Group Buy thread is up here: [size=78%]https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=104617.0[/size][/size]
Update 05/01/2020: All the pieces have slotted into place.
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I'm happy to announce that the group buy will start on the
15th of February 2020.Group buy format:
Single form for entry, GB places allocated as follows.
10 places FCFS, available to the first 10 entries on the google form.
40 places Raffle, once the form closes names will be randomly selected by computer.
This sale is scheduled for 50 boards 'ish, I hope this number can be reached, however, there is a MOQ at the below prices of 25 boards.
There will be extra boards ordered to ensure A-stock for purchasers, therefore I would expect 'some' extras.
Colour options are.
Onyx
Space Silver
Red Hibiscus
Aubergine
and Teal Green
Top and base colours can be mixed and matched.
The Kit:T6 aluminium chassis,
Black anodised Alu plate,
PCB and Daughterboard.
Brass weight,
mounting rubbers,
screws and fixings.A kit is [/size]
$560 excl. Shipping.[size=78%]
Extras: (prices TBC)Switchplates:
Aluminium
Brass
FR4
Mounting rubbers included with each plate.
PCB's:
Extra PCB's will come with a unified daughterboard included.
All plate and PCB files will be made available once the GB phase is concluded.
A limited number of full brass bases are being produced, more on this before the GB date.
Please ask any questions you have, or if you have any special requests I'm all ears here, PM or Discord, it's been a long road to get to this stage solo, I can't wait to get these boards into people's hands.
I encourage you to join my Discord Discord invite:
https://discord.gg/dDjx7q3 for live discussion and up to the second information, I will, of course, be keeping this thread updated too.
Thank you... all... yes, even you Mr negative
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Hello everyone![size=78%]
So this has probably taken a bit too long, but I am finally updating this IC to better inform potential participants, and try and convey my plans for this board.
Right off the bat, let's address the name change. I had several people note that V90 is also the name of a Volvo Estate car, and while I’m sure it’s a great car, I thought it best to go with something else, after careful consideration and tossing many coins, I give you the
Virgo, hopefully, the first of many boards from FLX <--- That’s me
.
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The seed of an idea.[size=78%]
This board was originally an idea I had after seeing the EM7 and Alice type layouts, a layout that I have owned, and didn’t really get along with, so I looked to change things to suit my own tastes.
This is the first “Ergonomic’ keyboard I used, and I used it 8 hours a day 5 days a week for about 3 years. It was awful, but it was super comfortable, so comfortable that it took me a little while before I could go back to a standard layout.
So I started looking for a board that would suit my needs other than LZ’s Ergo, which is near impossible to source on the aftermarket, there was nothing else in the custom keyboard community that came close to filling this void for me. I set about designing it for myself, with a view that I would get one made for me and that’s that. Three months later and after 13 iterations on the design, the Virgo came to be.
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Testing out Geekhack.[size=78%]
Being proud of the board I had designed and with the encouragement of some friend in the community, I put my first, rather lacklustre interest check on here, to see if there was any appetite from anyone else for a board like this.
In 24 hours I had 200+ people register an interest, including some big names in the community who I respect and who’s work I have admired for years.
I had to run it.
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The Keyboard.[size=78%]
- T6 6061 Aluminium Construction.
- QMK compatible PCB
- Gasket ‘Esq’ plate mounting.
- Seamless top housing over bottom housing design.
- 7 degree typing angle
- Weight system (Design to be finalised)
- Aluminium Switch plate (Anodised)
- USB-C Daughterboard (Opens sourced by AI03) Credits: Wilba, Hineybush, Xelus, Xondat, Aeryxz, Maximillian, AI03
- 12 Degree split (12 degree improvement in radial deviation.
Here is a 3D turntable viewer of the board...
HTMLViewer.html (3747.3 kB - downloaded 501 times.)
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Layouts.[size=78%]
The following layouts are supported (as requested).
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What's in the kit.The standard kit will include:[size=78%]
- The Case
- Aluminium plate
- PCB
- Weight*
- USB-C Daughter board
- screws
- Gaskets
There will be extra PCB's and plates available at time of purchase too.
Plate files and PCB design will be made public after the group buy has been fulfilled, so hopefully one of my boards never becomes an un-used ornament because a PCB dies.
I will update this section as I go if required…
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Colours.[size=78%]
So my original plan was to keep to a single colourway and that’s that, however, due to high demand (or outrage in some cases) I have agreed a deal with the manufacturer to allow a small number of colour options for each part I’ve yet to finalise these colours (I need your help), but should you take part in the GB, you will get to pick the colour of your top housing, Base and Plate separately to get the look you desire.
Below are a few renders of colour schemes to get you thinking.
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Your board needs you.Interest check google form[size=78%]... let me know if your interested to join the GB.
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Plate material check..[size=78%] Other plate materials may or may not be available in the group buy, but please let me know which you would like to see by default in the kit.
More surveys coming, please come back later and help me out.
Also, feel free to join my Discord, it's just been set up, so it may be quiet for a few days, but I'll use it to keep people up to date the progress reports and other news.
Discord invite: https://discord.gg/dDjx7q3Nothing is final till the GB starts…
Thank you in advance for your time.
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Group buy Information.[size=78%]
My initial prototype is expected imminently, barring any major issues or re-works being required then I see no reason to hold off too long on the GB.
- suprseeded - See update at the top of this thread
- Pricing: To be finalised, but please don’t expect it to be cheap, for many reasons.
- Method: Not 100% sure yet, I dislike FCFS, but it seems to get things moving. The current thought is that I’ll sell a small proportion as FCFS, and the rest in a raffle format, there will be a limited number of invites also.
- Quantity: If there are enough orders then initially I will sell 75 boards during the group buy, I will, however, order several extras (Circa. 100 total boards) to ensure that every one of the orders from the initial GB gets a high-grade A-Spec board.
- After the GB has been completely fulfilled any extras will then be released for sale.
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Vendors.[size=78%]
Nope…
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Thanks.[size=78%]
My wife – I’ve been a little obsessive in the last month or so.
Friends – For encouraging me to go public with this.
Jae-3soteric – For letting me bounce ideas around and your knowledge of the EU scene.
AI03 – For having a great Discord for all things. I needed it for my PCB design.
Merlin64 (Mechmerlin) - For helping me with QMK, top chap.
This community – I’ve had a fair amount of support so far, thank you.
To be continued.......
