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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Misterorjoe on Wed, 26 February 2014, 07:02:13

Title: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Misterorjoe on Wed, 26 February 2014, 07:02:13
I can't seem to find any, everywhere that has had them is out of stock. Does Cherry manufacture them anymore? I need about 10. For now.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 26 February 2014, 07:09:03
I think cherry MOQ is 4 or 5 thousand :eek:

I found a place that had 42 in stock recently and ran a GB but they are all gone.

You might send an email or even call places that have had them and verify that they don't have stock, sometimes online stock is not accurate. I tried 3 or 4 places until I found one that had some.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: CPTBadAss on Wed, 26 February 2014, 09:12:58
I thought that onlinecomponents.com still had them for sale. But I think the pricing was pretty high. 7bit's buy on Deskthority might have them as well.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 26 February 2014, 09:15:45
I thought that onlinecomponents.com still had them for sale. But I think the pricing was pretty high. 7bit's buy on Deskthority might have them as well.

7bit doesn't have any :(
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Candyflip on Wed, 26 February 2014, 09:16:16
7bit is out of stock, I'd like to find couple of these as well..
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: thesentinel on Wed, 26 February 2014, 10:43:08
Why would one want mx locks? I can't actually think of a decent use for them besides being novel.

(that wasn't passive agressive I'm genuinely curious)
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Candyflip on Wed, 26 February 2014, 10:50:15
I think it would be cool to use it as a caps lock but I am not sure until I try  :D
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: whiskytango on Wed, 26 February 2014, 10:55:43
Why would one want mx locks? I can't actually think of a decent use for them besides being novel.

(that wasn't passive agressive I'm genuinely curious)

here's what I am thinking: for something like a 60% board, you could have two function keys. Make one of them be a function lock for something like turning on dedicated arrow keys, and make the other one a function key that you would have to hold down to use.

I agree though, I think the novelty is part of the appeal. Probably why I bought two of them about a year ago and have yet to use them. Then again, thought I would have gh60s to use them on by now :)
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: CPTBadAss on Wed, 26 February 2014, 11:16:59
I like the idea of being able to toggle the function layers on a keyboard, which is why I'm trying to get some MX Locks for my GH60.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: reggalicious on Wed, 26 February 2014, 11:49:24
Pack of 4 for 4 bucks.

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/product/key-lock-outs-4-pack
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: CPTBadAss on Wed, 26 February 2014, 11:50:50
Pack of 4 for 4 bucks.

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/product/key-lock-outs-4-pack

Think you're mistaken. We're talking about Cherry MX Lock (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Lock) switches.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: whiskytango on Wed, 26 February 2014, 11:51:31
Pack of 4 for 4 bucks.

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/product/key-lock-outs-4-pack

Lol, no.

MX Lock (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Lock)

edit: Ninja'd!

2nd edit: @reggalicious, those would be good though for blocking off your caps lock if you accidentally press it like I do all the time. I have thought about ordering them before.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: reggalicious on Wed, 26 February 2014, 13:09:03
Pack of 4 for 4 bucks.

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/product/key-lock-outs-4-pack

Think you're mistaken. We're talking about Cherry MX Lock (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Lock) switches.

You're correct.  My mistake.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: reggalicious on Wed, 26 February 2014, 13:09:37
Pack of 4 for 4 bucks.

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/product/key-lock-outs-4-pack

Lol, no.

MX Lock (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Lock)

edit: Ninja'd!

2nd edit: @reggalicious, those would be good though for blocking off your caps lock if you accidentally press it like I do all the time. I have thought about ordering them before.

Still new to this.  Thanks for showing me what you guys were actually talking about.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: whiskytango on Wed, 26 February 2014, 13:16:24
Pack of 4 for 4 bucks.

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/product/key-lock-outs-4-pack

Lol, no.

MX Lock (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Lock)

edit: Ninja'd!

2nd edit: @reggalicious, those would be good though for blocking off your caps lock if you accidentally press it like I do all the time. I have thought about ordering them before.

