Thread 106474824

You have to spend at least $400 edition

Previous: >>106426310

>Keyboard recommendation template:
https://pastebin.com/n220xk9V

>Find vendors
https://www.alexotos.com/keyboard-vendor-list // Up-to-date list of reputable vendors with brief descriptions
https://keycaplendar.firebaseapp.com // Tracker for current and upcoming keycap group buys

>This keyboard stuff is so expensive!
https://aliexpress.com (or Taobao if you know how)

>Learn about Cherry MX switches
https://rentry.org/mkg_switches // Introductory guide
https://www.theremingoat.com // Switch reviews
https://www.switchesdb.com // Compare force curves

>Split and non-standard layout resources
https://compare.splitkb.com
https://keyboard-design.com

>What does ______ do to a keyboard's sound?
https://blacksimon.tv/science (Google sheet)

>Practice typing
https://monkeytype.com
https://www.keybr.com
https://thetypingcat.com
https://play.typeracer.com

>How Cherry switches do backlighting, and why it's not ideal
https://rentry.org/mkg_backlight

Model M.

My goal is to build my own keyboard within a year. I have to learn everything from scratch except the firmware part.

>>106474824 (OP)
Thinking about getting these to replace the ugly stock caps on my keychron. Are rounded keycaps like this comfortable to use?

>>106475670
Forgot image

>>106475678
Did they put the left/right arrows on upside down? what's going on there

nth for split columnar stagger

>>106475452
but thou must do your own firmware

>>106475678
what is this fucking bullshit?

>>106475678
>>106475957
My best guess is that these are left-aligned legends similar to GMK and these are the correct positions for each key

>>106475678
And it's not just the arrows:
>option and command keys on the right-hand side
>option key is upside-down
>windows key is also upside down
incredible

>>106475957
>>106476805
>>106476930
>>106476943
Honestly I'm not a huge fan of them but I'm having trouble finding a set of primarily white/off-white keys with an option for English and Russian.

>>106477185
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the keys, I just think the photographer really fucked up putting the keyboard together for the picture

>>106477777
I think that's a render, not a photo. Well, someone fucked up either way

>>106477834
I don't think they'd choose to render some of that visible damage to the case

how bad did i fuck up

>>106474824 (OP)
What caps are those?

>>106479117
I wish I knew actually, I want them.

>>106477185
https://milktooth.com/products/jcs-cyrillic-purple

Not sure if any aliexpress sellers have this JC Studio set right now, this is an American vendor. But Keebox has XMI Cyrillic, also good:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007383812910.html

>>106474824 (OP)
I found a cheap and good looking wired keyboard on Japanese amazon, but I am afraid that the deal is too good to be true.

Can there be a built in keylogger inside the keyboard?

>>106480086
Theoretically, yes. I'd be more worried about chink, programmable, wireless keyboards though. They do have their own CPU with firmware which is basically a mini computer in its own rights. Keychron is a good example.

>>106479063
>keychron
You're fine

>>106476666
quads of truth and a devilishly-round fluffy boy

>>106480740
I highly suspect that a mouse + keyboard combo for 4000 yen is still Chinese in origin even if it is sold on Japanese Amazon.

>>106481695
Show us screenshot.

>>106479063
>low profile Keychron
I've never seen anyone say they actually liked these but maybe you'll be the first

How do you have enough room for your excess keyboards?

Today the w key started not working sometimes, like I have to press it hard or sway it around a bit. What do I do? I have a gateron red james donkey 619, any good replacements currently?

Needed a very cheap keyboard.
-Bought a 20$
Trust Gaming GXT 835 --> Dead on arrival, keyboard worked 10min then nothing. Also, the keys aren't backlit.
-Bought a 10$ Akuma Shonen K01 Gaming at the supermarket nearby to use "temporarily".
It works, it's quite compact, no problem, i'm very surprised and will keep it.

Is it better to just buy some Krytox 205g0 and a soldering iron/desoldering sucker/solder and all that shit and lube my 9 year old Cherry MX Reds and stabilizers as opposed to spending what is basically amounting to half a new keyboard on new switches?

>>106482563
Lubing switches is gay, and you are gay for even considering it. Also, I don't think you would need to desolder a switch to lube it, but then again, I am not gay, so I wouldn't know.
Also, a good soldering station costs like $80 at least, anything less than that is going to be painful (although not impossible).

>>106482081
I uhh don't, it's kind of problematic. Add in boxes of unused keycaps, bags of unused switches, keyboard-specific tools, unused travel cases....

>>106482563
I don't think 9 year old cherry reds have a lot of life left in them unless you're also cleaning the contact surfaces etc, which frankly I wouldn't know how to do.

But yes a bit of lube on very broken-in reds would be a nice switch. Filming helps too

>>106482223
>any good replacements currently?
Yeah Cherry Reds cost like 30-40 cents

>>106482563
If the switches are PCB mounted, then you can easily lube them without desoldering. If you need to desolder, then it's going to be quite a lot of work. The switches themselves should still be fine. If you feel that some switches are more worn than other, you can swap them somewhere where they won't bother you. Like moving switches from WASD to F9-F12

>>>106482876
9 years is not a lot for MX switches, even if he's a professional typist

I love the sound of Topre

>>106474824 (OP)
:^)

>>106483832
>indicator on esc

How do I shine gmk keycaps? I've been using it for a year and still looks like new

>>106483832
Why is there a light under the spacebar lol

>>106483514
>9 years is not a lot for MX switches, even if he's a professional typist
7 years is how long it took for mine to develop problems. Typing isn't what does it, gaming is.

>>106484405
As said, individual troublemakers can be swapped out. Most of the switches should be fine. Lubing can also mitigate certain problems, like double clicking

>>106484402
It's some kind of diode that emits light. A "luminescent diode" of some kind.

>>106484620
...why is it there though?

>>106483832
Reminds me of old keyboards that had the indicator lights in the keys.

>>106484692
for shine through keys that the guy isn't using.

>>106484771
Oh... he has ALL the RGB on

>>106483153
you can buy the switch separately and replace a specific one? do i need to solder something?

>>106483947
Indicates my want to escape :^)
>>106484402
Because the keyboard is backlit? Im too lazy to figure out how to set it to specific keys.
>>106484724
Yes that is the intention

>>106486683
I'm only giving you a pass because I know we bullied you into installing stabilizers and you were a good sport about that. It's too early to bully you again. Also I actually like your keyboard so you get some leeway

>>106485496
>do i need to solder something?
Yeah but it's about as simple as a soldering job can get.

