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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: roadblock2thesun on Tue, 29 September 2009, 01:18:50

Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: roadblock2thesun on Tue, 29 September 2009, 01:18:50
I found this forum while attempting to build my own keyboard...

I am still working on that project which currently consists of 87 black alps torn from a Dell at101 partial wired together...

I have spent the last five days agonizing over what keyboard I am going to buy, I didnt even need one when I found this site. I have just entered a transaction with brian at elite keyboards... His communication was top notch, and I cant wait to get my hands on that filco zero tenkeyless...

To save money I ordered one of the blemished boards... I'll let you all know just how blemished it is...

I was torn between ordering this or the HHKB lite 2... The hhkb lite has some nice features, but I really like the dedicated gross movement keys of the filco... maybe I'll order the HHKB later any way...
Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: msiegel on Tue, 29 September 2009, 01:32:14
welcome, roadblock! :)

if you stay around here for long, may find yourself with more keyboards than you bargained for XD
Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: InSanCen on Tue, 29 September 2009, 04:18:04
Quote from: msiegel;121348
welcome, roadblock! :)

if you stay around here for long, may find yourself with more keyboards than you bargained for XD


QFT!

I was more than happy with 2 M's until I found this place... I am now acquiring ALPS boards at a rate of knots.
Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: roadblock2thesun on Fri, 02 October 2009, 07:30:00
Disaster has struck even before the keyboard has arrived...

I assumed when I saw blemished that it was the same version as the one above (as listed on elitekeyboards) and came with the much lauded fukkas... The b-stock version comes with XM keyswitches, which from my reading are the worst alps fakes (correct me if i'm wrong please).  I am a novice to mechanical keyboards and so probably wont know the difference, however, I'm worried that I will be dissapointed with the XM's...
Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: bigpook on Fri, 02 October 2009, 07:44:43
Yes, the b stock keyboards come with the XM switches. You really want the fukka's. The best use for a b stock keyboard is to translplant some other switch. The black alps would be a good choice.

The XM's are actually quite terrible, I found them to be balky to the point they wore my fingers out. YMMV of course, but I would not be surprised if you were disappointed.
Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: roadblock2thesun on Fri, 02 October 2009, 07:55:14
By transplant do you mean desolder and attach a full new switch assembly or just change out the sliders and click leaves?
Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 02 October 2009, 08:02:07
With the XMs, I'm pretty sure you'll have to resolder.
Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: timw4mail on Fri, 02 October 2009, 08:45:35
Wow...ALPS are dangerous...
Title: Bitten by the bug
Post by: bigpook on Fri, 02 October 2009, 11:52:50
resolder. I had a filco with XM's. I removed them and put in black alps that I got out of a NIB dell.
Turned out very well. Alot of  work though,