I am somewhat new to the hobby, been following for about 1 year. I purchased an RK100 at the beginning just to test the waters, and then decided to jump into my first kit with the Zoom65 EE (R2 but V1 not V2). I really enjoyed it for the first month or so, but then the PCB just died. No clear event that caused it, just one day it stopped working. Tried multiple cables, computers, USB ports and no computer could recognize it, and the few LEDs on the PCB would not light up when I plugged it in. Tried manual reset, etc with no help. I emailed Cannon Keys, and their customer service was really helpful and was able to get me a new PCB and I just had to cover shipping.
This PCB worked fine for about 3 months and then the exact same thing happened. It was just sitting on my desk, working fine one minute then completely dead the next. Tried everything again (new cables, ports, computers, manual reset) and nothing helped. It again seems like the PCB is just completely dead, no power seems to go to it at all.
This has been frustrating, and I am not sure if there is something that I am doing wrong. Is this to be expected? This is my first kit, so I am not sure what to expect. I would think that people would not continue to purchase keyboards if they were not expected to last more than a few months, but perhaps that is just to be expected? I hope not.
If not, is there something I am doing wrong. This is a wireless hotswap PCB, but I am only using it in wired mode since my work desktop computer does not have bluetooth. I usually unplug it at night and put it in a drawer so that no one else is tempted to use it. Might the unplugging/plugging in be causing issues with the USB-C port? Is there any way to test this? Should I not be leaving it plugged in for the whole day or overnight? Does this somehow cause stress to the PCB?
I really have liked the keyboard, but I am reluctant to engage in another group buy because of this. Since the keyboard was basically no longer being made by the time I received mine, I have limited replacement options - the V2 PCB does not fit the V1 case, so I have to find a V1 PCB. Are there any recommendations for other 65% with knob keyboards that might be in stock options? At least an in stock keyboard would presumably have more replacement part options. I have looked at the Keychron Q2 pro, but it just seems expensive for what you get compared to GB options out now. I like the Mode Envoy, but it is a bit more expensive than I would like, and I really prefer to have a keyboard with a knob if possible.
Thanks for any suggestions or advice you might have.
JMG