>>106482223
how's your L key?

>>106483832
ローマ字IMEの快適さより 日本語配列はどうですか?

>>106475452
Why? The market is saturated and you're basically going to be assembling a kit and not making anything.

>>106484498
>>106484405
>Gaming on mechanical switches
Why do people keep falling for this meme.
Get a hall effect and get gud.

>>106488054
Get great savings with Geiko insurance! 100% customer satisfaction rating, guaranteed! Get great savings with Geiko!

>>106488454
Are you OK?
I need you to point on the doll where the hall effect keyboard touched you.

>the HEtroon shill is still raging
I just want newfags to buy whatever keyboard they want, and to ignore hypefags that watch e-celebs.

I'm a linear red switches enjoyer. Do Magnetic switches feel as smooth as red linear?

just got my q6 max in the mail, what are some quality caps I can get for it? the ones it came with feel nice but I just don't like the coloration on them.

>>106490064
GMK WoB

My FL.ESPORTS OG104 rocked up today. Packaged really nicely, came with a set of mac and windows specific keycaps, I got the Ice Mint V2 switch option and I'm actually quite impressed by how nice it is to type on. I thought I'd want some clicky switches right away but these are extremely smooth and have a nice stop. Overall build feels quite sturdy, the keycaps have a slightly rough texture but it'll probably wear off the more I use it, and in terms of looks I'm satisfied, it looks very 90s.

I know I said I'd be a guinea pig for this kb a few threads back, if anyone has any questions about it.

>buy 2nd keychron that has red lubed switches
>kinda prefer the slightly more springy non lubed switches of my 1st one
aw fuck

>>106490343
nice beige caps

Some fuck here recommended Outemu Silent Limes, I got Silent Lemons for cheap off AliExpress during the last sale because whatever same shit, but I don't like em. They're tactile but they feel linear. Like a rubber dome membrane, from what I remember them feeling like.
So what would be an actual good tactile switch, I have Jupiter Bananas but I don't want chatter anymore.

>>106492293
lol I wish I'd seen that because I would have warned you against silent lemons.

Your best bet is Lichix Raw Big Bump Silents (if they're still available anywhere, but I don't think so) or Gazzew Boba U4

>>106492293
Bruh, you need to get a fucking tester kit. Or better, find some website that sells them by one piece, and order everything that catches your eye. Then spend quite a bit of time poking at them.

I ordered some of those 'silent click' modified melodics (Gateron Lanes) from Korea and I'm paying an arm and a leg for them.

And I'm still going to prefer mx browns like I always do, but I can't help myself.

>>106492689
Don't necessarily care for silents after this. But I have heard good things about the Gazzew Boba U4, but they ain't cheap. Are they really that good? Do you need to re-lube them? I really can't be bothered to do that.
>>106492738
Problem with the tester kits is that I feel like actually typing is very different to pressing the same singular key in multiple times. Of course it's better than nothing I suppose.

>>106492779
I can't vouch for the U4 (silent) or the U4T (not silent), because I haven't tried them. They're manufactured by Outemu and they're very popular. Super tactile switches aren't my thing.

>>106492752
Let me know how they are. From what I hear they're just melodics with a silent click, and I thought melodics were just too tactile.

>>106492779
>Problem with the tester kits is that I feel like actually typing is very different to pressing the same singular key in multiple times
Funny coincidence: when I bought silent limes I bought a pack of 10, and decided I liked them. Bought 100 more, did a full board, realized I did not like them.

You're absolutely right BUT you can identify some red flags from a small number of switches, like bad plate/pcb fit, excessive stem wobble, etc. Maybe you could have decided you didn't like silent limes—all of what you describe as bad I fully knew about from trying 10 of them.

>>106492812
>and I thought melodics were just too tactile.
I thought that too. You do get used to it a little. Been using them for a couple weeks in my Keychron and managed to set a few new personal records on Monkeytype so they're not obstructing my typing too badly.

>>106492779
I got a tester of about 15-20 switches (most of them tactile, but also a few linears and clickies just to see what they are like). I managed to form like top 3 in the list (KTT Matcha (low price, decent feel and sound afair), Kinetic Labs Penguin and Durock T1 tactile (on the heavier side, but feel good)). Ended up with penguins as they are what's called ergo clears and have a long/soft bottom out, which doesn't hurt your fingers as bad if you type a lot. Pretty damn satisfied, and threw them in just because they were on the website I was buying from, not on a recommendation.
But yes, I am still interested to know what it's actually like to type on a linear keyboard, even though i used some linears for my thumb cluster modifiers.
Also want to try chocs or gateron low profiles at some point, just as an experiment.

>>106488040
I want to design my own pcb that fits my hands perfectly.

>>106492967
Just choose an existing board closest to your goal and fuck around with its spacing constants. You don't have to spend a fucking year to do that, you can probably cover decent ground tonight already. The hard part is knowing what will actually work for you, and that means printing A4, and then printing on real PCBs. Use this
https://yal-tools.github.io/ergo-keyboards/

>>106490343
Alright keep me posted, I wanna know how this is doing 5 years from now, please let us know

>>106492900
> Durock T1 tactile
This mirrors my experience, where trying a little of everything I ended up with a Durock (on my case the light tactile)

But what I didn't realize is they had a very unpleasant subtle noise in my hotswap keyboards because it was a bad fit in the plate, and this made them basically unusable for anything that wasn't soldered.

i thought a manufacturer wouldve made a cheap ass hhkb layout keyboard by now

>>106493489
It seems like it'd be easy money, especially if it was done when custom keyboarding was more fashionable a year or two ago. Maybe there's some patent faggotry that makes it difficult? Those nips do love being absolute assholes with patents and having courts act as their corrupt enforcers (see: Nintendo).

>>106493489
https://kbdfans.com/products/agar

Is this not cheap enough for you?

