#KeebWeebClub! ⌨


Scrolling thru Amazon for anything interesting and touchscreen keebs caught m’ eye. :eyes:


Logitech TK820

Low profile, claustrophobic laptop-like layout, and oddly-shaped, slim (read: fragile?) frame – but!
A hybrid drawing tablet + TKL keeb seems like an interesting concept.

Like, stylus + large drawing pad, not an Apple Touch Bar or awkwardly placed screen like the FICIHP Multifunctional Keyboard.
I imagine trying to fine-tune the touchscreen sensitivity + tracking would be a bit trying, tho.

Currently trending in custom keebs are rotary encoders, QMK compatibility, and hot-swappability. Mini OLED screens pop up every now and then, dunno if they’ll gain any traction – a bit lacking on the pragmatic use / interactive front, methinks?

Otherwise, haven’t really seen anything particularly innovative. Tho, I also don’t check DIY circles.

(By DIY, I mean keebs like the mini_cardboard and eLiXiVy – starting / designing from the PCB upwards.)

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Aura Mech - PSA / Cautionary Tale
Didn’t feel this topic was current / newsworthy enough for https://keebvendorlist.com/ (Vendors List Thread), though it does concern a #KeebWeeb vendor. Not a fan of mixing up drama with actual news.

So instead I’ma dig up receipts and just hand out the popcorn here, kek.

Summary
Back around Apr / May 2020, Aura Mech hosted a Group Buy for the Bloody Thirsty Wrist Rest:


Bloody Thirsty Wrist Rest
Product Page Image.

Unfortunately, it seems the Group Buy never delivered for many. Customers claim they never received any communication from Aura Mech until the Group Buy was cancelled, and after the cancellation, no refunds, store credit, discounts, or any other forms of reimbursement were provided.

Another customer seems to have received the Wrist Rest, but it’s starkly different from what was advertised:


Bloody Thirsty Wrist Rest
Source: r/mechmarket Listing by u/Mc_Eggroll.

Read More: Caution against ordering from AuraMech from r/MechanicalKeyboards (Nov 11, 2020).


Now, fast forward 1.5 year(s) later, in Aura Mech’s Discord:


Thread Title:
Anthony is a SCAMMER he ripped of multiple 100 of customers with his blood wirst rest GB.

For context, Anthony is Aura Mech’s founder, owner, whatever you call it.

I haven’t seen a response to this thread-spam, or other customer inquiries, in the Aura Mech Discord.

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Wow, this looks like they cast some resin, it turned out terribly, then they just chopped it up and shipped it w/o any finishing work. The literal least they could have done was finish out the pieces.

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I bought a Cablemod coiled cable.

tl;dr: It is definitely a cable and does cable things.

Super detailed review:

It is definitely a cable and does cable things.
The Type-C connector fits well and isn’t jank like others in its price class.
The paint job on the connector is merely okay. Not the best I’ve seen, not the worst.

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Did some long overdue keyboard chores this morning. Deadeye over on keebtalk lubed some Boba U4Ts for me way back in October. I gave the board and keycaps a good cleaning and swapped in the new switches. They feel absolutely wonderful. There’s a good deal more meat to the thock than the T1. Though those were plenty tactile.

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The Heavy-9 is finally complete!

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Drop is running a limited GMK sale!

GMK Laser, White on Black, Red Samurai, Hennessey, and Pixel are discounted and in stock if y’all are interested:
(Local keyb bud’s affiliate link, FYI: Drop: Passions lead here)

Not too many memorable sets, but I’m definitely tempted to pick up Laser: We shall see.

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I purchased the Feker IK75 to replace the LK67 I literally just got.
What was wrong with the LK67? The mode switch didn’t stay in place, so it ended up killing itself in my bag a lot. I’m sure I could fix it with minimal effort, but I get bored easily lol.

image
I am most excited to try the new Mute Cotton feature this board has. :rofl:

Pulled it apart to swap in the polycarb plate and replace the stabs. They are kinda skinny and the space bar falls off. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of the lower end boards coming with multiple layers of foam. Sure, it’s a crutch to make cheaper stuff sound better, but it’s better to have it then not.

