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other people posted:Oh I am on linux. I'm outing myself as an old man here but I've never used discord. I suppose I'll have to figure it out. If you put the keyboard in Windows mode and connect via bluetooth then the F keys work as expected. That is what I initially did so I didn't notice any F keys problem until I had it connected via USB to do the firmware update. So uh, yeah. Not very impressed with that design.
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Nov 17, 2022 09:59
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Associate Christ
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Wizard of the Deep posted:To expand a little more on the challenges of using a Model M in today's world: it isn't great. I picked up a couple in the early 2000s when they weren't very popular, and I've mostly relegated them to storage for the moment. As someone else mentioned, there's basically no customization for key caps. PS/2 is increasingly annoying to support, and for what I do, the lack of meta keys (like the Windows key) and macros is a detriment. The actual typing experience is bar-none fantastic, but everything else around using it is a series of compromises. Unicomp's Spacesaver M has many of the features you'd like with the buckling springs. I haven't used a vintage Model M but I really do love typing on it.
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Nov 17, 2022 17:49
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And if you only want the chassis... https://vortexgear.store/products/vortex-model-m-ssk-kit
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Nov 17, 2022 17:53
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i think i'll probably get one of the new model Ms for the nostalgic factor, i probably banged on those keyboards a lot as a kid in the 90s. my mom used to take me to work with her sometimes where she was an accountant and most of the times i would spend my time in a empty cubicle on the computer. and if i truly don't like it, i think my mom would probably appreciate it because she really doesn't like how 'modern' everything feels now. anyways i finally bit the bullet and got a d60lite kit and some novelkeys kalih navies. i ordered around 80 switches, that should be enough for the keyboard, right?
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Nov 17, 2022 18:27
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Boba Pearl posted:
If you're looking for classic typewriter style caps, you want ones called SA (lol, yeah) profile. Like these: https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=6829 I'm also a big fan of the MT3 profile caps, but SA style are the real OGs. SA caps will give you the deepest rounded thunk sound wise, because they're very thick and tall, relative to oem or other profiles.
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Nov 18, 2022 16:52
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Ended up going with some cheaper bits for that work keyboard I was looking at. A TESTER84 wired base, Outemu Limes, and some neat-looking double-shot keycaps. Ended up looking and feeling pretty sharp. I think the Limes will be fine for typing at work, but I'm definitely going to want something stiffer when I get around to my new home keyboard. Also might upgrade this to wireless if they ever do a barebones kit for it.
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Nov 18, 2022 21:59
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Echophonic posted:Ended up going with some cheaper bits for that work keyboard I was looking at. A TESTER84 wired base, Outemu Limes, and some neat-looking double-shot keycaps. Ended up looking and feeling pretty sharp. I think the Limes will be fine for typing at work, but I'm definitely going to want something stiffer when I get around to my new home keyboard. Also might upgrade this to wireless if they ever do a barebones kit for it. it looks great!
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Nov 18, 2022 23:48
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Heck Yes! Loam! posted:it looks great! Thanks! I really like the keycaps, it's really eye-catching from across the room.
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Nov 19, 2022 04:43
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Any good shops with sales on unique desk mats?
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Nov 22, 2022 02:08
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I decided to try XDA keycaps, and I'm glad I got these before the SA ones, because I really enjoy the uniform profile and how quiet they are compared to the cherry keys.
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Nov 22, 2022 03:59
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KingKapalone posted:Any good shops with sales on unique desk mats? Omnitype's got a sale on https://omnitype.com/collections/deskpads
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Nov 22, 2022 05:26
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KingKapalone posted:Any good shops with sales on unique desk mats? https://mekibo.com/products/busy-town-deskmat-group-buy?utm_source=thocstock&utm_medium=product_page Prototypist is having a 25% off deskmats on Friday. https://prototypist.net/collections/in-stock 
GnarlyCharlie4u fucked around with this message at 14:38 on Nov 22, 2022 |
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Nov 22, 2022 06:34
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Awesome thanks!
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Nov 22, 2022 22:05
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Voynich is shipping to vendors! The pics so far is a bit on the yellowy side, but maybe just a lighting problem. Legends look superb, though!
Disharmony fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Nov 24, 2022 |
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Nov 24, 2022 00:57
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I really enjoy these new Boba U4s I got they feel very nice, and don't make a ton of noise, in fact the loudest thing is now the huge springs on my spacebar.
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Nov 24, 2022 01:21
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i built this beast last weekend. 
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Nov 24, 2022 19:54
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How you liking the manuform? I came very close to making one before getting boards for sofle way back when
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Nov 24, 2022 20:18
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I’m going to finish my sofle over the holidays (for real, I swear!) and then see if I can build a manuform.
