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MadManOriginal
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Mon Sep 09, 2013 6:14 pm

@MarkG509 - It's hard to qualify, but blues only have 5g more activation force than browns. For someone who is a really light touch typist and sensitive to the activation point, the browns might be less fatiguing, but again I'm a bit ham-fisted with rubber dome (work) and the browns - I am more likely to push the browns past activation to bottom out (although I added firm soft-landing pads so the bottom out noise was greatly reduced) , whereas with the blues the activation point is so much more distinct that I hit the activation point with the same or less force, subjectively speaking.

Now I just wish I had gotten a blue switch keyboard in the first place. :)
 
Airmantharp
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:07 pm

The Blues are still very, very light- and have a nerve-twinging 'click'.

I'd think that the only real improvement over the Browns would be the Clears- but they're pretty rare, like the Browns were when the Blues took over the market.

I'll take a black, 104-key layout, removable wrist rest, a USB hub, white adjustable back-lighting, and Browns or Clears, please :).
 
MarkG509
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:28 pm

MadManOriginal wrote:
I am more likely to push the browns past activation to bottom out...

It took a couple of weeks for me to get used to it, but when I first got a keyboard with browns (Filco Majestouch original version) I consciously retrained myself to only push down to the activation point. I still occasionally mash the keys, but that's usually only when I'm replying to certain questions from management :lol:

I have not spent much time on blues. You make an interesting point that it may be easier to learn to not mash the keys on blues because the activation point is more obvious. On one of my brown's keyboards (XArmor U9BL-S (only back-lit browns at the time)) I installed a set of cushioning rings that I got from EliteKeyboards. These were not actual O-Rings, but were stamped from a sheet of foam rubber. They definitely deadened the sound and softened the blow when bottoming. I eventually removed them after I stopped bottoming the keys, and because they interfered with the back-lighting (Doh!).
 
Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Mon Sep 09, 2013 11:08 pm

While everyone is having an active conversation, I rather like my Cherry Reds, which I have.

Good gaming switches, I was told. There's not many issues with the keys themselves, except for the space bar, which bottoms out easily. Is there any way to fix that? It's really the only thing that bothers me, besides the USB connector...breaking off. Can't wait for the Solder stuff to get here, and hopefully FIX this thing, not end up breaking it for good.

Kinda sqeaky. I dunno if bottoming out is the correct issue, but it doesn't make the same nice clicky noise the rest of the keys make. Space bar makes kind of a "thud" while the keys have an nice click noise. There is this strange metal bar under it.
 
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Mon Sep 09, 2013 11:31 pm

The metal stabilizer bar is standard on most (all?) Cherry based mechanicals. Without it, the spacebar wouldn't depress smoothly if you hit it at the far left or right end, since the switch mechanism is located under the center.
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Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 1:58 am

Ok, but is there any way to help make it so it doesn't bottom out?

I've heard of these O-Ring dampeners, but I only need the 1, really, not these 120 piece sets.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120pcs-Keycap-R ... 3cd4d2ef76

Good price, free shipping, however, any home made thing I can jimmy it?
 
DancinJack
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:15 am

IMO, blues are quite a bit lighter than the old Model M I used to have. I wish they were quite a bit stiffer to be honest. I wish someone would make a non-flashy, no BS, no LED backlight, no media key, ten key included, plain jane MX Green board. Y'know, that isn't 150 bucks. If anyone knows of one, feel free to point it out.

And to add at least some relevance to the thread, my buddy has a ~1.5 year old RK9000BR that has 0 issues.
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MarkG509
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:47 am

Speaking of MX Reds, Newegg just put out a Shell Shocker for a Cooler Master CM Storm Quick Fire TK for $65 after $5 MIR. Looks like it has red back-lighting.

I have no experience with those keyboards (and really dislike rebates, can't they just lower the price and save the trouble).
 
Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 5:38 am

The reason for MIR is because studies show over 85% of people do not bother with MIR's. Yet are 100% more likely to buy items with MIR because of a MIR.

Insanity, I know.
 
DancinJack
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 9:32 am

RK was also on my Newegg deals email last night. 65 bux i think.
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MarkG509
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 5:02 pm

DancinJack wrote:
RK was also on my Newegg deals email last night. 65 bux i think.

Yes, no promo code needed, free shipping. I'm typing this on a RK9000BRI. It has the white case with an extra bezel support around the USB connector, though I'm using the right-angle USB cable that JBI suggested way back on the first page.

It's helping improve my touch-typing by convincing me that I don't want to look down :)

Edit: Newegg says Sold Out.
 
