Hello!
Below is the first major update for DCS Alps WoB. I apologize for the delay in updating, but going forward things will be moving at a faster pace so we can wrap things up and go into GB soon
I read all of the feedback provided in the IC form and made changes based on that. Thank you to everyone that helped out with that!
KittingKitting Images:
https://imgur.com/a/qKPV0Q7There was a large amount of people that wanted a smaller, cheaper base kit so that they could justify ordering multiple sets. After all, WoB is a classic that looks good on any board, so I opted for slimming down the base kit to accommodate this.
The new Base kit does not have a numpad or Alice spacebars in the kit. However, an extra B and necessary shift keys are included so that the Base kit can be directly used on an Alice, albeit with shift keys for spacebars.
Alice spacebars were added to the spacebar kit, and the numpad was made its own separate kit.
The 40’s kit was revised based on feedback I received. It should hopefully now cover more boards.
The UK ISO kit was left the same.
Lastly, I added a Macros kit and Relegendables kit. The Macro kit is sized and profiled for boards like the KMAC Mini, Jubi, etc. The Relegendables kit was designed to fill a left column + the entire top row of an F13 TKL.
Note: it is possible the Macros kit will be removed due to limitations with what we can have produced.
SwitchesAs promised, we will be offering Alps switches with the GB. However, doing so is not simple since Alps switches have been out of production for decades.
I am happy to say that I have sourced and purchased a sizeable amount of NOS (new old stock) Alps SKCM White (Pine) switches. These are all brand new, never soldered, and in perfect condition. They are also Pine switches, not Bamboo, meaning they have a better housing than the later produced Alps.
With these, we are essentially offering
both clicky and linear switches. How? Well, it is pretty simple: Alps SKC
M (tactile/clicky) switches follow the same design as SKC
L (linear) switches, but add a second switch plate for the tactility and clicky sound. So, while SKCM White are clicky switches by default, making them linear is as simple as opening up the switch and removing the second plate. And, you can do this even after you built your board, since Alps support switch top opening even when locked into a plate!
PlatesPlate Images:
https://imgur.com/a/0hNLwQgI have been designing and prototyping forged carbon fiber plates (1.1mm thick) to offer along with the GB. With that being said, here is what we will be offering:
60%
Jane V1
Jane V2
Jane V2 CE
I chose to offer these four plates, since they are compatible with dozens of boards. For starters, the 60% plate will support tray mounted boards (Tofu60, Klippe, etc.) in addition to gummy o-ring mounted boards (Unikorn, Moontower, Bakeneko60, etc).
The Jane series of plates do not need much introduction, but here is an incomplete list of some boards they are compatible with:
Jane V1 - Mech27, Mira, Moon, Orion, Unicorn (I modified the tabs to work with the Duck boards)
Jane V2 - Whale, Koala
Jane V2 CE - KFE
VendorsWhile an overwhelming majority of IC respondents were from NA, I did notice the demand for vendors in other regions. Beyond Bear Cable Co., we will likely be adding vendors for the UK, EU, and SEA. Regions and vendors are still tbd.
If you would like a regional vendor, and have a preference for which vendor, please let us know! We would love to hear feedback on what vendors the community outside NA are a fan of.Going ForwardWe are in the process of contacting SP for quotes and info on feasibility of kits. Therefore, kitting is subject to change. We will also hopefully be able to comment on pricing soon.
Also, I’ve mentioned it before, but to clarify, this set will be doubleshot ABS. PBT dyesub is not possible for WoB, since SP does not offer reverse-dyesublimation.
Any and all feedback is critical to refining this set and creating a final product that best suits the community, so we appreciate any comments
Feel free to discuss here on GH, Reddit, or join my Discord server:
https://discord.gg/juA7YBtzaT