That space bar is big enough for you to use as a makeshift boat during flood.

optical switches should be fun to play with, especially for those who like linear switches. it's been around but there is a general lack of attention on them.

linear is the relatively simplest switch type. i just hope they innovate based on a balance between typing and gaming, because paying too much attention on gaming will eventually affect typing experience.

Thanks for the reply and thanks again for the clarification.
I am still considering if i should get the carbon + costar stab plate from the GB, just worried that it would affect the typing feel
And btw i have heard costar stabs are a bit troublesome when changing keycaps, so i am in dilemma now zzz

Thank you so much for this guide btw, just what i need while waiting for the board to arrive hehe.

Oh, by the way, want to ask something.
I own an iKBC F108, and when i take off the spacebar keycap today, i noticed that there are 3 smd LEDs for the spacebar, the problem is the left LED does not change colour (stays red all the time), and the right side LED does not light up as in picture attached. Is it normal?

This post has been edited by Deniece611: Jun 2 2018, 01:18 AM


Attached thumbnail(s)

well, you should i guess .. because now i can confirm that this carbon fiber plate + costar stabs work for gk64 pcb, with generic 60% cases. i have a 60% acrylic case lying around, so..



a note about costar stabilizers on this plate: they rattle quite a lot without lube. (i purposely leave the backspace stab alone for a bit for comparison) just apply thick lube to make it great again. they're just like filco's stabilzers lol

the acrylic case like this one is very light, and it sounds hollowed when typing on it. imo it will be much better in an aluminum case.

.. and it's really not that hard to change key caps if you used costar stabilizers. (pull the cap off the switch stem, slides it to one side, and it's done actually hehe)

edit: note that the wires are in the way to prevent switches from installing properly. just push each side of the wires gently away from the housing to detach them, and everything will be fine.

This post has been edited by horns: Jun 2 2018, 01:51 AM

it's normal. you must have triggered winlock (fn + f6), indicated by red led on the left of space bar.

you can actually refer to the user manual for the meaning of different colors, https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/bfd495_bd33e...f3f49bd5cd2.pdf

there is a new firmware for f108. however, please be careful with this one. if there is nothing wrong about your board, maybe it's better not to apply this lol ( it can be downloaded from https://www.ikbckeyboard.com/downloads )

Oh i see, guess i will get them then, hehe and i think i wont be getting the alu case, its too heavy imo for carry around with my laptop..
Btw i saw u install some box red switches, how does it feel compared to gateron/cherry red?

Oh i see, thank you for the information.
Anyway too late for the warning hahaha, i just updated the firmware, its done updating in just a blink of eye lol

there is this much lighter low-profile aluminum case. it's not that heavy imo. the acrylic case is very light tbh. it moves quite easily if there are no anti-slip pads.

kailh box red has a slightly shorter key travel distance (if you're a long-time cherry mx/gateron red user, it's relatively easier to bottom out key presses with kailh box); the stem has relatively less wobbles; they're slightly louder than unlubed cherry mx/gateron red (however, cherry mx/gateron red are quieter after applying lube); kailh box red is factory-prelubed, so there is no need to lube them again. (tested; no effects) i like them all, because to me they all have slightly different typing feels.

lol ok then yes the firmware update is straight forward but there is a risk of bricking the board if not handled carefully.

Oh i see, guess i should give box red a try. Thanks again for the reply & information.

anytime

.. and this is kind of unexpected. for portability purposes, i guess this acrylic case is the better fit for on-the-go people. both the carbon fiber plate and case are very light.

some levels of good typing feels are taken away because of the acrylic case, but costar stabs are good stabs; there are no sign of rattles for space bar and modifiers.

it looks kind of cool in dark places lol (tbh this acrylic case actually glows in the dark)

Before we always complain razer/corsair use non std bottom row
And now HP troll us back with out of this world spacebar

I'm running an optical switch keyboard groupbuy now in the facebook, GK61 RGB.
From the video, actually there are 3 vendors for the switches: Gateron, GK, A4Tech.
Welcome to try though.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MalaysiaMec...10467769189452/


Edit: Regarding the HP, GK are their OEM for HP. They have several models made by GK.

This post has been edited by quovadis123: Jun 2 2018, 08:44 PM

i'm perfectly okay with standard spacebar. i have no idea why they decided to reinvent it.... did anyone try it? lelz...

.. maybe they thought it's cool to have a space bar like that in the sea of mkbs

there are downsides regarding this gk64 custom build with acrylic case. this is an attempt to make a custom gk64 that's more portable:

1. less optimal typing feels; imo a better typing experience is realized if aluminum case is used (hefty ones especially). for the sake of portability, this should go.
2. like any other acrylic and plastic cases, it will sound hollowed. anti-slip mat can be added between the case and pcb to reduce such sound effects.
3. this case flexes (unlike stock cases, this one doesn't have supporting ribs).
4. some of the acrylic cases are warped slightly. although it's easy to fix, make sure check with the seller, asking them to double check for you, so that you can get a flat-straight case.

now, the good news:

1. this build is very light, very portable.
2. with the right stabilizer implementations, it really make a world of difference. to me it sounds like stock ikbc f87 (plastic case) or pok3r (aluminum case) with filco's spacebar and modifiers. (this is my personal problem: bad stabs alone can drive me crazy)
3. restores all other benefits of the gk64 pcb.
4. this set of costar stabs support thick pbt caps, a common issue with filco boards, especially space bar. it's a turn-off because thick caps improve typing experience rather significantly.

edit: all in all, this is what i want my portable gk64 to be, and i am ok with it, because the typing experience is still better than most prebuilts with plastic cases at stock. (prelubed switches and good stabs balance up those shortcomings imo)

This post has been edited by horns: Jun 4 2018, 03:05 PM

If i want to use PCB screw in stabs, only left 2U shift wouldn't fit right?
Btw is it possible to use screw in stabs for all other keys and use plate mount stab for left shift? (Sorry if its a silly question hahaha)

I saw this GMK screw in stabs from KBDfans, they mentioned that its both PCB and plate mount compatible, is that true? Because from what i read so far, screw in stabs are only available for PCB mount type.
https://kbdfans.cn/collections/new-arrival/...t=7383387242554

yes, there are no holes for pcb-mount stabs at 2u-shift. unless you make a custom top plate for this, it's not possible i guess (i haven't found any ready-made plates designed for this yet)

although gmk does have plate-mount and pcb-mount stabs, they are different. i'm not sure what that means either. (maybe it's related to copy-and-paste without proof reading hehe)


This post has been edited by horns: Jun 5 2018, 01:53 AM

guys, anyone know which site i can go to that isnt US based that I can do some custom keycaps like putting my username on the spacebar?

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=37810649913