Azio Mech4 aka Dearmo GA9 substitution or mod advice

[reinerfox]

EDIT: Mod on hold till further notice Feb 11, 2012


Quick Questions: (for all those who don't want to read the whole post)

•   Has anyone opened up a Azio Mech4 (aka Dearmo GA9) before?
•   How easy is it to open?
•   Does it have a metal support plate which all the key switches are soldered to? (as I am looking at changing all the stems to brown)
•   I am looking at relocating the | \ button back to its normal home under the backspace; fixing the enter key to 1 row 2.25x and backspace key to the 2.0x size. any ideas as to how hard this will actually be to do? or if possible?
•   If this would be too difficult of a mod do you have a recommended substitution that has similar or better features?

Background story:
I am a newbie, and after having: read the Default Start here keyboard guide, cherry corp switch guide, searched the forums for relavant information, and did online research into a bunch of different keyboards and their reviews.
I am finally looking into killing off my cheapo DYNEX rubber dome keyboard and am upgrading to a mechanical switch keyboard; Where the intended use of the keyboard is mix of computer programming and gaming. (I am a Computer science student, what else do we do)

The Azio Levetron Mech4 basic specs are:
Can be found at online at memory express, newegg, ncix, ebay, etc. for around $110
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 38457[/ATTACH]
Switch: Cherry Blacks
KRO: 6
Features: Macro keys, Detachable keypad, Software reprogram-ability of all keys, volume knob


However if I do buy this keyboard I think I will end up extensively modifying  for the following reasons:
I like:
All the features
the fact that it is a mechanical
it matches my RAT7 (bonus).

I Dislike, and would want to change:
the Enter Key
the shortened backspace
location of | \

I can live with but would prefer to change:
Cherry Black stems to any with tactile feedback
the KRO (not likely to change)


 Alternative Course of action if this proves to difficult / cost expensive (over $150):
Purchase a different ten-key-less keyboard and separate number pad like the Cooler Master Storm Quickfire, which has blue stems so I get my tactile feedback but lose all the other features that I like...

[reinerfox]

ok, so I havent heard back from anybody yet but hey that is ok. stalling has saved me some money as the keyboard went on sale at memory express for $59 http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX36410  so I bought one and a CM quick fire with blues for programming... I will see how they hold out and might change the two up if I really dont like the switches in the azio.

However they are all out of online models that they will ship, so I am picking one up tommorow in store so if anyone else wants a cheap inexpensive mech4 with black cherry's; I am willing to work something out if you get back to me before I go tommorow.

[Armando Penblade]

To answer one of your questions: I highly doubt you can relocate the |\ key because there won't be a wired-up Cherry switch where the "bulgy" part of the Enter key is, just a stabilizer of some sort, most likely. So, basically, there'd be nothing to mount the new key on and nothing for it to actuate. Similarly, lengthening the backspace key would put it over the space where two Cherry switches are, both of which it would depress, sending two signals to your PC simultaneously: backspace and backslash.

[reinerfox]

true, but I was thinking of drilling a holes in the pcb for the | \ key and moving the stabilizer where it used to be then jumpering the old holes to the new ones. (and if need be cutting the metal plate for the switch and filling in the old as need be.)

[Armando Penblade]

I mean, if you're willing to re-wire the PCB and re-punch the metal plate, there probably aren't a lot of limits to what you can do with the keyboard. . . but you're getting well beyond the average modder's realm

[Henry Allen Venture]

Thats an... uhh... an interesting keyboard.

Seriously, though, I wonder why they've gone with that wierd setup for the backspace, enter and "|\" keys.
I can't see the point. That small backspace would **** me to tears.
If you do manage to mod this to have a normal ANSI key layout, you're going to need to get new keys for enter, backspace and "|\".
Its going to look funny if you don't buy a full keyset, though, and you may run into issues with the spacebar and have to mod that as well...
I can see this becoming a pretty big project. Good luck to you if you stick with it, though.

Also, has anyone else noticed how wonky the numpad keys are in that photo? You think they'd straighten them up for a press photo, huh?

[reinerfox]

Got the Keyboard.  Man this thing sits high up: 1 1/4 inches
It looks interesting and but I think I will wait until I get a little more money before I start the mod. In the mean time I am using a black widow keyboard and prefer the cherry blue switches over the blacks.

So Mod Status: On Hold