Most premium TKL PCB?

[runningngunning]

After finishing my first custom 60% and feeling confident in the factory I used I’m ready to tackle something a little more ambitious and design and build my own TKL. What would be some good PCBs to design my case around? So far I’ve found the GoN Nerd and the H87 variants, what else is out there?

Is there like a Zeal60 of TKLs? Per key lighting? Usb-c, etc? Thanks for any help you can give me!

[MajorKoos]

Sounds like you want a QMK TKL with per-switch RGB and VIA Configurator support.
Wilba designed one for the U80.
No idea if it's for RAMA's exclusive use though.

[runningngunning]

I figured it’d be wise to movin my PCB first and build around that. Looks like the extras for the soldered U80 are sold out. Are they predicting another run/do they turn up on the aftermarket often?

[nevin]

Ask around on the high end tkl group buy threads if anyone has extras.

[runningngunning]

What are the newer Premium TKLs using like the Salamander? h87a?

[iaman]

I figured it’d be wise to movin my PCB first and build around that. Looks like the extras for the soldered U80 are sold out. Are they predicting another run/do they turn up on the aftermarket often?

First round of them hasn’t shipped. RAMA periodically re-runs their boards and re-runs PCBs when they do so, but they probably won’t be available again until, eh, sometime in late winter/spring?

[nevin]

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=99370.0
https://hineybush.com/collections/all-products/products/h87a
https://wilba.tech/
https://keycult.io/products/wt80-a-pcb-tkl-1
check Taeha Types on youtube, twitch, discord (does a lot of high end custom builds/commissions) of other brands/models
most of the high end customs do not have per key rgb. maybe some underglow but that's usually it. in high end....  it's usually more about the case, switches & caps then the lighting.
there is a tkl version of the glorious gaming gmmk that's rgb & hot swap
 https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/gmmk-full-brown-switch (tkl out of stock)
Rama Works U80-A  https://ramaworks.store/products/u80-a-pcb-extra
Zambumon Verne
TGR Jane  https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=73956.350
https://kbdfans.com/collections/90-kbd19x/products/kbdfans-kbd8x-pcb

[funderburker]

Well, I'd like to add that if you're looking for the most specced-out TKL PCB then C³ could be it. You can try and follow that thread or reach out to C³-Ears himself and ask about re-stock of those BUT the most widely available TKL PCB nowadays is H87a as it offers two thickness options as well is sold in rounds unlike other TKL PCBs out there to my knowledge.

[runningngunning]

That C3 board looks like exactly what I’m looking for. Do these pop up in the aftermarket often?

[redbanshee]

Theres a tkl pcb list:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GpM--fKeDw_tIDZj4m2jmbMavSyXeOu3QHzfTJwz-IM/edit#gid=0

[iaman]

Heads-up on some of the PCBs listed here:

- The GMMK one has a bunch of features but it also doesn't have holes for PCB-mount switch legs, so it does require some mangling of switches. I haven't looked at the PCB too closely but I'm willing to bet it's an autoroute job as well
- The C³ PCBs (and a number of others on the TKL list) don't support QMK if that's a thing you need

All in all the h87 (and maybe the h88) are probably the ones most worth designing around: they adhere to a size/positioning standard that is common (across many of the boards in the list redbanshee linked), they're regularly-available, and they're designed/produced by a community member (hiney) who is very communicative/easy to contact.

[funderburker]

Heads-up on some of the PCBs listed here:

- The GMMK one has a bunch of features but it also doesn't have holes for PCB-mount switch legs, so it does require some mangling of switches. I haven't looked at the PCB too closely but I'm willing to bet it's an autoroute job as well
- The C³ PCBs (and a number of others on the TKL list) don't support QMK if that's a thing you need

All in all the h87 (and maybe the h88) are probably the ones most worth designing around: they adhere to a size/positioning standard that is common (across many of the boards in the list redbanshee linked), they're regularly-available, and they're designed/produced by a community member (hiney) who is very communicative/easy to contact.

Yeah, good point about QMK and hiney. Looking for a TKL PCB on aftermarket to build a keyboard around that already is a bad decision IMO so H87/88a are the best options. Plus hiney is such a great bro!