New to GH, new to mechs, have a goal.

[Khazadorn]

It all started with the planning of a new PC build.  After performance considerations were nailed down, aesthetics needed addressing.  I'm dead set on an orange theme, and need a lesser width keyboard due to space constraints.  Not long into my search, I was drawn into the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole, as they offered a great breadth of variety.  Still, it seems that orange is not the most prevalent color (which I don't understand, as it is clearly the most superior color after red), and many desired options were labeled with the dreaded 'Out of Stock' moniker.

So here I am, seeking guidance from experienced members of this community. I'm searching for a TKL / 75% board, with orange backlighting.  I have no preference on switches, except that I would like to stay away from 'clicky' ones, as I share my PC space with others.  I'm also not a fan of white cases / keycaps, preferring black or dark grey.

I have a couple scenarios to throw up, and if you could give some feedback, suggestions, or corrections, that would be wonderful!

I like the look of this Vortex, very minimal, and the price is nice.  It, however, has white backlighting, and I cannot find orange in stock anywhere.
http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1134

I figure I could replace the whites with oranges such as these, although I have no soldering experience (But my body is ready).
http://www.maxkeyboard.com/max-keyboard-orange-3mm-flangeless-replacement-led-for-backlit-mechanical-keyboard-110-pcs.html#

Or try something like LED covers?  Not 100% sold on these though.

On the other hand, I could shell out more money for something like this Deck (shipping is killer).  I don't know if the quality and convenience are worth the heftier price tag.
http://www.mechkb.com/deck-francium-pro-tenkeyless-backlit-mechanical-keyboard

I've also looked at a Max Keyboard Blackbird, but I have the same concerns as the Deck.  How does the quality compare to the Vortex?  How complicated / risky would it be to switch LEDs myself, versus getting a board preloaded with oranges?

Regardless, I plan to make mechs my lords and masters a part of my family, and would love to bask in the glow of your wisdom.  Lay it on me. Thanks!

[FrostyToast]

I would try out Ducky as they have stellar boards with good quality which also support backlighting.
No idea if Ducky has any boards with orange backlighting however.
Although if you want to get orange backlighting and don't feel up to soldering, DrHubblePhD has a free soldering service and is a pretty cool guy. Just toss him your board and whatever LEDs you want and you will be good to go.

I would also suggest looking into what kind of switches you want. There is a world of difference between MX reds and say, MX clears.

[DrHubblePhD]

It all started with the planning of a new PC build.  After performance considerations were nailed down, aesthetics needed addressing.  I'm dead set on an orange theme, and need a lesser width keyboard due to space constraints.  Not long into my search, I was drawn into the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole, as they offered a great breadth of variety.  Still, it seems that orange is not the most prevalent color (which I don't understand, as it is clearly the most superior color after red), and many desired options were labeled with the dreaded 'Out of Stock' moniker.

So here I am, seeking guidance from experienced members of this community. I'm searching for a TKL / 75% board, with orange backlighting.  I have no preference on switches, except that I would like to stay away from 'clicky' ones, as I share my PC space with others.  I'm also not a fan of white cases / keycaps, preferring black or dark grey.

I have a couple scenarios to throw up, and if you could give some feedback, suggestions, or corrections, that would be wonderful!

I like the look of this Vortex, very minimal, and the price is nice.  It, however, has white backlighting, and I cannot find orange in stock anywhere.
http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1134

I figure I could replace the whites with oranges such as these, although I have no soldering experience (But my body is ready).
http://www.maxkeyboard.com/max-keyboard-orange-3mm-flangeless-replacement-led-for-backlit-mechanical-keyboard-110-pcs.html#

Or try something like LED covers?  Not 100% sold on these though.

On the other hand, I could shell out more money for something like this Deck (shipping is killer).  I don't know if the quality and convenience are worth the heftier price tag.
http://www.mechkb.com/deck-francium-pro-tenkeyless-backlit-mechanical-keyboard

I've also looked at a Max Keyboard Blackbird, but I have the same concerns as the Deck.  How does the quality compare to the Vortex?  How complicated / risky would it be to switch LEDs myself, versus getting a board preloaded with oranges?

