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Naar
Aug 19, 2003

The Time of the Eye is now
Fun Shoe

BurritoJustice posted:

Could you elaborate on the ping? I read that it can be fixed partially by oiling the springs, which I'd not be too stressed to do. I hope the frame isn't rattly though, I do like how sturdy my Blackwidow is.
This dude was complaining about it and some comments I read from the manufacturer on Reddit basically said, "Yep, it's due to the switch design, Flaretech need to sort it out."

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Slurps Mad Rips
Jan 25, 2009

Bwaltow!

Just got an email that my SA Oblivion keycaps were shipped and now I've got to scramble to build this keyboard kit I intend to use them with or else they're just going to sit there.

First time soldering, definitely going to gently caress it up :toot:

HappyCapybaraFamily
Sep 16, 2009


Roger Baolong Thunder Dragon has been fascinated by this sophisticated and scientifically beautiful industry since childhood, and has shown his talent in the design and manufacture of watches.
What kit you building? Just go at a steady pace, no rushing, have plenty of solder wick and a good desoldering pump handy.

fake edit: keebus christ Oblivion has a ton of sets in it. Almost regretting not jumping on it

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.
I actually kind of dread receiving it, because with all the kits I got, that means it's $50 in Canadian taxes + customs fees.

Anyway, finally got to try out the Box Royals that have been sitting around for weeks without a keyboard to put them in. Finally finished building the Melody96 last night, which took like twice the amount of time since the moment I finished putting everything together, the loving stabilizer bar popped out when I put the spacebar in. Couldn't jimmy it back in so I had to start over again.

Anyway, I quite like them, really sharp tactile bump, but nothing beats 67g Zealios for me just yet in Cherry MX.

Slurps Mad Rips
Jan 25, 2009

Bwaltow!

HappyCapybaraFamily posted:

What kit you building? Just go at a steady pace, no rushing, have plenty of solder wick and a good desoldering pump handy.

fake edit: keebus christ Oblivion has a ton of sets in it. Almost regretting not jumping on it

It's called the "Camp C225". It's an extremely pretty kit. I got mine in gold and black.





It isn't compatible with the Kaihua hot swaps, but I found some non-holtite thing that I can solder in place and then hot swap my switches out. Definitely throwing some Box Navy switches onto it.

Also thanks for the heads up. I don't actually have a desoldering pump. Any recommendations?

I did get the Caps Lock with the LED setting. Just gotta also figure out how I'm going to do that as well. :v:

I got quite a few of the Oblivion kits. I'm most excited about the tenkey.asm stuff honestly. I think I got an ergodox keycap kit but that's before I ended up not enjoying the ergodox for general use. At most I'll be using one to play games with, but SA profile is terrible for that, whereas GMK is quite nice.

I still have GMK Lazer coming at some point too. I was in a weird place a few months back where I bought a whole bunch of kits but haven't done much with them :v:

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.
That rounded edge and brass weight looks awesome. Not sure if you already got the non-holtites, but these are the ones I use on all my boards. Works perfect on all PCBs I've soldered them on.

https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/mill-max-manufacturing-corp/0305-2-15-80-47-80-10-0/ED90584-ND/2639493

Slurps Mad Rips
Jan 25, 2009

Bwaltow!

Constellation I posted:

That rounded edge and brass weight looks awesome. Not sure if you already got the non-holtites, but these are the ones I use on all my boards. Works perfect on all PCBs I've soldered them on.

https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/mill-max-manufacturing-corp/0305-2-15-80-47-80-10-0/ED90584-ND/2639493

yup! those are the ones. I got mine from Arrow as they were a lot cheaper. Good to know they work!

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.
Yup, they work amazingly well. Holtites are god AWFUL in comparison. The only advantage holtites have is no soldering, which is definitely a huge plus, but not worth the hassle.

Anyway, my advice once they come in is to put one row of the interconnects at a time, slap it down with electrical tape at the top to make sure it's flush with the PCB. Then flip the PCB over and start soldering. Rinse and repeat and you got yourself a hotswappable board.

mewse
May 2, 2006

It's shocking how different box navies feel under SA profile caps.

I've been using them under OEM profile since getting them about a month ago, and they've felt a little stiff and scratchy the whole time. Last night I had to take the keyboard apart to re-solder some of my bad work so I threw on my SA miami set and they feel pretty amazing now.

Sucks that SA can't do backlighting at all.

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.
Yeah my preference has always been

Tactile - Cherry and DSA
Clicky - SA

internet celebrity
Jun 23, 2006

College Slice
Yeah, I've come around on my SA + box navy combo. The row 1 snagging issue doesn't bother me when I'm actually using the keyboard, only when I'm looking for it.

