I choose mx black! but what now?

User avatar
Sev

06 Apr 2015, 11:42

After testing the most common cherry switches, buckling spring and topre I decided for myself that mx black I like the most.

Personally I don't know how to mod a keyboard or anything but I would also like to try all the variants of mx black. With different gold springs etc. Is there a way I can test that?

User avatar
Khers

06 Apr 2015, 12:29

Your best bet would be to get an old Cherry G80 which has PCB-mounted switches that you can easily pop the top off of. Thus switch modding, like changing springs and the like, is quite easy. Custom springs can be sourced from sprit.

amospalla
let's go

06 Apr 2015, 14:42

As Khers says, a g80-3000 is the easiest to mod. This is a black one for example. I've got the clear switch mode and this is my experience:

Pros:
- Not expensive
- Very easy to mod
- PBT keys

Cons:
- Design

I personally don't like the spacebar upstroke, is the thing that annoys me the most on this keyboard.

User avatar
Sev

06 Apr 2015, 14:55

I have a Raptor K1...can I use that somehow?

amospalla
let's go

06 Apr 2015, 15:03

Which cherry MX variant does it have?

User avatar
Khers

06 Apr 2015, 15:11

Raptors are MX Blacks afaik and pcb mount, but with some weird plastic stuff around the switches that you need to get rid of in order to pop the tops off

User avatar
HzFaq

06 Apr 2015, 15:12

Khers wrote: Raptors are MX Blacks afaik and pcb mount, but with some weird plastic stuff around the switches that you need to get rid of in order to pop the tops off
Indeed. They are one of the better Cherry boards though IMO, I love my Raptor.

User avatar
Redmaus
Gotta start somewhere

06 Apr 2015, 15:19

I have some vintage mx blacks FS currently if anyone is interested. I will be making a thread in the market place today. Be sure to be checking the market subforum at around 4 or 5! US central time.

User avatar
Sev

06 Apr 2015, 15:31

Yes, the raptor has cherry mx black switches and I enjoy them a lot. Is there a guide on how to remove the plastic?

Because since I don't like the layout of it that much anyway I could use it as a test board or something.

amospalla
let's go

06 Apr 2015, 16:09

Being PCB mounted, once you remove that plastic (I don't know what that plastic is) you can easily open switches and change springs.

User avatar
kbdfr
The Tiproman

06 Apr 2015, 16:35

On the other hand, it seems quite a shame to damage a keyboard with a nice black case, NKRO and USB cable when a used G80-1800 (same layout, beige, -KRO, PS/2) can be had for less than 10€ shipped in Europe.
I have several, if you are interested. Which national layout is your Raptor K1?
Sev: http://deskthority.net/help-f53/please- ... t1386.html

User avatar
Sev

06 Apr 2015, 17:59

I am austrian and my keyboard is french :p

IvanIvanovich

06 Apr 2015, 22:42

Oh yeah, the K1 has those plastic blocks around each switch... so it's about the same as if they had used a plate as the prevent the tops from opening in the same way... would have to desolder all the switch and pull them off. Probably better to find one of those €5 G80-1800 basic models, or maybe see if you can find a cheap price G80-1000/1500 and use that for your experiments.

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

06 Apr 2015, 22:50

Sev wrote: I am austrian and my keyboard is french :p
I am german and my keyboard is american. :mrgreen: And tomorrow it might be korean, but not french. That's for sure.
Last edited by seebart on 06 Apr 2015, 22:52, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
scottc

06 Apr 2015, 22:51

seebart wrote:
Sev wrote: I am austrian and my keyboard is french :p
I am german and my keyboard is american. :mrgreen:
I am Irish and my keyboard is Japanese! (Are we playing a game?)

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

06 Apr 2015, 22:53

scottc wrote:
seebart wrote:
Sev wrote: I am austrian and my keyboard is french :p
I am german and my keyboard is american. :mrgreen:
I am Irish and my keyboard is Japanese! (Are we playing a game?)
this game could go on quite a long time scott, but it might get a bit dull in the long run.