Still new to this.  Thanks for showing me what you guys were actually talking about.

We are all here to learn. welcome to gh
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Misterorjoe on Wed, 26 February 2014, 22:48:58
So is there no online retailer that has them in stock? I don't understand why this isn't more widely discussed. I may have to resort to 3D printing them.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Rena on Wed, 26 February 2014, 23:14:18
I think I can see an MX lock providing the most practical benefit in a function key, more so if a board has two of them so you could use one as kind of an Fn shift and the other as an Fn lock. I think that might work.

If I ever got a hold of one of them, which I have no idea how I could (I've never seen a board with one), it would be an interesting addition.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: whiskytango on Wed, 26 February 2014, 23:19:57
honestly, the only place I have ever seen them pop up is on the classifieds here or on deskthority. I bought mine from somebody on DT last year. You may want to put in a request over there too. I don't go over there much anymore, not sure if anyone there is still selling them or not. Apparently 7bit has none.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Misterorjoe on Wed, 26 February 2014, 23:28:45
Would there be interest in a 3D printed MX Lock do you think? I have access to two of them to model, and I have access too a printer.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: nubbinator on Wed, 26 February 2014, 23:46:56
I highly doubt you'll be able to get the right level of fidelity with 3D printing.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Photoelectric on Thu, 27 February 2014, 01:37:18
I don't have an MX Lock cap, but my LightSaver keyboard has some pretty nifty layering already.  There's a Function Toggle option for a key as well as regular Function.  So a Function Toggle is just a regular switch, but it activates a new layer until you press that key again.  Then if I press numlock, I can have a different numpad layout than I do in normal mode and in the function layer mode.  So effectively a 3rd layer mode.  That's all done via firmware.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: BlueBär on Thu, 27 February 2014, 06:33:36
I don't have an MX Lock cap, but my LightSaver keyboard has some pretty nifty layering already.  There's a Function Toggle option for a key as well as regular Function.  So a Function Toggle is just a regular switch, but it activates a new layer until you press that key again.  Then if I press numlock, I can have a different numpad layout than I do in normal mode and in the function layer mode.  So effectively a 3rd layer mode.  That's all done via firmware.

But it's not the same :'(
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: CPTBadAss on Thu, 27 February 2014, 06:39:30
Would there be interest in a 3D printed MX Lock do you think? I have access to two of them to model, and I have access too a printer.

I'm not sure you'll be able to 3D print one. Inside the lock there's a small rotating triangular wheel. When I went to visit mkawa, I realized one of the MX lock switches I had had lost that part. I tried to have mkawa print it but the print was too small. Unless you have access to a machine that is much better than a Makerbot, I'm not sure you'll be able to make it. Even if you had a high fidelity machine, I'm doubtful that it would come out consistently. The 3D printers we have at work could probably print something out but probably only one out of three or more would work. I work in the aerospace industry so we have pretty good printers. You would spend a ton of time trying to QC that wheel and the matching housing.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Misterorjoe on Thu, 27 February 2014, 20:59:09
Well that is disappointing news. So what options do I have? They can't be bought, or made, apparently.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: RESPRiT on Thu, 27 February 2014, 21:00:17
Can you just use software for whatever you need?
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Candyflip on Fri, 28 February 2014, 03:03:42
Well that is disappointing news. So what options do I have? They can't be bought, or made, apparently.
They can be bought, they are just rare and thus hard to find. I've seen couple of group buys for them here..
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Misterorjoe on Sun, 02 March 2014, 15:13:52
Can you just use software for whatever you need?

I mean, I could use the on-screen keyboard if I really wanted to, but that isn't nearly as exciting.
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: jabar on Sun, 02 March 2014, 23:08:39
AEK II has an ALPS lock key  >:D
Title: Re: Where to aquire MX Locks?
Post by: Misterorjoe on Mon, 03 March 2014, 21:16:45
AEK II has an ALPS lock key  >:D

Can it be bought separately?