What did you get in the mail today? (Part 1)

Reimu64 · January 12, 2023, 1:47pm

I have a board with these switches and they also feel quite bad, but maybe not as bad as yours, judging from the condition. Perhaps since the keycaps are off, you hoover

Do some of your switches also click on the upstroke?

mwb · January 12, 2023, 5:40pm

Got a long-awaited set in the mail yesterday (KAT Napoleonic):

(top board)

Quick Mini Review:

Dye Sub on the alphas is really good! The designer went with a serif-based font and the small details come across very well. (one exception being the " character where it seems that the 's melt together.
The mods have the unmistakable look of all-over dye sub where to me it looks almost like someone has paper maché’d the dark color over a lighter cap. It’s not a game breaker by any means but it’s very noticeable next to nicely subbed keys like the alphas and, as I said earlier, this just seems to be a property of all-over dye sub keys.
I’ve had two previous KAT sets cross my desk (Space Cadet and Refined) and they had terrible 7U spacebars that binded immediately and couldn’t even be pressed down. Not sure if Keyreative worked on fixing this or I just got lucky but the 7U spacebar for this set is very straight and is working perfectly with these old Durock stabilizers on the board.
Stem appears to be slightly twisted on the 2.25U shift but not nearly enough to cause an issue with the stabs (you can just see the twist a little).

kb123 · January 13, 2023, 12:49am

Well…I’m hoping to get my Tata80 today - it’s out for delivery, but the timing needs to be right for a friend to pick it up and drive it to where I’m holidaying they’re joining us for the weekend, so it could work out perfectly - cross your fingers for me

Deadeye · January 13, 2023, 5:31am

This week, a day apart:

A custom POM plate for the Portico made by HypeKeyboards.ca

Pretty much the standard Portico plate - just omitting the standoff holes, adding my monogram and website logos under the spacebar for fun, and of course being made of POM. I’m impressed by how well those came out.

Also a Portico! The metal one with a daughter board.

I put U4Tx switches in it and it sounds like this:

So far these are reminding me a lot of the JWICK semi-silents - but of course with a beefy tactile bump in the mix. They aren’t quite the same beyond that, of course - there is some interaction with the dampeners on the way down, unlike the semi-silents having a standard long-pole bottom-out.

These are still a little disorienting for me - but not as much as the semi-silents. Those really threw me off. The tactile bump helps, and so do the underlying thuds produced by the dampeners. These are very snappy, and also plenty smooth. Definitely on the stronk side.

ventamora · January 13, 2023, 11:38am

some of them do, some of them feel like very scratchy linears, some are binding pretty badly. none of them really feel tactile. those are the worst of the SMK 2nd gen i’ve tried so far.

d3L7r0n · January 13, 2023, 2:13pm

HypeKeyboards definitely knows how to make quality plates. I have a POM plate from them that will be going in my Snake when it arrives in the coming weeks. It seriously looks like an OEM part…

Deadeye · January 14, 2023, 11:54pm

Geon goodies!

Plate fork for the softies
POM + PTFE stems
Cherry Ego Clears
Geon Tool

The tool is larger than I expected, and heavy. Cool. Also if these are anything like the classic Ergo Clear, I see why people like them.

donpark · January 15, 2023, 4:55am

FYI, handle of common keycap puller makes decent plate fork, heightwise.

Extra_Fox · January 15, 2023, 5:50am

I also frequently use spudgers in the plate fork role. They’re a little oversized for the job, but their wedge end is handy when installing a switch on the perimeter.

Andreas · January 15, 2023, 1:02pm

True to some original Commodore cases.

Neprawda · January 15, 2023, 4:14pm

Emogogo

Summary

Something seems to me that the ruler does not have 62 grams.
And more. They are hard to press. The sound is specific.

The tactile is also heavy. Slightly higher than average tactile, and sharp.

kb123 · January 16, 2023, 8:26am

Tada the Tata80 arrived

Not sure why they didn’t just keep the Eiffel name…(copyright issues?)

Nice box detail that makes it nice and easy to open - a small detail I didn’t know I would appreciate so much

All the things! I think I got two sets of swan gaskets?

Love the detail!

Looking forward to building this in the next few days!

pixelpusher · January 16, 2023, 5:10pm

lovely colors

let us know how this flexiboi feels

ventamora · January 16, 2023, 5:52pm

Nothing keyboard related as i’m waiting for taobao packages and some factory sample orders, but i’ve finally managed to get FF Tactics for the GBA, finally completing my GBA FF collection.