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Nov 24, 2022 21:09
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Bit of advice on the sofle: tenting screws kinda suck for long-term. I'm gonna try making a laminated wood block to put under the switch plate/guts out of cedar because I'm suuuuuuper tired of tightening the nuts
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Nov 24, 2022 21:29
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Mr. Mercury posted:Bit of advice on the sofle: tenting screws kinda suck for long-term. I'm gonna try making a laminated wood block to put under the switch plate/guts out of cedar because I'm suuuuuuper tired of tightening the nuts Cheers, I’ll probably print a 3d case for it. Not going to tent it.
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Nov 24, 2022 21:55
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That's a good call I think!
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Nov 24, 2022 22:26
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I've looked through a few emails from companies I've received but haven't seen anything sticking out: anyone doing a decent sale on a 96% or something that's similarly very dense/compact?
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Nov 25, 2022 07:27
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If you're willing to solder: https://cannonkeys.com/products/rekt1800-keyboard
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Nov 25, 2022 15:31
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Hey, does anyone have a black friday recommendation between 60-100 dollars that I can give my two employees for christmas? Brown keys preferably but any silent could also work. Something *like* this https://www.amazon.com/Ajazz-AK510-...s%2C113&sr=1-11
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Nov 25, 2022 20:02
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Is there a good source for keycaps with a 6.5u spacebar? I've decided to stick with my venerable G710+ for a while, but a facelift would be nice. The weird-rear end bottom row makes it a pain in the rear end, though.
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Nov 26, 2022 17:25
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Echophonic posted:Is there a good source for keycaps with a 6.5u spacebar? I've decided to stick with my venerable G710+ for a while, but a facelift would be nice. The weird-rear end bottom row makes it a pain in the rear end, though. I may sound like a broken record but some Akko sets have multiple sizes of space bar (6u, 6.25u, 6.5u, 7u). They usually have a lot of them in stock on Amazon (at least on Amazon.ca). Just double-check before ordering as some kits only have 2 (6.25u and 7u, I believe). Plus IMO they're really nice PBT sets with clean prints. Edit: I double-checked and none of the sets available on Amazon seem to have a 6.5u, only the sets on AliExpress, so... maybe I was wrong. CordlessPen fucked around with this message at 19:42 on Nov 26, 2022 |
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Nov 26, 2022 19:34
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Echophonic posted:Is there a good source for keycaps with a 6.5u spacebar? I've decided to stick with my venerable G710+ for a while, but a facelift would be nice. The weird-rear end bottom row makes it a pain in the rear end, though.
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Nov 26, 2022 19:51
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I have been daily driving Model M keyboards for several years now, but as I've gotten more  I have found typing and especially gaming on the Model M increasingly uncomfortable due to the fairly high actuation force. I have currently rotated it to my retro computer and started dailying the retro rig's former keyboard, a Dell AT101W Bigfoot with black Alps, and I find myself really liking it, though I would prefer it to be clicky and I worry about its durability since I have heard Alps switches are much more intolerant of dirt and dust than Cherry or IBM switches. Would there be any reason to switch from the Bigfoot to one of the modern mechanical keyboards based on the Cherry MX series and its 95 million clones? I mean, I know about the options for silent switches and the  aesthetic, but I like the '90s beige look and I don't need a quiet keyboard. My only experience with Cherry MX was my first mechanical keyboard since using the Model M in childhood, a Razer BlackWidow with MX Blues, that I did not like at all--it looked silly, collected dust and fingerprints, and had a junky, tinny sound and feel compared to the Model Ms of my childhood memories--but maybe Razer's engineering and build quality ruined what could have been a much nicer keyboard made by someone else. However, the really nice keyboards are get up into the sort of  pricing as the very nicest Alps boards like OmniKeys or Apple Extended keyboards, and not far below Model F territory. What would I really get from picking a higher-end (than Razer) MX-type mechanical or going DIY over what I already have? Or maybe a Matias Tactile Pro would be the right keyboard for me?