>>106494171
>Those nips do love being absolute assholes with patents and having courts act as their corrupt enforcers (see: Nintendo).
thats funny because all these chi fi mice have shapes taht are the same as brands as logitech, pulsar, etc

>>106494357
shut up

>>106494357
not true hhkb bottom row, doesn't count

>>106482029
I originally wanted the v3 max, because I like a keyboard with a knob on it, ever since i got a keyboard called a microsoft sidewinder x6 back in like 2008. But it's got this huge space around the perimeter of it, it just didn't look good enough for me. So I looked at the regular TKL Keychrons they sell and they have this raised edge around the board too, and I am really particular about how my keyboard looks, it's in front of me for days of my life

so i went with low profile, i am worried the keys are wobbly but some reviews of it say there is no issue

>>106490343
Please de-foam and post sound test video

>>106489839
Allegedly potentially more smooth because there's no friction with a leaf spring.

Is there a keyboard out there that can be adjusted to have a very low polling rate rather than a high one? I need something that will make it easier to get simultaneous inputs.

>>106489839
>>106498242
I have cherry MX reds on one system and hall effect on the other.

The Hall effect are fucking butter compared to the reds. A lubed red is almost on par with an lubed hall effect.

>>106499024
*Unlubed hall effect
My bad. A lubed Mx Red *almost* feels as smooth as an unlubed hall effect.

>>106493032
Thanks for the link.
Yea, 1 year is a very conservative estimate but there are a few things that I want to do. I still want to get better at typing on my current keyboard and see if my preferences change. I'm still optimizing my layers etc. and have to decide whether I need the number row, or the outer keys. I might even go with a design that has a single outer pinky key instead of either 3-4 or none.
I wanted to practice soldering on some easier projects, maybe also learn about 3d printing.
Some of that isn't necessary to just get a keyboard quickly but I hope it's also fun to do.

>>106499155
I hear you. I recently switched to a 42-key dactyl myself (36 + 3x2 thumbs), and to my surprise I found that using numbers and symbols on a layer via a modifier is not so bad. In a way, it's intuitive, and I learned the positions the minute I mapped them (since it was I who mapped them and they immediately made sense to me). Even though I am probably only a little faster with a dedicated number row, I felt more "confident" with a dedicated row as well, if that makes sense. I had to type a couple of regexes that looked like this today
>\"1.4\"
and it's just juggling with fucking modifiers, a pain in the ass. It's bad enough for me to want to make a seperate mapping for the backward slash + quote combo. Or maybe even make a toggle layer for numbers & symbols.
That said, in a certain way, typing symbols and numbers got easier somehow too, in ceratain situations. It's hard to explain. I put all the important symbols on the same split side as the modifier, and it's easier to type "occasionally" than when they were on separate sides. Even somehow better than having a dedicated pinkie. I think I just need to give it more time, as I have been on this only for like a month, to gain the confidence. Will be glad to hear from others of their experiences on symbols and numbers, especially from programmers and vim users.
People also shill homerow mods, but I kind of dislike those, I need my typing experience to be rubust, and hate even thinking about delays.
As for pinkies, I don't think I can survive without at least 4 outer buttons (enter/backspace/quote/tab).
Also check out Apiaster for inspiration, I haven't made it myself, but the docs are dope, and it has a splayed number row.
https://github.com/nmunnich/apiaster
Peace

>>106490113
>hideous
>ABS

>>106490113
Looks cool. Are they double shot?

>>106490113
Would make a great gift for your favorite CIA operative.

>>106500346
next time i interview john kiriakou i'll give it to him

Biggest reason not to use Dvorak is your typos won't make sense to people. Good luck explaining to a normie how you accidentally said your favorite Winnie the Pooh character was "Nigger".

>>106502849
(I said dvorak but of course this applies to colemak etc)

Alright boys listen, what are the best tactiles you can buy right now that don't require all that gay shit like lubing and tape mods, etc. I'll probably buy it off AliExpress because I have coupons and dosh in the app.

>>106503111
Gazzew Boba U4, have been for years

Anyone know of nord-style keycaps that look like the Crush80 Navy(pic related)?

>>106504481
>nord style
Do you mean Nordic ISO layout or like... viking runes

>>106504592
I mean the Nord color palette

I spilled my drink on my keyboard and it's fucked now.
Need recommendation
looking for budget price,
85% (I hate keypads)
and tactile.
I don't like linear, I used one and I hate it.
I hate easy it was to accidently trigger the switch when you made a bump and I want some resistance.

por favor.

Just replaced my ABS spacebar with the only 4.5U PBT available.
Old spacebar got so loose and twisted it jumped out with every off-center touch.
PBT feels so much better to touch I now want to replace the rest of the keys but why is it so hard to find black/dark PBT on aliexpress?

>>106474824 (OP)
wouldn't take one for free personally.

>>106502849
I think most of my Dvorak typos come from typing out of order.
Especially with words that use the left index sequentially.

>>106476077
lol fag

>>106505610
the what

>>106508464
He means this
https://www.nordtheme.com/
A good theme, by the way.

>>106504481
I give up. I'm going to design a set myself(with all the custom macro prints I want) and contact manufacturers on alibaba to make them for me. Will either throw away or try to resell the unused sets.

I'm sick of my black case, what color should I spray paint it to?

Should I go with off-white?

>>106509427
https://dailyclack.com/products/gmk-nord

Is the Ducky one X full sized worth the 180 euros shipping included?

>>106509492
>$260 + shipping + tax + tip for keycaps
XDDDDDDDDD

>>106506403
>I spilled my drink on my keyboard and it's fucked now.
i had this problem a few times, the trick is to put the drink to the left of your keyboard, not to the right because you will hit it with your mouse or mouse cord

>>106509529
No

>>106509644
My Eposhit is dying on me after 1 year and i got told to not buy another hyper chinkshit and get a Ducky

is this a good one?

>>106509740
For that price? Just get a Keychron

>>106474824 (OP)
are there any good silent linear switches i can buy on amazon? i have a full sized keychron. preferably support north facing led's

>>106509998
>For that price? Just get a Keychron
but Keychrons are all 100€+

Logitech G515 TKL is 85€

Whats the catch with the Epomaker Galaxy100 at ~$100?

>>106509664
>my piece of shit $60 keyboard died after 1 year. What's a good $70-80 keyboard?

>>106511364
The one you assemble yourself. But seeing that you couldn't whip out a soldering iron and replace the old USB cable, I doubt that task is up your alley.