Are there any standard 60% PCBs that use the same sketchy flash-based programming/remapping software as the Tada68? I know there are other options out there but I love how straightforward it is.

HappyCapybaraFamily
Sep 16, 2009


Roger Baolong Thunder Dragon has been fascinated by this sophisticated and scientifically beautiful industry since childhood, and has shown his talent in the design and manufacture of watches.

Slurps Mad Rips posted:

Also thanks for the heads up. I don't actually have a desoldering pump. Any recommendations?

The Engineer SS-02 is often highly recommended: https://smile.amazon.com/Engineer-SS-02-Solder-Sucker/dp/B002MJMXD4

Here's a video of it in use:
https://youtu.be/N_dvf45hN6Y?t=45s

I have some other brand pump, and I've had better luck with a wick myself. Maybe I'll get the SS-02 if I ever build a full keyboard.

That Camp kit looks gorgeous too, by the way :swoon:

spasticColon
Sep 22, 2004

In loving memory of Donald Pleasance
Well I had some extra money so I decided to get a Redragon Kumara keyboard with the clicky blue switches and I like the feel of this keyboard more than the Velocifire with the brown switches. It is a bit noisy when I'm typing but it's not that bad and I'm able to type faster and more accurately. Gaming feels better for me as well. My only critique is that I got the no backlight version and the printing on the keys look and feel cheap and will probably wear off over time but it was only $27 so they had to cut corners somewhere.

Slurps Mad Rips
Jan 25, 2009

Bwaltow!

HappyCapybaraFamily posted:

The Engineer SS-02 is often highly recommended: https://smile.amazon.com/Engineer-SS-02-Solder-Sucker/dp/B002MJMXD4

Here's a video of it in use:
https://youtu.be/N_dvf45hN6Y?t=45s

I have some other brand pump, and I've had better luck with a wick myself. Maybe I'll get the SS-02 if I ever build a full keyboard.

That Camp kit looks gorgeous too, by the way :swoon:

Thank you! Grabbed it.

And yes. It’s really nice. I’m looking forward to posting pictures once the build is finished. The last thing I need is to figure out if I can flash the board with qmk instead of having to use bootmapper. There’s some work that’s been done but I’m unsure if the chip is supported.

GnarlyCharlie4u
Sep 23, 2007

I have an unhealthy obsession with motorcycles.

Proof

HappyCapybaraFamily posted:

One thing to know about Cherry MX Clear is that you will not get RGB backlighting with them, ever (barring a crazy individual customizing such a switch by scavenging Cherry MX RGB housings).


Seriously? but they're through hole... If you're building your own board, couldn't you just swap LED's and not housings?
Asking because I just bought an Anne Pro and my plan is to swap all the Blue Gaterons for Clear Cherry switches.

Also I wanted to add that DURGOD makes a drat fine keeb. I got the Taurus K320 from Massdrop with Cherry Blacks and it is quality.

GnarlyCharlie4u fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Jun 15, 2018

mewse
May 2, 2006

GnarlyCharlie4u posted:

Seriously? but they're through hole... If you're building your own board, couldn't you just swap LED's and not housings?
Asking because I just bought an Anne Pro and my plan is to swap all the Blue Gaterons for Clear Cherry switches.

Looking at this photo



It might be possible to put in those 4-pin RGB LEDs, but never any SMD LEDs

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.
Most RGB LEDs on mainstream keyboards and custom PCBs are surface-mount LEDs. Since Cherry Clears have a black housing, it'll just block all that poo poo out. Also, skip the scratchy Cherry MX Clears and just get Box Royals or Zealios :)

CerealKilla420
Jan 3, 2014

"I need a handle man..."
I've been looking at the unicomp IBM Model M clones lately.

Anyone have any experience with them? Do they live up to the hype?

redeyes
Sep 14, 2002

by Fluffdaddy

64bit_Dophins posted:

I've been looking at the unicomp IBM Model M clones lately.

Anyone have any experience with them? Do they live up to the hype?

I have multiple Unicomp Model M's. Used them for maybe 12 years and recently moved on to cherrys. I have original Model M's to compare to so.. I'd say they are %85 the original quality. The plastics are a bit less thick and beefy but overall good. Never had a problem with plastics though. The key activation is pretty much the same as originals. The only reason I changed was to get a different key activation feel.

If I had to pick between a Unicomp M and a iKBC Cherry Browns from Amazon, I would get the iKBC. I just prefer the quicker feel of the Browns to the buckling spring action of the Model Ms. This is completely subject however.

