Heyo

I want to switch to a split keyboard setup, but I really don’t want to spend $400 only to end up hating it. Are there any cheaper options that I can get as a temporary board while deciding?

EDIT: Massive thank you to all the replies I got. All of the suggestions and advice are great and have been very helpful. That being said, I will likely be going for the Momoka Ergo due to it having free shipping to South Africa and includes switches and keycaps. (Switches are extremely expensive here (around $250 for a set of Cherry switches for example))

  • WASTECH@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The Corne is a very popular split keyboard that is very cheap. It requires some level of DIY, but the main board can be had for $33. It can also be made Bluetooth with the nice!nano. You will still need switches and caps, but depending on what you’re after, those can be cheap as well.

    • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      I’m obviously very new to the fancy shmancy keyboard world. Do I need to build this thing completely from scratch? Or do they sell ready made ones? The site is a bit intense haha

      • WASTECH@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Hey, we all start somewhere! I ordered mine from keyhive and made the mistake of ordering the DIY version. I usually like to do things myself, but had a hell of a time soldering the SMD diodes on. I would recommend the partially assembled version. Keyhive also lists the other parts you will need. If you order the partially assembled version, you will only need a microcontroller, switches, and caps for a complete keyboard! Keyhive also lists the microcontrollers you can use. Personally, I love the nice!nano. It ads BLE and the battery lasts for quite a while. You will need to solder the microcontroller, but it’s easy to do assuming you have an iron. Let me know if you have more questions!

        • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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          1 year ago

          Ah I see all the Corne kits are sold out. But anyway, I was hoping for a more robust thumb cluster too. The Momoka looks like exactly what I’m looking for, only thing missing is tenting. Thanks for the help though!

          • Corr@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            There are a bunch of DIY tenting solutions out there, one of the more popular ones include using magsafe stickers and tripods (tho it can be a bit pricier) link here

            I bought laptop risers like these to figure out tenting was something I wanted first

  • bastrah@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    One of the cheapest options might be building a cheapino. It should be around 50-70$ all in all. Though it’s completely DIY and not the best option for beginners.
    You’d have to order the PCBs and all the other stuff yourself and build it.
    If you don’t want to or cannot do that, there are already a lot of good options in the other comments.

    EDIT: spelling

  • RedEye FlightControl@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m a big fan of the Sofle RGB layout. The board kit is about 25 bucks from little keyboards (where I got my kits). Add a 20$ case, some cheap caps and switches, and a set of micros and a cable and you’re there.

    Same for any other DIY board really, this will get you where you want to go without the level of spending you want to stay away from. Corne is mentioned here as well, similar layout with less keys.

    You could go with something even cheaper like a Helix kit but you’ll still be around 20 bucks plus the rest of the parts, so that extra 5-10 bucks on the kit is worth it if you want something a bit more contemporary.

    • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Those look great. But I would really like bigger thumb clusters and some form of tenting if possible. However, I guess as an in between these could be great! Thanks

      • kukkurovaca@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 year ago

        With those requirements, I would really recommend the Kyria from Splitkb. (Or Hillside from Beekeeb) It’s not the cheapest setup, though, especially if you’re buying tenting pucks and tripods.

  • corvett@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Check out the keyboards at Beekeeb. You can’t go wrong with the Piantor. If 42 keys is too scary, try the hillside or one of the other big ones.

  • Hazel@keeb.lolM
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    1 year ago

    If you’re comfortable around a soldering iron, building a split can be pretty cheap.

    What sorta features are you looking for? How many keys?

    • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      I’m comfortable enough. Wouldn’t say I’m any good at it though lol.

      I’m looking for a keyboard that has some tenting features to combat severe tendonitis in my forearms. I want a number row and a thumb cluster, would also like some additional programmable keys if possible, but not needed.

    • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Heyo. Quick question, I see on the QMK configurator that there are three layers on the Momoka. My questions are:

      1. Is this true? and
      2. How do you switch layers? The Momoka site is very bare and their chat has been unattended for a few days.
      • r_wraith@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        If you want to contact them, they have a discord server (called momoka), maybe you can try there?

      • r_wraith@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        (I had to take a look at the keymap to verify, as I have been using a custom keymap for years.)
        Yes, to switch to the second layer, you press and hold one of the FN keys and to switch to the third layer, you press the shift key in addition to that.
        They do have a VIA-enabled firmware, in which you can change which keys are used for that in a graphical interface and, if you familiarize yourself with QMK and how to build it yourself (not as hard, as it may sound), you can have a keymap with as many layers as will fit in the keyboards memory and can have all kinds of useful functions.
        My keymap for the Momoka has five layers, a key that will activate one layer when tapped and another when held, Home Row Mods (The keys on the home row produce letters when tapped and Shift, Ctrl, Alt and Win/Super when held), etc., etc.

        • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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          1 year ago

          That’s cool! I was mainly hoping to avoid needed an external numpad by mapping the numpad onto the right hand for data entry. That’s great! Should fit my needs perfectly. Thanks for all the assistance!

          • r_wraith@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            And another thing: All of the keyboards that were recommended to you here use QMK (or KMK or ZMK) firmwares and thus are equally configurable.

          • r_wraith@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            You’re welcome. Full disclosure: I did have some troubles with the keyboard, as one of the USB-ports was wonky, but I was an early adopter and they sent me a replacement left half. They are a little hard to reach at times, and seem to concentrate on selling custom keycaps now, but aside from building a keyboard yourself, I doubt you will get one as cheaply as that.

            • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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              1 year ago

              Yea even if I was to build myself the price of switches and caps in South Africa is a joke. I can handle some tech issues. The next cheapest option is around $300 shipped to me to this is a great price with the thumb clusters I wanted. I’m in the Discord now and it’s pretty barren lol. Will have to just place the order and hope for the best!

    • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      This looks pretty cool! Will do some research on this. And free shipping to South Africa definitely helps!

      Is there a way to mod the Momoka to add tenting?

      • r_wraith@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The model I got (early adopter) had an aluminum top and bottom plate. I guess it still has those. I just stuck some rubber feet under it and placed the halves on two hardshell glasses cases that had the right height ;) , but you should be able to fix something more permanent to the bottom plate with screws or magnets (glued to the plate).

  • sageo@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    I was debating all the options with myself having the same hesitation about a month ago. I decided to try a version of the redox that comes already assembled: https://ergomech.store/shop/neodox-52. The keyboard with all the options I wanted came to less than $200 USD before shipping. I am looking forward to trying a split keyboard with some column stagger and with lots of thumb-keys. I felt good about this design because it has full alpha and num row keys with plenty of keys left over but I can still experiment with QMK when I want to try adding functionality. I’ll be posting a review when the keyboard arrives. I would recommend contacting this particular store ahead of time to ask about what you are hoping for before making your purchase. They were very helpful and responsive when I emailed them. Ask about current lead times since they are moving offices.

  • TeXitoi@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Don’t forget you can cheap tent any split with some books, sand bags, cardboard, 3D printed parts…

  • iZRBQEcWVXNdnPtTV@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Where do you live? If you live in a major metropolitan area I would recommend checking Craigslist. I got a used Ergodox for around 120 there. When Mechmarket comes back there will be some good used options as well.

    • TroggoMan_@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Unfortunately, I live in South Africa, so my options are extremely limited here. And by limited I mean there is not a single split keyboard listing lol