>>106510737
makes older model adopters big mad that they only care for cheap QMK boards just recently

I don't want to spend money new switches, my 10 year old Cherry Red's still work just fine. Is it enough for me to just lube them up with krytox and put some packaging foam inside my case to get them to quiet down and feel less scratchy?

>>106512485
It's time to get a job, anon

Only a complete moron would pay more than 60 bucks for a mechanical keyboard.

Only a poorfag would think 60 bucks is a meaningful amount of money.

>>106510052
>Keychrons are all 100€+
Not true though. C-series is cheaper

>>106476666
why

first handwire

>>106519372
Nice, show wiring matrix & mcu

>>106517873
No time to explain, just trust the quads

>use lubed red switches
>typos increase, keys activate almost like a touch screen
This was a mistake.

can someone give me a qrd on keycaps? like how do I know it's a good one or a bad one?
or do I just go for look?

what about the size? are they all compatible with each other?

>>106521518
You kinda just have to know the reputation of every single brand.

But some things are always definitely bad, e.g. 5-sided dye sub

>>106520171
quads aint shit we already had pents in this thread
>>106477777

>GB keyboard in production
>keycaps in my mailbox rn
>switches and stabs en route from Korea
I didn't realize I'd done it but my separate unrelated purchases add up to a full build

I'd like to make a keycap set where the numpad keys are side-printed on the alphas and then use numlock on a TKL (replacing scroll lock or pause/break) as a layer switch to make those keys work as a numpad so I can use my alt codes etc

In theory this could easily be done by dye subbing the side legends onto already-dye-subbed caps—using the hair straightener method I suppose—just not sure how confident I am to try it. Where can I get the font used for standard Cherry clone keycaps?

If it turns out well I can see myself doing this a lot to personalize my caps with all my fn layer stuff

Got my CRP beige today. Not sure what all the fuss is about yet. doesn't seem so different from e.g. Shenpo, JC Studio, XMI. But they're very nice caps, I can't find anything wrong with them.

>>106523090
IIRC CRP bought the tooling for Cherry's old PBT dyesub caps, which were pretty highly sought after.

>>106524219
Don't get me wrong, they seem like very nice keycaps. But I remember thinking that about some much cheaper keycaps too. Might have to test them side-by-side with my Shenpo caps

>>106524384
Should also be pretty sure that CRP caps are pure PBT and not a PBT+ABS mixture, which does happens with some of the chink "PBT" caps out there.

I'm comparing the Shenpo and CRP closely, and noticing the following differences:

- CRP color is a little lighter and more saturated/beige, Shenpo is a little darker and more gray.
- Shenpo surface texture can have some 'waviness' to it, not noticeable from a distance and not severe but it's there when you look close. The CRP shows almost no evidence of this kind of small imperfection at all, maybe a little bit on some keys if I look very carefully under very revealing natural light
- Shenpo edges are a little more square, and CRP are a little softer. Just a tiny difference.
- Shenpo dye sub is actually a little sharper, but both are very good.
- CRP sounds more like GMK/etc, Shenpo has a deep thocky sound due to being significantly thicker. This was the biggest and nost noticeable difference between the two sets

Is there an option like a Keychron V6 but "dumb"?

>>106524728
What's so smart about a V6?

Is the Crush 80 worth $190? Looking at a much cheaper Keychron v1 max as well.

>>106524880
Well. Considering it's $159 on drop.com, I'd say no.

>>106524923
ahh I knew it was on drop but I thought I would have to wait a couple of months
looks like its shipping now though
thank you anon

>>106524941
No problem. I got mine a few days ago from there and it's great, too early to say if it's worth that much but it definitely feels premium(although I'm not experienced)

>>106524880
I'd get an Evo80 instead (the Crush80 is a shameless ripoff and I don't trust Wobkey's reputation as much as QWERTYkeys)

>>106524755
That's what I'd like to know.

I got shilled into rainy 75, did I fuck up? It's my first mechanical keyboard in many, many years.

sell me on hall effect keyboards if I'm not a gamer

>>106525630
Inherent NKRO, no chatter since there are no contacts, switch lifespan that will outlast you 100x over.

Why aren't there keycaps that have the shape of the character extruded for better touch typing?

>>106525728
>switch lifespan that will outlast you 100x over
People love saying this about this new product that has been around for FOUR YEARS. I think they are fucking retards but that's just me!

>>106525863
Hall effect switches have been around for longer than you've been alive.

>>106526078
Cool, let's see a side-by-side of those switches compared to the new ones to see how identical they are

>>106526480
Why should they be identical? The honeywell board in the pic is probably from the 70s, before things like the DIN & ISO standards for keyboard height making it so switches had to be shorter. The basic principle of a hall effect sensor on the board & a magnet on a stem is the same though.

>>106474824 (OP)
I love my Varmilo V2 Koi and I’ve never been happier. Silent cherry keys so they don’t *CLANK* as I type.
The most beautiful/ascetic keyboard I’ve ever seen, and it’s only $179.
Wireless, I charge it about every 8 months. Not even twice a year this thing needs charged and I use it 24/7.

>>106526551
>The basic principle is the same though
Fucking lol if this is the basis on which you feel comfortable promising people some new product will "outlast them"

Cheap POS Akko switches are produced on the same "principle" as Cherry switches, but I would never for that reason promise anyone that some new Akko switch would last at least half a decade.

>>106522291
They don't contradict each other, so both are valid

>>106526587
You think a hall effect sensor is gonna wear out? Tell me what you think the wear parts on a hall effect switch are.

>>106526606
Look how much less assuring it sounds when you say "In theory a hall effect keyboard should outlast you". Which is the only thing you can possibly say.

>>106525863
You're so stupid it's amazing.
>less moving parts and no physical actuators and the parts that are most likely to break can be replaced but REEE mechanical is better reee
>>106526078
This anon gets it.

Hall effect are better in every way and no mechanical keyboard on the market is worth more than 60 bucks USD.

>>106526606
They don't even know the common points of failure on mechanical switches.

Truthfully I love mechanical switch zealots and people who shit on full sized keyboards because they keep the prices down on full sized hall effect.

I got my k70 max for 175USD on sale and I'll still be using it 15 years from now. My cherry MX red keyboard is fine for typing but it's still not as good as my hall effect on any metric... except price, it was cheap af.

>>106526685
Dude, there are still hall effect keyboards from the 70s that still work.

