Please share your experience using the keyboard!

[hoijui]

This is an attempt to get feedback from as many users as possible.

I have not used it extensively, but I am learning to write with a new layout, and have been using it for a few hours (split over many days) by now.

For me, the inner-most column of 3 keys is a bit too high, and the middle-finger stagger is way too high, almost half a key, I would say.
The rest works fine for me, if I rest my hand high enough.

[hoijui]

The resting place for my hands (palms) needs to be a bit higher then the top part of the key-caps.

The dials (used e.g. for scrolling) feel unpractical to me. I can not use them with the hand in the writing position, just slightly stroking them with the thumb, as they are too "stiff". I have to lift the hand up and grab them with two fingers and turn. at that point it becomes almost the same as moving the hand to the mouse and using the scroll-wheel.
This is not an Issue with KLOR of course, but with the potentiometers. I got me cheap, standard ones that have a "raster" (as in: they have "clicks", vs being "analog"/continuous). Maybe there are better ones that are much easier to turn; I imagine that could work better.

The screens: So far, I use them to show the currently activated layer. I did not feel like they would be useful for much else so far. One thing I could imagine, is to plug the keyboard into a battery-pack and then store the written stuff into a buffer on the IC, to later write out/copy the text on a computer. Then it would make sense to have a way to see what one is writing.

The LEDs: So far, I only use them in one fixed color and intensity, either on or off. As I have KLOR 1.3 with the original/old LEDs, it was a pain to solder, and I had to resolder a few multiple times, and still one of the LEDs is showing a slightly wrong color. I highly recommend a KLOR the 1.4+ version with the easier to solder LEDs!

[rrajaste]

I've found that using a bigger diameter knob helps with the too stiff rotary encoder issue. I use cheap tactile ones as well but with a larger diameter knob there's more mechanical advantage. Still not as smooth as I'd like them to be. I only use them for volume, they'd have to be far smoother and more thumb accessible if used for scrolling. Moving a rotary encoder to the thumb cluster might be a good idea, needs testing.

I don't use the screens either. I designed a 3D printed case with no screen cut out and instead made the MCU cover part the same height as the rest of the case and put some small 3D printed artwork there. Even for wireless builds I find it more convenient to have all necessary information be displayed on a dongle screen instead of on the keyboard. Going completely screenless is also an option, saves a bunch of money and you really don't lose out on much especially on wired builds.

As for the gasket mounted case in the description of this repository: I don't like how loose the cutouts are for Type C and TRRS. I think they could be made way tighter and still allow for a wide variety of cable support. Optimal solution would be using some sort of replaceable covers that allow for a tighter fit around the cable while still supporting many different cables. I'm currently working on a case design myself, maybe I'll get around to implementing it in a new design. Magnets are an excellent idea for joining the top and bottom half together.

DES keycaps work exceptionally well with this keyboard as they are to my knowledge the only MX size keycaps specifically designed for columnar keyboards. I really like the aggressive splay this keyboard has. Haven't tried out the trackball or haptic feedback yet as they are very difficult to source.

I personally don't use per key LEDs so I cannot say how good they are. LEDs for caps lock etc is definitely a good idea in v1.5, we could probably even take it a step further and somehow display which layer is active using those LEDs. I find capslock, numlock and scroll lock to all be equally useless so I don't have any of those keys and don't need LEDs for them, but indicating whether a "gaming
layer" is active or not is a good use case for them. I find it both cheaper and more visually interesting to use separate LEDs instead of a display for these types of things. Could even do some cool stuff with fibre optics. LCDs mounted over the MCU is a bit overdone by this point and looks kinda basic. But that's just my aesthetic opinion.

Having a palm rest is a "must have" for MX height case in my opinion. I don't use tenting so I cannot comment on that. Maybe I'll design an integrated wrist wrest in to the 3D printed case design I'm working on.

[hoijui]

Wooow.. thank you a lot @rrajaste !! That is excellent feedback ... all of it!
Still feel like I must be dreaming (just got up from a nap) ... this is the Open Source spirit at its finest!

[karuetech]

i'm loving the keyboard so far. i ordered the 1.4 version and the ks-33 pcb as well. i finished up the mx version and its a great time. i only wish i could figure out how to keep the screens on when installing a dongle with it to see how battery life is with this size keeping the rgb when the dongle is with it. i managed to mod the original case to fit a 2500mAh battery into the case and still find it acceptable height.

[rrajaste]

@karuetech where did you source the MCUs from and what do you use? I'm thinking about getting some N!N2 clones for a wireless build, but some comments online said the ones on aliexpress have QC and power draw issues. N!N2 are obscenely expensive where I live so Im really interested in alternatives. Do you use them in a dongle setup? If so how long does the battery last? Im guessing years based on ZMK power profiler 😀

[karuetech]

@karuetech where did you source the MCUs from and what do you use? I'm thinking about getting some N!N2 clones for a wireless build, but some comments online said the ones on aliexpress have QC and power draw issues. N!N2 are obscenely expensive where I live so Im really interested in alternatives. Do you use them in a dongle setup? If so how long does the battery last? Im guessing years based on ZMK power profiler 😀

so far playing around with the settings. i have two of these. one in nice nano officials and others i have the tenstar promicros from aliexpress. i really underestimated the RGB of things. no dongle, as i couldn't get the screens the display what layer i'm on if its not a master, but with the clones, with rgb at 1, i'd be lucky to reach a full two weeks. it really does suck the power. if i remember to power off the keyboard, that'll help. i have official nanos as well, but haven't finished building as i'm waitng for ec12 encoders for a lower profile knob and to put it with the ks-33 pcb i have

[dincercet]

Hi, do you consider this to be up to date for wireless implementation? I don't see people building with it nowadays. Klor seems to be the best layout, also in MX spacing. Maybe there's a more current repo that's reliable with this layout? I'd use Totem if I wanted choc, but I'm looking for MX. Not to mention the documentation is great.

[psi4j]

i managed to mod the original case to fit a 2500mAh battery into the case and still find it acceptable height.

Hey, you wouldn't mind sharing your case and the battery you used for this, would you? This is awesome.