Hi! On behalf of 43 Studio, I'm helping them to present Radiance to you all.
[I've noticed that a lot of people are mistaking me as the designer of the kit, 43 Studio should be the one who's taking full credit for the kit design, I'm just helping them to handle the IC, GB and logistic side]
(https://i.imgur.com/SsbwXlv.png)
| Discord (https://discord.gg/2MRrdPW) | Product Page (pending) |
Interest Check form: https://forms.gle/kV5ZMdrTXgqtcR1C6 (https://forms.gle/kV5ZMdrTXgqtcR1C6)
Message from 43
Greetings! I'm 43 from 43 Studio, a designer from China. Radiance is my second kit design, there is a lot of good fellows in the community, and it's only because of you all, I could be able to know more and indulge myself into this hobby. Thank you all in advance for coming in.
Without further ado, please allow me to introduce to you all the Radiance. Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment.
[Jeff will help collect all the questions, concerns and feedback, I will answer them all]
Background
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Radiance, as the name suggests it means radiating light, it is a 80% TKL, adopting the common top mount design with a typing angle of 7 degree. Despite the it looks complex, the ability to customize your board is very high.
First off, the design language. We adopt the blunt, pronounce style instead of a sleek and seamless thin bezel design. A lot of customizable modules were added to the design, as well as RGB elements, which will be introduced in the following. In Oct of 2019, an early prototype was made, but I felt like there was something missing, after half year of daily use, I kept on amending the design and placing orders for rounds of prototypes; accumulating a total of 5 both the kit and PCB prototypes. Now it is finally in a shape where I wanted it to be at. The group buy for China has concluded on 1st July this year, and I would like to take the opportunity here to thank you those who joined the group buy.
Kit design
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The internal structure, we adopt the common top mount system, which provides stability to holding the parts together in a robust manner, as well as providing a typing experience that we all are familiar with. By offering transparent 3mm custom rubber pad in between internals and bottom case, it not only could serve as a tool to neutralize one of the most common problems in top mount cases - the hollow sound when bottoming out switches, but also it could serve as a light diffuser, elegantly radiating the light in a softer and soothing fashion.
As for the surface finish, we are offering anodized and e-coat surface finish. I would also like to especially point out that Radiance's E-White will be undergoing a MAO procedures before e-coating it, making the surface silky smooth, and the white will also be brighter than ordinary E-White. Other than these 2 common surface finish, we also provide PVD mirror polished surface finish; all of which will be undergone in a well experienced factory and I will also be checking in personally from time to time to make sure the quality of work is up on par.
Dissection of Radiance
(https://i.imgur.com/ZhskkrK.png)
The 4 accent bars on the top left corner are all independent, you could purchase extra accent bars, or exchange yours with your friends to customize the board to suit your own taste. Given the options available for pick up, the possibilities are endless. Imagine the ability to swap the accent bar to accommodate to your keyset, matching the theme as a whole board, that's the crux of custom board!
Rear of the Radiance, there comes the backplate; at the edge of the backplate, those are taillight of Radiance, also where the RGB light shines through. The design philosophy of it goes without saying, the pieces just perfectly blend into the case, integrating, complimenting each other in a nice, subtle way and that's what the Radiance is about.
Top case of the Radiance, there are 3 holes sitting aside the "Up Arrow", which can be used as a light accents or you could fill it up with a block of metal accent; the choice is yours. Both of the light diffuser and metal accent (brass clear PVD mirror polished) will be provided in the kit.
TLDR spec sheet + surface finish options
(https://i.imgur.com/QSO2gkH.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/AMCRL07.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/AaK3qDV.png)
Supported bottom layout
(https://i.imgur.com/G1mnwaR.png)
WK
1.5/1/1.5/7/1.5/1/1.5
1.25/1.25/1.25/6.25/1.25/1.25/1.25/1.25
S-WKL
1.25/1.25/1.25/6.25/1.25/1.25/1.25
WKL
1.5/1.5/7/1.5/1.5
IRL pictures
(https://i.imgur.com/oEyW7AB.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/D7ISAc9.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/VLRmZyo.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/Tdfy6QB.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/85Bmrq3.jpg)
Render
thank you render-man Kingk22 for these amazing renders
| Red PVD Mirror Polished | GMK Red Classic | S-WKL |
(https://i.imgur.com/Z7Pps48.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/4JOjG0m.jpg)
| Black Ano | GMK Monochrome | WKL |
(https://i.imgur.com/wtAiy0D.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mzyvRXb.jpg)
| PC | GMK Serika | WK |
(https://i.imgur.com/A4Dvxtw.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LPIpoz1.jpg)
Typing Demo
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV12A411v7Hc (https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV12A411v7Hc)
| Stock Obsidian switch w/ film | JWK Stabilizers |
Packaging
Big carrying case cancelled due to unrealistically topped shipping fee, it will be replaced with keyboard box.
Banner
(https://i.imgur.com/1PlGCoW.png)
Support the project by adding this to your signature!
[url=https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=107845.0][img]https://i.imgur.com/1PlGCoW.png[/img][/url]
Progress
- Initiate IC
- Collect feedbacks
- GB details finalization
- Start of GB
Update Progress:
1st Aug: Initiate IC
2nd Aug: Amend Spec sheet --- no ISO/Split Backspace support | Add prototype | Add bottom layout support
10th Aug: Amend Spec sheet --- yes ISO support | Add Typing Demo | Add Packaging pics
22nd Aug: Amend Spec sheet --- yes QMK PCB | Add potential NA/CA vendor | Add FAQ section
21st Apr: Finalized GB details | GB initiating soon | Added IRL pics
23rd Apr: Updated on details
FAQ:
Will there be dyed-color PC case?
No.
Will there be PVD mirror polished case?
No.