[GB] Paw - Bluetooth Arrow Cluster Macropad - GB Closed!

[dingusxmcgee]

Introducing the Group Buy for:

Paw

A project by dingusxmcgee and KnoblesseOblige
Photo credit to Hoodrow Thrillson

Paw is an arrow cluster macropad, aimed at expanding any desk setup with increased functionality, sleek design and convenience.
With onboard Bluetooth, brass accents and a sandblasted polycarbonate case, Paw will be a standout piece no matter where you use it.

More pics by Hoodrow and Even more pics by Hoodrow

Short Demo Video
https://imgur.com/a/h3HnCPl

Specs
Sandblasted Polycarbonate Top and Bottom(frosted)
Sandblasted, Top mount Brass plate
Sandblasted Brass weight
Approximately 81 grams built
4 Onboard RGB LEDs
PCB includes ESD protection and optional Hotswap
Onboard Bluetooth functionality
Note: Due to licensing conflicts, Paw will not ship, nor be compatible with, main QMK. It will ship with ZMK, and Bluetooth-first firmware that has more permissive licensing and better battery life optimizations. A QMK fork will be available to self-compile if you would like to pursue that method. Please note that ZMK will not have feature parity with QMK, though it is being actively developed and maintained. You can find more information here: https://zmkfirmware.dev
150mah battery (approximate usage rates: 30 days of active use and 60 days standby)
Note: values are approximate and subject to change based on usage and firmware used


GroupBuy Details
Start Date:10PM EST November 9th
End Date:10PM EST November 23rd
Quantity: Maximum 200 units
Method: FCFS
Price: $150 USD
Estimated Ship Date: January-February 2021



Vendors
Aeternus Decorum


Collaborations
Limited edition full arrow cluster artisans, crafted and cast by the infinitely talented Pseudoku!
These will be available alongside the Paw kit on Aeternus Decorum

50 x translucent with mica powders @ $30/unit
Colors available: red, blue, green, black(colors will be chosen randomly)
10 x Petri @ $45/unit
2 x tungsten kintsugi cold cast @ $60/unit
2 x kintsugi petri  @ $60/unit
See examples of previous work at Pesudoku's Instagram page! Asymplex
See examples of the full arrow artisans here!
Note that these are photos of sample units and may show visible defects. These defects are not representative of the final product

Special Thanks

Special thanks to our prototype round buyers for their patience and willingness to join us on this project. We would not be where we are without your trust and interest in what we do.
Thanks to KnoblesseOblige for being an incredible person to work with and for always bringing his best to the table, this project would not be here without you.
Huge thanks to my wife for supporting me in this hobby.
Thanks to Hoodrow for the beautiful Paw photos.
Thanks to Rose for helping with artwork.
Shoutout to my mom, who will never read this. Love you mom.

[dingusxmcgee]

go away sam

11-9-20 - Additional note that unfortunately due to strict import regulations of many international countries, any order that is not in North America will not be shipped with a battery and will be given a refund for the cost of the battery. See links below for international options to purchase batteries. We apologize for the inconvenience. Note that this will also be listed on the store page at launch.

https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/lipo-battery-pack?variant=20429081991
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001226383784.html

If neither of these links ship to your country we recommend a 402025 lithium ion battery.

11-9-20 - small update to the artisan listing, clarified the types and amount available.

[of_sam]

Never! Looks cute, glwb 

[dingusxmcgee]

Never! Looks cute, glwb 

Thank you 

[matthewdias]

Pog

[OJtheTiny]

very dank indeed

[bisoromi]

Can you turn it off when not in use?

[dingusxmcgee]

Can you turn it off when not in use?

We had a on/off switch on the prototypes, but had issues getting good fit with the switch so that it was switchable with a finger. Because of this and to simplify the pcb and case, we removed the switch. So far, battery life has been amazing(with qmk BLE or ZMK), lasting over a month on a charge. We dont think there will be any issue with removing the power switch(battery will be connected to PCB by a JST connector).

[KuroTheCrazy]

But how do you type numbers on this?

Definitely in anyways.

[dingusxmcgee]

But how do you type numbers on this?

Definitely in anyways.

google.com appears to have a wide assortment of numbers available for copy and paste!

[dingusxmcgee]

Minterly is live!  GB starts in 1 hour, hope to see you there! https://www.twitch.tv/minterly

[dingusxmcgee]

GB is live just a little bit early! https://store.aeternus.co/

[GKboki]

Does it work wired without bluetooth?

[dingusxmcgee]

Does it work wired without bluetooth?

Yup! You don't even need to connect the battery if you don't want to.

[qriousgabriel]

Just got one. This is too cute to pass for me. Do you have a discord server or something like that for future updates?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[GKboki]

I see some gaps between the metal paw and the case, are those gonna be present on the final product as well?

[dingusxmcgee]

Just got one. This is too cute to pass for me. Do you have a discord server or something like that for future updates?

Awesome! No dedicated server, but there is a channel in the 40% discord (https://discord.com/invite/40percent) where we will communicate. I will also use this thread for all updates if you want more of a 'streamlined' update view

I see some gaps between the metal paw and the case, are those gonna be present on the final product as well?

 Yes, we will be tightening up the tolerances based on the results of the prototypes(what you see)

EDIT - misread that, should have answered 'no'

[Nuclear Nachos]

save my wallet

[dingusxmcgee]

Stream with Minterly went great last night, hope those who tuned in enjoyed it! Here is a link to the VOD where the 'typing test' beings! Enjoy the sweet sounds of Polycarbonate Paw 
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/797699504?t=00h20m17s

[Stev!e]

Cool concept, but I won't be able to justify $150 for 4 arrow keys.

[davek184]

Do you have the dimensions for this?  I am just trying to get an idea of what the height is from the desk.

[isot0nic]

Agree, cool idea, super steep price point

[dingusxmcgee]

Do you have the dimensions for this?  I am just trying to get an idea of what the height is from the desk.

Hey! Sorry for late response, Paw is about 23.3mm tall

[dingusxmcgee]

GB is going well! Still some Paw units available over at https://store.aeternus.co !

GB ends 10 PM EST on Monday November 23!

[davek184]

Thanks.  I am in! I know just how I am going to use it.  Good luck on the GB wrapping up today.

[tnsw]

I think the batteries available from the AliExpress purchase link do not seem to come with a connector, unlike the ones in other countries, which connector should I buy?

[dingusxmcgee]

I think the batteries available from the AliExpress purchase link do not seem to come with a connector, unlike the ones in other countries, which connector should I buy?

Good catch! You can pick up one of these with a 2mm connector, or just look for a 2mm JST connecter.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32991172435.html

[dingusxmcgee]

GB is now closed! Thanks to all who joined, we are super excited to get you your own personal Paw and we hope you love it! Stay tuned for updates, and consider this the single source for the most up to date information

More to come soon!

[dingusxmcgee]

Quick update, order has been placed with the cnc manufacturer, PCB order will be placed soon(1-2 weeks - delayed due to a business trip) along with all other hardware and supplies. Everything is on track and now we enter the waiting game. Be back soon with updates as I have them

[dingusxmcgee]

Merry (almost) Christmas! Nothing new to report, all things are in motion and we are just waiting! See you again soon

[StrangPrisoner]

Loving the bi-weekly updates!

[randalbolts]

yeh gotta say I enjoy the updates even if there has been no movement 

[littlesmall]

Cool

[yuejia]

That’s what I want!!! Amazing stuff!!!

[dingusxmcgee]

Hey Paw gang! Short update: Cases, plates and weights are in progress and on track to be shipped in january!

We will unfortunately be seeing an unexpected shipping and fulfillment delay due to an unforseen business trip in January. The current goal is to start shipping by the beginning of February and I will let you know if that changes at all. Thanks for sticking with us! Merry Christmas and happy new year

[dingusxmcgee]

Happy new year PAWty people! All case parts have shipped, cleared customs and are en route to KnoblesseOblige! His untimely business trip is getting in the way of some immediate QC and overall assessment but as soon as he returns things are going to start moving in that direction. All other parts are either on hand or en route so we are on track

[StrangPrisoner]

Exciting news!

[dingusxmcgee]

Update: All cases arrived, QC is ongoing, so far everything is looking good! We are still waiting on some hardware and the PCBs, but are still aiming for beginning of February for starting shipping
See you soon!

[randalbolts]

Niiice! Thanks for the frequent updates

[dingusxmcgee]

Apologies for the late update but here it is: QC almost done. Units are looking great!

PCBs, some shipping material and some hardware are the holdup right now. We anticipated starting shipments February 1, but looks like we won’t be able to start until maybe the week after due to these delays, but I can’t give a firm date at the moment.

Won’t be long now til there’s a Paw in your hands

[Cubic // esc lab]

Looking good!

[dingusxmcgee]

Hey Paw gang, very sorry for lack of update lately, life very busy as usual but here I am

Unfortunately we are looking at beginning of march for shipping. Our PCB order got delayed and then CNY starting has put it on hold further. On top of that, Knobleese has had another unexpected absence come up which has thrown another kink in our shipping plans.

Right now, we are just waiting on PCBs which should deliver while he is away. As soon as he returns, shipping can begin, as the PCBs were the final thing we were waiting on.

Very sorry for the continued delays, but we are almost at the finish line

Thanks everyone!

[randalbolts]

Have we started shipping now? Saw a post on Reddit where someone had their’s already 😱😱

[Vibex]

Super sad that I'm just seeing this now. Are there any extras I could pick up? If not I'll just have to hunt one down second hand, haha!

[dingusxmcgee]

Have we started shipping now? Saw a post on Reddit where someone had their’s already 😱😱

Not quite! For whatever reason, the pcb manufacturer has been dragging their feet. PCBs that we expected to arrive at the end of February have not left the factory yet. Looks like things are in the assembly stage right now so we are still waiting for them to be finished and shipped out.
The person you saw was likely a prototype buyer

Super sad that I'm just seeing this now. Are there any extras I could pick up? If not I'll just have to hunt one down second hand, haha!

Yes! There will be a very small amount of extras after the gb units ship and I will make sure to notify this thread with the details of when those go up for sale

[randalbolts]

Ohhh lucky guy with the proto! And no worries, sometimes that’s how it be 

[darryldh]

awww... what a cute little guy

[dingusxmcgee]

After an extended wait: PCBs are finally here!

More news soon!

[aadk5]

After an extended wait: PCBs are finally here!

More news soon!

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Nice! Can't wait to hear the upcoming updates!

[Sandersoni]

OMG! Bluetooth arrow keypad!
So keen on this!
Gutted I missed this.
Don’t want to miss any extras!