/mkg/ - Mechanical Keyboard General

/mkg/ - 96 edition

>Buyer's template:
pastebin.com/33S1gVkG
>Where to Buy:
pastebin.com/8Yku80VL
>FAQs:
pastebin.com/M5w7QtKp
>Group Buys
deskthority.net/viewforum.php?f=50
drop.com/
>Keyboard wiki
deskthority.net/wiki/Main_Page
>Keyset wiki
keypuller.com (web.archive.org/web/20161101152119/http://keypuller.com/)

Last Thread

Attached: keyboard-layout.png (1046x344, 22K)

Other urls found in this thread:

mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=4558
amazon.com/Koolertron-Programmable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Ergonomic/dp/B076FTKD6F/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1524519238&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Koolertron+Programmable+Split+Mechanical+Keyboard&th=1
amazon.com/Mistel-Ergonomic-Mechanical-Keyboard-Switches/dp/B01KN6LBDU?th=1
unikeyboard.io/product/diverge/
gaming.kinesis-ergo.com/edge/
ergodox-ez.com/
github.com/diimdeep/awesome-split-keyboards
dailyclack.com/collections/keycaps/products/gmk-peaches-n-cream
forum.colemak.com/topic/1858-learn-colemak-in-steps-with-the-tarmak-layouts/
drop.com/buy/kp-little-yellow-duck-dsa-dye-subbed-keycap-set
config.qmk.fm/#/idobo/LAYOUT_ortho_5x15
twitter.com/AnonBabble

I want a full 104/108 key keyboard with a split spacebar. The left bar should be a modifier, the right bar should be space

ID75 from massdrop arrived today, my 2nd mech (first was X-Bows which I hated because the keys are spaced out), first ortho, gateron red switches, looking forward to seeing how this feels

Attached: SAM_0013.jpg (1920x1440, 723K)

Are Kailh Navys the best tactile/clicky modern switch? I've been on Topre/BKE Heavies for 7 years now. I was in love with MX Blues before I went full in on Topre.

They are one of the best clicky switches you can get these days.

Where can I buy a keyboard with this layout?

Attached: 1550023678557.png (660x530, 15K)

nvm that's not accurate either

>yellow < black < green
>yellow = black < green
>yellow < black = green
which one is it

mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=4558

>Bluetooth
>65% or 60% w/ arrows
>Kailh Choc switches
What are my options here? The DareU 820 68-key would be my first choice, but it looks like it went out of stock everywhere long ago. The Anidees 60% seems okay, but it uses Fraly clone switches. Does anyone know if Fraly switches can be replaced with Kailh Choc switches? With the appropriate soldering work put in, of course. The Bazalia 8839 seems like the same keyboard as the Anidees but with actual Kailh Choc Whites, but it doesn't seem to be wireless unfortunately.

Thank you, user.

How do I know if a kit is supposed to be plate mounted or PCB mounted?

not sure what you mean.
as long as the switches are "5 pin" and the PCB is compatible, you don't need a plate

Attached: mechanical-switches-for-mechanical-keyboard-05.jpg (600x372, 53K)

The PCB has 5 holes, so I guess I can PCB mount.
In that case should I plate mount or PCB mount?

Sup Jow Forums

Someone is offloading these for free, I will pick up tomorrow. How did I do? Yeah, some are membrane, not need to point out the obvious

Realforce Hi-profile 104
Filco 87 keys multi-cam (cherry brown switches) Vortex Race 3 (cherry silver switches)
Vortex VIBE (cherry silent red switches) (need soldering to repair 1 key)
HHKB Lite 2 (membrane switches)
Lenovo USB 7 row keyboard with trackpoint Lenovo USB keyboard with trackpoint

Plate mount is better tho it doesn't matter if you get PCB mount switches and plate mount them.

>free Realforce Hi-Pro
Lucky fuck.

can someone redpill me on her keyboard?

Attached: mayuko.png (1136x656, 1.39M)

I've read that box royals are the closest you can get to topre in multiple forums now.

I'll buy the hipro from you.

Yellows and blacks have similar actuation force but yellow springs have a uniquely slow force curve (sprit sells these as 'progressive'), so blacks bottom out at a higher weight. Greens have heavier springs as well as a click jacket mechanism

it's shit

Elaborate? I want a comfy keyboard for work.

