[GB] the Heavy-9: aftermarket housing for the Leopold FC980C and FC980M

Hi, will there be an option for your signature logo badge on the rear? Thanks!

Are people here looking to get the M in this case wanting that board specifically or just want this case and a MX switch board? I might have a few ideas to use something other than Topre in this case.

Personally, I want a 980C in an awesome housing. Though I think we have stumbled on the fact that the mx variant board could potentially work too. This is significant because would be the first custom housing (I know of) that allows the owner to switch back-and-fourth between MX and Topre.

In my mind, a silenced, but otherwise unaltered Topre is about as good as it gets. This perfection comes at a cost. The cost is the knowledge that there is nothing further to modify, nothing to make better. A fun part of this hobby (for me) is the “quest” to achieve that Topre perfection through MX switches. I’ve come close to making MX switch boards that I think could be better than Topre but there is always one variable I can’t control, that variable is the keyboard housing itself.

Potentially this board, if MX/Topre swapable, would allow one to build out an MX switch plate and use it in the Heavy-9 housing. Letting the user evaluate a newly built MX switch plate (with whatever fancy new frankenswitch of that time) against the Topre switch plate in the same housing. This keeps the hobby alive.

Another neat thing aspect would simplily be longevity of the keyboard housings. 980M’s are plentyful, while 980C proportionally much more rare. 10 Years from now it will be much easier to source a 980M than a 980C. These housings, particularly the stainless steel variant will be around much longer than anyone alive on this planet today. So longevity of the part seems more applicable for these housings.

2 Likes

A very cogent analysis.

This is exactly what I am thinking. I have something in the works for another Topre housing and if all goes well, I don’t see why it couldn’t be translated over to this housing as well. With a little help from @norbauer of course. :wink:

2 Likes

the norbatouch supported this with some of the other coolermaster boards iirc.

Good point. Even I forgot that when reading the above statement. :sweat_smile: In any case, it isn’t very common.

Not on this one, I’m sorry to say, because the cable connector needs to be centered (due to the internal cable lengths).

That’s ok Ryan, you can just sign mine with a sharpie instead :grin::+1:t3:

1 Like

All of the Heavies-9 actually come with a fairly lavishly printed and bound “product passport,” which I’ll be individually numbering and signing.

9 Likes

I think I’ve narrowed down my choice but there is still the question of how many FC980C’s to preorder while available.
Ryan, can you confirm or deny the possibility of a polycarbonate version in the future?
Would love to convert my frosted norbauer hat-trick into a haul :smiley:

I preordered one last week, but I gotta admit, I’m a little worried about the mechanicalkeyboards.com preorders. FC980Cs don’t seem to be available anywhere (not even imported or resale) and 30g is a weird switch choice for the US market.

I just created a support ticket trying to get some confidence that their preorders will definitely be fulfilled eventually. (also dropped pointers to this thread and @norbauer’s shop page.)

4 Likes

Cool. Please do let us know what you find out. :slight_smile:

1 Like

My beige Leopold FC980c has the best story and I reached out so much for it and I would never consider letting it go.

I wanted a beige one badly and searched for a year. Found one used at a boy that has dwarfism and posted it on the forums. He was skeptical about sending it in another country. Found out his mother had a trip in my country and supposed to arrive at the airport in my city.

So I went to the airport and met his mother and she handed me the keyboard. She said it felt like she had an important mission :slight_smile:

Took me another year to aquire 2 x Novatouches to harvest for sliders, add keyclack v2 silencing rings and add a hasu controller.

This is the current final form ( + modded 6u centered stem DMG Spacebar and a few arranged mods&novelties afterwards)

Fc980c + GMK DMG

6 Likes

What a beautiful story - spread out over multiple years, with intriguing provenance, a sprinkle of serendipity, and a compelling picture to bring it all into the present :slight_smile:

For the spacebar - what all was involved in centering the stem? Any pictures bychance? I’ve never even thought of this problem before - but realize that I may have to become familiar, if/when I decide to go for MX compatibility on an FC660C/FC980C!

1 Like

@norbauer I’m not sure if this has already been answered elsewhere, but what mounting style does the Heavy-9 use? Is it top-mount, tray-mount, some sort of gasket-mount, etc.?

I don’t have a stock FC980C yet to check its mounting method, but I assume the Heavy-9 will use a different approach than the stock case.

@MrMunich a 6u centered stem spacebar is not so much a modification as it is about being at the right place at the right time. Custom GMK sets will run with optional spacebar kits. Runners will sometimes put a 6u centered stem spacebar in the spacebar kit. For instance GMK wavez has a centered 6u spacebar, so does GMK DMG as shown above.

EDIT: looks like GMK DMG base kit included 6u centered spacebar. So it varies

It is top mount—and probably gasket-compatible if you wanted to cut your own, come to think of it.

2 Likes

While you wait for a reply I’d remain optimistic if I was you. mechanicalkeyboards has a good reputation of filling preorders. The odds are especially good if the Orders Arriving field under preorder information says “all to date”. This means they are expecting a certain number of boards and the number of pre-orders has not exceeded the number of boards they are expecting. If the preorder was oversold then that field would contain an order number indicating the last order expecting to be filled. Not to mention I also pre-ordered the same board last week and received mysterious tracking information today, but the order has not been received by FedEx, so I can not say with any certainty they are shipping yet.

1 Like

For sure! I’ve had great luck preordering with mk before. And they have great customer service, and I’ve seen an item I preordered sell out of preorders, so I agree.

I’m optimistic, but I don’t think I’m “spend $600 on a beautiful aluminum albatross” level optimistic. :grinning: