[sdiy] Chroma Polaris Membrane Switches

[Glen]

Those of you familiar with the Chroma Polaris will remember that it has
those troublesome membrane switches which fail too easily and are very
impractical to repair. Has anyone on this list ever tried converting those
membrane switches to something like surface-mounted tactile push buttons?
I'm considering doing something like this, and I wondered if someone else
had already done it.

I could possibly purchase a new set of membrane panels, but the last time I
checked, I think they were about $700 per pair. I'm NOT going to pay $700
for an array of plastic SPST membrane switches, no matter now nice and
stock they would make the keyboard look. Surface-mounted tactile switches
only cost about $20 per hundred. Doing a PCB that only held the surface
mounted switches shouldn't be too hard, and shouldn't cost too much. I
*might* even be able to place the tactile switches underneath the current
membrane (at least, underneath the top layer of the current membrane switch
panel), to keep the keyboard looking stock, or nearly so. That would save
me from having to create a custom-printed top panel.

I'd gladly go for a customized look, if I can upgrade to "real" switches,
connected with "real wires", and do away with these plastic membranes for good.

So, does anyone have any tips on making your own tactile switch panel?


thanks,
Glen