Custom Gaming Mechanical Keyboard

So I decided I would jump in on the custom keyboard scene by getting myself into the Phantom PCB group buy.  Unfortunately I have not had much practice soldering and its construction was a bit daunting for me to attempt on such a valuable kit.  WhiteFireDragon from the geekhack forums has put in the work to build this beauty for me using a Filco TKL White case. 

The idea behind my switch selection were that I loved the feel of reds for the WASD keys as they're very soft and quick to actuate.  Gaming gets intense sometimes and pressing a harder key causes finger strain.  Coming from a rubber dome where I have often had finger cramps my current CM Storm Quickfire Rapid just feels so much gentler.  I went with red for all the alphas as I wanted to ensure typing felt consistent.

For the number row I went with whites for a soft click.  Numbers are often used for switching weapons so a pronounced tactile click will let me know I've hit the key long before the switch animation finishes.  Again for consistency I went with a full row, except for the tilde and backspace keys which are used a little more often.  I chose whites over blues because the louder click would get annoying when switching weapons often is required.

The modifiers are brown to give that soft tactile feedback for keys that are usually kept held down.  This was a choice based on my brothers observation whilst testing my QFR.  He said he couldn't tell when he had pressed shift due to it being so light.  The lightness of the browns keeps the pressure consistent with the reds but their slight bump in actuation would ensure each user would know when the switch has actuated.  I went ahead and picked them for all the common modifier keys that are held during both gaming and typing.

The function row and 6 key cluster are using ergo clears for a nice pronounced actuation bump.  These keys are rarely used so having a more pronounced bump means there won't be any accidental keypresses.  The only exceptions are the Prt Sc key (green switch to simulate a loud camera click) and scroll lock (grey switch for a harder actuation force).

I've also gone with grey switches for the more obscure keys that I don't usually use.  Caps Lock, Windows and Fn keys use the much harder Grey Switch.  This is to make sure I don't hit the Windows key during gameplay, or SIMULATE YELLING when typing during in game chats.

I use the arrow keys a lot during Photoshop editing for fine pixel perfect movements.  I've gone with blue as the loud click helps me keep count of how many pixels I'm moving each way.

Finally blacks for escape and space.  Space for jump usually means I'm striking that key a little harder than the rest subconsciously.  Black switches are smooth like reds but much heavier to actuate.  It'll help alleviate the impact on the switch by using a heavier spring.  The escape key is black just because it's used more often than the rest of the function row and often hit consecutive times so a linear switch just makes more sense.



Thanks again to WhiteFireDragon!
You're too awesome!