I feel completely overwhelmed trying to enter the hobby

Learning and discussion
21

Enjoy, everything important at start if you collected all parts

3 Likes
22

Yes! Fellow grad of KB university, it got all the technical info to get started.

1 Like
23

U can use any gazzew switch, the outemu hotswap can be kinda iffy at times tho.
Here are some links.
u4t tactile Gazzew and Boba U4T Thocky tactile switches – Ringer Keys
u4 silent tactile Gazzew and Boba U4 Silent Tactiles – Ringer Keys
bobagum silent linear Gazzew and Boba U4 Silent Tactiles – Ringer Keys

2 Likes
24

Have you tried lubing your switches? That is what I did with my pok3r cherry clears first, to see what all the fuss was about. I couldn’t go back to stock after that.

Then like Don says I started reading a lot about what people have said and are saying now to see what I might like or what might improve my pok3r (plate swap, stab swap/mod, case swap, etc). I also picked up a pok3r because I could not get my hands on a 65% and turns out arrow keys are nice but not necessary. Layers were super fun to learn because its fully personalized. It can be exciting to test new/unknown to find that you might like something you thought you wouldn’t.

I know the above doesn’t all apply to your situation with a redragon but just sharing my first steps…which got me hooked hard haha

2 Likes
25

You’re at the really fun part where everything is new in the hobby!

The path I went down is:

  1. Find switch preference. Start with whether you like clicky, tactile, or linear. Grab switches from different brands in your favorite switch type. You’ll see what brands you like or don’t.

  2. Repeat step 1 as your preference changes with the season early on.

  3. Give a 60% board a try for a couple of months. See if you can learn to like it because it will open up a ton of options in the hobby.

  4. Try different switch profiles to see what you like. You’ll want to buy a cheap but nice set like ePBT or Gateron for Cherry profile if you don’t want to shell out for GMK. Then compare that against your OEM switches your board came with. Do you like the shorter Cherry profile or do you wish they were taller? Did you like the way PBT felt or was it too dry? You’ll start finding your preference.

  5. repeat step 1 again because your preference may change again.

  6. see if you bonded with a 60% layout yet.

  7. if you have, start going through cases to see if you like high angle or low angle. Big bezel or small. Rounded corners or sharp. Aluminum or polycarbonate.

  8. As you build different boards, intentionally buy different plate materials. Do you like solid steel? Do you like the higher pitch of a metal plate on bottom out? Do you like the more muted bottom out of a carbon fiber or polycarbonate?

Importantly though, take it one thing at a time. You don’t need to find your preferences right away. In fact, put that off as long as possible, because that’s when things get boring.

I’ve been in the hobby for years, and I have my preference really cemented, and in a way it’s made things less fun because I feel that I’ve been at that “end game” place for a year or two now and it does deplete some of the excitement.

Lots of fads come and go in this hobby and really fast. Don’t chase the fad of the day, just key in on what you actually like. My preference is the non-flashy stocky cherry blacks on a carbon fiber plate in an HHKB layout for MX. And the only boards I use anymore are just my HHKBs with stock Topre domes.

4 Likes