The Oracle Answers

[Drest]

Dear Orable: do RGB backlit white ISO TKL or full keyboards exist?

[Nuum]

Yup, the Ducky One TKL is available in white and ISO.

[Drest]

Where? I can't find it, can you point me in the right direction D:

[shreebles]

Where? I can't find it, can you point me in the right direction D:

https://geizhals.eu/?cat=kb&asd=on&asuc ... 0one%20tkl

In Italy:
https://www.amazon.it/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... ky+one+tkl

[Mupo]

Oracle, I need help again. Are there any chance for a cherry switch and caps ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACCESS-AKE0CT ... SwuxFY1QC1
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Access-IS-Poi ... 7qTvNeT3Tg

p.s. That's answer me: http://www.access-is.com/pdf/AKC104_Pro ... uchpad.pdf

[kbdfr]

Oracle, I need help again. Are there any chance for a cherry switch and caps ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACCESS-AKE0CT ... SwuxFY1QC1
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Access-IS-Poi ... 7qTvNeT3Tg

p.s. That's answer me: http://www.access-is.com/pdf/AKC104_Pro ... uchpad.pdf

What is your question exactly?
Are you looking for switches, for caps, for a POS keyboard?
Or were you asking whether those boards have Cherry MX switches? (Yes, they have, but that would be a very expensive sourrce.)

[Mupo]

I like those yellow keycaps, and the board also, the fonts looks good for my eyes. Yes, Im looking for bizarre color mx keycaps

[citrojohn]

[...]bizarre color mx keycaps

Yes, POS keyboards often have coloured caps. There are also coloured tops for relegendable caps, again for POS use, eg

And as far as I know all Access-IS keyboards are MX, and also all Tipros except the very early ones.
NB: these POS keyboards don't always use a standard profile - Tipro have two of their own. Don't know for sure about Access, but the ones I've met looked more conventional.

[andrewjoy]

Oh wise oracle.

do you know if tis possible to get macintosh bottom row keys for a G80-11914 ( black)

[Stabilized]

I like those yellow keycaps, and the board also, the fonts looks good for my eyes. Yes, Im looking for bizarre color mx keycaps

Access-IS keyboards have their keycaps made by Signature Plastics. Quite a few of the letter and number keys are double shot, but a lot of the larger/less conventional keys are laser infill. Bear in mind that any key bigger than 1u will be designed to sit over multiple switches: so a 2u key sits over two individual Cherry switches.

[oropeth]

Oh Mighty Oracle,

What would be my options, if any, fulfilling the following criteria?

Requirements

• Available
• Standard TKL
• ISO
• Cherry MX compatible
• Non-floating

Optional

• Programmable
• Non-backlit

[Darkshado]

The WASD V2 would check all the boxes except the "Programmable" one, and there are ways around that.

[oropeth]

The WASD V2 would check all the boxes except the "Programmable" one, and there are ways around that.

Thanks for the input!

It pretty much came down to Filco or Wasd V2. I went with a Wasd V2, a barebones NovaTouch ISO, a Norbauer case, two /dev/tty keycap sets and two hasu USB to USB converters.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[nnc-tlb]

Dear Oracle,

I looking for a full size keyboard for the new Matt3o /dev/tty keycap set.

req.:
- form factor 100%
- ANSI Layout
- default bottom row (7x 1.25, 1x 6.25)
- context menu key (right)
- 2x win/os key
- grouped F-row keys (3x 4 keys)
- no backlit needed (if it comes with, I must be able to switch it off)
- tactile non clicky mx compatible switches (see below)
- available
- shipping to Germany

opt.:
- no red or blue status LEDs (white, green, yellow, orange is ok)
- no multimedia keys needed
- no obnoxious branding
- programmable

still undecided:
- mx browns (50g) or mx clears (70/75g) or gateron browns (50g) or purple zealio (62, 65, 67g)
- style of stabs

the CODE comes pretty close, any competition ?

