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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: gregh on Tue, 11 January 2011, 20:36:14

Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: gregh on Tue, 11 January 2011, 20:36:14
UPDATE: I have ordered a keyboard already and will post an update on my attempt at modifying it.

Specifically, I want one that's PCB mounted. And I want it to be as cheap as possible.

Why?

Well, I just removed a load of Cherry MX Blue springs and I want to modify some blacks with the blue springs. I know it's a lot easier to do this with PCB mounted keyswitches because you can do it without soldering.

I've looked around on the board (and google) already but haven't found anything that's actually in stock at a U.S. based store.

Thanks in advance :)
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: keyboardlover on Tue, 11 January 2011, 20:52:10
NIB you're probably looking at spending >= $100. But you can find plenty of cherry black boards on ebay. Check out the ebay forum; I just posted a $50 BIN board there today with cherry blacks.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: Pylon on Tue, 11 January 2011, 20:54:18
Dig around on Ebay for some Cherry G80 boards. Most Cherry point of sales keyboards have PCB-mounted blacks.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: gregh on Wed, 12 January 2011, 09:52:37
Thanks for the tips and advice everyone!

I went ahead and bought a NIB Cherry board at Newegg for about $150.00. More than I wanted to pay, but hey, it's better than dealing with eBay and Paypal from my experience. I "really" hate Paypal, but that's a whole other topic. :)

I'll keep you posted on how my first modification efforts go. Even if I'm entirely successful, I might post the modified board on the classifieds sections. I just like tinkering with things and I'm already satisfied with my current board.

This is the kebyaord I bought from Newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823333039
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: Orphagn on Wed, 12 January 2011, 10:21:38
If you didn't hate Paypal, you could've gotten the same board on ebay for $40. That's how much I got mine for.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: keyboardlover on Wed, 12 January 2011, 10:23:05
Are you sure that has cherry blacks? Let us know when you get it.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: turbocharged on Wed, 12 January 2011, 11:25:51
Quote from: keyboardlover;277366
Are you sure that has cherry blacks? Let us know when you get it.


I'm 99.9% positive that it does.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: keyboardlover on Wed, 12 January 2011, 11:38:28
Cool...does it have NKRO?
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: gregh on Wed, 12 January 2011, 12:18:49
I would much rather spend $150.00 over $40.00 in order to avoid Paypal, when possible. Again, I hate Paypal. Not the half kidding type of hate, the full blown real type of hate. This isn't paypalsucks.com, so I'll leave it at that.

I'm 99% sure it has blacks, as well. I'll let you know for sure when it arrives.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: turbocharged on Wed, 12 January 2011, 13:43:20
Quote from: keyboardlover;277404
Cool...does it have NKRO?

My older beige MX-11900 only has 2KRO and I believe that one is the same.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: calavera on Wed, 12 January 2011, 13:53:52
you'll love black swtich + blue/brown spring combo. I know I love mine. As a matter of fact, I had two keyboards modded this way and have kept it for more than 4 years now :)
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: gregh on Wed, 12 January 2011, 13:57:07
Glad to hear that you enjoy your modded keyboard. I just hope that I don't destroy this thing. :) I'm clumsy these days. I can't assemble a PC without my hands looking like they had been caught in a blender.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: Lanx on Wed, 12 January 2011, 15:09:21
the cherry keyboards i've disassembled have cheap plastic i think you'll be fine in the "not hurting myself", department.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: 8_INCH_FLOPPY on Wed, 12 January 2011, 22:46:55
I'm lost.  You spent $150 on a brand-new keyboard with the intent of changing the switch to Cherry blues?  Couldn't you just buy a Cherry blue board for $150 and not have to spend the time and money modifying it and possibly breaking it?  

By the way, if you hate Paypal, you could use a money order using the mail.  I(and a lot of other members I'm sure) would have been happy to sell you a good Cherry Black keyboard for less than half of what you paid.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: db_Iodine on Thu, 13 January 2011, 00:55:04
Quote from: 8_INCH_FLOPPY;277674
I'm lost.  You spent $150 on a brand-new keyboard with the intent of changing the switch to Cherry blues?  Couldn't you just buy a Cherry blue board for $150 and not have to spend the time and money modifying it and possibly breaking it?  

By the way, if you hate Paypal, you could use a money order using the mail.  I(and a lot of other members I'm sure) would have been happy to sell you a good Cherry Black keyboard for less than half of what you paid.


He's going to mod it to ghetto reds. But I agree, the keyboard could have been bought for a lot cheaper somewhere else.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: gregh on Thu, 13 January 2011, 06:34:08
I'm too impatient to use money orders and so on. :) But yeah, I realize I could've gotten it cheaper. Impatience and my disdain for Paypal just wouldn't have made it easy.

The blue switches are different than black switches, I'm only using the springs from the blues and not the entire switch. So yeah, it should be something similar to reds when I'm done. Or, I'll destroy everything in the process, that is also a possibility.

I'll keep everyone updated and will post any useful information that I discover in the process of performing this mod.

Thanks again for the tips and advice.
Title: Cheapest Cherry MX Black based board?
Post by: nocturn4l3030 on Thu, 13 January 2011, 07:10:38
this thread gave me an idea...to reverse the OP..if i were to replace my cherry blue springs with the springs from blacks..would they make blues feel stiffer?