DoD has been using hall effect buttons and switches for decades. Everything in jet fighters is hall effect you mouthbreathing moron.

DoD uses them BECAUSE they're exponentially more reliable than mechanical switches.

>>106526709
Every time you greentext me you add something I didn't say, because the thing I said is unassailable: that it's impossible to promise people a 4-year-old product will "outlast them". We just don't know yet.

I know you think it's unacceptable that people still like a proven keyboard technology when today's cool new thing might be superior. In 10 years' time when everyone's Wooting 60HEs are still working like brand-new it will be safe to say that it's a proven design. Right now, it's not.

>>106526774
Show me a DoD-spec hall effect keyboard currently on the market, or one with an identical switch design.

>full set of 110 Outemu Silent Peach switches for $18 off aliexpress for first time customers
give me one reason why I shouldn't resolder my decade old cherry mx red keyboard with these if I crave smoothness and silence

Is it possible for me to replace white LEDs with red LEDs on my keyboard and have it work

>>106526804
>I don't understand greentexting at all
Many such cases.

>DoD tech used in fighter jets and tanks can be bought on open market
Holy fuck you're dumb.

>Proven keyboard technology
Yes, Hall effect which is why it's used by DoD and in nuclear power plants and has been for like 50 years.

Are there full size or <120 key matrix PCBs that I can buy with support for hall effect switches?

>>106526804
here you go homo
He talks slow so you can understand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_xs8_cD6l8

>Why hall effect was developed
>Spoilers: reliability

As an emacs user would I benefit from a hall effect keyboard? For example, part of me thinks it would be neat to map C-x to a full press of X and otherwise just have X type an X, but I have no idea how well that would work in practice.

>buying soldering gear to replace the switches on my old board ends up costing more than a fully decked out keychron k10 he or whatever the fuck
why live

I don't like aluminum plates, they cause way too much reverb and echo

>>106527425
Good soldering tools (& the associated skills) will be useful for a lifetime, not just for one board.

>>106527350
You might bottom out more often than you think. It feels awful to hit a false positive even once.
Even mapping silly things like media control (bottom=pause, light=next) just feel like I'm less in control. I'd rather play twister on the function keys than have to worry about how light my fingers are.

>>106527493
So what is the point of hall effect keys then? All of the marketing materials from keychron and others really emphasize the ability to differentiate between partial presses and full presses

>>106527425
Just buy new caps to make it all feel fresh and new and you won't regret your choices at all.

>>106527530
>So what is the point of hall effect keys then?
We have a shill in here who should be able to give you all the marketing materials about why hall effect is the only thing worth buying in 2025, just give it a minute and he'll be here

>>106527530
>hall effect
No contact is necessary for registration, but in my experience springs wear out before the contact leaf will

>>106527530
You can adjust the actuation points per-key, and they're extremely comfortable linears.
Primary advertising is for gamer shit, like simulating analog controllers or cheating in esports.
I'm sure some people make use of all the features but I just see it as a better feeling mx red.

>>106527263
Cool. That's a Honeywell hall effect switch, not a modern MX-footprint hall effect switch.

>>106527474
Then you'll love plastic-based plates such as PC and PP

>>106474824 (OP)
>Budget
Don't care
>Location (continent at least)
US
>Preferred switch type
Don't care, I guess I'm curious about magnetic/HE stuff
>Layout
ANSI
>Form factor
100%
>Backlight
No
>Previous/current keyboards
IBM Model F
>other shit
no wireless, no knobs, has to have command keys and a pause key.

>>106477777
Nice pents

>>106492900
>KTT Matcha
Oh man. First and last custom switch I bought and have been using them for what, 5 years? Is nice. You can still buy em new today?
The casings are weak as shit and fit badly in my K552, that's the only problems I have with them. I had replace a few, one or two of my keys are now the KTT stem in an Outemu blue housing, hilarious.
Also the spring could be better, putting the spring from an actual cherry mx blue made mine a lot better in my opinion. Shorter, therefore bigger ramp up, therefore more tactility.

Think I will replace the whole thing soon though. There is a Model M for $90 listed locally in good shape. Opinions? It's the best fucking deal I've seen in 5 years, short of magically finding one in a trash heap, that's just not happening. I've seen them sell for $200 with missing keys years ago.

>>106529695
>Shorter, therefore bigger ramp up, therefore more tactility.
I've always found shorter springs had the opposite effect, since the tactile bump is near the top and you're taking away resistance up there.

In this case I'd bet it's because you went from a 45g spring to a 60g spring.

>>106529020
Keychron K10 HE or Wooting Two I guess

I don't know or care what the difference between them is, I'm going to be buying a Class 100 and putting Cherry Browns in it

I have to CONSOOM
should I get an M5 or M5W to build my CONSOOMER keyboard? 108 full size is non negotiable and this is the best one I can see, others are sold by random boutique brands and I doubt their QC is as good as monsgeek.

>>106483998
Fuck off. My akkos got shiny like wax in less than 3 months. Is GMK really worth it?

>>106483832
You bought the base keycaps set and the extension stuff as well? Fuck that's pricey.

>>106531448
Last time I told an anon to get a Monsgeek it was DOA so I'm not telling people to buy anything Akko anymore

>>106531472
The keycaps are the soul of the keyboard. Worth it.

>>106531467
Not him but I've had other good ABS sets like Keykobo and they shine relatively quickly, same as any other ABS set. I really doubt GMK is an exception.

What should I get?
>Gazzew U4T V2
$121 AUD
>Baby Kangaroo 2.0
$67 AUD
>MMD Princess Tactile V4 (or V3, whichever is better)
$40 AUD

Wondering if the price differences are really worth it. I'd like to try them all, but really can't be bothered. I do not want to lube em myself because I'm not gay.
I currently have Jupiter Bananas on my Keychron V6 Max, and there is chatter which I'd like to remove. Other than that, I like them.

>>106530163
Yeah that'll do it, thanks.

>felt like changing keyboard every once in a while for years
>bought Rainy75 on pre-order mostly based on hype
>I don't actually feel like changing keyboard since I got it
Am I missing anything with newer keyboards, or have I finally sated my appetite for the perfect sound/feel/size ? Literally the only thing I'd change is the fact that the switch to power it on/off is below a keycap.

>>106534298
Honeymoon phase.

>>106535786
I mean, honeymoon's going for a year and a half now.

