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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Dansor on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:13:18

Title: Numpad keycaps
Post by: Dansor on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:13:18
Hello,

Has anyone seen numpad keycaps where the double-sized +, -, and Enter keys have two stems instead of three or one in the center with a stabilizer?
I've got a numpad that basically has two cherry switches under each of those keys, as if they were two separate standard keys.

I'm trying to find a more ergonomic set of keys for them than the relegendable ones it came with.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: Tarzan on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:17:49
Hello,

Has anyone seen numpad keycaps where the double-sized +, -, and Enter keys have two stems instead of three or one in the center with a stabilizer?
I've got a numpad that basically has two cherry switches under each of those keys, as if they were two separate standard keys.

I'm trying to find a more ergonomic set of keys for them than the relegendable ones it came with.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

I'm not positive, but given your description, I think what you're looking for are the Ruby SuperSystem keycaps.  Check out the page below from KeycapsDirect to see if these match your number pad.

http://keycapsdirect.com/ruby.php (http://keycapsdirect.com/ruby.php)
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: regack on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:19:12
Those two-post 2 unit caps exist, but I don't know what they're called or how people refer to them other than '2 post 2 unit'.  I'm sure someone else will chime in who knows.
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: SpAmRaY on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:24:43
Hello,

Has anyone seen numpad keycaps where the double-sized +, -, and Enter keys have two stems instead of three or one in the center with a stabilizer?
I've got a numpad that basically has two cherry switches under each of those keys, as if they were two separate standard keys.

I'm trying to find a more ergonomic set of keys for them than the relegendable ones it came with.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

Can you post the model/name of the keypad? It sounds interesting!
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: Dansor on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:32:39
I'd need to look a bit more for a picture, but it's basically this but 7 keys wide.
http://www.amazon.com/Global-Marketing-Genovation-Keyprogrammable-683-U/dp/B005DBD76U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379446144&sr=8-1&keywords=genovation

Same brand at least.

Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: Tarzan on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:36:13
I'm pretty sure the Ruby keycaps will work.  There was a discussion in another thread about these, someone pointed out that the 2x keys were not standard Cherry, that they were intended to span two stems, for the keyboards used in gas stations and other POS applications.

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: Dansor on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:38:42
I think you are right that the Ruby keys are the solution.
I'm a bit worried they won't be much more ergonomic than the stock keys, but I'll probably just take a shot and see :)

Thanks
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: Tarzan on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:46:22
I think you are right that the Ruby keys are the solution.
I'm a bit worried they won't be much more ergonomic than the stock keys, but I'll probably just take a shot and see :)

Thanks

I found the thread I was referring to: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=48025.msg1026623#msg1026623

Someone got a batch of these in one of the SP grab bags.  The 1u (single unit) keys look like standard DSA profile, like the recent(ish) Round4 group buy, might be able to get a number pad kit for less than 1.50 a key.  Otherwise, I think the manufacturer page is your best bet. 

These keycaps don't have much profile, they're all the same, almost flat, and dished centers.  Now, you could swap the numbers and single modifiers for standard keycaps in whatever profile you like, and just use the Ruby SS two-key Enter key, that's up to you.  It all comes down to what you prefer in keyboards!
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: Findecanor on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:50:24
Most POS keyboards have such key caps.
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: esoomenona on Tue, 17 September 2013, 14:50:42
I think they'd be at least somewhat more ergonomic, being sculpted as opposed to flat with the relegendables. But, how much ergonomicacism (yes, I just made that up) will you get?
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 17 September 2013, 17:35:43
I've seen a few of these (the shape, if not exactly the legends) from the recent SP crap bags.

If you can get one or two of those, irrespective of the legends, that would be a cheap way of seeing whether they fit before placing an order with SP.
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: RabRhee on Tue, 17 September 2013, 18:57:06
Almost all the POS keys I got in the crap bag were DSA, many of them directly from the Ruby layout shown (fuel, view, ticket print, qty, cash total, etc).

There were a few DCS profile, almost all equivalent to top row Cherry profile, with four that were QWERTY row cherry profile. The Q row profile four are the yellow blank and answer, orange blank and ReCall. Only 4 vertical DCS keys, 2 squashed and the enter and rather nice cyan one shown here. Anything like that more what you were thinking of ergonomic? Other crap bags may have a wider DCS variety, or let me know if any here would help :)

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Numpad keycaps
Post by: Dansor on Wed, 18 September 2013, 07:17:38
Cool, thanks, but I just went ahead and bit the bullet and ordered those Ruby keys.
When I got them I'll post a screenshot and my thoughts in case anyone winds up in a similar boat.  :thumb:

Almost all the POS keys I got in the crap bag were DSA, many of them directly from the Ruby layout shown (fuel, view, ticket print, qty, cash total, etc).

There were a few DCS profile, almost all equivalent to top row Cherry profile, with four that were QWERTY row cherry profile. The Q row profile four are the yellow blank and answer, orange blank and ReCall. Only 4 vertical DCS keys, 2 squashed and the enter and rather nice cyan one shown here. Anything like that more what you were thinking of ergonomic? Other crap bags may have a wider DCS variety, or let me know if any here would help :)

(Attachment Link)