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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Prisoner416 on Mon, 10 July 2017, 00:29:41
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I have a CMStorm Quickfire rapid, and love it, but the one thing I forgot when buying it about a year ago was the number of game trainers I had that required num pad input.
I'm looking for a standalone numpad that would fit the appearance of my keyboard and feel right next to it, about the same distance from the desk.
I don't need anything fancy like expensive switches, I just need to know that the device will work. Since my keyboard doesn't have a usb extension, it would need to have an average length usb cord.
Failing that... I could just buy a CM Storm QuickFire XT, but if I'm going to buy a whole new keyboard, I'd rather upgrade a bit and have something like a bit of backlighting. (I know it's a gimmick, but I do play in low light sometimes.)
I was looking at the Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro L briefly, but I wish they still had the custom keycaps like the Quickfire had.
So... any advice?
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The neat thing about external numpads is they aren't glued to the end of the keyboard and can be moved. When I'm using one I tend to put it way off to the right. If you don't anticipate moving it to an unconventional position you might as well just get a full sized keyboard. Only one cable to deal with and just a nice package overall. The only problem is choosing one - there are quite a few good ones out there.
I'll put my vote in for the Ducky One (http://www.duckychannel.com.tw/page-en/ducky-one/). A very nice feature set for the price.
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I've been eyeing the VA22M myself from Varmilo.
You can get it customized from Varmilo, it would run you probably around $50 for the device + fees & shipping though.
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I've always been interested in getting a Roadkit from thevankeyboards.com to use as a number pad. It's a bit on the expensive side though, but they did recently release a version with a 3D-printed that is more wallet-friendly. And it's fully programmable, so you can have layers for others things like macros, media keys, etc.
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On the cheap side there's there Jelly Comb mechanical numpad on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Numeric-Keypad-Jelly-Comb/dp/B01E8U8HKW).
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I'm using the Jelly Comb, I have a hard time justifying spending more than that for the handful of times it gets used in a day. The Oetumu switches feel fine and the build quality is very good, not just for how cheap it is.
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I've always wondered: Isn't "QuickFire Rapid" redundant? Or do they also make something like a "QuickFire Average Speed" that they had to distinguish it from?
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I have the Leopold FC210TP with black switches. It's a nice little numpad, but sometimes the keys don't register.
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I, uh. . . I have to confess, I picked up one of the semi-disposable black $8 num pads from Wal-Mart. :-[
It works Just Fine, with the understanding that I don't do much numeric entry and could get by OK without any num pad at all.
However. . . Just do a search for "numeric keypad" on Amazon! There's a dizzying array of num pads on the market. In particular, I notice the Beeiee comes with Outemu blue switches, and the price is very good. I have a full keyboard with Outemu blues, and I like them a lot, especially since I put O-rings on them to tame the plastic clack.
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Cospad could be a nice choice, its on Aliexpress. But its a DIY kit and I tjibk you will need your own USB cable.
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Or you could get a CM Masterkeys M or a FC980M.