This is copied straight from the original reddit post. I guess being redundant here and there helps with future insane people who look at their GMMKs and ask themselves “now how do I run QMK on this?” Also this is assuming that pcgamingrace never come out with a GMMK variant that runs on QMK.
Motivations:
I like the idea of trying out different switches type and tuning the layout of my keyboard to suit my needs, but at the same time I’m not enthusiastic about owning a million boards with different types of switches and layouts. GMMK it is then. I liked the GMMK TKL I got for pretty cheap, but I wanted the numpad for games like Space Engineers and GTA V. GMMK full size for me then, but to my dismay I discovered that V1 boards have LEDs that protrude from the PCB. This meant that all the switches I have minus the Kailh box ones would be barely held in with the plate while tilting awkwardly at the same time. I wasn’t able to tolerate this, and I can’t wait for the Kira from Input Club. Another person would just sell the GMMK v1 and get the v2 which will have flush LEDs, but y’all know what I chose. I actually placed an order for the v2 before discovering a GMMK with S/N 201605 on eBay with Zealios no less. The board was perfect for experimentation since it doesn’t even have the GUI for programming macros in the first place. Anything I do to it, if that worked, would actually make the board better. Without knowing any better, I decided to proceed ahead with buying the board along with a Teensy 2.0 ++
The build process:
****-up cascade. That summed everything up. I got the stock PCB matrix wrong which led to the stupid decision to mod the matrix. You don’t mod the matrix unless the traces were all oxidized to oblivion. I went ahead and commit various atrocities against the PCB which resulted in one of the most retarded keyboard matrices ever known to man. Still, I fixed the mistakes I made, and somehow everything work in the end. I’m not going into details with the actual steps since I think no sane person should do this mod to their GMMK, especially if theirs were made on or after Jan 2017.
Conclusion and future stuffs:
Board worked well enough at the moment. This entire wall of text was typed using the modded GMMK donning some silent Gat Red and Black. I’ll probably find a case from a broken full size keyboard and see if I can fit the GMMK pcb in that thing or not. While the existing case is fine enough as is (kinda think about it, the wires tacked onto the PCB acted as a sound dampener), I think there is space for improvement. The massive hole on the bottom of the case is something I’d like to patch up.
Now:
Board still works fortunately. Added foam wherever foam could fit. Tacked on a bunch of antiskid pads because I had a bunch. Also got myself a customized sticker. Actually went around to get the gaping hole on the back tidied up to look nicer. Overall a great keyboard. 10/10 would do something this ambitious again.