Regardless, I plan to make mechs my lords and masters a part of my family, and would love to bask in the glow of your wisdom.  Lay it on me. Thanks!

De-soldering LEDs can be tricky, especially if you have no prior experience, but LED switch covers might very well do the trick. As for the board itself I think a budget would hep us find you what you are looking for. Otherwise, welcome to GeekHack!

[Khazadorn]

I believe I had run across Ducky's with orange backlighting, but all I saw were full boards.  I've only seen good reviews for the brand though, and wouldn't be opposed to a smaller board.
I will keep DrHubblePhd in mind then.  Side note, what does this Dr have a Phd in?

Budget... the Deck comes to around $190 after shipping, and the Blackbird was $205.  I think this is the limit to what I would spend on a keyboard at this point in time.  The less the cost, the better, but I don't want garbage either.  Speaking of questionable quality, I did see a TKL orange backlit Monoprice keyboard... the reviews were less then inspiring however.

As for soldering, I don't sweat taking on new skills, and I've had a lot more money on the line before while doing so.  )

[FrostyToast]

$190 seems a bit on the heavy side, actually...
At that point I would just buy a Ducky and bring out the soldering iron.
Although make sure you practice soldering on something else beforehand.
Someone might have a heavily damaged PCB they would be willing to toss you for the cost of shipping.

[Khazadorn]

Haha, no shortage or board here to practice on.  I could get Frankenstein in here pretty quickly.

I see that the Ducky Zero has an option for orange LED.  Finding it in stock somewhere is the real problem.

[rowdy]

Welcome to Geekhack!

Keyboards with orange backlighting were available, but everywhere I've checked seems to be out of stock.

Everyone's going for blue/purple multi-coloured LEDs these days, which is a shame.

How about some orange keycaps instead?

http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1169

[Khazadorn]

Thanks for having me!

Those do look nice, and I'll probably incorporate something like that. 

I'm going to give LED covers on white backlighting a try and make some judgments from there.

[KatzenKinder]

I tried the daydream set of LED covers from BangGood, and was a little disappointed. I put them on my Shine 2 TKL, and they dimmed the LEDs by a really significant amount unless the key was pressed all the way down. Not sure if covers from other places are less opaque, but I think you should try and find ones that are as transparent as possible to preserve LED brightness.

[whentheclouds]

some pictures of oranged themed keyboards for inspiration: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=68085.msg1631602#msg1631602

[FrostyToast]

For the love of God don't use led covers.
I find that they are just super shoddy and also interfere with caps in addition to the dimmer lighting.

[Khazadorn]

I tried the daydream set of LED covers from BangGood, and was a little disappointed. I put them on my Shine 2 TKL, and they dimmed the LEDs by a really significant amount unless the key was pressed all the way down. Not sure if covers from other places are less opaque, but I think you should try and find ones that are as transparent as possible to preserve LED brightness.

For the love of God don't use led covers.
I find that they are just super shoddy and also interfere with caps in addition to the dimmer lighting.

So, if covers are out, then a preloaded orange or my own soldering adventure must be in order.  I could give the market some time to realize that there is a severe lack of keyboards designed for the greatest color known to mankind.  On a side note, I may end up visiting a friend in Korea this fall.  I hear they kind of like keyboards over there, would my options be more varied?  Or does the internet have a wider array of choices and availability?

some pictures of oranged themed keyboards for inspiration: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=68085.msg1631602#msg1631602

Man, I didn't need the inspiration, but those look nice.  Some people clearly have their heads screwed on correctly. 

[metalliqaz]

If you're in it for looks, get a Ducky.

[KatzenKinder]

I think it's easier to get Leopold boards in Korea. If I recall correctly, there was I think the FC900 (?) launched relatively recently that had some orange options I think? Check that out, I'll look too

[hking0036]

I would try out Ducky as they have stellar boards with good quality which also support backlighting.
No idea if Ducky has any boards with orange backlighting however.
Although if you want to get orange backlighting and don't feel up to soldering, DrHubblePhD has a free soldering service and is a pretty cool guy. Just toss him your board and whatever LEDs you want and you will be good to go.

