Heyyo

[Mad_Maxx]

Hey everybody.

New to geekhack, but I've been on r/mk for about a year, and I've lurked plenty on all the forums. Started interest in mechs when I walked by someones room my first year in college and heard the clicking of blues. Instantly intrigued.

Started with a Poker II with blues, and liked it, but I wasn't in love. Tried a few boards, and got a switch tester, and decided that I wasn't a fan of any cherrys, so I impulse bought an HHKB. Reeeeally liked the HHKB, but again, was not in love. I wanted to try out an ergodox, but also try out matias, which sounded like they might suit me. So I made a matias ergodox, which was pretty fun, but now I'm on to the next one, in pursuit of perfection. Also met a geekhacker irl this year at school, which was awesome to actually talk to someone that was also interested in keyboards. It was a big the reason I started browsing here. I've avoided getting involved, because honestly I still really struggle with the forum layout, but I'm tryin.

I'm currently a mechanical engineering undergrad. I golf, ski, play some league, and am even in a frat.

I like reddit, contrary to a lot of geekhackers apparently, but it seems that geekhack has a lot more creative modding, and more technical community interaction. I love non-standard customs, (the Alumaplop is freaking awesome) and I hope that I'm able to be involved more on his forum. Thanks for reading!

[rowdy]

Welcome to Geekhack!

What do you not like about the keyboards you have tried so far?  It's a pretty representative range of layouts and switches so far.

[Mad_Maxx]

Welcome to Geekhack!

What do you not like about the keyboards you have tried so far?  It's a pretty representative range of layouts and switches so far.

Thanks!

Overall I did like each board, and cycled through them all periodically, but none were goldielocks perfect.

Poker 2 w/ blues - First 60%, but instant fan. I got used to the layout pretty quickly. What I didn't like was:
(a) blues aren't that great. It's like the click is made up with the sound, and it really doesn't exist in feel. Instead it just feels a little unsure, and almost mushy.
(b) While I liked the feel of thick PBT caps, they really mute that nice snappy click, and took away blues only real advantage.

HHKB 2 - Liked the layout. Really liked topre. That thock can't be overrated. But I just didn't really like the force curve. While they feel oh-so-satisfying, I couldn't help bottoming out, and it just bugged me a bit.

Matias 'Dox - The layout concept is awesome, but it really doesn't feel optimized to me. I don't think I'll ever be able to back to standard stagger and layout, so I now need to try and make a layout thats going to suit me best. The matias switches are neat, definitely way different than cherry. I like the way the click feels and sounds, but they seem, as some others have said, "crunchy".

WASD Code w/ clears - Terrible caps. Liked clears, but they're a little sluggish. Skipping across sludge almost. Good and bad.

Poker 2 w/ ergo-clears - only typed for a minute, but too light, and not a defined enough bump.

K70 - No. Bad caps, and I can't stand reds. theres nothing going on.


I've tried a few other boards as well, but all in all I don't think there is a perfect switch out there, so instead I am now in pursuit of the perfect layout.

[rowdy]

That's some very good descriptions there )

I switched from Model M back to MX blue, and "mushy" describes the blues quite well.

I like HHKB, but then I bottom out all the time (even on MX blacks and greens, and Model M), so I didn't really notice.

[Mad_Maxx]

I still do bottom out most of the time, but it was the forced bottoming out that bugged me for whatever reason.

The board that im working on has blacks, and I either bottom out or don't actuate it, so it's probly going to take a little practice until I get it just right. Hopefully anyway.

[Hoaryhag]

Try the gateron blacks.  Have yet to put them on my board, but my cherry reds are getting less scratchy as I get them broken in.  Also I'm getting used to not bottoming out and I'm afraid the gat blacks might be a bit stiff for me now.  Plus I've been doing some soldering on some other projex so haven't really had the time yet.  Lemme know what you think compared to the reds if you do.  Or maybe some others can chime in.

[rowdy]

I still do bottom out most of the time, but it was the forced bottoming out that bugged me for whatever reason.

The board that im working on has blacks, and I either bottom out or don't actuate it, so it's probly going to take a little practice until I get it just right. Hopefully anyway.

Despite your dislike for MX clears, it might be worth giving them another try.  The stiffness of blacks with that little tactile bump so you know when they have reached the actuation point.

[Mad_Maxx]

Try the gateron blacks.  Have yet to put them on my board, but my cherry reds are getting less scratchy as I get them broken in.  Also I'm getting used to not bottoming out and I'm afraid the gat blacks might be a bit stiff for me now.  Plus I've been doing some soldering on some other projex so haven't really had the time yet.  Lemme know what you think compared to the reds if you do.  Or maybe some others can chime in.

I actually am using gateron blacks for my custom! I really like them, but they're just a little too stiff for my liking, so i think im going to put 65g springs in them, and lube em up. I've only tried ergoclears when it comes to custom springs, so I'm probly going to try a few different weights.

I still do bottom out most of the time, but it was the forced bottoming out that bugged me for whatever reason.

The board that im working on has blacks, and I either bottom out or don't actuate it, so it's probly going to take a little practice until I get it just right. Hopefully anyway.

Despite your dislike for MX clears, it might be worth giving them another try.  The stiffness of blacks with that little tactile bump so you know when they have reached the actuation point.

I most likely will again at some point. I still have to try clears with some nice thick pbt, so I'm not ruling them out yet.

[rowdy]

Despite your dislike for MX clears, it might be worth giving them another try.  The stiffness of blacks with that little tactile bump so you know when they have reached the actuation point.

I most likely will again at some point. I still have to try clears with some nice thick pbt, so I'm not ruling them out yet.

See if you can get some SA profile keycaps - they are as thick and heavy as, and work really well with switches with stiffer springs (typed on MX blacks with Hack'd by Geeks SA keycaps).