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geekhack Community => Reviews => Topic started by: djchup on Tue, 03 November 2015, 15:49:33

Title: Leopold FC900R micro-Review
Post by: djchup on Tue, 03 November 2015, 15:49:33
Full Disclosure:  This is my first time writing a keyboard review.

(http://i.imgur.com/hCBFPSz.jpg)
I ordered the Leopold model FC900RN/EBD from mechanicalkeyboards.com to use at work.  After using a ducky shine 2 with cherry blues at home for the past few years while working from home, I simply couldn't handle the HP rubber dome keyboard that was provided at my new office job.
(http://i.imgur.com/okgUFB2.jpg)
  I wanted a quiet mechanical, so browns/clears came to mind. (I've never tried Topre and while I hear good things I didn't want to spend that much without trying some first). The FC900R with Browns seemed to be exactly what I was looking for: relatively inexpensive at $119, I didn't want a flashy gamer keyboard for the office and didn't need it to be backlit, and quiet operation. 

I ordered 50A o-rings along with the FC900R, and with the O-rings, it's just as quiet as the rubber dome keyboards others around my cubicle are using. 

The quality of the keycaps is stellar, although I'm not a huge fan of the legends.  The font is pretty funky, and that's about the only bad thing I have to say about this keyboard.  The doubleshot ABS caps are much thicker than those that came on my ducky shine 2.  There is also an internal sound-dampening pad (another factor in my decision to purchase), I'm assuming underneath the PCB but I haven't opened it up to see.  My guess is that the role of the sound dampening pad is to mitigate the 'ping' noise of the plate I've heard mentioned.  All I know is that there's no audible 'ping' that I've heard. 

So, mainly because I don't know what else to talk about i'll leave it at that, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about this board.  (I'm only making this post as I didn't see any ownership threads or reviews for this keyboard when searching).
Title: Re: Leopold FC900R micro-Review
Post by: SpAmRaY on Tue, 03 November 2015, 15:52:29
If you take a cap off I'm interested in seeing the underside.

And nice write up, congrats on the new keyboard, err I mean job.
Title: Re: Leopold FC900R micro-Review
Post by: djchup on Tue, 03 November 2015, 16:14:55
If you take a cap off I'm interested in seeing the underside.

And nice write up, congrats on the new keyboard, err I mean job.
^^ty
I had a helluva time trying to get my iphone's camera to focus but had a go at it.  I've also included a closeup of the legends.  that '0' key bothers me... the '0' just looks like more parentheses if you know what I mean ()).
(http://i.imgur.com/5Z609T7.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/WZl1hL6.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/BI47l28.jpg)
Title: Re: Leopold FC900R micro-Review
Post by: dante on Tue, 03 November 2015, 16:44:25
Are the Leopold doubleshot ABS caps lower profile than the Ducky's (OEM?)

I know for sure the PBT are; not sure about the ABS..
Title: Re: Leopold FC900R micro-Review
Post by: djchup on Tue, 03 November 2015, 17:00:35
Are the Leopold doubleshot ABS caps lower profile than the Ducky's (OEM?)

I know for sure the PBT are; not sure about the ABS..

I just got home from work and am on my ducky now.  They feel about the same, but I can answer with 100% certainty by bringing a ducky cap with me to work tomorrow.
Title: Re: Leopold FC900R micro-Review
Post by: djchup on Wed, 04 November 2015, 14:24:54
Are the Leopold doubleshot ABS caps lower profile than the Ducky's (OEM?)

I know for sure the PBT are; not sure about the ABS..

I brought one of the the keycaps from my Ducky Shine 2 with me to work today.  Snapped a couple pics at lunch for comparison.  They are identical in profile, and differ in thickness/texture.


(http://i.imgur.com/vfZovH9.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/i3vVg4c.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/05zIQgn.jpg)
Title: Re: Leopold FC900R micro-Review
Post by: dante on Wed, 04 November 2015, 18:01:02
thanks for the photo! :)
Title: Re: Leopold FC900R micro-Review
Post by: Hyde on Thu, 19 November 2015, 23:18:55
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=75293.msg1910126#msg1910126

I've taken some pics with my Archiss keyboard which is a rebrand of Leopold FC900R.

But yeah it's basically OEM profile and it's the exact same keycaps used in Ducky Shine 5.  :thumb: