Brand New to Keyboards, Trying to Find a Decent Catalogue
Brand New to Keyboards, Trying to Find a Decent Catalogue
Hello hello
I'm planning out a keyboard for the future, I've figured out the features I want, but I'm having a hard time understanding how to get them. The learning curve is steep, it seems.
Are there any websites that have a good filter for their databases? I'm trying to find quiet, low-travel switches. My plan is to put them on a Keychron V10 QMK Alice Keyboard.
For the keys themselves I'm going to try and find a set that's blank on top, but with the markings on the side. I've seen them in real life, I just haven't gone looking for them in real life. Then, I'll add stickers on top for an alternate layout. That way, I'll always have a visual reminder of which key does what, so long as I remember which mode my keyboard is in.
So far I haven't found a website that lets you filter by travel distance, which is annoying, because I can't put in the kind of work needed to look at every listing to find out the travel distance.
Thanks!
The keyboard you’re looking at is cherry MX based, and I have practically no experience in that area.
The first link that comes up for me in a search for a switch comparison sheet:
https://thegamingsetup.com/gaming-keyboard/buying-guides/keyboard-switch-chart-table
Oh my god! Yes! This is exactly what I need. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
So I thought cherry MX stood for that plus shape interface between the switch and the keycaps, is there more to it than that?
There's also how they connect to the pcb and electronics. E.g., dine switches are optical: can't use those on cherry MX compatible pcbs. Also cherry MX low profile switches have a different pin position, and a thicker center plastic pin.
My understanding is that Cherry MX compatible is both the board pin out and the key cap stem.
For short travel, you probably want either speed switches, kailh "pro" switches, or "long pole" switches. I'm not sure offhand the market for silent ones of those, though. There are a few websites that collate switch data, but they usually aren't really kept up to date with new releases.
Okay, I'll take a look at those! I've found a new websites with lots of listings, but none with any decent filtering mechanics beyond general categories.
Okay okay, I kind of had a breakthrough when I figured out I could use KeyChron keycaps to ensure that I had the right sizes for the space bars. Plus I need an extra B anyway and couldn't find sets like that otherwise. This forced me into keycaps with letters on top, but the second breakthrough was finding replacement stickers for Mac keyboards. Those have small letters so I'll cut them down and apply them to the side of each key for Dvorak reference.
Here's the build in my head:
##Empty Board
KeyChron V10
https://divinikey.com/collections/keyboards/products/keychron-v10-qmk-alice-keyboard?_pos=5&_fid=dc1643ec3&_ss=c##Switches
Haimu X Geon HG Red Silent Linear
https://divinikey.com/collections/silent-switches/products/haimu-x-geon-hg-red-silent-linear-switches##Keycaps
White on Black
https://www.keychron.com/products/cherry-profile-double-shot-pbt-full-set-keycaps-white-on-black-wob?variant=40176096575577##Stickers
MacBook Keyboard Decal
https://www.etsy.com/listing/469257863/solid-black-macbook-keyboard-decal##Wrist rest
Sexy Sexy Wood
https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-keyboard-wooden-palm-rest?variant=40255045730393This is, of course, a work in progress, but I'm happy to at least have a solution, even if it might not ultimately be the solution. I'm trying to find a side-printed keycap set that comes with an extra B somehow so I can relegate the QWERTY layout to the side. That way, I can use uncut stickers on top for the Dvorak layout instead of having ugly cut stickers on the edge.
So https://shopmech.com/ has a keyboard builder you can try out. They pull from a lot of the popular sites but it doesn't have everything. Alternatively you can try keeb.gg, there's no builder but personally I find the layout easier to use.
For switches I think switches.mx is exactly what your looking for. The only downside is that you can't sort, but the travel distance is outright a column so at least you can get that info pretty easily.