Monorail
by Kiser Designs
The affordable V4N and Minivan kit that you have been waiting for has arrived! The Monorail Keyboard Kit is easy to assemble (no soldering needed) and sports a variety of layouts and mounting options.
(https://i.imgur.com/HNgQGP4.png)(https://i.imgur.com/kq1HkPt.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/sK6kRNv.jpeg)(https://i.imgur.com/BrEe8XY.jpeg)
Imgur Album (https://imgur.com/a/qMO0inG)
Price: $65 USD
Timeline: GB Closes April 30th, Shipping by June 2023
0. CONTENTS
1. DETAILS
The Monorail Keyboard Kit is a ready-to-run V4N or Minivan. This is an FR4 Skeleton Kit that supports Hull or Tray mount, with or without the half-numrow. All Black, with three different layout options. Includes everything you need except switches, stabs, and caps.
Hull mount (four 10mm standoffs on outer edges) yields maximum typing flex and a softer typing feel. Or use the Minivan-case-compatible Tray-mount locations for a sturdy assembly and a traditional feel. You can remove the four Hull mount points from the base and plate by snapping them off. Optionally, snap off the half-numrow for the classic 4-row Minivan form factor, utilizing either Hull or Tray mounting styles.
You can upgrade your build down the road with many available Tray-mount Minivan, Hull-mount Minivan, or Hull-mount V4N4G0N cases. The Hybrid plate included in this skeleton kit is drop-in compatible with many existing and future V4N and Minivan cases.
- Case Material/Style: FR4 Skeleton
- Mounting method: Hull-mount or Tray-mount
- Color: Black
- PCB Features:
- Kailh Hot-Swap sockets
- Pre-flashed with QMK/Vial (https://get.vial.today/) (source code here (https://github.com/KiserDesigns/Monorail/))
- 12x RGB Underglow LEDs
- 3x red Indicator LEDs
- Encoder support in one of 3 locations
- Removable/optional Half-Numrow
- MiniVan and V4N4G0N case compatible
- Headers/Pads for more RGB, I2C, and uDB JST
- Included in the Kit:
- 1x Hotswap Monorail V2 PCB
- 1x Hybrid Monorail Plate
- 1x Monorail Skeleton Base
- 8x 5mm standoffs (Tray mount)
- 4x 10mm standoffs (Hull mount)
- 24x M2x4mm screws
- 6x Bumpon feet
- There are 3 layout options, each with its own separate PCB and Plate:
- Diesel
(https://i.imgur.com/YooAfLt.jpeg)
- Jet
(https://i.imgur.com/Sz8nIrE.jpeg)
- Steam
(https://i.imgur.com/0KyBcFl.jpeg)
2. VENDORS
US/CA: Kiser Designs (https://kiserdesigns.bigcartel.com/product/monorail-keyboard-kit)
EU/DE: KeebSupply (https://keeb.supply/products/monorail-keyboard-kit)
UK: Mechboards (https://mechboards.co.uk/products/kiser-monorail-40-kit)
3. STATUS
- 2023/04/07: GB posted to GeekHack, taking orders
- 2023/04/20: Packaging finalized, plate design verified
- 2023/05/01: All Vendors stopped taking orders. Final numbers: 52 Kits, 33 PCBs
- 2023/05/05: All kit parts (except PCBs) ordered from manufacturers.
- 2023/05/09: LEDs and Bumpon feet delivered.
- 2023/05/10: Plates and Bases ordered from manufacturers.
- 2023/05/30: All parts except PCBs arrived.
- 2023/06/19: All PCBs arrived.
- 2023/06/22: All orders packed.
- 2023/06/30: All orders delivered to customers and vendors.
- 2023/07/03: All international orders delivered.
- 2023/07/05: Extras listed for sale.
4. FAQ
- What is a Minivan? V4N4G0N? Monorail?
- Minivan Keyboard Wiki (https://trashman.wiki/keyboards/minivan)
- V4N4G0N Keyboard Wiki (https://trashman.wiki/en/keyboards/v4n4g0n)
- Monorail PCB Wiki (https://trashman.wiki/community/pcbs/monorail)
- The numrow is optional? How do I remove it?
You break it off like breaking apart a graham cracker, but with a bit more force.
- What do I need to complete a build?
- Screwdriver
- 52x MX-compatible switches
- Stabilizers
- Keycaps
- Is this PCB and Plate compatible with other cases?
Yes! The PCB will drop into many existing Minivan or V4N4G0N cases. The plate included in the kit is compatible with many Tray-mount or Hull-mount MV or V4N cases as well.
Check the MiniVan Compatibility Matrix (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q1mkIIO67bMsw57uznCavpfXVzcDROpAM5NUxizeva4/edit?usp=sharing) for case compatibility.
- Do you have a Discord server?
Yes! Feel free to join the Kiser Designs Discord (https://discord.com/invite/mrXDGJdQBv), and the 40% Discord (https://discord.gg/40percent) where I can be found in the #kiser-rolls channel
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