>>106534298
So you are happy about this keyboard? I got it based on sound and concept, but I have 2nd thoughts after ordering. I type on logitech k380, which is nice aside from the fact the keys feel too small and i can never hit the right key when touchtyping.

>>106536279
It's better than my previous Monsgeek M1 (closest direct comparison), my Keebmonkey 1800 or my CIY GAS67 (mostly because of the form factor, I dislike 60% keyboards).
It also has the advantage of being good pretty much out of the box, no tinkering required. I swapped the kaycaps, but it's for cosmetic, even the default keycaps were alright.

A rookie question here. On a hot-swap board, on a couple keys, when I tried to insert them, the top of the 5 pins was probably bent a little, and it didn't go in properly and bent and scratched the slot a little bit. I just pulled the switch out, straightened the pin, re-inserted it and it works, but could it cause issues down the line and should I swap it to a new switch (I have a couple extra)?

>>106537170
I think the only real danger here was in applying pressure inappropriately to the hotswap socket, and that already happened. I'm pretty sure the pin will work fine now that you've straightened it out.

>>106537361
What can I say, I'm not a smart man. But thanks.

>>106537445
Neither am I. Take my advice with a grain of salt.

I'll throw in another question, on backspace, on a stabilizer, one of them seems a bit weird. It doesn't feel any different when I press it, but is it normal? On one of the other optional keycaps I have something similar on the part that goes on a switch.

>>106537524
Looks broken. If it still works, that's lucky.

>>106537524
although... idk, maybe it could be related to the double shot, given the placement. But I've never seen that on any keycaps I've owned.

what r the best creamy tactile switches?

>>106537892
I still don't understand what "creamy" is

>>106537927
feels like typing on cum, duh

>>106426971
So this was me, the keyboard arrived today. I don't remember if I've mentioned it, but I realized that the gray one has legend on the side, so I did end up ordering keycaps too (https://aliexpress.com/item/1005005012839233.html the 168-HHB option).
I haven't lubed the switches yet, I thought I'll check out how it sounds before trying. The spacebar is indeed somewhat louder than I'd like, but I don't know how much it'd help anyway. I might get around to it one day.
The keyboard overall feels nice and sturdy and is much, much more quiet than the k120 I've been using, so it already feels like a significant upgrade.
I have a couple gripes with it already, unfortunately.
I can't find an option to turn the screen on, the closest is uploading a black image for the gif, but it's still lit, since it's LCD. Maybe I should just cover it with black tape.
The lock buttons don't just turn on the diode, but also light up the button, despite having overall all rgb options turned off. For now, I just rebound the normal digits to the num buttons, so I can use them without the num lock, but it might have some drawbacks (it won't auto adjust the decimal char, which matters a bit in my case, and shift will affect some buttons).
I wonder if I had gone with keychron in the end, whether that'd feel different, but what's done is done.

>>106538279
Funny thing is both of these gripes are why we don't tend to recommend non-QMK keyboards. But unfortunately if you want QMK your options are often "Keychron or spend more money", and my memory is that money was limited here.

The spacebar making noise is either because the stabs are hitting the PCB, in which case you may want to try sticking a soft material under them to 'silence' them (e.g. bandaid mod or one of the "stabilizer pads" sold by some keyboard vendors), or it might be caused by the wire rattling, in which case you need to add more lube. Stabilizers are a never-ending nightmare for silent builds because they're 100x harder to ignore when they're not perfect.

>>106538529
Yeah, it's my first mechanical, so I didn't want to spend too much, and when I was thinking about Keychron, the sale ended, although now I see that Keychorn V6 went on sale and is a bit under $90. Would that have solved my issues? I guess I could try to return this keyboard, although considering it was from aliexpress and I've already replaced the switches and keycaps, it feels like that'd be a pain in the ass.

>>106538739
>Would that have solved my issues?
The Keychron does the very same thing with the rgb under the lock keys, but that behavior is defined in its QMK firmware so it's not terribly difficult to change (and there are people in this thread who would do it for you)

t. has a V6 max and I enabled the scroll lock indicator with firmware changes

>>106537927
neither do I
my understanding is either linear/clicky/tactile that are either smooth or scratchy

>>106527483
I am aware of this, though I'm still just a noob and whatever this guy was using in the video is not available in my country
His referral links all point to fancy shit I probably do not need
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIHI5sxuSuw
I probably just need to listen to the general rules of thumb he lists and find something locally that meets these requirements though
>>106527601
I already have a cheap smol keyboard that I use for gaymez that has beloved double shot pbt keycaps and pre-lubed switches/stabs and it makes a huge difference in comfort and speed/utility

Thoughts on mill max hotswap sockets? Are they a meme? Any risks that I should know about that youtube guides don't mention? I'm thinking of doing this mod on my old Corsair K90.

>>106540076
>Thoughts on mill max hotswap sockets?
a good option if you want solder pcb compatibility but want hotswap
>Any risks that I should know about that youtube guides don't mention?
they're a little more difficult to solder for beginners and you should absolutely use a small tip for them. also i would not use them if your plate isn't aluminum or something of similar hardness - mill max and softer plates do not mix well unless you're using switches with suitably thick pcb legs

>Budget
100 USD
>Location (continent at least)
NA
>Preferred switch type
Silent tactile, prioritizing silence over feel
>Layout
1800 but don't mind full size
>Form factor
96%/100%
>Backlight
Any
>Previous/current keyboards
I kid you not I have this dogshit rubber dome keyboard that came with a prebuilt, doesn't even have NKRO.
Preferably I'd like something TMR, wireless, and hotswappable, That might be a big ask for under $100 so I'd settle for something not TMR if it's under $50

What is the best lubed red switches I can buy that aren't super sensitive and allow me to rest my fingers on?

>>106541617
Just sounds like you want a heavier spring weight. Try gat yellows (or any other linear that are heavier than reds).

>>106541524
>Preferably I'd like something TMR, wireless, and hotswappable, That might be a big ask for under $100 so I'd settle for something not TMR if it's under $50
Get the fuck out of my thread immediately. Leave.

>>106542006
Nah, find some chink shit with those qualificationsfor me.

>>106541617
Heard only good things about Gat X, and they're a bit heavier at 65g: https://cannonkeys.com/products/gateron-x-switch

>>106528459
You're beyond retarded.
It's very clear to me you don't even know the difference between a hall effect and a mechanical.