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Nov 27, 2022 23:42
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There's a lot of reasons to go to the MX line (or a clone/compatible), I switched in 2013 from alps or buckling springs. There's a lot of layouts you can get (I like TKL in general), there's over a hundred types of switches, and there's a bunch of different keyboard builds and materials used. Additionally, the main reason I moved from a buckling spring for gaming was that the buckling spring couldn't get over its 2kro on the controller so some games would have some collisions when I'd be moving and check the scoreboard so holding like W and D and then hitting tab would cause problems. Also, many gaming company keyboards attempt to get faster polling rates and lower controller latency. It's never going to be a huge difference but some of the logitechs and razers (and some others) are down in the 2ms range while a lot of other keyboards are 10+ms. Probably not noticeable but it's just something to think about. Also yeah, the complicated ALPS switches do get kind of problematic after a while. I was using my omnikey ultra with complicated whites for a couple of years and eventually I was getting double presses of 0 and n daily and the only fix was to desolder the switch and open it up and clean and they're a pain to deal with due to of the pieces. I think I got it mostly working and then another key did it and I bought a model m. This was like back in '01 or something. The matias tactiles aren't bad, I got some with a keyboard from drop in 2014 or something. They don't feel the same as complicated whites but they're not bad. I mostly moved away from ALPS due to the lack of custom keycaps, even though I end up with some kind of dolch-like keycaps on almost every board. I'd suggest looking for a layout and colorway you like and also just figure out what your price range is. There's mechanical boards from $30-1000+ but I'd suggest 100 bucks plus or minus unless you want a specialty switch or what's being called a "custom keyboard" in today's keyboard scene which are usually made with fancy materials in an aluminum case with weights and a PCB with flex cuts and foam layers or something. There's a lot of keyboards that have hotswap sockets now and you can pull out all of the switches and put new ones in without soldering. Those are nice and pretty affordable as an extra feature. You can also watch youtube videos for typing sound on most keyboards. Someone's probably got a typing test for almost every one. The switch isn't the only thing to determine the sound but also the keyboard construction. For how they feel, I like MX Greens coming from buckling springs. They're not the same kind of sounds but they're heavy springs and clicky. That said, the other switches I like a lot may be a better choice. The Kailh box navy or jade are clicky and don't have the higher pitch click of the cherry mx blues or greens. One resource to finding a keyboard that comes with a switch you want is to check this store. They don't have every keyboard but they have a lot and they list them searchable by switch types and companies: https://mechanicalkeyboards.com//shop/ You don't have to buy from them but it's a resource. Check out some recent reviews on youtube channels to see the kind of keyboards people are getting. Just bear in mind a lot of the "custom" ones are often 400-500 bucks or more with limited availability: https://www.youtube.com/c/Keybored/videos If you're just not sure what you want I'd suggest maybe start with a hot-swappable board of the layout you want. Something like a keychron (bought from amazon so the returns are easy if it has problems, not direct from keychron) will be inexpensive but feature packed and getting a hotswap version means you can change the switches in the whole board without desoldering them all. It's not that it's a bad skill to have, it's just tedious and can take an afternoon if you don't have a vacuum desoldering kit. Swapping the hotswap sockets takes under an hour usually and switches like box jade or box navy can be bought for $20 for 65 on amazon as well as other places. https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=keychron&sa-no-redirect=1 https://smile.amazon.com/LTC-Switches-Mechanical-Keyboard-Waterproof/dp/B099F8824D/
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Nov 28, 2022 01:34
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Woolie Wool posted:I have been daily driving Model M keyboards for several years now, but as I've gotten more You can still get 'vintage' beige boards with cherry switches. But if you like the aesthetic and want a really refined typing experience, then there are plenty of custom boards (most of which are ) that still pay homage to old school looks with things like big foreheads and cherry lips.You could also just get something like a Cherry G80 or NCR-80. However if you are considering the fully custom keyboard route than maybe spend some time perusing reddit's mechmarket and see if anything piques your interest. Now's a pretty good time to get reasonable deals on stuff since the hype of the hobby has subsided considerably and we're getting closer to Christmas and people need to sell stuff for money to buy presents.
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Nov 28, 2022 02:23
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Oh yeah, I forgot to link some vintage-ish looking new keyboards. This is not an exhaustive list, there's tons more. Vortex has some new ones that are based on the IBM PCjr keyboard in varying states of "oh the layout is a lot like the PCjr and not great" to "I could use this." Some have wireless/bluetooth so there's an internal battery and some are wired : https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=9218  https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=9217  Also black: https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=9502  Those all use MX compatible switches and are hot-swappable. If you want a Model F in a new keyboard there's one guy/organization/company who did that and they're not cheap ($350ish) but they're available: https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/ There's also a lot of keyboards that just have a beige asthetic if that's your jam. I don't think these are great and they don't have hotswap sockets, but they're only $64 on sale: https://smile.amazon.com/Ajazz-AK510-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard/dp/B082NRK5P9/ 
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Nov 28, 2022 02:59
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That last Ajazz one I reviewed. It's def got a retro vibe. I can't hate it for the price but I'd pick something else given the choices out there.