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Done! I had to grab some other snap-in stabilizers because the stock ones did not want to hold my space bar. I lubed the housings with Krytox, balanced the wires, and lubed them with dielectric grease. I thought about Holee modding the housings, but then I remembered I don’t hate myself. They feel very good even without going off the deep end with mods. I also recommend swapping in the PC plate. It adds a bit of a lush quality to the typing feel that I can’t quantify other than that word, but I like it.

All-in-all, it’s about 89% of the experience of my main MX board.

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And that’s the setup in its final form!
I really really really really like this setup.

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Fuck it I’m gonna ruin everyone’s day: My new favorite keyboard might just be the MX Keys I picked up (specifically I got the Mac variant). If Logitech made a gaming brother to the it with the same “switches” (maybe a bit less force required to actuate), a similar key shape to the ones on my G Pro (but still chiclet style), per-key rgb, and made thicker for more battery with adjustable feet… Boy I would spend unreasonable amounts of money on that.

Don’t get me wrong, overall I still prefer my G Pro for gaming, mainly just because of per-key RGB I can set up to remind me of what all the controls are, but the fact that the MX Keys has a nice and quiet sound is great. No more sounding like I’m trying to burrow my way through the core of the planet typing.

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Another year, another keeb roundup.

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ezgif-2-52f64f3709

The Tiger80 in Silver
Lubed Gazzew Boba LT
GMK Shoko Keycaps
TX Stabilizers - Krytox 205g0 lubed housings, dielectric greased wires
3 layers of painter’s tape on PCB

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PolyCaps Code PBT Keycap Set (Kinetic Labs)
…There’s no image of the full keycap set, but the site lists it as a 147-keycap set.

  • Double-Shot PBT
  • Cherry Profile
  • ANSI Layout, 147 Keycaps
  • Bright Green-on-Black Colorway

Freaking. Cherry. Profile.
[Shakes fist.]

Would’ve been perfect – and would’ve been the first legended keycap set I’d buy – if it were OEM. :weary:

YOU WERE SO CLOSE TO GREATNESS. AAAAAAAAAARGH.
(ノಠДಠ)ノ︵ ┻━┻

I know TKC had a run of Infinikey Portico Terminal Green keycaps that were also bright green-on-black, but that set only had enough keycaps to outfit their compact Portico keyboard. Can’t remember whether it was Cherry or OEM profile, but knowing TKC’s trash taste, it’s probably Cherry.

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That looks cool.

And again something prevents me from buying new keycaps.

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MGK64 Update - More Linears!
It’s been 84 years…
(It’s actually been 10-ish months since I last tinkered with MGK64. :sweat_smile:)


MGK64 + Gentleman Blank XDA Keycaps
Hasn’t changed at all (aesthetically) in almost a year.
I like it when something remains faithful to my tastes. :grin:



MGK64 + Durock POM Switches
POM Top Housing + POM Bottom Housing + ??? Stem

MGK64 - Durock POM Switches + XDA Keycaps (Fast)

MGK64 - Durock POM Switches + XDA Keycaps (Slow)



MGK64 + Gateron Oil King Switches
Nylon PA66 Top Housing + Gateron Ink Bottom Housing + POM Stem

MGK64 - Gateron Oil King Switches + XDA Keycaps (Fast)

MGK64 - Gateron Oil King Switches + XDA Keycaps (Slow)


Impressions Thus Far
Aesthetics don’t matter for the switch’s performance, but they do matter for my preferences. The D in my OCD stands for Derp. :derpdorp:

  • Durock POMs (Unlubed, Unmodded): A fairly standard linear switch. At stock, has a marginal scratchiness that first-timers won’t notice and that should be alleviated with some lubing. Moderate stem wobble, but housing wobble seems negligible. The stock 63.5g springs feel oddly light to my fingers, though do note that my weight preference is extremely niche – I like heavy switches and have been maining a board with 150g switches (Eighty #391) for over a year.
    • The clean, unbranded appearance of the switch’s top housing greatly appeals to my senses. Bonus points for both the top and bottom housings being made of POM material. Black colorway checks out.
  • Gateron Oil Kings (Factory Lubed, Unmodded): Impressive first impression, and an easy recommendation for linear enthusiasts. Exceptionally smooth out-of-the-box experience. Stem wobble exists, but is very minimal, and housing wobble is negligible. The stock 65g springs also feel too light for my fingers.
    • The Gateron logo emblazoned on the switch’s top housing has always been a bit obnoxious for me – now imagine that, but multiplied by however many keys a board has. Mmm-nah. Black colorway checks out, tho.