>>106542006
>My thread
How much are they paying you? No mechanical keyboard is worth more than 60 bucks and the 40 dollar markup for the wireless is absurd.

Why is it so hard to find uniform keycaps with normal legends on aliexpress?
Literally every XDA / MOA / KOA is some kind of meme/retro/anime shit.

>>106540076
Mill-max can be expensive, there are cheaper options from Aliexpress like https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007656106891.html
You may have to ream the holes on the pcb to accommodate the sockets, you can use a 1.5mm drill bit.

is this good or nah? i want a trackpad combo for couch surfing but i was intrigued by having the clit instead

>>106543930
Once again, you have to hallucinate something I didn't say in order to take a swipe at me, because you are allergic to addressing the central argument (since it's unassailable)

Any silent 100% low-profile hall-effect wireless keyboards out there?

>>106543972
>Literally every XDA / MOA / KOA is some kind of meme/retro/anime shit.
>retro
Ok so you're classifying beige caps as "not normal", meaning you will only accept, what, WoB?

do i get a white kb or black kb?
60% if it matters

>>106547923
Your keyboard should look like this if you're a straight white man.

>>106548246
>straight
>white man

>>106547923
if I were a gaymer looking for a badass 60% I think I'd get this upcoming hall effect board with the matching red KAP set in the pics:
https://bowlkeyboards.com/pages/vella
https://bowlkeyboards.com/pages/kap-vella

>>106548532
actually mb the kap set isn't pictured. still, $35 for a miniature double-shot set that's absolutely what I'd get

>>106534069
Please answer me.

>>106548624
I would advise against Gateron tactiles until their reputation improves, for some reason their recent stuff has been really prone to contact bounce.

Haven't tried MMD or Gazzew, so I don't have much else to add. I generally avoid the heavy tactiles because I've found I don't like them.

>>106548691
That's fair, considering I've got Gaterons that have problems. I'm gonna go with the Princess switches because I've been considering getting them since I preferred linear switches back in the day, and apparently they're very similar to the U4T.

Question about hall effect keyboards for some of you who know this stuff. Is it possible to turn A and D into a pseudo-axis where if I press both at the same time the input will take both into account and return some input in the middle? E.g., if D is all the way down, and I press A halfway down, this should register as D halfway pressed; and if both are all the way down, this should be the same as if neither were pressed, etc.

The only reason this could be useful ofc is racing games—and, funny enough, racing games these days often work BETTER with binary all-or-nothing inputs because of the way there's an ultra-forgiving layer of 'interpretation' over the input, but nonetheless I'd like to know whether this can be done.

>>106547887
I don't mind beige caps as long as spacebar, enter, shift etc are not pastel rainbow and don't have weird scribbles all over them.

>>106547732
Just admit you don't know how hall effect switches work.

You don't understand the tech or the difference between hall effect and you're basing your ridiculous claims on your ignorance.

>>106549420
Then Aliexpress does have some stuff. I'll post some uniform sets I found after taking a quick look:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000825692857.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006437005719.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008157983121.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009848653016.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004804065989.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007198773091.html

But if it were me I'd spend a bit more and buy these because I think PBS is great:
https://cannonkeys.com/products/pbs-granite

>>106548246
This keyboard screams WE DID IT RE DD IT
>>106548532
The keyboard looks pretty sexy but I would make sure the configuration software is good. Generally if the configuration can't be stored on the keyboard itself it's a major red flag. Running software in the background just for hardware settings is shit tier peripheral hardware implementation.

>>106549752
>Aliexpress
How's Beijing, Xang?

>>106549804
>but I would make sure the configuration software is good
It's a Venom PCB, you can use a demo of their config app at https://venom.how/

>>106549812
I was replying to a post that said
>Why is it so hard to find uniform keycaps with normal legends on aliexpress
And I conclude by saying I'd buy something not on Aliexpress.

Kill yourself.

I want to replace the through hole LEDs on my keyboard with surface mounted ones like on modern mechanical keyboards. What are my options?

>>106549047
The biggest between any a tactile boba and every other tactile I have tried is that bobas are a true D curve and everything else is a P, even if they say they are a D.

where do you guys buy decent coiled cables that dont look like cheap slop

>>106548532
i dont like the carbon fibre print and those keycaps are ugly
also hall effect is bullshit and a meme

>>106552443
>i dont like the carbon fibre print
It's carbon fibre...

U jelly

>>106552179
Holy Pandas feel like a D to me.

>>106552883
Yea I'm sure it did.

>>106550205
Why would anyone want this?

>Budget
Not really an issue, I'll spend whatever the cost is if it'll last me a long time i.e. hundreds of dollars not necessarily an issue
>Location (continent at least)
Australia
>Preferred switch type
Currently using Gateron Browns, so either those or anything similar (or a recommendation from someone who has used them before)
>Layout
ANSI
>Form factor
100%, currently using a 65% and sick of it
>Backlight
Probably just some kind of whole board solid lighting? Don't need RGB but not averse to it.
>Previous/current keyboards
Qisan Magicforce 68. I didn't buy/choose it; inherited from a friend a couple years ago. Like the switches well enough and it's easy to take apart and clean which is nice but I am ready to go to a 100% that I have personally chosen.

I'm looking to get a mechanical keyboard and I wondered what you guys thought about the Keychron V6 Max

>>106554198
https://desuarchive.org/g/thread/106365425/#106414954

Hello /mkg/, this is my first time here but I'm running into some issues with my keyboard. For some reason the letter T on my keyboard started behaving oddly and refuses to register when pressed in conjunction with other keys(that is, I can either press that key or t). It only does this with specific keys on the left side of the keyboard, mostly letters but also tab, caps lock, alt and left shift. Right shift works. This has honestly been real fucking annoying because whenever I instinctively try to write a capital T it just doesn't register so I have to use right shift instead. I tried to reinstall the drivers but it didn't do anything so I'm thinking it might be an actual hardware problem. Pic rel shows you the keys that don't register with T, including left shift and others. I'm using a Corsair K55 RGB pro gaming keyboard I bought at Best Buy. Yes it's been cleaned recently.

>>106554472
Could be a break in the pcb traces, use a multimeter to check for continuity.

>>106550205
Wont work, smds on keyboard pcbs are mounted from the back through a hole.

