FC660C Modding

[Pennywise359]

 Hi everybody, I'm new here and I want to share my experience of modding a topre keyboard. I guess it is gonna be a way to introduce myself.

 I was always curious and a bit skeptic about topre keyboards, so I decided to get topre switch keychain first. I wasn't too crazy about it but I liked it, so I kept it on my desk.

 And day after day, week after week I started falling in love with it. One beautiful day I said screw it I'm buying leopold fc660c.
So here it is, my very first topre keyboard.

I was very happy with it, the built quality is great, I loved the texture of keycaps and that special feel of topre switches.
 How ever my commitment did not stop there, I wanted to have the baddest topre keyboard you can get. So I started dumping money into custom parts.
I started with hasu controller which I think is a must have. Then I ordered KBDfans MX sliders, BKE medium domes and JTK photo studio keycaps. The project was very ambitious as for me and I expected from it a lot!
Once I got everything I started working on damn thing.

 After hours of work I was pleased with result, ohh man she looked so beautiful.
I was so excited to try it out, about a year ago I would not believe that I'd ever spend about 500 bucks for a keyboard, but here it comes! My endgame topre keyboard!

 After some gaming and typing practice  I was amazed! It felt very different, it felt like doo doo... The buttery smooth  topre feel was absolutely gone, BKE domes were punishing my fingers with their excessive tactility(omg I always thought there is no such thing as too tactile), ABS keycaps did not feel that great either, as for me a cheapo 30$ set of PBT caps feels better then a 100$+ ABS, also it seemed to increase tactility even more. Also I expected way more from KBDfans sliders, they looked like their quality is even better then stock sliders, jeez I was so wrong even with krytox lube I could feel some kind of squeaky friction, like the sliders were getting a bit stuck at the top. So pretty much my 500$ masterpiece end up feeling like a cheap membrane keyboard. After all I had to bring it to stock condition except the controller.
 Here is my conclusion guys, It's really hard to beat topre quality and maybe it is not a great idea to mess with it. And please don't take me wrong I am not a snobish topre zealot, I enjoy some cheaper mx style switches a lot.
I guess that's it, thanks for your time. I hope it will help those who are iffy about "upgrading" their topre keeb.

Cheers!

[pixelpusher]

I tried the light BKE domes on my 55 uniform Realforce and had about the same conclusion as you.  I didn't like it at all.  Took all of the elegance out of the switch.  I now have ultralights in it.  They are much better, but I still prefer stock.  I have a stock Novatouch to satisfy my topre feels, so I'll probably just leave the ultra lights in the Realforce for now. (plus, I hate doing the swap and I'm lazy)

[sodiumjoe]

I have a variable setup with lights and ultralights, and I'm very happy with it. I've also done a type s slider swap, lubed, added dampening foam. I really like the feel, but even with type s sliders, it's still quite loud. I'm thinking about either switching out the rings that came with the sliders for kbdfans rings, or doubling up on rings to see if I can hit a better balance between tactility and silencing.

I do know what you mean about the bke domes causing fatigue. I started out with mediums, and while the tactility was satisfying, there's no way I could type for long on those. You might want to try the ultralights, though. They're still significantly more tactile than stock, but not nearly as fatiguing as mediums.

[nativejibroney22]

Oh man, this may be my dream setup as far as feel goes... Want to do this but with black case and the Lazer set coming. I am almost a fanatic when it comes to tactility so I lost my mind when I tried BKE domes at a meetup haha.

[jackcauliflower]

Damn, that is the nicest FC660C I’ve ever seen! Such a clean look


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kilgarah]

I've heard pretty much all aftermarket Topre/MX sliders are super scratchy and just terrible, aside from NT sliders. I'm just waiting until I can get a set of Hi-Pro Topre caps. I have yet to try BKE domes though.

[hilltopchill]

Those caps are great on that board! Have you thought about getting any blue artisans? I think that would work really nicely.

[Sup]

Yeah i also didn't like the BKE Domes it feels like a switch on or off no in between and to tactile. The best option is to harvest a Novatouch but that can be pricy. But they do feel smoother then any other Topre to MX adapters.

[rxc92]

What a damn twist, had me rolling at the end. FC660C is a great board, hope you can demod it to usability!

[Pennywise359]

Oh man, this may be my dream setup as far as feel goes... Want to do this but with black case and the Lazer set coming. I am almost a fanatic when it comes to tactility so I lost my mind when I tried BKE domes at a meetup haha.

I love super tactile feel and don't mind heavy switches, for example I enjoy halo clears a lot. But bke domes are just too much. Maybe later I will try to find somebody who likes his BKE domes and wants to sell his old stock 55g domes.

Those caps are great on that board! Have you thought about getting any blue artisans? I think that would work really nicely.

Well I did, but it is not happening no more, unless I try novatouch sliders and like them.

Yeah i also didn't like the BKE Domes it feels like a switch on or off no in between and to tactile. The best option is to harvest a Novatouch but that can be pricy. But they do feel smoother then any other Topre to MX adapters.

That's what I am thinking about. Also I am looking at realforce RGB it looks like a good source of sliders as well. Btw It is possible to swap for NT stabilized key housings as well? So I won't have to drill my keyboard or cut the keycaps?

What a damn twist, had me rolling at the end. FC660C is a great board, hope you can demod it to usability!

It is already back to stock condition. Just with hasu controller and lubed.