My To-Date Keyboard Journey
It’s Either an Evolution, or a Descent Into Keyboard Modding Madness
It started as just wanting a better keyboard.
The lineup
So it goes:
- Vivitar LVLUP Pro Gaming Keyboard — Picked it up from my local drugstore. Exactly what it sounds like. It worked, barely, and that was about it. STATIC RGB. Literally.
- T-Dagger Escort, T-TGK303 with custom retro keycaps — This one was built for me by my brother when I still had that first board. He ordered the board, already soldered and clicky, and fitted it with custom TVA keycaps based on the TVA’s pattern because that is what we were into at the time.
- Keychron C2 — My first real step up. Full size, white backlights, and stock Gateron Brown switches that were awful. I later put Akko Matcha Green Pros in it, turning the white backlights green.
- Epomaker TH108 — Plastic keycaps at first. It originally came with Epomaker Creamy Jade switches, then I swapped in Akko Rosewood switches. The Rosewoods had no diffusers either, and they made everything look orange.
- EPOMAKER X AULA F108 PRO — My current board. More on this one below, because this is the one that finally wore me out.
- Chilkey ND104 — Next. Already planned out like it is sitting on my desk.
That is either an evolution, or a descent into the rabbit hole of keyboard modding madness.
Probably both.
The board I built first wasn’t even mine
Before I even got my own TH108, I built a clicky board for my brother.
Another TH108, this one with Akko Creamy Cyan switches and custom printed keycaps of a “Power Rage” Camaro — the Acceleracers livery — on them.
At the time, I was still stuck on my Keychron.
I had that board hidden in my closet, and I played with it while no one was around.
It is still his current board.
He did not fall down the hole with me.
The current board, and why I kind of hate it now
The F108 Pro should have been great on paper.
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It is a wireless board with a screen, 104 keys, a 1.14-inch LCD screen and a knob, and an 8,000mAh battery. Mine is all black with white letters, ceramic keycaps, and Keygeek Y3 MZ switches.
The problem is the battery.
I charged it to “100%” and it was at 48% only hours later. That was with RGB at level 5, which is max brightness, so I set it back to level 2 to see how long it lasts now. Even accounting for the lights, dropping that fast is not right. It either dies fast, or it reports 100% way too soon — a full charge that is not really full.
It did not start great either. It came with Leobog Reaper switches that were REALLY LOUD and HORRIBLE. No wonder I swapped them out.
I did figure out one small win with it: I can just pry the knob off with a plastic tool that came with my Cerakeys. Nothing was damaged.
Still, I will not miss this thing.
The details that prove I am in too deep
Normal people do not have exceptions for specific keys. I do.
Caps Lock, both Enters, Delete, F5, tilde, and both Windows keys have Gateron Melodic switches — by design, so I know when I actually hit those keys. Every key has silicone rings under it, around the stems.
I also have opinions I did not used to have. I do not like side-print keycaps. I do not like how my Y3s darken my RGB — they have black tops and no diffusers.
My dream switch would fix that: clear nylon top, light diffuser, linear nylon stem, and nylon bottom. THOCKY and modern.
Then there is the planned frankenswitch experiment, for another time: Y3 bottom housing, Y2X top housing, and a Rosewood stem. I have plenty of Rosewoods and Y3s to test with. I just need Y2Xs and a switch cracker/opener — and I do not want to go to Micro Center for the switch cracker.
I also have a box of mystery switches accumulated over several switch testers I bought. One mystery switch from that box turned out to be a Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro: clear top with a built-in diffuser, teal bottom and stem, Hall Effect, two pins only, no copper pins.
That is not a normal sentence. I know.
The next shuffle
When the ND104 gets here, the parts are already spoken for.
The ND104 gets the Y3s from this board, and my Cerakeys.
The F108 Pro gets Epomaker Sea Salt switches, and the keycaps from the Chilkey will go on it too.
After that, I do not know what happens. I might just give the F108 Pro to my brother.
He gets a board with better switches and better keycaps. I get the new board I actually want.
And the rabbit hole gets one level deeper.
