Maybe your totem grew arms and legs to get back onto your desk.
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I like it! The thread isn’t very active lately, but there’s a thread devoted to this exact thing and you should cross post:
It’s fun to see all the other combos.
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If you’ll allow me this flex… This is my “desert island”-board / “pride and joy”-board / “I spent way too much on this”-board. If I had to give up my whole collection besides one, it would be a tough call with the vintage Advantage I have and this, but this would probably be the one that gets saved.
- Signature white top case with sound deadening
- Stapelberg controller with USB-C panel jack
- Stock New Nixies
- POM plates on thumb clusters
- GMK Nord (Been using Nord theme in all my editors since 2017 I think)
- Red Eye Keyforge Shishi
- Mod Musings X-Ray Cable
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Man, I bet that thing sounds lovely
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So, I made another Geist Totem. The specs on this one:
- SLS Printed 1172Pro Nylon Cases in white.
- ZMK with no internal batteries or power switch. Instead, these are powered by external battery bank attached via USB C cables.
- Dongle to allow these to communicate over USB to the computer.
- Ambient Twilight Switches that I spring swapped to Sprit 65G springs.
I really like how this turned out. I am VERY surprised with just how good these Ambient switches are with heavy springs. They are up there with some of my absolute favorite switches.
I think I want to fill in the Totem logos with black paint to really make this board pop.
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Christmas themed 
Dcx keycaps
Heavy 9 & red Leopold 980
Left a cool print in the snow and they will be drying out for a day now 
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So good, love the color combos!
Rule60 v2.1 with SMK 2nd gen clickies. I’ve put capturer red samurai on it after i took this photo. But not sure if i will stay with that set.
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Wooden bakeneko65 from fnctl.co
This has HMX purple dawn switches a newly arrived glossy KAM blanks. The keycaps are quite thick and feel great. Space bar is reverse banana (arched in the middle). It functions fine.
I’ve ordered more blanks from cbkbd two weeks ago but they still haven’t shipped.
Hope they’re not trying to Vala me. Can we use that as a verb yet?
8 Likes
Oof lol
NK_ Classic-TKL that my awesome lady got me for the holidays
- GMK Nines (w/ metal artisan) from the keycap vault
- Gateron Baby Kangaroos for snappy clacks
- WS Stupid Stabilizers for easy-mode building; just 205g0
- Otherwise stock PC plate and foam setup, sounds like this:
I’m very pleased. I’ll probably experiment with some other keycap profiles, switches, and foam configurations to see how they sound - but I’m going to enjoy using this as-is for the next couple weeks. Nines is still one of my favorite sets, and I’d forgotten how much I enjoy the Baby Kangaroos!
I think the chassis sounds and feels great, especially for >$100. More thoughts on it later, but I can already tell I’m going to be putting lots and lots of miles on this keyboard. 
I like the RGB light-bar thing. I like that it’s Tsangan but not F-13. I like the stepped caps support. I like the color. I’d missed-out on the Tiger Lite the first time around, but now I’m not so bummed about that!
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It was announced on their discord that they would be shut down for two weeks starting on 12/16 and all orders placed in that window will ship afterwords. No worries not a Vala situation.
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Love the case, but I’m unsure on the black blanks. First thought were white, but the more I look at it, I think that would be perfect for 99 Cents
That would be a great look. If only it had coverage for a 65% keyboard 
Oh sh you’re right. Never really looked at the kitting myself as it was out of budget for me. Time to build a 40 with a similar case then 
Gotcha. They printed a shipping label on the 6th but it hasn’t made it to the post office yet.good to know they aren’t closing down.
I’m sure lots of vendors are backed up with work from holiday orders. SP still hasn’t fulfilled my order from the end of November 
1 Like
I’ve got my eye on the Classic-TKL as well.
I ordered the new Tiger Lite, so couldn’t get the Classic. But maybe in time.
Seems like the Classic would be a good platform for light tactiles, although maybe a 1.2mm PCB option would be nice. The copper plate is a bonus for people who want that luxury Filco feel. [Filco isn’t copper, but Browns will sound similar.]
1 Like
This is the best $24 keyboard I have.
It’s the Xinmeng M87 Pro. Picked it up with a 20% coupon from Amazon US.
In stock form, it’s a crisp and bright-sounding keyboard. However, for the Macaron Orange switches I was using, I wanted something lower pitched.
Mods:
-
silicone inner liner has been filled with little pieces of sorbothane, doubling the weight of the board.
-
gaffers’ tape mod
-
stock [plate-mount] stabilizers secured with fabric tape
Switches:
KTT Macaron Orange
The KTT Macaron Orange are relatively-clean, MX Brown-like tactiles. Being KTT, they are obviously smoother and more stable than Cherry. The bump is reminiscent of KTT Mallo, or maybe AKKO POM Brown.
I think that they are viable light tactiles. However, the stock spring is something like a 50mm long spring, and I think it is too abrupt. It’s stiff and punchy, which kind of mitigates against the MX Brown nature of it.
After testing, I chose the spring from the Durock White Lotus. It is light, but still poppy.
They are lubed with 3204, using lubed Durock White Lotus springs.
Using the board
Now, the switches are very reminiscent of MX Browns, but probably more consistent. I tried them in the Neo80, but they clanged and bottomed out harshly. The keycaps are Domikey Deep Sea (Hush) Tripleshot.
It gives a nice, creamy deep sound for the most part. The stabilizers are OK, except for the backspace key, which makes metallic noises once- in-a-while. Overall, the board has an excellent sound profile for $24. The weakness is the arrow-key cluster. It is not as dampened as the rest of the board. Consequently, the switches sound like their regular hollow mid-pitch, with chuffing sounds and the occasional ping.
This is actually the best-sounding board for my Macaron Orange. They are loud and empty-sounding, generally, but the sorbothane really helps here.
Ultimately, this is a very good budget board, once suitably-modified. It probably would have cost $50-80 back in 2021. But it will not replace your QK80, or likely even your Tiger Lite. The case material is basic plastic, and nothing about the board screams ‘premium.’ I do like the tasteful and reserved led strip under the nav. cluster. One potential aesthetic issue is that the thin groove bordering the top case may collect dust.
As reviews have indicated, the best use of this board is probably to allow a build using leftover custom switches. You can quickly make use of your switches for just $29. The plate is flexy and the M87 uses gaskets, so it’s probably a good idea to strip it down to the PCB when changing switches. You’ll want to use caution when hotswapping. I think the M87 Pro is an Attack Shark M87, but without the Bluetooth components.
It’s definitely worth buying this board, if you need something to pull together your extra custom switches, keycaps, and plate-mount stabilizers. I have a feeling that the improved Macaron Orange might also be good in the Transition Lite, with sufficient dampening.
7 Likes
You don’t see a lot of DMK Hush pictures these days. It really is a nice color way. I’ll have to dig my set out and throw it on a board.
2 Likes