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Nov 28, 2022 03:17
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Rexxed posted:There's a lot of reasons to go to the MX line (or a clone/compatible), I switched in 2013 from alps or buckling springs. There's a lot of layouts you can get (I like TKL in general), there's over a hundred types of switches, and there's a bunch of different keyboard builds and materials used. Additionally, the main reason I moved from a buckling spring for gaming was that the buckling spring couldn't get over its 2kro on the controller so some games would have some collisions when I'd be moving and check the scoreboard so holding like W and D and then hitting tab would cause problems. Also, many gaming company keyboards attempt to get faster polling rates and lower controller latency. It's never going to be a huge difference but some of the logitechs and razers (and some others) are down in the 2ms range while a lot of other keyboards are 10+ms. Probably not noticeable but it's just something to think about. Also yeah, the complicated ALPS switches do get kind of problematic after a while. I was using my omnikey ultra with complicated whites for a couple of years and eventually I was getting double presses of 0 and n daily and the only fix was to desolder the switch and open it up and clean and they're a pain to deal with due to of the pieces. I think I got it mostly working and then another key did it and I bought a model m. This was like back in '01 or something. Sounds like I might want to try the hotswap Keychron C2 next year and add some Kaillh Box Jades to it. My real dream board is a 122-key Model F battleship but  at being able to afford one of those in good condition.E: The Dell Bigfoot probably doesn't have NKRO but it does seem to have a lot more than the Model M does. Woolie Wool fucked around with this message at 05:47 on Nov 28, 2022 |
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Nov 28, 2022 05:26
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Woolie Wool posted:Sounds like I might want to try the hotswap Keychron C2 next year and add some Kaillh Box Jades to it. My real dream board is a 122-key Model F battleship but Yeah the key rollover generally ends up being either 2kro (very common on older boards without diodes), 6kro (basically nkro with USB 1.0), or nkro (negotiates into a higher USB mode to handle bigger packets with more keys). There were a couple of oddball keyboards that could do more than 6 but less than infinite, usually by presenting themselves to the OS as multiple keyboards but you don't see them around much any more. For 2kro boards conflicts seem to be based on how the matrix is laid out and some handle it better than others. Ironically the model f capacitive sensing controller was nkro if I remember correctly. I had some hope for the new model m unicomp makes and the mini m (similar to an SSK but new tooling made by Unicomp) potentially being nkro but the jury is out of whether people can make that work with a custom controller. Wendell from Level1techs was spearheading the concept but things have been moving slow over the last year or so. Here's the video and he has a few controller swap boards available on their store (after 10 months or so) but Unicomp can't get the controllers they released the keyboards with, and so the mini m has been pulled until they can get the supply chain worked out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCHbd3x13rU
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Nov 28, 2022 06:47
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Rexxed posted:Yeah the key rollover generally ends up being either 2kro (very common on older boards without diodes), 6kro (basically nkro with USB 1.0), or nkro (negotiates into a higher USB mode to handle bigger packets with more keys). There were a couple of oddball keyboards that could do more than 6 but less than infinite, usually by presenting themselves to the OS as multiple keyboards but you don't see them around much any more. For 2kro boards conflicts seem to be based on how the matrix is laid out and some handle it better than others. Ironically the model f capacitive sensing controller was nkro if I remember correctly. E: The test with W, E, S, and D confirms it is only 2KRO but you get extra in many combinations but not others. Woolie Wool fucked around with this message at 07:02 on Nov 28, 2022 |
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Nov 28, 2022 06:58
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Woolie Wool posted:
Yeah, that's the thing with key rollover, it depends on how the matrix is laid out as to what might block what. You can get more keys down on a 2kro than two for a lot of combinations but then some specific ones end up blocking or ghost pressing.
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Nov 28, 2022 07:59
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Was doing some more research on Alps boards and, man, have Alps fans been completely screwed by the industry over and over. Are there any projects out there to recreate complicated Alps?
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Nov 28, 2022 16:26
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CordlessPen posted:I may sound like a broken record but some Akko sets have multiple sizes of space bar (6u, 6.25u, 6.5u, 7u). They usually have a lot of them in stock on Amazon (at least on Amazon.ca). Just double-check before ordering as some kits only have 2 (6.25u and 7u, I believe). Llamadeus posted:Keychron do a few PBT sets with a 6.5 https://www.keychron.com/products/cherry-profile-double-shot-pbt-full-set-keycaps-white-on-black-wob Thanks! I was hoping for backlit, so I'll keep looking. It also occurs to me that I can just find a 6.5u resin spacebar or something that kinda matches the vibe of whatever keycap set I get. Or just do orange to match the macro section of my keyboard, I guess.
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Nov 28, 2022 16:26
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I got a Keychron Q1 QMK v2 a while back on the advice of the thread, and I really like it; it's almost exactly what I'd hoped for (quality mechanical keyboard in a smaller form factor). There's one thing - afaik it's backlit from the bottom of the switch, which means that I guess it doesn't really work with most shine-through (ie - translucent lettering) keycaps? I like the feel of the current ones but wish they had transparent lettering, and I'm not clear which specific keycap style would work with this board. Any syggestions?
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Nov 28, 2022 21:17
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Is it just a south facing LED ? If that's the case you need a south facing switch that will line up with the led and let the light through. The cap probably isn't the issue, unless I'm an idiot and am misunderstanding something.
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Nov 28, 2022 21:59
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