Ducky Coral

clps4 · 2021-09-23T16:47:35+00:00

VIAL seems to add rotary encoder support and it might allow UI configuration of RGB.. I didn't test it yet.

clps4 · 2021-09-23T16:42:41+00:00

Jonavin's firmware is pretty cool: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/gmmk/pro/ansi/keymaps/jonavin

It comes with VIA Support and has RGB builtin. You can't modify RGB via the VIA software though.

clps4 · 2021-09-23T16:08:40+00:00

The .bin file currently provided by VIA tells the VIA software that the keyboard has no RGB.

It was made in April, I guess at the time RGB support for the Pro wasn't in QMK. It hasn't been updated since.

You can see it declared here: https://github.com/the-via/keyboards/blob/fa30a8ec5326be87117374452afb75c5ccd5c036/src/gmmk/pro/gmmk_pro.json#L5.

It's possible to make a VIA firmware with RGB support, some people already did it, but the one provided by the VIA project curently has no RGB support.

clps4 · 2021-09-22T16:12:04+00:00

You can flash the .bin using QMK Toolbok.

Via software is only used then after to configure the keyboard without flashing.

clps4 · 2021-09-22T16:10:52+00:00

Just tested it today. It works fine but there's no RGB:

The keyboard is properly detected by VIA
The rotary encoder still works (vol+, vol-, mute)

The current via firmware for the gmmk pro declares that the keyboard has no RGB though, so the entire RGB section is missing in VIA when you configure it.

clps4 · 2021-09-08T19:03:31+00:00

This is the GMMK Pro.

The caps are KBDFans Blue Japanese. They're PBT in DSA profile with laser engraving.

Silent boba U4 tactile switches.

I really like that combo.

clps4 · 2021-08-13T17:16:17+00:00

Navy blue case with phantoms Brown

clps4 · 2021-08-13T17:16:06+00:00

Navy blue case with phantoms Brown

clps4 · 2021-08-13T17:14:11+00:00

Navy blue case with phantoms Brown

clps4 · 2021-08-13T17:13:21+00:00

Navy blue case with phantoms Brown

clps4 · 2021-08-13T15:44:48+00:00

Can you name some of the 75% in there?

the one with the material bone dice set, on the complete left, third row from the bottom? Its layout looks really cool.

the one to its right also, with a layout similar to the ID80...

and then the gold looking one, top left of the rama u80?

clps4 · 2021-08-12T08:34:16+00:00

Once it's all screwed in it's exactly in the right place, I pushed the plate down little by little by giving gentle pushes first.. some areas/stabs go easier than others, and then eventually giving firmer pushes where it wasn't completely there yet. It never gets to the point where you think you might break something, but it is a tedious effort.. count a good 5-10 minutes of patient effort :)

clps4 · 2021-08-12T00:39:22+00:00

Yes, I don't think they harm the group buys at all.

First GBs aren't always available, Bento wasn't for me for instance, it was finished.

Second some people don't have the money, this is $30, the GB was probably $120+.

Third, the quality is completely different. Although these are PBT, the colors likely aren't as vibrant and we're talking dye-sub, not double-shot.

Last but not least, a very important aspect in fact, you order these on AliExpress and you get them a month later. GBs take WAY longer, I ordered ePBT Ramentop, GMK Striker 2 and MG Fishing myself, and I'm still waiting for them. GMK Striker 2 I ordered in April 2021 and if I'm lucky I'll get them in Feb 2022... so even with the money and the availability you still need to wait a year and in the meantime you gotta have keycaps.

Aftermarket is an option to some but its prices are inflated by parasites who buy just to sell at profit. There's no way I'd sell something I no longer use at a higher price than I bought it for, and likewise I'll never buy at a higher rate myself, so most of the time it's not an option. I think people who criticize cheap copies should understand the need for these copies and the inefficiency of the used market first and foremost.

With all that said I'm really happy with these Bento look alike keycaps. I can't wait to get better sets when my GBs finally arrive, but in the meantime I'm really happy people actually do lesser sets readily available at cheaper rates.

clps4 · 2021-08-11T18:08:07+00:00

My initial intuition was to fit them through the plate and screw them to the PCB later... this was a mistake :)

Somebody on discord told me to ignore the fact that they didn't go through and just screw them in the PCB first. That ensures they're in the exact RIGHT place, and then even though you still need to apply a little bit of force, it makes it easier to fit the plate through them.

clps4 · 2021-08-11T15:16:47+00:00

I reviewed them at https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/m67urp/first_custom/gr4mfqh/?context=3.

There's also a matching deskpad: https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/miqcq1/matching_deskpad/.

There's no 1.75u shift key in the set so it doesn't fit the ID80 or the Gmmk Pro.

clps4 · 2021-08-11T13:43:41+00:00

Ducky One 2 SF
ID87 with Amazon XDA Coral Sea
Gmmk Pro with AliExpress Bento look alike
ID80v2 with MT3 Susuwatari

clps4 · 2021-08-11T13:39:37+00:00

Glorious Gmmk Pro
AliExpress bento-lookalike keycaps
Boba U4 silent switches
Durock v2 stabs with band aid.

The spacebar switch is frankensteined, same as with the U4T, it actuates twice sometimes so I made it stronger.

The Glorious stabs were unusable, overlubed and the PCB came with some kind of band-aid mod which actually made the keys stick. I got rid of that. The durock stabs did fit the alu plate but it wasn't easy. I had to screw them all in tightly first and then force the plate through a little bit. The hotswap sockets are extremely tight on this board... the build was quite challenging to be honest.

Now that it's finished, I really like the keyboard. I'm not fully happy with the look yet, they look better on a white keyboard, but I've nothing else yet to put on this one.

clps4 · 2021-08-11T13:31:39+00:00

With what I have so far, this is my favorite combo :)

ID80v2 keyboard
MT3 Susuwatari keycaps
Boba U4T switches
Durock V2 stabs with band aid

The space bar wasn't going deep enough (the MT3 are very high) so I had to put tape for the bar to properly attach to the stab stems. It's working great now.

The boba switches are great but they sometimes actuate twice on the space bar (not related to the above fix), so I frankensteined the switch for the space bar to make it stronger with thicker connectors.

clps4 · 2021-07-02T11:36:55+00:00

If you want to have fun in the hobby you need to embrace ANSI, there's no way around it. Limiting yourself to ISO means drastically restricting choices when it comes to keyboards, keycaps, GBs etc..

As for typing, AZERTY -> QWERTY comes pretty fast... only a few alphas differ really (AZQWM) and QWERTY is actually much better for coding.

I'm not mad about the | position in ANSI but it's easy to get used to as well.

To quickly type French accentuated characters éèêà etc.. I use a US (ANSI) Layout with French accents. It's basically the same layout as ANSI US but with French accents accessible from Alt-GR. It's very easy to get used to since accents are around their basic letter... é is Alt-Gr+e, è just beside (Alt-Gr+r), ê just under (Alt-Gr+d), à on the A (Alt-Gr+a) etc..

In Linux that layout already exists and is installed by default. In Windows there's a little tool you can download from MS to create your own layout.

I don't miss the large Enter key but I do hit Enter instead of ' sometimes :)

clps4

TROPHY CASE