?

[@jpan2545]

You press with the soldering iron from the back.