Peripherals Mechanical Keyboards

Finally! my Dolch set arrived, all seems to fit quite well, aside from maybe the space bar (might have to give that a little trim later)

 

That's it, game over. You can all go get your coats and go home now, because this man has won the internet.

 

OK I'm buying el2k's KBT Race.

My plan is to change the Reds to Browns or maybe Panda Clears (haven't decided yet). The obvious obstacle is the need to de-solder 82 LEDs, but I'm wondering if it's possible, and if there's room, to fit a two pin socket under each switch and make it easier to change LEDs in the future?

Pipe dream or real possibility?

 

Cor lumme, traffic has certainly slowed in this thread.

 

Oh I meant to reply actually, I saw your message on the phone at 3.30 this morning but couldn't find the link on my phone

What you are looking for is called SIP sockets, sorry to keep linking GH, but that's where the information on these is .

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51792.0

 

Thanks, I'll have a look when I get home.

Works web filter doesn't like geek hack

[edit] Now I think about it, I believe Margo was doing something along these lines a while back. Anyhoo, I've ordered some from feebay.

Cheers

 

Ive never managed to make them fitwith the plastic bit as well. I just break the pins out of the plastic, put them in the switch, 'set' them in place by putting the LED in through the switch, then put it in the board as one thing, with 4 pins, then solder it up. This way, the LED sort of holds the sip pins in place, and there is no cumbersome plastic stopping the switch from closing properly - but it's a pain in the arse and takes ages.

 

Totally. Gareth, I salute you.

 

I rebranded my hhkb last night

 

Nice. Only seven more bros to go!

 

Got some Elsea Keys today!

Dark Dreamsicle is so damn creamy!





And a Miami gift.

 

Most surreal thing today. Getting grandparents Christmas decorations out of the loft and there sitting is a quite smart 'IBM Personal Computer AT Keyboard' box! Unfortunately only more decorations inside but a nice piece of history all the same

 

Will you be adorning the Christmas tree with keycaps?

 

My new toy:



Looks like the caps are almost identical to the spare CM caps I have at home. Which means I can have a £ sign etc..

It's actually really nice to type on with reds, so I'm not sure if I want to change the switches now. I still plan to try the LED SIP sockets though, so it shouldn't be a massive pain to swap them out if I change my mind; assuming all goes to plan.

I even quite like the oversized Esc, End, Del and Cursor keys.

It doesn't feel as cramped as I thought it would - I mean, it is.. compact, but typing feels natural enough. I really can't imagine living with a 60% though - some of you chaps are just bonkers.

 

I have no wish to be spending Christmas in a shelter



Imagine using a 40% full time! Pure hell IMO. All personal opinion of course

 

nothing bonkers about 60%

 

40% just doesn't appeal to me, seems like far too much work for not enough gain. 60% is fine for sodding about with and doable for work if you have your own custom layers set up IMO.

I tried using the original Poker at work way back when and it was just totally unsuitable for my day to day work (SAP and Excel mainly, lots of data analysis and entry). I've got my Phantom set up with a few layers though and have been using it for the last year or so at work and barely use the keys outside of the main alphablack now. I'll transition over to 60% at work at some point, if only so I don't have to carry such a big board into the office every day .

 

I find a 66% board is my sweet spot for work - small enough that I have enough space for the mountain of paperwork I am perpetually contending with, but large enough to have an arrow block, insert and delete keys, plus home and end on the function layer of the arrow block.

 

For work where I have a large desk and I type more than I use the mouse I prefer a 100% board - I enter a relatively large amount of data into excel and the numpad is essential for that. The rest of the time at home where I have a smaller desk (or more junk on it whatever) I prefer TKL or smaller. Looking forward to giving 40% a try though