It's a slim membrane keyboard that's hardly even ergonomic, what else should I explain to you?

it's called tenting, you can do this on pretty much any split keyboard
(I think she's using the microsoft sculpt)
this concept has been around for decades
the idea is that you can sit your wirsts at a more comfortable angle towards the keyboard
personally, I wouldn't want to use any keyboard without tenting, it feels bad to have to pronate your wrists that much on a 'flat' keyboard

What keyboard do you use?

I have a tented iris keyboard and a dactyl manuform, which is tented by design (based off the decades old maltron design)
I prefer my dactyl

where the fuck can I get wooden looking keycaps?
No place sells them besides on aliexpress at 5$/ key

where the fuck does one get mid to high end mechs for free?

Using Gateron Black, and I didn't expect to enjoy them this much. Are Zeal switches a cult, or actually worth the hefty price? Could I just lubricate some regular linears?

In Asia - I dunno what state they're in, but I use a 25U$ Chinese mech as my daily driver and I can't pass on the opportunity..

Zeal tactiles have stems you can't easily get anywhere else, but his linears are a huge overpriced meme.
You'll come out cheaper just buying Aliaz switches for their housings and your preferred flavor of Gat linears than buying Tealios, and they end up just as smooth.

expensive linears are a scam imo, there's nothing special about them
you're mostly paying for the 'brand', and they're lubed out of the factory?
gateron blacks lubed are pretty damn good at 20c a piece
all you need is a very thin brush, switch opener, and some lube (silicone, safe for plastic stuff)
I'd recommend getting lube and grease (I spent about $15 total, lubed hundreds of switches and still got enough for a couple thousand), mix them for the right consistency, because grease can be too think and lube can be too thin

I meant OIL instead of 'lube', I got a little messed up
so oil, and grease

Hmm okay... I think I'll get a split keyboard. Here are my choices - mind helping me out?

amazon.com/Koolertron-Programmable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Ergonomic/dp/B076FTKD6F/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1524519238&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Koolertron+Programmable+Split+Mechanical+Keyboard&th=1

amazon.com/Mistel-Ergonomic-Mechanical-Keyboard-Switches/dp/B01KN6LBDU?th=1

unikeyboard.io/product/diverge/

gaming.kinesis-ergo.com/edge/

ergodox-ez.com/

Attached: ren4.jpg (236x280, 13K)

Where's the cheapest place for switches?
Or are they all the same.

>TKL

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report back pls, I'm also interested

If you go split, do not take non-ortholinear stuff. Would kind of defeat the purpose of being more ergonomic. Other than that it's up to you I guess, don't buy brown switches though.

ok so d4 and ergodox then
thanks

Thank you both. I was afraid to ask this anywhere else, since Zeal switches are sometimes outright worshiped. Lubricating some cheap linears sounds like the way to go.

If you want to order within the US, NovelKeys has a sale going on pretty much every Gateron switch, and they often have the best Kailh selection, too.

you might want to take a look at github.com/diimdeep/awesome-split-keyboards

>I was afraid to ask this anywhere else, since Zeal switches are sometimes outright worshiped
yeah many people on reddit and geekhack get circlejerky about anything that's expensive, "exclusive" or not available in stock keyboards

What r the Best caps? Never bought any

GMK

Neat list, thanks. I'll have to look into a few of those, which are new to me. Glad to see two of those of interest to me are on the list. Keyboardio Model 01 is neat and I almost got it but because of its incompatible layout and keycaps/key style, along with huge manufacturing delay I figured not to. The one i did buy however is on the list, Dygma Raise

I'm currently waiting for my Dygma Raise. It has been a little while, but I've been following their frequent updates which show their commitment to quality unlike so many other crowdfunded tech products. I'm willing to give them the time to get it right, when so many of the issues are not even their fault or bad management, but things like shitty fabrication in China doing shady shit and hoping they wouldn't notice (or using lower quality on the verification samples vs the prototype etc). Also, when they went into delays they offered refunds for those who wanted them unlike thousands of other projects, and pre orders/ backers are getting a custom case as a thank you for sticking with them; it will be sold for $50 or so post launch. So if you're interested in a split kb with some neat features, I'd pre order it now before it ships in the coming month most likely

>$225
What did they mean by this?

dailyclack.com/collections/keycaps/products/gmk-peaches-n-cream

Premium ABS

the mech keyboard community is so easy to scam lmao

Alrighty, just had some jobs to do so now on to the keyboard. First step is to remove all the switches as advised by a guy in the Massdrop ID75 discussion...

