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I like the idea that this is possible as it addresses my only real complaint about this keyboard (hotswappable switches for Kinesis Advantage 360), but it looks pretty difficult to get consistent results, is very time consuming, and also very easy to ruin a PCB which I don't think you can buy spares of (without purchasing a whole new keyboard): https://hubert-dev.xyz/kinesis-advantage360-hot-swappable-keyboard
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# ? Feb 15, 2025 13:56 |
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Any keyboard that doesn't have hot-swap sockets supports very-hot-swap, but I would probably practice with a couple cheap keyboards before touching Kinesis.
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Kibner posted:I like the idea that this is possible as it addresses my only real complaint about this keyboard (hotswappable switches for Kinesis Advantage 360), but it looks pretty difficult to get consistent results, is very time consuming, and also very easy to ruin a PCB which I don't think you can buy spares of (without purchasing a whole new keyboard): https://hubert-dev.xyz/kinesis-advantage360-hot-swappable-keyboard I saw a post a bit ago where someone wanted to do this to a Nostromo N52/Razer whatever. Except since it was a membrane keypad, they ended up getting custom PCB's made, and then did the whole hotswap socket thing to it. Probably ended up being easier in the long run on the Nostromo due to the PCB not being curved. I do wonder how the tension is going to last with those sockets on that Kinesis over the long run.
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Kibner posted:I like the idea that this is possible as it addresses my only real complaint about this keyboard (hotswappable switches for Kinesis Advantage 360), but it looks pretty difficult to get consistent results, is very time consuming, and also very easy to ruin a PCB which I don't think you can buy spares of (without purchasing a whole new keyboard): https://hubert-dev.xyz/kinesis-advantage360-hot-swappable-keyboard I've done the hotswap conversion with Mill Max sockets or Holtites on a few boards years ago before Kailh's hotswap sockets were a thing. The whole process is a pain in the rear end and takes forever to do from start to finish, and that's on "regular" boards, so doing it on a curved PCB would probably be its own level of hell. I'm at the point where if there was a board that I really wanted converted to hotswap and sockets were the only way to do it, I would just pay someone else to do it and let it be their time and their problem if they gently caress up. I really should go dig out my old TeamWolf Zhuque keyboard, which was one of the earliest mass-produced implementations of hotswap sockets on a consumer mechanical keyboard. That board was kind of rear end, but was really useful for trying out a variety of switches like 9 years ago or whatever. HamburgerTownUSA fucked around with this message at 15:05 on Feb 11, 2025 |
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Koskun posted:I do wonder how the tension is going to last with those sockets on that Kinesis over the long run. Yeah, this is another thing I'm concerned about with this mod. HamburgerTownUSA posted:The whole process is a pain in the rear end and takes forever to do from start to finish, and that's on "regular" boards, so doing it on a curved PCB would probably be its own level of hell. Agreed on both points.
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Mill-Maxed my polycarb Mode 65 the other day as it happens. Took about 90 minutes but I'm a bit ruty. Really nice to have decent layout options as I like weird poo poo such as ansi enter with split left shift. They are way more solid that hot swap and are rated for multiple hundreds of insertions (lol) Be great if the more boutique brands had hot swap layouts as good as the low priced ones though. Anyway, if you aren't soldering experienced getting someone to do it is pretty cheap, seen a guy here that does it for £20, I guess he's a lot faster than I am. The socket things are a bit expensive, and the cheapest I've found is Mode, even buying from the UK they are cheaper than local unless I buy 10,000.
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Lowness 72 posted:How would I build a keyboard using those severance caps? Like if I wanted something like this? https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1iejdyl/treat_your_innie_to_a_more_refined_typing/ ![]() Please enjoy every keypress equally. (also please ignore my messy desk, Milkshake would not approve) MT3 Dasher, bodging the Ortholinear set to fit and coming up two keys short because the Moonlander is weird. Gearman posted:For the people that want the exact set used in the show, direct from the manufacturer that makes it, they can get it right here: ![]()
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hbag posted:ill post pics when i can be bothered to unplug it and go put it somewhere with decent lighting that's why you install special key-warmer switches
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wolrah posted:I put this together right before the new season started after buying the caps last year during one of Drop's BOGO sales. Looks sick! I love it. Where do you generally buy the hot swap case? I'm assuming if you don't want to solder you buy a case that supports got swapping and just jam the keys in no? I should probably watch a YouTube video on this.
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👀![]() can't build yet unfortunately, still waiting on some parts
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Hey keyboard weirdos I'm in the planning stages of making an electronic concertina. A concertina is a musical instrument that looks like this: I started sketching out the circuit board and realized I could use mechanical keyboard switches, since the buttons are 1.25cm apart. Then it dawned on me that I'm designing a weird special-purpose split mechanical keyboard that outputs MIDI. I figure I'll use red switches, 3D print little button caps for them, and somehow design a single button to get pressed when you push the sides together, to determine when you're pushing and when your drawing (the notes played is different depending on this). I'll custom fab some circuit boards for mounting the switches and this Adafruit KeeBoar I have lying around, and attach a GM MIDI VS1053 breakout board for the sounds and headphone output. So before I head too far down this road designing the thing, I figured I should ask people who've made their own keyboards if they have any advice right off the bat.
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Hello keyboard thread, I recently fell down the rabbit hole of custom keyboards and was looking to find something good with the following criteria:
Is this reasonable? Or am I being stupid? Neo_Crimson fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Feb 12, 2025 |
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cruft posted:Hey keyboard weirdos you might find ergogen useful, it's a parametric generator for weird keyboard PCBs https://ergogen.xyz
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cruft posted:I started sketching out the circuit board and realized I could use mechanical keyboard switches, since the buttons are 1.25cm apart. Then it dawned on me that I'm designing a weird special-purpose split mechanical keyboard that outputs MIDI. Do the keys produce different sounds depending on how far they are pressed, or are they always pressed fully? Maybe you need Hall effect switches.
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Saukkis posted:Do the keys produce different sounds depending on how far they are pressed, or are they always pressed fully? Maybe you need Hall effect switches. The buttons are two-state: pressed and not pressed. The one that should eventually be analog is the push or draw force. But I'm not going to worry about that until v2. repiv posted:you might find ergogen useful, it's a parametric generator for weird keyboard PCBs This is weird! I don't understand it! But maybe it would be useful? I need 5 rows of 3 buttons, and then 2 additional under the thumbs on both hands, in a very specific spacing based on measurements from an existing instrument, I figured I'd start with just getting that right in a PCB, and then model a printable cover for it based on the PCB design that works best. I hate designing PCBs. It'd look something like this: ![]() Would ergogen help with that?
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It looks like it can do that. I've never used it but I skimmed through this tutorial a bit https://flatfootfox.com/ergogen-introduction/ and it seems incredibly flexible.
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YerDa Zabam posted:Hey @gnatalie I saw this and thought of your recent post, the fire to your ice... cruft posted:Hey keyboard weirdos ![]()
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Neo_Crimson posted:Hello keyboard thread, I recently fell down the rabbit hole of custom keyboards and was looking to find something good with the following criteria: Followup question: Is there a place where I can get keycaps with a similar colorway to these GMK Honeywells in OEM profile and uh doesn't cost $120?
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Neo_Crimson posted:Followup question: Is there a place where I can get keycaps with a similar colorway to these GMK Honeywells in OEM profile and uh doesn't cost $120? I don't think I've found an exact match but some google image searching and general searching has: Wormier in Cherry profile: https://www.amazon.com/Keycaps-Doubleshot-Mechanical-Keyboard-Gorpcore/dp/B0D1QYXBNV Skyloong with a lighter grey and shine through legends: https://usa.banggood.com/SKYLOONG-1...-p-1998047.html Diykeyboard (never ordered from them before) has a lighter grey set with less red and side printing (click the last option picture): https://diykeycap.com/products/mechanical-keyboard-pbt-keycaps108-keys-laser-carving-oem-profile-side Maybe there's more options out there, that was a quick look around.
