Rapoo V500 mech board

[Half-Saint]

I bought this board during AliExpress' 7th Anniversary Sale for $30.99 including shipping.

Currently on sale for $38.99: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-pro ... 0.0.NXQdpP

It was one of the cheapest mechanical keyboards I could find and Rapoo is a relatively known brand in Europe nowadays so I thought it couldn't be that bad.

Well, if you don't mind clone Cherry switches and rattling stabilisers, it's fine. I bought the "black switch" version and it doesn't feel like MX Black much. When I have more time, I'll replace some of the springs with real M Black springs just to see, if that helps. If not, the clones will have to take a hike and be replaced with proper vintage MX Blacks.

The keycaps are a bit on the thin side and the font is dark and slightly ugly. As far as doubleshots go, not the worst I've seen

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[darkholypl]

For the price you can't really complain much, me thinks. I've bought keycaps for more than this board

[Daniel Beardsmore]

That's something that I find curious. Both Tai-Hao and Vortex have managed to produce backlit double-shot keycaps without the stencil problem, yet even Topre have resorted to producing (or more likely sourcing from an existing manufacturer that uses) the stencil approach.

I still don't know why some manufacturers seem to be able to get this right while others cannot. Maybe one day someone in possession of such keycaps will figure out what's going on. I don't know where these horrible stencil keycaps come from, either.

What's more bizarre is that your keyboard isn't even backlit and yet they still use backlit legends. It seems that this is just done so that Caps Lock (and maybe Scroll Lock) lights up via backlighting.

[micrex22]

What's more bizarre is that your keyboard isn't even backlit and yet they still use backlit legends. It seems that this is just done so that Caps Lock (and maybe Scroll Lock) lights up via backlighting.

They probably produce backlit keyboards with those keycaps, and rather make a whole different set, they just reused what they had.

[Half-Saint]

Actually you're right. I tried shining a light through the legends and they light up great. Maybe I could mod this keyboard into a backlit one

[Stabilized]

How would you put a backlight in it? Does it have holes for LEDs?

[Half-Saint]

Not sure, I'll have to disassemble the board..

[Half-Saint]

I've been using this board for a week now and it's not that bad when you get used to it. However, I still prefer the original Blacks, no doubt about it.

P.S. There are actually white LEDs beneath ScrLk and Caps but they're so weak, you can hardly see them.