[edit] One cool thing about Unicomp. Its an American company with some fat sweaty nerd answering the phone. I dumped a Margarita in one keyboard and a Coke in another. They charged about $35 bux to fix both (per keyboard). You can't get service like that from any chinese company.

redeyes fucked around with this message at 02:22 on Jun 16, 2018

CerealKilla420
Jan 3, 2014

"I need a handle man..."

redeyes posted:

I have multiple Unicomp Model M's. Used them for maybe 12 years and recently moved on to cherrys. I have original Model M's to compare to so.. I'd say they are %85 the original quality. The plastics are a bit less thick and beefy but overall good. Never had a problem with plastics though. The key activation is pretty much the same as originals. The only reason I changed was to get a different key activation feel.

If I had to pick between a Unicomp M and a iKBC Cherry Browns from Amazon, I would get the iKBC. I just prefer the quicker feel of the Browns to the buckling spring action of the Model Ms. This is completely subject however.

[edit] One cool thing about Unicomp. Its an American company with some fat sweaty nerd answering the phone. I dumped a Margarita in one keyboard and a Coke in another. They charged about $35 bux to fix both (per keyboard). You can't get service like that from any chinese company.

That sounds great honestly. All of the cherry switch keyboards I'v been looking at have been browns but I need the 10 key keypad for my job and my budget is around $100 so I just ordered the unicomp.

I only really care about using my keyboard for work because I do a lot of data entry and type around 150wpm (no joke) so I need something that's accurate. I've used several model Ms but I've never owned one and I've always like them more than cherry keys.

Cherry keys imo are way more responsive but I don't like them as much for the way I type.

Zarin
Nov 11, 2008

I SEE YOU
Awhile back, I got a CODE with Cherry MX Greens and I love the drat thing. It's far, FAR and away more crisp and more accurate than anything I've used before.

I got that keyboard for my work-from-home setup, and I find now that when I'm in the office, I frequently consider how much I hate the Dell rubber-dome abomination that the company provides me with.

So, if I take the plunge and bring my own keyboard into work, I'd like a clone of the one I have at home. Problem is, Greens are pretty loud and I'm not sure how well that would fly.

I've read that Cherry MX Clears are basically quiet Blues; is there anything similar to that, but closer to a Green behavior? It'd be nice if it was something available from WASD, but I could be convinced to consider other places.

internet celebrity
Jun 23, 2006

College Slice

Zarin posted:

Awhile back, I got a CODE with Cherry MX Greens and I love the drat thing. It's far, FAR and away more crisp and more accurate than anything I've used before.

I got that keyboard for my work-from-home setup, and I find now that when I'm in the office, I frequently consider how much I hate the Dell rubber-dome abomination that the company provides me with.

So, if I take the plunge and bring my own keyboard into work, I'd like a clone of the one I have at home. Problem is, Greens are pretty loud and I'm not sure how well that would fly.

I've read that Cherry MX Clears are basically quiet Blues; is there anything similar to that, but closer to a Green behavior? It'd be nice if it was something available from WASD, but I could be convinced to consider other places.

Clears are closer to greens than blues so that's what you should look for. The tactile bump in clears isn't quite as sharp as it is in greens though. Here are the two force curves: greens and clears.

teethgrinder
Oct 9, 2002

FWIW I use Greens at home and Clears at work. I am happy, and my coworkers don't seem to mind.

Eric the Mauve
May 8, 2012

Making you happy for a buck since 199X
Clears are definitely the switch you want to use at work.

mewse
May 2, 2006

Tactile version of blues = browns
Tactile version of greens = clears

redeyes
Sep 14, 2002

by Fluffdaddy

mewse posted:

Tactile version of blues = browns
Tactile version of greens = clears

Blues really don't feel like browns to me. Blues have this sharp click/activation.

mewse
May 2, 2006

Blues and greens are clicky switches with different spring weights
Browns and clears are tactile switches with different spring weights (clears have a different slider too)

rarbatrol
Apr 17, 2011

Hurt//maim//kill.

Eric the Mauve posted:

Clears are definitely the switch you want to use at work.

Matias quiet clicks are pretty great too.

F4rt5
May 20, 2006

If you could get them in something other than a Matias board. Do they even sell switches separately? And what kits support them? Asking seriously, am interested.

Naar
Aug 19, 2003

The Time of the Eye is now
Fun Shoe
Good news, you can! KB Paradise sell boards with Matias switches, e.g. here in the UK or here for the US. You can also get switches directly from Matias AFAIK.