[nnc-tlb]

I`m answering my own question.

After passing on the drops @MD for the WASD v2 and the CODE I bought a Perixx PX-5200 BR.

Why no WASD v2 or CODE ?
- too many reports about ping (aka not worth the money, I can have less ping for less money)
- price (shipping to Germany and VAT)

The Perixx PX-5200 BR checks all my requirements.
Formfactor is even a little more than 100% because of the 8 dedicated macro keys.

Sadly status LEDs are blue, but I plan to replace the shine through keycaps with solid ones and I hope then the blue status LEDs will be more subtle.

The keyboard is not programmable but I can record 8 marcos w/o a fancy software (which runs only under windows).

There is no MX Clears version available so went for the MX Browns.

And yes there is an ping, but mainly not from bottoming out the switches but from knocking on the case.
Following keys are pinging:
Y (a lot)
backspace (not much)
scroll lock (very much, but who cares)
pause/break (a lot)

[arkanoid]

Dear Oracle,

I have two Omnikey Ultras, and I think one has a dead controller. Is it possible to read a firmware from the other keyboard and write it to a new microcontroller (Siemens SAB 8052B-P)?
I guess I need a EEPROM writer or something, but I don't know where to start. Is there any info that I can refer?

[OleVoip]

The SAB 8052B microcontrollers were onle mask-programmable, ie, could only be programmed by the chip manufacturer. There might be modern pin-compatible processors with flash or eeprom, but I don't think you can read the ROM from outside such that you could copy it into the new chip. What I've done in a similar situation is replace the 40-pin microcontroller by a teensy++, where you have full 8-bit ports, which makes it easy to interface to the system bus.
Then you don't need to rewire anything besides the connection to the controller socket.

[arkanoid]

The SAB 8052B microcontrollers were onle mask-programmable, ie, could only be programmed by the chip manufacturer. There might be modern pin-compatible processors with flash or eeprom, but I don't think you can read the ROM from outside such that you could copy it into the new chip. What I've done in a similar situation is replace the 40-pin microcontroller by a teensy++, where you have full 8-bit ports, which makes it easy to interface to the system bus.
Then you don't need to rewire anything besides the connection to the controller socket.

Thanks for your advice. That should be a good starting point. I don't think I can program all the functions that the dip switch in the board does, but at least would be able to make the board work again through USB.

[ghos7ear]

I am getting an issue of double or sometimes even triple key presses on two chinese mechanical keyboards. Keyboards are Motospeed Inflictor CK104 and Tesoro Excalibur, latter one with Cherry MX Blue switches. Issue happens on 3 different Windows 7 PCs, under safe mode, while no issues from 5$ membrane keyboard so its definitely keyboards fault. My guess is that it is faulty implementation of n-key rollover feature as sometimes extra presses come out with delay so word "test" can become "testt" or "tests" or even "testss". This issue renders both keyboards unusable especially since I do programming. The question is what can be done about it, how this problem is even called so I can google more about it? Thanks.

[depletedvespene]

Oh wise Oracle, whose switchiness shall be not be doubted upon and whose custom-printed PCBs never corrode, this lowly follower wishes to humbly ask this question:

What is the, currently under production, silent (or as silent as can be) switch that feels closest to a buckling spring?

[DustGod]

Oh Oracle,
are new old stock Space Invaders worth it? I can probably grab a keyboard with them for 30€ plus shipping or so, but there's no way to know what type of Space Invaders it mounts in advance.

[The Keyboard Oracle]

there's no way to know what type of Space Invaders it mounts in advance.

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: The sun doesn't just hangeth on one family's tree.

[typhson]

Dear Oracle,

I'd like to find a keyboard with following features:
• 60% (or something like the Choc Mini)
• ISO-Layout or ANSI-Enter + Iso Shift
• Red's or Browns
• Backplate would be nice

[DerpyDash_xAD]

Dear Oracle,

I have one need - a MX unix layout board.

plox send halp

[marco75]

Oh mighty oracle

Seeking a mechanical keyboard to satisfy my preferences has proven difficult.

