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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: jamdox on Thu, 10 January 2013, 22:48:17

Title: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: jamdox on Thu, 10 January 2013, 22:48:17
Just a quick post about my new keyboard.

This is the arrow-pad-less design, i.e. it has a numpad but no arrow cluster.  It's backlit, and I got one with MX blue switches.

Basically, it's a good value, relative to market prices, at $90 US.  The switches are mounted to a blue plastic backplate, the LED has a number of brightness levels as well as a "breathing" mode, and the keyboard came clean and well-functioning.

Opening it up to the extent that I could revealed a fine soldering job on the 3 joints I could see, and no dust inside.  My experience with another budget LED keyboard, the Rosewill RK-9100BR, was that it had dust inside.

However, like the CM Storm Trigger I also previously tried, the box came with some sort of... misprinting, like it got splashed with something during an intermediate stage of printing.  Unlike that Trigger, however, there was no dust on the keyboard (in the box), or inside the housing as was the case for the Rosewill.

The keyboard is light.  Well, it's not as large as full-sized keyboards.  But it's definitely made of plastic, throughout.  The stabilizers are Cherry style, but there is no squeaking or clicking apart from the switches themselves.

This keyboard, from what I've read, is made by CM's "mystery OEM."  It's made in China.  But it seems to have good QC.  One thing that concerns me is that there is a slight play when one pushes a switch housing.  So, taking off the keycap and pushing the switch a little from side to side causes it to wiggle every so slightly.  I have no idea what this means, if it's normal, if it matters.  This is just an observation.

The keyboard has a mini USB port and comes with the usual 6 foot braided cable.  I think braided cables are overrated, but whatever.  It's also probably gold-plated.  Because consumers want to make sure their digital keyboard is sending a clean signal to the computer.

I'm using it on a mac, and it works as expected.  It has the normal numpad issue, which is wonderfully addressed here: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=20826.msg400349#msg400349  This enables the numpad, which is wonderful.  I'll probably figure a way to link the script to the numlock key sometime in the next millenium.

6KRO works in OSX.  I assume it works in windows.  The keybaord also has a 6/N toggle via FN+ESC, which I haven't tested.  One oddity is the behavior of the backlight of the function key, which turns off sometimes when some mysterious combination of brightness-adjustment keys is pressed, the comes back on under similar conditions.

Two nice things are: 1) it comes with a plastic keycap puller.  Win.  2) the blue backplate reflects enough of the LED light to illuminate the symbols on the lower parts of keys.  They're not bright; I'd prefer something more Deck-style, or like the KeyCool, et al., but it's better than the other boards I've seen, where the symbols were essentially dark.

One bad thing: the font.  I like square fonts, but this is ridiculous.  Pubescent, I'd say.  At least it doesn't reek of patchouli, like Deck's, and it's not as over-the-top as the BlackWidow, but... those A's.  Ew.

All in all, it's a good value.  Sorry about the rambling nature of this review, this is what procrastination sounds like.  But I'd say this is a winner, all in all.  It has 95% of the functionality at 65% of the price.

Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: Pilogic on Thu, 10 October 2013, 07:24:03
Hi,

First, sorry for necroposting.

I know it's pretty early in the millenium, but is there any chance you could make that script you were talking about?

Also, the terminal commands from your link work well if there's only the keyboard connected to my computer, but not when my mouse is also. Anyone has an idea how to resolve the problem? (Something to do with the IDs?)

Or does someone have an altogether other option for enabling the numlock key?

Cheers,
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: sc0rch1ng on Tue, 12 November 2013, 04:30:12
I personally used ControllerMate app to solve the NumLock issue .
You will need only its free functions.
Just create new programming page and construct the following scheme:
(http://i39.tinypic.com/16hmh00.png)

And your NumLock button will work as it was designed.
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: Melvang on Tue, 12 November 2013, 04:41:53
Not sure if you have tried the NKRO on Mac yet but just a heads up on that.  The way they get NKRO over USB (have to bypass the 6KRO limitation of USB), is to trick the PC into thinking that the one keyboard is actually multiple devices.  Just wanted to let you know that to my knowledge this workaround generally is not Mac compatible.
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: Linkbane on Tue, 12 November 2013, 11:05:21
Few things, about my own TK;
although many don't seem to have known, the Fn key can be locked. That's why it turns off; if you hold it for a few seconds it will lock and the light will stay on. Otherwise you can just hold it for shorter times so it doesn't lock.