ColHannibal
Sep 17, 2007

mewse posted:

Tactile version of blues = browns
Tactile version of greens = clears

While the spring is the same in blues and browns, the physical mechanism that makes the click adds a level of resistance. If you put headphones on and removed sound as a variable you would blind pick clears being the same as blue.

redeyes
Sep 14, 2002

by Fluffdaddy

64bit_Dophins posted:

That sounds great honestly. All of the cherry switch keyboards I'v been looking at have been browns but I need the 10 key keypad for my job and my budget is around $100 so I just ordered the unicomp.

I only really care about using my keyboard for work because I do a lot of data entry and type around 150wpm (no joke) so I need something that's accurate. I've used several model Ms but I've never owned one and I've always like them more than cherry keys.

Cherry keys imo are way more responsive but I don't like them as much for the way I type.

I learned to touch type on IBM selectric typewriters and then some older Terminal type keyboards. I get what you are saying, I can FLY on a model M typing. I dunno.. you might be right for a typist.

Nondescript Van
May 2, 2007

Gats N Party Hats :toot:

JazzmasterCurious posted:

If you could get them in something other than a Matias board. Do they even sell switches separately? And what kits support them? Asking seriously, am interested.

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=52

A very large number of kits will support them.

If you look at the Contra kit, for example, you'll the extra little inside corners on the top plate and three holes on the north side of the switch footprints on the pcb. The left two are there to accomidate both mx and alps/matias switches. The right pin happens to be in the same spot.

https://cartel.ltd/projects/contra/

I have a contra with clicky and a planck with quiet clicks and another planck with the same pcb that has mx style zealios in it.

F4rt5
May 20, 2006

Thanks. $75 for 100 switches is kind of prohibitive for me right now though. But a man can dream. KBParadise ones look OK, I like the basic TKL boards. I'm afraid to not have Fn keys and even more afraid to lose arrow keys as I'm a left handed mouser so wasd is not my style. In every game I set up nav and useful stuff on the numpad.

But gaming less and typing more these days make me think I should try a smaller one still.

Gay Horney
Feb 10, 2013

by Reene
I got that cooler master. Quite an upgrade from the DBpower mush rear end poo poo I've been using my whole life, I completely understand what seemed like crazy person detail orientation now

Nondescript Van
May 2, 2007

Gats N Party Hats :toot:
Did somebody say crazy person?

Ynglaur
Oct 9, 2013

The Malta Conference, anyone?

Gay Horney posted:

I got that cooler master. Quite an upgrade from the DBpower mush rear end poo poo I've been using my whole life, I completely understand what seemed like crazy person detail orientation now

I'm glad you like it. I'm really happy with it as well.

Zarin
Nov 11, 2008

I SEE YOU

internet celebrity posted:

Clears are closer to greens than blues so that's what you should look for. The tactile bump in clears isn't quite as sharp as it is in greens though. Here are the two force curves: greens and clears.

Interesting. The graphs look quite different, but the numbers in the table (aside from peak actuation force) appear to be pretty similar.


teethgrinder posted:

FWIW I use Greens at home and Clears at work. I am happy, and my coworkers don't seem to mind.


Good deal; always good to hear when someone has the same setup you're contemplating and they like it. Of course, as I think about it, Greens at home and Clears at work would be far less of a difference than my current setup of Greens at home and Rubber Dome at work, so there's that.


mewse posted:

Tactile version of blues = browns
Tactile version of greens = clears

Hmm, it's been awhile since I tried Browns. I thought they were significantly lighter than Blues, but then again, I never got to compare them side-by-side so that might have just been in my head.


Thanks everyone!

Gay Horney
Feb 10, 2013

by Reene

Nondescript Van posted:

Did somebody say crazy person?



literally yesterday I would have thought you were nuts bbbbbbbuut now i'm intrigued. the only downside is sometimes the keyboard seems to register wayy too many letters and I'm not sure why and i can't get it to stop. hopefully this is a setting i can changeeeeee... this is either going to make me a much lighter-fffingeredd typist or very sad that I threw the box away lllready

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Nondescript Van
May 2, 2007

Gats N Party Hats :toot:

Gay Horney posted:

literally yesterday I would have thought you were nuts bbbbbbbuut now i'm intrigued. the only downside is sometimes the keyboard seems to register wayy too many letters and I'm not sure why and i can't get it to stop. hopefully this is a setting i can changeeeeee... this is either going to make me a much lighter-fffingeredd typist or very sad that I threw the box away lllready

https://elitekeyboards.com/switchhitter.php

Use this to test your board. It'll let you know if there is some key chatter or ghosting going on that is causing keys to register when they shouldn't be.

Otherwise, it's probably you, but you'll get used to typing on it soon. I think I had that habit when I first stopped using a rubber piece of crap as the keys don't activate at the very bottom or require extra force because it's worn out.

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