Full size 104 key
Cherry MX Red switches
Classic key markings (numbers on the bottom, shifted symbols on the top)
Numpad with numbers and arithmetic symbols only, no redundant Home/End/PgUp etc.

The most suitable is the custom layout I chose at wasdkeyboards.com, as shown in the attachment.
I understand that the cursor movement markings on the numpad is traditional, but perhaps those 10 keys could be replaced with custom caps?

The price ($320 AUD) seems extravagant however, might there be a cheaper alternative?

I would be grateful for your advice or a hint to point me in the right direction.

My dream keyboard

wasd keyboard layout.png (91.33 KiB) Viewed 6422 times

[goerik]

Hee Hackety Haw

I desire a 60% as close as possible to a HHKB with Cherry Switches.
Most important part of the HHKB for me: Right SHIFT = SMALL + FN directly to the RIGHT.
Prefer not to buy from China.

HHKB --problem with it is the Topre 45g is too hard on the joints of my fingers.
POK3R will NOT do the job. I'm typing on the annoying thing right now.

[Relyas]

Oh, mighty Oracle, thine wisdom I implore!

I seek a keyboard to compliment my new Dell Precision 27" AIO workstation.
Wish desires are thus:

• a metallic case and plate that more-or-less match the one or both of the grays on the all in one

• MX Brown switches or something equivalent, but not low quality

• TKL is preferred, but full would work. Nothing smaller than TKL

• Minimalism and design are paramount

I thank you, oh gracious Oracle!

[Zobeid Zuma]

Oh wise oracle! Please help me solve this mystery. . .

Is there any fully programmable TKL?

[Hypersphere]

Oh wise oracle! Please help me solve this mystery. . .

Is there any fully programmable TKL?

There are programmable replacement controllers for some TKL boards. You could also get a Hasu USB-USB converter for virtually any USB keyboard.

[TuxKey]

Hi marco75,

Full size keyboards ar not that difficult to get (not really my thing).
And MX-Reds are pretty standard and preferred by gamers and linear enthusiasts alike.
Also not my thing i’m more of a tactile kind of guy. But hearing the guys of TopClack
talk about linear switches there is probably more to them than meets the eye.

$320 for a full size board with mx-reds is a bit on the high side if you ask me.
WASD keyboards are not that remarkable to me.
i much prefer filco or better yet Leopold.

Like the “Leopold FC900R PD Blue Grey ANSI MX Silent Red”

I have several Leopold boards and non of them disappoint me.
This board costs €132 from mykeyboards.eu but you can probably find it elswhere
and save sum shipping fees?

You could even grab a “Vortex G104 ANSI” without any caps and buy your own caps on massdrop or other groupbuy sites.
i know Mykeyboard.eu sells the Vortex boards without keycaps but don’t know if they have mx-reds that one is €93 to €101.

i would even prefer the “Ducky one” or the “Ducky Zero” over the WASD board.
To be honest with you the only benefit of WASD is the custom keycaps.
There is nothing custom about the board no special firmware or better build quality.
i have sampled a couple of WASD boards and i was not impressed.
Nothing bad and in a pinch i would certainly consider them but not over a Leopold or Ducky.
One thing i like about Ducky is the firmware they use it gives you a couple of extra shortcuts and layers.
it’s not fully programmable by a longshot but still better than nothing.


My advice would be, see if you can’t get the Leopold for less and source a couple of keycaps from third party vendors.
As soon as you use the word custom prices go up fast
Living in The Netherlands my self i paid around €300 for a board that was not even custom.
That was the FC660C adding customs fees 33% and a red esc key + a set of pbt spacebars and a custom HASU controller hahah..

Looking back it was worth it. in that case. So custom can be fun just a bit expensive too..