I would also suggest looking into what kind of switches you want. There is a world of difference between MX reds and say, MX clears.

If I recall the Shine 3 had orange as an option.

[Korth]

I believe you seek the Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Orange LED Backlit Mechanical Keyboard (Red Cherry MX).  Unfortunately, it looks long discontinued and out of stock everywhere.

Keycool sells a variety of mechanical tenkeyless Ducky rebrands/clones, including some *mostly* orange backlits - here.

I also found this Noppoo 87 LED (Lolita mx) mechanical keyboard.  One of the available colour options is described as red, but it looks like a sunrise red-orange on my monitor.

[rowdy]

KeyCool is rebranded Ducky?  I'm not sure that is quite right ...

Anyway KeyCool tend to use Kailh switches in their keyboards these days.

[motherbrain]

http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/search.php?keyword=&switch_id=ALL&size=ALL&man=ALL&key_plastic=ALL&backlit=Orange&interface=ALL&cord_length=ALL&usb_kro=ALL&ps2_kro=ALL&x=68&y=18&in_stock=on. what's available in orange led at Mk.com. I have one of these kbts and can recommend it.. unfortunately I think only the white kbts are available w orange backlighting

[jamster]

I've just gone through a bunch of soldering/desoldering to do an ErgoClear mod (on a plate mounted keyboard). Unless you're exceptionally skilled with your hands, I'd suggest that as a novice solderer, stay the well away from the idea of replacing LEDs.

On my KUL ES-87 PCB, the holes for the LEDs were significantly smaller than the holes for the switch contacts. They looked about half or less of the diameter of the switch holes. Some of the LED holes were impossible to clear out cleanly and as a result I couldn't remount all the LEDs back in. I might have been able to do it with a much finer conical iron tip, but I didn't have one and wasn't about to go searching for additional tips for a soldering iron for 4 LEDs. This wasn't an issue for me, as I dislike LEDs on keyboards anyway so I don't have them for anything, including capslock and scroll lock.

If you're considering replacing all your LEDs, at least try to figure out whether the PCB holes for the LEDs are a friendly size.

[Korth]

KeyCool is rebranded Ducky?  I'm not sure that is quite right ...

Anyway KeyCool tend to use Kailh switches in their keyboards these days.

I'm not sure about Keycool (re)branding either.  Just going off some Alibaba internet hearsay, lol.

These Kailh switches not good?  Never had opportunity to try any, but aren't they designed to mimic Cherries?  I would be sorely disappointed if Kailh-Cherry keycaps weren't interchangeable.

[rowdy]

KeyCool is rebranded Ducky?  I'm not sure that is quite right ...

Anyway KeyCool tend to use Kailh switches in their keyboards these days.

I'm not sure about Keycool (re)branding either.  Just going off some Alibaba internet hearsay, lol.

These Kailh switches not good?  Never had opportunity to try any, but aren't they designed to mimic Cherries?  I would be sorely disappointed if Kailh-Cherry keycaps weren't interchangeable.

They were designed as drop-in replacements for Cherry MX, but unfortunately many of the older batches had quality control issues.

Given that some of the bigger keyboard manufacturers have started using Kailh switch, though, I would guess that their quality has improved considerably.

Now we have Gateron switches too!

[Korth]

Gateron, eh?  I'm so behind the curve on keyboard technology, haha.  Been looking at those fancy new "SteelSeries QS1" (Apex M800) and "Logitech Romer-G" (G910 Orion Spark) keyswitches - love the LED-in-stem backlighting.  Too bad the only keyboards using them look comically/tragically fugly and ridiculous, and too bad they're so stupidly overpriced.

[rowdy]

Gateron, eh?  I'm so behind the curve on keyboard technology, haha.  Been looking at those fancy new "SteelSeries QS1" (Apex M800) and "Logitech Romer-G" (G910 Orion Spark) keyswitches - love the LED-in-stem backlighting.  Too bad the only keyboards using them look comically/tragically fugly and ridiculous, and too bad they're so stupidly overpriced.

For new products, generally, yes.  After their exclusivity expires you often see other keyboards using the same switches at a lesser price and often better looking.