For the 6/N key issue, the point of having a 6KRO is just so that it works in Mac. Windows will take the NKRO trick, but Mac functions differently. It is by default NKRO on my Windows computer.

And it does have arrow keys, it's just an integrated solution. I like how the nav cluster is close actually, lets me press end/pg up/pg down easily without moving my hand much at all.
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: Pilogic on Wed, 11 December 2013, 19:41:59
This is working great for me.

Thank you very much for your post and your image, it helped a lot!


Quote from: sc0rch1ng on Tue, 12 November 2013, 04:30:12
I personally used ControllerMate app to solve the NumLock issue .
You will need only its free functions.
Just create new programming page and construct the following scheme:
Show Image
(http://i39.tinypic.com/16hmh00.png)


And your NumLock button will work as it was designed.
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: byrdo on Wed, 19 March 2014, 18:31:33
Hi,

I am french people, I have just received my CM Storm Quick Fire YK this afternoon, and it is an amazing keyboard.
But I am MAC user, and I was embarrassed with NUMLOCK Key, which was unavailable.

After 2 hours of googling, I arrived here, and an only thing to say : thank you very much sc0rch1ng, Your tip works very fine, I was afraid of staying without NUMLOCK key.

I stroongly recommand ControllerMate app, as described in sc0rch1ng's post below.

Thanks and regards.
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: julayyy on Tue, 16 September 2014, 13:08:08
Quote from: sc0rch1ng on Tue, 12 November 2013, 04:30:12
I personally used ControllerMate app to solve the NumLock issue .
You will need only its free functions.
Just create new programming page and construct the following scheme:
Show Image
(http://i39.tinypic.com/16hmh00.png)


And your NumLock button will work as it was designed.

Hi, I just bought a CM storm TK using a Mac as well and I downloaded the ControllerMate app but can you give us instruction on how to make program/function? I tried constructing it based on the pictures but I still don't get it.  Please help and thank you!
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: paicrai on Tue, 16 September 2014, 13:45:10
holy narcos, ratman
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: FREEZX on Tue, 06 January 2015, 12:25:38
I figured out a solution that does not require ControllerMate, because it is a paid software.
My solution works with Karabiner, which is a free alternative.
Install it and open up private.xml (the custom config file).

Paste in the following XML:

Code: [Select]
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root>
    <devicevendordef>
        <vendorname>CM_Storm</vendorname>
        <vendorid>0x2516</vendorid>
    </devicevendordef>
   
    <deviceproductdef>
        <productname>QuickFire_TK</productname>
        <productid>0x0011</productid>
    </deviceproductdef>
    <item>
        <name>Quickfire TK</name>
        <identifier>private.quickfiretk</identifier>
        <device_only>DeviceVendor::CM_Storm, DeviceProduct::QuickFire_TK</device_only>
        <autogen>
            __KeyToKey__ KeyCode::KEYPAD_CLEAR, KeyCode::VK_IOHIKEYBOARD_TOGGLE_NUMLOCK
        </autogen>
    </item>
</root>

Click reload XML in Karabiner, and you should be able to switch between numpad and arrows mode.
Enjoy!
Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: Alfatastiera on Wed, 22 July 2015, 16:54:37
Grazie!!!! Thank you!!! :D



Title: Re: CM Storm Quick Fire TK first impressions
Post by: oryo on Mon, 09 November 2015, 16:50:15
system: MacBook Pro running Ubuntu, using CM Storm QuickFire TK (brown)
encountering the same issue depicted here: when pressing numlock, the arrowkeys are disabled but instead of numbers i get the key functionality (like pressing numlock on a regular keyboard).

however, since i'm working on a MacBook Pro running Ubuntu, the solution here did not help me.

what did help me though, is the following:
download numlockx: sudo apt-get install numlockx
issue command: numlockx off

and you're good to go, now when you press the numlock the numbers will work just fine.

i really hope someone will find it helpful, i registered for this website just to post this solution (couldn't find it anywhere else....).