Overview
Gateron Dual-rail Lunar Probe Linear Switch is the latest switch from Gateron. It has numerous innovative design elements which we talk through in detail in this post.
Figure 1: Gateron Dual-rail Lunar Probe Linear Switches
Product Details
Bottom Housing
The biggest change on the bottom housing is that it now has an extra little t-shape rail divider whereas the standard bottom housing is standard bracket shape. The t-shape rail divider provides extra support to the stem thus reducing stem wobble.
Figure 2 and 3: Gateron Dual-rail Lunar Probe Bottom Housing vs Gateron Oil King Bottom Housing
Stem
Unlike the standard stem, there are two rails on the stem of the Lunar Probe, complementing the t-shape addition on the bottom housing. The dual rail stem is riding within the bottom housing t-shape channel. In theory, this should lead to reduced stem wobble in both the x and y axis (mostly y axis i.e. top to bottom) because the t-shape inside the bottom housing helps stabilize the stem further.
Figure 4: Gateron Dual-rail Lunar Probe Stem vs Gateron Oil King Stem
Additionally, the stem design includes two nubs on both the front and back, contributing to improved stability on the x-axis (side to side). The nubs go into the rails on the top housing. This further improves the stability of the switch.
Figure 5: Gateron Dual-rail Lunar Probe Stem vs Gateron Oil King Stem
Pins
The switch utilizes dual-layer wrapped copper pins instead of the previous single-layer stamped pins. The upgraded pins are now much stiffer and harder to bend. They are designed to address concerns regarding bent pins during the plugging and unplugging process. The stronger pins allow for less damage and deformities. These upgraded pins do not alter or impact the hot swap functionality, ensuring a seamless user experience.
Figure 6: Gateron Dual-rail Lunar Probe Pins
Specs
The switch is made with PC on the top housing, nylon on the bottom, and POM stem. With the low coefficient of friction of POM and nylon, this leads to a naturally smooth switch to begin with based on material choices. The 5-pin switch has a 45±15gf operating force with 3.6mm total travel. It is factory-lubed.
Switch Sound
In the video below, we compared the Dual-rail Lunar Probe against Gateron Oil King.
In stock form, the Dual-rail Lunar Probe is clackier and higher pitched compared to the Oil King which has a deep sound.
In the hand-lubed version, the pitch Lunar Probe alters. There is more clarity and the sound is crisper.
Video 1: Sound Test of Gateron Dual-rail Lunar Probe vs Gateron Oil King
Switch Feel
Both switches are very smooth to begin with. The Oil King is slightly smoother than the Dual-rail Lunar Probe in the stock form. This is likely because there are more contact surfaces for the Lunar Probe to be lubed up and the machine lubing may not have the exact right amount of lube on all the surfaces.
In the hand-lubed version, the Dual-rail Lunar Probe is smoother than the stock version. Gateron switches in general have very good tolerances and they do not have that much scratch to begin with. With the hand-lubed version, the Lunar Probe is smooth the entire way through. It is smoother than stock Oil King and on par with the hand-lubed Oil King.
In terms of stability, the Dual-rail Lunar Probe is significantly more stable than the Oil King, which is relatively stable compared to other switches to begin with. Traditionally with the standard MX design, switch makers have been improving tolerances to combat stem wobble, however, there are diminishing returns as tight tolerance is a tradeoff between stability and scratchiness. As tolerances tighten, there is increased friction between the surfaces which can lead to scratchiness. This innovative design of stabilizing on multiple axes with specific design elements leads to a stable switch that is also smooth.
Conclusion
The Gateron Dual-rail Lunar Probe is the most stable switch we've tried thus far. The innovative design elements, including a t-shape rail divider, dual-rail long pole stem, and nubs on the stem enhance stability and minimize stem wobble.
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