>>106554472
I'm sorry to say the other anon is right, sounds like a PCB issue. But those can be fixable. There are videos on how to do this, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFMkfAyqBMc

>>106554472
As a used Corsair K95 Vengeance owner this leaves me mildly concerned even if this 8 year old model still functions perfectly so far.

>>106554198
Mine has been working well. Required some (easy) changes to make it sound and feel better. DO NOT get the jupiter banana switches.

>>106552750
whatever it is, i dont like it

I got the keyboard at the top over a year and a half ago, and it was my first mechanical keyboard. I love it. It love the form factor, I love the color scheme, I love the sound and responsiveness and the way it looks in general. But I realized that I miss full-sized keyboards, which I pretty much used my entire life, so I ordered the keyboard at the bottom. A mechanical, 100%, full-sized Aula. It has a screen for displaying pictures and a knob. I'm not a super huge fan of the stock color scheme, so I'm going to mod it with custom keycaps, maybe add a custom knob too.

Is there name for a layout with F-keys directly above and aligned with the number row like this?
Does a full-sized keyboard with this kind of F-key row exist?

Anyone know where I can get keycaps with one language side printed and the other on the surface? I can't find more than a handful from Chinese resellers etc

>>106558125
Here's one
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007316382627.html

>>106556923
Yeah the keycaps are ugly. Something as simple as Swagkeys WoB would go a long way. Are you gonna try messing around with taking out some of the stock foams? I can never find enough sound tests of these 'china special' boards de-foamed to satisfy my curiosity.

>>106557263
Closest you'll get to 100% is the 1800 layout (96%)

What are my options when it comes to keyboards with Thinkpad style trackpoints? The options I'm aware of are:

Archiss Quattro: Really cheap but hard to get in states, no clue if the switches can be swapped, and the trackpoint has drift sometimes
Tex Shinobi: Seems really nice with the classic style rows but seems expensive
HHKB studio: 60% keyboard which I'm not a fan of but seems well built but very expenisve

Does anyone know of anymore more options?
There's also the Unicomp EnduraPro but that's a buckling spring which I'm not super interested in.

>>106560316
My Shinobi started drifting to the right after a year of use.

Also there is/was FC750R SP but it seems to be a rebrand of Archiss Quattro.

lemme guess, you sneed more

>>106560975
whats even the point in buying a bargain bin mech keyboard, the whole point is to obtain the best typing experience

>>106560975
yes (formerly chuck more).

>>106474824 (OP)
I bought Keychron V3 Max this week, it's really good in my opinion. Reasonably priced, feels good and so far I'm really happy with it.

>>106560975
I might need a little bit more

>>106559236
Yeah, I was thinking of doing a tape mod maybe. I guess I'll see how it sounds first.

>>106559236
Also, I just realized that this keeb has south facing lights, so I'm probably going to need caps with shine-through south facing symbols too.

>>106562061
>>106562072
>I was thinking of doing a tape mod maybe
Don't get memed into that gimmick. Give it a try if you want, but I was talking more about taking foams out, maybe putting one or two back in if it sounds like shit without them.

>shine-through
great idea: make your cheap keyboard look even cheaper

>>106562084
I won't have the lights always on. I just like how the keys of my keyboard light up when I press them.

Some keycaps I've been eyeing.

>>106562294
I dig the bottom middle.

>>106562303
I really like that caps lock button. Nnnnnghhhh. Reminds me of the keyboards I had like 25 years ago.

>>106562307
Make sure your keyboard supports stepped caps before you buy a set just for that. Some boards do, some boards don't. Stepped caps requires the switch is a little more to the left than the usual.

Shill me some cool keycaps

>>106562387
https://divinikey.com/products/keykobo-dolch-keycaps

Thoughts? https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/products/ducky-one-2-pro-classic

>>106562682
Boring. I wouldn't buy it unless you plan on replacing the keycaps with custom ones. And boy, do I really hate that two-tone black-white color scheme of the board itself.

>>106474824 (OP)
What are the most force keycaps I can currently buy? Gotta get that wrist strength up bro.

>>106562294
>bottom right
I got two different Temu sets to make a mostly purple with green legends set on a Drop Ctrl. Since that shade of lime green/chartruse is the most visible color to the human eye, and purple is its complementary color, its the objectively ideal set up for legend visibility. Which is the whole point of having legends on keycaps in the first place.

>>106563995
pic rel. Much cheaper than GMK CYL Terror, which I was seeking to emulate

>>106562682
If you want a backlit keyboard it's probably one of the better options (among MX keyboards, which are all shit at backlighting). There aren't a lot of north-facing RGB boards to choose from, and getting Cherry switches in a 100% at this price, with not-terrible double-shot caps... it's not what I'd purchase, but its price is sensible for what it is. You're going to have to deal with Ducky's proprietary software to program it, no idea what that's like. But then again who customizes the keys on a 100%?

Overall if that's the kind of keyboard you want I'd say go for it.

What color scheme should I get if I cannot replace my light gray spacebar and black function and nav keys with white labels?
I like top left but for some reason it costs as much as three other combined.

The Gateron Lanes I ordered arrived from Korea. Trying them on a few keys. You can feel that sharp click but the click is ~95% silenced (more on that below). The tactility feels subtle when you're making fast strokes, but is very noticeable if you're making slow careful keystrokes. It feels significantly less tactile than the Melodic, but it's hard to compare it to any particular tactile I've tried because the tactile bump has that unique clicky feel. My first instinct was to say these feel like a light tactile, but I think that's because I've been using Melodics for the last two weeks. It's probably more of a medium tactile. Also the clack from the stem-on-housing is full and deep like the Melodic's.

There is one big problem with these and it's that the click sound is not consistent. I put four switches in, and all four sound a little different: one has a fully silenced click and sounds like a normal tactile, one has a significantly audible click (though of course far quieter than a Melodic), the other two are somewhere in-between. This barely-audible suppressed click is what gives them such a unique sound, but if you expect your switches to sound identical from one to the next these will drive you insane. You'll have to cherry-pick them very carefully.

Overall very cool. You love to see this sort of thing. There's nothing quite like it. If you're a tactile guy who likes a hint of metal in the sound of your keystrokes but doesn't want full annoying clicky this could be your cup of tea. Hope they tighten up the tolerances a bit in future batches.

next >>106567775