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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Cybergooch on Mon, 17 April 2017, 15:48:53
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Hey all, new user here.
So about 8 years ago (or more, can't remember) I bought a Deck keyboard, the Hassium Pro I believe, a 101 backlit keyboard. I've really like it, and it's been a workhorse.
So recently at work, the company provided keyboard was kind of sucky, so I decided to buy a backlit keyboard for work as well.
Ordered it through Mechanicalkeyboards.com. Service from them was fine.
Problem is, I'm not happy with the "new" Hassium Pro. Deck redesigned it quite a bit.
A couple issues:
The framed base is no longer there...the keyboard has a tiny frame all the way around it. I kind of liked the older style with more of a frame. That's not a dealbreaker though.
The biggest issue is the lighting itself. It's incredibly uneven. A really bright key will sit next to a much duller key.
Some of the keys almost look like they're not even lit at all.
The symbol on the number keys is sometimes larger than the number itself, which I find annoying.
So I'm looking for recommendations for other keyboards...Deck isn't doing it for me.
What I'm after:
Really good, even, sharp per-key lighting. An LED per key.
I usually choose blue, but would be nice to use different colors if the mood suits. Not a big deal though.
EVEN LIGHTING...all keys should be clearly lit.
My eyes are not what they used to be...so I prefer a larger rather than smaller font.
I like the red cherry MX switches, but am ok with another brand if it's quality.
I like big keyboards (and I cannot lie) so full 101 with numeric keypad, etc.
What I don't care about:
The fancy "modes" for the lighting that animate or expand out like ripples from each keypress etc.
A coworker has the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate. I really liked how clear the lighting was, so that's one option. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the number keys have the numbers themselves lit, but not the symbols. I'm too stupid to learn touch typing, so I really do look at the keyboard while typing, lol.
I frequently work in a darker environment, so backlighting is critical.
Any other thoughts appreciated!
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I'll bet if you pull some caps from your Deck keyboard and just look at the LEDs you'll find that the brightness is even across the LEDs and that it's keycaps making the uneven "effect". I think you might just need a different set of keycaps. I'd check that before buying another keyboard.
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I'll bet if you pull some caps from your Deck keyboard and just look at the LEDs you'll find that the brightness is even across the LEDs and that it's keycaps making the uneven "effect". I think you might just need a different set of keycaps. I'd check that before buying another keyboard.
Quite possibly...I see nothing wrong with the LED's themselves. However, the backslash/vertical bar key isn't working at all, not sure if that's something I could fix or not.
Are all keycaps universal? Will keycap sets from one manufacturer work on another?
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I'll bet if you pull some caps from your Deck keyboard and just look at the LEDs you'll find that the brightness is even across the LEDs and that it's keycaps making the uneven "effect". I think you might just need a different set of keycaps. I'd check that before buying another keyboard.
Quite possibly...I see nothing wrong with the LED's themselves. However, the backslash/vertical bar key isn't working at all, not sure if that's something I could fix or not.
Are all keycaps universal? Will keycap sets from one manufacturer work on another?
Yes, any standard layout keycap set (https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=335) for Cherry MX switches will work.