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Neo_Crimson posted:Hello keyboard thread, I recently fell down the rabbit hole of custom keyboards and was looking to find something good with the following criteria: A decent fullsize is spendy usually. If you're on a budget, go for a hotswap Keychron that fits your budget, for midrange (which is circa $200 for the case on a fullsize) the QK101 is quality and will last you a lifetime and has a bajillion options. I know some people who absolutely swear by melodics. I have one as a sampler, and it sounds lovely and feels amazing, but it's pretty loud, and I prefer a lot quieter. They are a bit on the higher end of prices too. Most barebones kits require you to lube stabilizers, but it's super easy and quick and you can just watch a 10 minute youtube. Most good quality switches don't need lubricating, and you don't lube clickies anyway. If you want a decent mechanical keyboard, it's worth learning how to do stabs yourself anyway. The different is stunning. Switches are the ones that are a pain in the rear end. MX keycaps are transferrable between boards, but if the profiles are different it will look weird.
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Currently adorning my desk area are these oddities.![]() From the top left working left/down; Petals60 with Swagkeys Arctic keycaps and Lichicx Good White switches Tacopad with Lichicx Lucy v2 switches and KKB Retro Mixed Light keycaps Lazydesigners Circe with Kat Milkshake keycaps, and Lichicx Gentle switches Deadline Studios TPS40 Ortholinear with DMK Ghost keycaps and Aregs Caramel Chocolate switches Vault 35 with the same switches as above, and Kat Great Wave keycaps Mechboards Heft 60 with Kailh Box white clicky switches and Awekeys Copper Eagle blanks Deskmat is from Gothcaps and he does some stunning bits if you want to check it out and really enjoy skulls.
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cruft posted:This is weird! I don't understand it! But maybe it would be useful? I need 5 rows of 3 buttons, and then 2 additional under the thumbs on both hands, in a very specific spacing based on measurements from an existing instrument, I figured I'd start with just getting that right in a PCB, and then model a printable cover for it based on the PCB design that works best. I hate designing PCBs. I know a little bit about making keyboard, however there are some dedicated discords for keyboard design and development, and the guys at https://discord.gg/b7vwhHS would go wild for a project like this.
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cynic posted:Currently adorning my desk area are these oddities. I've gone from 75% & to 65%, designs on a 60%, so some of those smaller ones are really catching my eye
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YerDa Zabam posted:Lovely, some cool unusual stuff there. 40's are definitely a fun challenge. For just chilling on Discord or shitposting I really like them a lot and use them the whole time. My problem is some games assume at 60 or above (numbers to select weapons, only using your left hand), and my work kind of requires a fullsize to be efficient because I use to many keys and complex shortcuts daily, so I just have an insane range of keyboards and swap between 2 or 3 daily. You can adapt remarkably quickly given some practice.
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man I wish I'd spent the last six months learning how to properly use a 60% with home row mods. it feels so good to use when I am not getting frustrated about forgetting the location of symbols, or having to pause and remember what the order of the mods are either that or the moonlander, but I think a 60% is cuter ![]()
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cynic posted:I know a little bit about making keyboard, however there are some dedicated discords for keyboard design and development, and the guys at https://discord.gg/b7vwhHS would go wild for a project like this. You know, after seeing the massive goon effort to back up waffleimages, I'm not super inclined to document anything on Discord or really anywhere other than here and my blog. But I appreciate this offer, that's considerate of you ![]()
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# ? Feb 15, 2025 13:56 |
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Discord is not a forum/image host/blog replacement in any way, so that's a good take ![]()
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