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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: mashby on Fri, 17 April 2015, 15:41:34
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I'm slowly getting my business partner into mechanicals. Does anyone know of a low profile 101 keyboard and/or 3rd party case?
I'm a 60% guy and have been for years so I haven't been paying attention to full-sized boards. In the 60% world, there's the Tex 60% aluminum case (http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=627) which can be completely flat and I'm basically looking for something similar in a full-size 101.
He currently types on a chicklet rubber dome board and likes the fact that it doesn't have much travel. My plan is to build a board with Jailhouse blues and DCA caps on them (probably Granite) to make this board as low-profile and minimal travel as possible.
Anyone have any suggestions?
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Any particular reason why you want 101 rather than 104?
For 101, the Cherry G80-3000 is pretty low profile.
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Any particular reason why you want 101 rather than 104?
For 101, the Cherry G80-3000 is pretty low profile.
Because I can't count. :p
I just meant a full-sized board. Thanks for the suggestion on the G80!
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I wouldn't really recommend a 104 G80, since the quality is meh..
Only go for one if you're happy with one of the old winkeyless ones with doubleshots.
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With a little bit of searching, it would appear that this question has already been asked (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=67963.msg1606912#msg1606912). :-[
My search foo seems to be off today.
Anyway, it would appear that the Cherry G80-3850 (http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=655) is pretty low profile out of the box, or I can opt to go with one of Gon's NS NerD 108 (http://www.gonskeyboardworks.com/housings-and-related-parts/79-gon-ns-nerd-108-housing-only.html) setups.
If anyone has any other suggestions, I'm all ears.
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Since you didn't say it had to be MX... maybe a G84-5200LCMEU (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cherry-G84-5200LCMEU-2-XS-Complete-Corded-Compact-Keyboard-/261783971201?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf38a6581)?
Low profile, very little travel already with ML, cheap.
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Since you didn't say it had to be MX... maybe a G84-5200LCMEU (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cherry-G84-5200LCMEU-2-XS-Complete-Corded-Compact-Keyboard-/261783971201?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf38a6581)?
Low profile, very little travel already with ML, cheap.
Thanks for the suggestion Ivan! I hadn't really considered ML switches. I'll have to ponder that some more. Thank you.
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(http://winkeyless.kr/en/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/B_87_EX_0495.jpg)
http://winkeyless.kr/?product=b-87-ex-pcb
?
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the korean member named kaliet also sells assembled custom full sized, though i haven't seen him post in a while. send him a PM
(http://i.imgur.com/NyNkxZe.jpg)
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Cherry is coming out with MX 6.0 keyboard.
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A couple of things to keep in mind for the ML boards:
1. Key spacing. Most ML boards (including the 5200) use 18mm key spacing instead of the usual 19mm with MX and other types. This can feel a bit cramped or cause a few mis-hits during the adjustment period.
2. Scratchiness / binding. Stock ML switches are quite scratchy and can bind on really off-axis presses, which you tend to get at the beginning due to the smaller key spacing. Lubing solves both issues at once, but it's REALLY hard to open the switches when they're installed without damaging the clips / casing.
Other than that I love ML switches. They're a touch heavier than Browns (but lighter than Clears) with a more noticable bump (smaller than the bump on Clears), the tactile bump is right at the top of the stroke and the short stroke is nice when you get used to it. Actuation is halfway, like MX. I have been unable to get my test switches to bind after lubing the stems, even with unstabilised 1.5x caps on (1.5x size and larger ML caps all have stabilisers by default). They can be trampoline modded ;)