User avatar
Khers

06 Apr 2015, 23:00

Oh, you guys are playing a game! Can I join? I'm Swedish and my keyboard is Japanese :mrgreen:

User avatar
Stabilized

06 Apr 2015, 23:17

IvanIvanovich wrote:Oh yeah, the K1 has those plastic blocks around each switch... so it's about the same as if they had used a plate as the prevent the tops from opening in the same way... would have to desolder all the switch and pull them off. Probably better to find one of those €5 G80-1800 basic models, or maybe see if you can find a cheap price G80-1000/1500 and use that for your experiments.
Wait, what? I have a K1 (the DS version) and it's just a regular pcb mounted cherry board.
Already swapped out the stock black springs for gold 65g ones. I love the keyboard, just wish it was Winkeyless.

IvanIvanovich

07 Apr 2015, 21:20

Image
Some have these little plastic shims around the switch base, prevent opening.

User avatar
shreebles
Finally 60%

07 Apr 2015, 23:03

Yeah mine didn't have them either, which I don't mind :D

But CeesA told me about those pesky little things. He said he just uses a sharp knife and a pair of small pliers, and got rid of them on several K1s already.
Stabilized wrote: Already swapped out the stock black springs for gold 65g ones. I love the keyboard, just wish it was Winkeyless.
sigh... same.
I use the G80 118000 now - it's only one row wider than the 1800, I modded it with MX blacks, its winkeyless with 1.5u mods and a 7u spacebar - that means Cherry Doubleshots fit perfectly :mrgreen:
It feels a bit more solid than the 1800's, too. No tabs, but a lot of screws.

BUT the wonky layout means your F-row is essentially botched and you have to reach a lot further just to hit ESC and the navigation cluster. At least the position of the numpad right above the trackball is perfect. It can easily replace the functionality of the PGup, down, home etc. keys.

User avatar
vsev

14 Apr 2015, 09:58

Love the WKL 1800 too a Goupil one is my daily, really wish it could be nkro.. but don't know if 1800 WKL nkro were ever made.. I mean without trackball/pad just regular ones.Only way is to cut/mod one pcb of a 3000 or so to fit regular 1800 case, many of this mod have been made already I think, however quite serious one !

User avatar
photekq
Cherry Picker

14 Apr 2015, 13:21

Not all Raptors have those plastic skirt things. Mine don't!

vsev, you could maybe try to find a Leeku 1800 PCB :) It has full NKRO through PS2 or USB.

User avatar
HzFaq

14 Apr 2015, 13:29

Do the Leeku PCB's support ISO?

I modded one of my Raptors to have 1.5u mods on the left hand side, that was pretty cool comprimise I found. I'm not sure where that went now that I think about it...

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photekq
Cherry Picker

14 Apr 2015, 14:04

Ah, bollocks. I forgot about that. They don't support ISO :(

User avatar
scottc

14 Apr 2015, 15:03

HzFaq wrote: Do the Leeku PCB's support ISO?

I modded one of my Raptors to have 1.5u mods on the left hand side, that was pretty cool comprimise I found. I'm not sure where that went now that I think about it...
How did you do this? :shock:

User avatar
HzFaq

14 Apr 2015, 15:09

Drill and an old winkeyless PCB to use as a template.

Similar principal to that, the hardest part was repairing the traces I drilled through, I ended up having to do a load of handwired repairs to get the board up and running again.

I'm sure I posted pictures of it, but looking back can't seem to find them...

User avatar
photekq
Cherry Picker

14 Apr 2015, 15:15

I will do that to my 5000.. One day..

I've been putting off buying a drill press for about 6 months :mrgreen:

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HzFaq

14 Apr 2015, 15:18

You've got bigger balls than me, I don't mind taking a drill to a €15 Raptor but to do it to a £250 board is something else :D.

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photekq
Cherry Picker

14 Apr 2015, 15:25

Big risk, big reward. Better spending £250 and drilling it to ANSI than spending $750 on an ANSI one!

I would take all the necessary precautions, of course. I'd get a guide laser cut.

User avatar
HzFaq

14 Apr 2015, 15:28

True, fair point.

I wasn't particularly clever about the way I did it to the Raptor; using a blunt drill bit in a hand drill between my legs, drilling through a hacked up PCB as a guide :D.

Your way sounds way more sensible.

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