Attached: SAM_0017.jpg (2592x1944, 1020K)

And install the PCB. The chip on it is a
>atmel atmega32u4
which is an 8 bit microcontroller, so no ARM chip on this one.

Attached: SAM_0023.jpg (2592x1944, 1018K)

are these Kailh or Gateron switches?

Now install all the gateron red switches into the hot-swap sockets.

The quality is a mixture of excellent and poor. The aluminium case is incredibly thick and solid, and fits perfectly to the perspex insert and the base. A+. However some of the pins on the switches were bent, and the cover on one end of the USB cable slipped off as soon as I picked it up (so I superglue'd it back in place) and then the cover on the USB cable started fraying. This is straight from China btw so... hmm..

The keys seem to be working, I just need to turn off the RGB underglow and set up my keyboard layout. I'm going to be using Tarmak step 1 (my plan is to learn colemak over the next 2.5 years, because I tried learning colemak with tarmak in about a month and my typing speed was terrible at the end of it... if I do one tarmak step every 6 months I'll only have a month of adjustment and for the other 5 months my typing speed will be acceptable, so I think it's the most painless way of switching)

forum.colemak.com/topic/1858-learn-colemak-in-steps-with-the-tarmak-layouts/

Attached: SAM_0026.jpg (2592x1944, 1.02M)

>bent pins on the switches
If they came in a box, maybe something to complain about, but it's still not something I'd expect someone to complain about. If they came in a bag, of course some are gonna be bent.

I'm an idiod, you already said what they are. Anyway, looks really nice. What keycaps do you have?

They were all on the plate with the case screwed shut, but the PCB came in a separate anti-static bubblewrap case, so I didn't expect any to be bent. But I suppose the guys who put it together probably got them in a box or bag so they were bent before they started (I'm really new to this).

Now I'm just working through the QMK instructions... am I right in thinking that the keyboard layouts are programmed in C (because of the .c extension on the files)?

drop.com/buy/kp-little-yellow-duck-dsa-dye-subbed-keycap-set

Yes, qmk is written in C

>got them in a box/bag
That'd be it. Not hard to bend them back, also makes sure you're careful and always paying attention.
>in C
Yeah
You shouldn't need to mess around at the source file level unless you're making custom rgb patterns though. Check out the qmk configurator and the general instructions to flash your board with custom keybinds.
Also cute keycaps.

what's the ultimate scam build?
is it something like:
>Rama U80-A (480$)
>linear Zealios
>limited edition PREMIUM ABS GMK keycap set (200+$)
>a few ugly, sculpted artisans bought aftermarket for several hundred $

Don't forget the genuine ZealPC™ clear screw-in stabs, the perfectly-tuned oil/grease mixture and the aftermarket Korean gold-plated springs because the stock Zeal ones just don't quite come in the right weighting.

config.qmk.fm/#/idobo/LAYOUT_ortho_5x15
this should work I think
create the layout, compile and grab the firmware .hex

Thanks, I've made a layout and downloaded the hex, but am not sure how to flash it (linux)... I think the board uses DFU, and the instructions give a method for creating a layout and flashing it
make ::dfu
but what do you do if you already have the hex file?

in that case don't download the .hex, you'd want to download the keymap off the layout builder (after compiling, it only gives you the keymap/source after compiling)
and replace the one in qmk_firmware/keyboards/idobo/keymaps/default
(or you could make your own folder)
then it'll use that when you "sudo make idobo:default:dfu" I think

>Korean gold-plated springs
will I stop bottoming out if I buy this?

Ok thanks a lot
Just spent about half an hour trying to debug DFU and try to enter the bootloader mode while continually entering
make idobo:layout_ortho_5x15_mine:dfu
and thinking I was gonna have to boot up my Windows puter until I read in a reddit thread that you have to run the command as root, which instantly worked.

I bought a pack of sound dampening o-rings from Massdrop slightly over a year ago which I'm finally using today... they really make a difference.

Tweaking time

Attached: SAM_0034.jpg (2592x1944, 1.03M)

There are those progressive rate ones that ramp up in stiffness towards the bottom, or just really fucking stiff ones.

is this the ultimate Chad switch?

