What are the optical switches that the Venatos Northern Glow TKL use?

The switches that the Venatos Northern Glow TKL use are orange optical clicky switches by a company called DG. These switches closely resemble the LK switches by Bloody.

What are the optical switches that the Venatos Northern Glow TKL use?

The switches that the Venatos Northern Glow TKL use are orange optical clicky switches by a company called DG. These switches closely resemble the LK switches by Bloody.

Light Strike “LK” Switches and how they work

LK switches have a horizontal infrared light beam shooting across the inside of the switch shaft. The stem of the switch blocks the light beam, but when you press a key, you push down the stem, allowing the light to make a connection across the shaft and actuate the command.

Courtesy of Upstore

LK switches actuate at 1.5mm--this, as opposed to the 2.0-2.2mm actuation of most standard mechanical switches--and A4tech said that the switch resets faster than most, too. LK switches could “respond” as fast as 0.2ms.

What are the benefits of Optical Switches over traditional Mechanical Switches?

Because optical switches don’t have the same moving parts as mechanical switches and instead rely on light to actuate the switch, they can last much longer. The lifespan of a typical the optical switches are 100 million clicks in comparison to most mechanical switches that last about 50 million clicks. In addition, optical switches are much faster than mechanical switches.

What if I want to use a different switch?

No problem! The Northern Glow TKL offers hot swap capabilities. What this means is that you can replace the default LK Optical switches with a switch of your liking. This provides added customizability to ensure every Northern Glow TKL is perfect for you. Keep in mind that the switches used must be optical switches as well.

Article by: levistagteamboys