I can type competently but my pinky likes to flirt with the caps lock key… Today I learned I don’t have to deal with this insubordination any longer and removed the switch leaf in that key. I am looking at you next [Ins]! 
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I hope you don’t have a qmk/via compatible keyboard. 
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More expensive than removing a switch leaf and probably not as elegant looking since no keycap, but this exists an an option too
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lol no just a Leopold now. I didn’t like the dip switch options. I am patiently waiting for an 1800 style to come up for group buy.
Neat I haven’t seen those. Thank you
Today I learned how to do port scanning on a keyboard.
what is port scanning you ask?
a keyboard matrix works like this: you have rows and columns. each row is activated (set low) in turn. then each column is read and state is updated. so the firmware will loop over each row and then loop over each column.
when you read a pin you actually can read all the pins on that port at the same time. so if we put all of our columns on the same port (b0, b1, b2, b3, b4…) we can completely eliminate the inner loop and instead just write the port value to the current row in our state matrix.
I have implemented the code is a custom matrix.c and tested it today with great success.
what is the benefit of port scanning? It is more efficient which is important for wireless applications or situations where we want to run more feature code during each scan cycle.
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By in large if you have a problem ask someone for help, the community, vendor and/or designer will genuinely try help. They want to see their products used/appreciated. Its really nice to see that passion in the community!
(sorry I know this sounds over the top and cheesy but I really mean it)
This week I had 3 really positive experiences reaching out to vendors and designers which I didn’t expect, shout out to keeb.io customer service, their discord and The Board Podcast. Each thing I was asking for was regarding an item that either was opensourced or cost less than $18. I was surprised at how quickly people responded (also very grateful because I was totally lost on something “simple” in QMK). I am not saying I have a strong personal relationship with all these people (though I am sure many people do and I can see why).
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Fun fact, if you have a Sirius it’s possible to use it with a negative tilt since the base can be put on backwards:
I can’t imagine it would be comfortable typing with the cable pointing towards you but at least I learned something from yet another dumb mistake 
Edit: Oops, you would have to cut a hole in the ‘front’ corner of the bottom or use a bluetooth PCB to make this work 
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That’s dope. A negative angle would probably be comfy with the board on a thin keyboard tray right above your lap.
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Totally agree, and the front bezel slope is pleasantly nostalgic. 
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Gorgeous boards, there. What GMK set is that - LUX? The black and gold looks awesome.
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Thanks! The keyset is GMK Spirit. The renders made it look like it would use a more dull yellow than Lux but now that I have it, it’s quite a bit brighter😅. I don’t think Lux has shipped yet but we’ll see if Zambumon manages to get closer to matching the color of brass.
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Oh cool - I actually prefer the way that looks vs the renders - closer to a metallic gold than I was expecting for sure.
I was doing a commission build for someone who wanted black and gold keys (Wake Forest U. alumni), so I still keep an eye out for them. Zambumon’s LUX renders make it look pollen-yellow (he seems to love that) - but I’m still holding out for one that looks like brass or metallic gold (vs yellow-gold); basically the mods from Red or Blue Samurai with alphas the same color.
Back to the thread topic…
TIL:
There are at least two different kinds of aftermarket plates made for the GK61x / xs:
-
One only meant to adapt the PCB to standard 60% cases
-
Another meant to replace the stock plate in the same case*
*(also works to adapt to standard, but has quite a few more holes)
I think this is kind of cool, but it’s a bit hard to know what you’re getting even if you’re familiar with what the plates should look like; I have one of each type after ordering what were ostensibly two different colors of the same item. (Totally not the same item.)
So - for now, I’ve mounted the replacement plate in the stock GK case. It does a lot to even-out how the keys rest; the stock plate is pretty warp-y, and the spacebar section is separate which encourages more inconsistency. I might have liked the lower-pitched, slightly less sharp “voice” of the other plate, but literally everything else about this fresh one is better; more solid, more consistent, a bit more weight - and bonus - not covered in ugly scratches from before I smoothed my switch puller. :3
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Getting in on a keyboard release and getting one before it sells out in 10 min. Is lucky. Finding the switches you want to spring, lube, and film takes a long time. Finally getting it done and ready to ship to get put together feels great.
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IFK cherry profile is ever so slightly taller than GMK. They don’t teach that to you in school.
Q - R2
A - R3
Z - R4
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This is actually a great TIL!
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But do they sitt higher or ride lower on the switch?
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All things being equal, they sit the same for sure. Of course, the length of your switch stem will determine how much higher they sit or lower they ride.
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I learned that even used Cherry MX reds feel like butter to the untrained fingers… WTF do Gateron Ink Blacks feel like???
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The differences in keycap weights might be worth factoring when considering what spring feel and acoustics you’re going for. Since all the below keycaps are designed to take up the same volume of space on your keyboard, the density (mass/volume) is what I was most curious about since that has such a large influence on the speed of sound.
Also, with the intro of springs actuating in .5 increments now, the difference between GMK and Cannon Keys keycaps might inadvertently nullify that slight increase in actuation force simply by having a heavier keycap. 
| Vendor | Weight (g) |
|---|---|
| GMK (ABS) | 0.806 |
| ePBT | 1.060 |
| IFK | 1.102 |
| Cannon Keys | 1.210 |
After some monkeytype, I must admit that the heavier keycaps are bit more chonky and just feel and sound premium, especially for cherry profile. YMWV of course.
GMK
ePBT
IFK
Cannon Keys
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