Attached: r MechanicalKeyboards What Keyboard Switches and or Keys Do I Buy MechanicalKeyboards.jpg (336x26, 7K)

>only 185g
that's kinda pathetic

Attached: Tai-Hao APC Green BSW 280WH.png (1808x1283, 107K)

no

Attached: 1 pound of force.png (805x575, 50K)

What's your fav quiet tactile switch?

but are these S I L E N T?
I mean you wouldn't want the click to drown out the beautiful sounds of your fists pummeling the keyboard into submission

if you bottom out on a 400g switch you've got problems m8

What's your thoughts on handwiring and custom layout board building?

>~50$
>Eastern Europe, probably shipping from China
>Preferred gateron or kailh tactile (like Cherry Browns)
>ANSI
>100%
>Backlight is a plus
>Nothing mechanical
Can anyone recommend cheap chinkshit(but not complete shit) mechanical keyboard, switch type/brand does not really matter as long as it's tactile

Zilents v2

imagine handwiring this though

Attached: midi_grid_Page_2.png (4678x3309, 186K)

Hello Jow Forums, typying on my own mx brown board.
I'm working in a hotel as a receptionist and the keyboard they got here is a shitty old cheap membrane and I managed to convince my boss to buy a mechanial one for around 90 dollars.
I asked the other receptionists if they have any prefference and they didn't really care as long as it's backlit. Now I would love to buy a clicky board as I never owned one and when I tried it in the store it felt good the only problem though is that I think they will mind the noise, there aren't any other coworkers to hear the sound but they themselves might be bothered by it over time.
What are some switches that have the clicky feel of the mx blues but without the loud noise, it doesn't have to be as clicky but close enough that it has the same feel.
I live in Europe and it needs to be something I can easily purchase.

Current keyboard is vortex race 3. I love this thing and don't want to get rid of it but I am really trying to cut down on wires. Anyone know of a wireless 75% preferably with black switches? Any heavy linear switch is great for me really, doesn't have to be cherry. Most of the stuff I've been able to look up is 60% or tkl+ which I don't want. I want as small as possible but with the function keys and arrows.

Attached: large_2446_Race3_2.jpg (1200x889, 348K)

What is the cheapest full sized keyboard that uses MX brown I can get in bongland?

Its successor (Tab75) has a wireless variant.

Well shit, not sure how I completely missed that.

Thanks m8.

>Europe
Ha you're screwed.

It's not really possible to have a clicky switch without the noise, but I found that cherry white switches have a soft and much quieter click. It doesn't feel as tactile though.

Thanks, it's sad that there's nowhere to buy them here in Italy.

see if you can somehow get your hands on a keyboard with matias quiet clicks. since you're in europe try reddit, deskthority or geekhack marketplaces.

Massdrop Idobo75 builder here... wow QMK is powerful!
I had all these special (scientific and mathematical) characters in my xkb keyboard layout and I see I can program the entire thing into the keyboard... this especially important for installing gentoo because you gotta do a lot of typing, but if you have a custom keyboard layout (eg are half way through learning colemak with tarmak) and you have to use qwerty you're in for an hour of pain.

What do you guys do with your layers?

Attached: Screenshot_2019-07-05_12-27-18.png (783x324, 37K)

Why do new brandname keyboards use powerful ARM controllers yet kits are still stuck on ATmega?

who cares. do you really need 256 layers per key? Even QMKs 32 layers per key is already overkill.

where can i buy cheap parts to build a keyboard?

Taobao. Some guy on reddit was able to build a chink GH60 for under 50 bucks with everything included.

I want 100-step backlight level control with automatic adjustment.

The atmega can already do that. Heck you can even hookup a light sensor so the keyboard will automatically dim your backlight.

If I'm reading this chart right this thing only has 1.5mm travel?

Doesn't it mean the force drops to zero after 1.5mm?

It's actually two switches in one housing. When you pressed down hard enough the second switch actuated

It's the keyboard from the "Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop" a 3 piece keyboard/numpad/mouse desktop accessory set.

It's utter trash.

o-rings, yay or nay? Just tried them out and they make my outemu blues feel really mushy, and there's barely any difference in the sound level. I did buy a cheap $1 o-rings from ebay though, but I don't think the quality of the o-rings should matter that much.

Attached: 1561478334689.jpg (499x430, 86K)

should've bought those zeal gold plated orings

I don't need rgb