No significant comments on the sound signatures of each switch, for a number of reasons: (1) I’m not going to pretend I can pick out the nuances of each sound test, (2) the switch stem will be replaced by a silent stem down the line, (3) these switches are intended for another board with a different mounting plate, mounting form, and keycaps. In other words, weighing my end choice decision with the sound profiles above won’t be very applicable or meaningful for the 4398 Keyboard.

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MGK64 Update - More Silent Linears!
The prelude to the main event. :eyes:


Modded Silent POM Switches (210g) + Modded Silent Oil King Switches (210g)
Both Switches: Gazzew / Outemu Silent Linear Stems + SPRiT MX Supreme Springs (210g)
POM Switches: POM Top Housing, POM Bottom Housing
Oil King Switches: Nylon PA66 Top Housing + Gateron Ink Bottom Housing


MGK64 - Modded Silent POM Switches (210g) (Fast)

MGK64 - Modded Silent POM Switches (210g) (Slow)

MGK64 - Modded Silent Oil King Switches (210g) (Fast)

MGK64 - Modded Silent Oil King Switches (210g) (Slow)


With Gazzew / Outemu Silent Linear Stems
Acoustically, I can’t tell the difference between the Modded Silent POM Switch and the Modded Silent Oil King Switch. The 210g spring kinda… normalizes the playing field. :rofl:

In terms of feel, Modded Oil King Switches were smoother than the Modded Silent POM Switches, even when the latter was lubed. The difference was quite marginal, however.

With Gateron Silent Ink Black Stems
I did also try Durock POM Switch + Gateron Silent Ink Black Stem, and… immediately regretted it. The result was the scratchiest switch I have ever touched. No amount of lube can save that combination. :joy:

Gateron Oil King Switch + Gateron Silent Ink Black Stem was more acceptable to my standards. Not nearly as smooth as the Gazzew / Outemu Silent Linear Stem, but not excruciatingly terrible. Could benefit from lubing.

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'Chew’s Keycap Sets!
(Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

KAT Alpha Blank Keycap Set
/dev/tty MT3 Keycap Set
OEM Fog White Keycap Set
POM Ink Keycap Set
SA Classic Dolch Doubleshot PBT Keycap Set
Classic Dye-Sublimation Keycap Set (Cherry Profile)
XDA Gentleman Blank Keycap Set
EnjoyPBT Blank Black PBT Keycaps (Cherry Profile)

Much recommended to save on storage space. Keycaps will be loose, but legended keycaps are easily identifiable, and blank keycaps can be sorted by rows.

More Info: Generic Plastic Container (Post your shiny new things!)


Alternative Container Options

  • JTK Polycarbonate Keycap Tray: Storage option that displays keycap sets side-by-side. Short height profile, but long length and width profile. Popular among keeb vendors, but often back-ordered or only available by pre-orders.
  • Generic Keycap Tray (Amazon): Storage option that displays keycap sets side-by-side. Short height profile, but long length and width profile. A more accessible option (for Amazon US), if JTK keycap trays aren’t available.

Notes

  • Cherry, OEM, XDA, DSA, etc. profiles should be compatible with most aftermarket keycap trays.
  • OEM profiles may not be compatible wtih trays specifically designed for GMK keycaps / Cherry profiles.
  • SA profiles will need trays that are at least 16.5 mm in depth.
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http://kbd.fans/venus

  • 65% Keyboard with a Fingerprint Reader
    • Windows Hello Fingerprint Supported
  • Soldered PCB, Gasket Mount, Aluminum Frame
  • VIA Compatible
  • In-Stock Listing, Limited Quantity

Keyboard design be like:

JK JK. I’m actually pretty stoked to see fresh ideas in the custom keeb market. :grin:

Fingerprint reader sounds great – on paper.
Wonder whether it lives up to its expectations. :eyes:

Personally I have the worst luck(?) with fingerprint readers. :joy:
They’ll work for one day, but the next day my device be like, “Who dis?”

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