ChronoReverse
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 5:14 pm

Mkilbride wrote:
The reason for MIR is because studies show over 85% of people do not bother with MIR's. Yet are 100% more likely to buy items with MIR because of a MIR.

Insanity, I know.

Which is why I basically ignore MIRs =)


As for me, I really like my cherry red switches but I also have similar issues with the spacebar (although it only very rarely squeaks).
 
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 5:19 pm

MarkG509 wrote:
Speaking of MX Reds, Newegg just put out a Shell Shocker for a Cooler Master CM Storm Quick Fire TK for $65 after $5 MIR. Looks like it has red back-lighting.

I have no experience with those keyboards (and really dislike rebates, can't they just lower the price and save the trouble).

They're beasts.

If I hadn't gotten a Storm Trigger to play with instead (with Browns) I'd still be using the Quickfire TK.
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JustAnEngineer
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:50 pm

ChronoReverse wrote:
Mkilbride wrote:
The reason for MIR is because studies show over 85% of people do not bother with MIR's. Yet are 100% more likely to buy items with MIR because of a MIR. Insanity, I know.
Which is why I basically ignore MIRs =)
I value them at 0.00000001¢ when I rank purchase options in SBA threads. :wink:
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MarkG509
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Tue Sep 10, 2013 8:32 pm

JustAnEngineer wrote:
I value them at 0.00000001¢ when I rank purchase options in SBA threads. :wink:

For me, they're often triple negatives. Once, because I think the price should have been lower in the first place, the second time when I forget to do the whole annoying MIR thing (or refuse to depending on what info they want), and the third time when the rebate never shows up after all that paperwork (not to mention the postage, or the eventual trip to the bank if it actually does show up).
 
Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:20 am

Sigh.....


Everything but the Solder Iron itself has shipped.


Any good videos for showing a job specifically like what I am doing? First time using a Soldering Iron.
 
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:31 am

The goal is to get the things being soldered hot enough that the solder flows on its own when touched to the things being soldered; don't try to melt the solder with the iron first then dab it on. That said, the iron shouldn't be completely dry either; it's helpful to have a thin layer of molten solder on the tip of the iron to aid the heat transfer.

Practice on some wire scraps first.

I'll see if I can find some decent YouTube videos of soldering small components tomorrow. Or maybe someone else can dig some up before then.
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MarkG509
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:57 am

just brew it! wrote:
Practice on some wire scraps first.
Definitely.

It's also a good idea to "tin" the soldering iron before first use. Let it get hot, then melt the solder around the tip of the iron. Coat it well, then with a damp paper towel or sponge, wipe off the excess. Expect it to sizzle. The tip should be thinly coated with shiny clean solder when you're done, and will look like a chrome paint job. This helps the iron transfer heat to the solder and the components, and helps the solder flow onto the components instead of sticking to the iron when you apply it to the components. Basically, it makes soldering more predictable and controllable.

Redo this tinning step whenever starting any soldering job. It will also help you judge just how much (but not too much) heat it takes to get the solder to melt and flow.

Most soldering iron kits come with a small sponge. Soak the sponge with water, and if you find solder accumulating on the tip, wipe any excess off onto the wet sponge and it should look like it did after tinning. If your iron didn't come with a sponge, keep some wet paper towels handy instead.

If you were not using rosin-core solder, you'd want to paint some flux on the tip before starting the tinning step.
 
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Wed Sep 11, 2013 2:06 am

MarkG509 wrote:
just brew it! wrote:
Practice on some wire scraps first.
Definitely.

It's also a good idea to "tin" the soldering iron before first use. Let it get hot, then melt the solder around the tip of the iron. Coat it well, then with a damp paper towel or sponge, wipe off the excess. Expect it to sizzle. The tip should be thinly coated with shiny clean solder when you're done, and will look like a chrome paint job. This helps the iron transfer heat to the solder and the components, and helps the solder flow onto the components instead of sticking to the iron when you apply it to the components. Basically, it makes soldering more predictable and controllable.

Redo this tinning step whenever starting any soldering job. It will also help you judge just how much (but not too much) heat it takes to get the solder to melt and flow.

Most soldering iron kits come with a small sponge. Soak the sponge with water, and if you find solder accumulating on the tip, wipe any excess off onto the wet sponge and it should look like it did after tinning. If your iron didn't come with a sponge, keep some wet paper towels handy instead.

If you were not using rosin-core solder, you'd want to paint some flux on the tip before starting the tinning step.


Only nitpick here would be not to soak the sponge. It just needs to be damp, imo. Everything else here looks good though. Good tips everyone.
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Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Thu Sep 12, 2013 2:00 pm

Everything but the Solderign Iron is here, and the tracking number for that doesn't work. Dammit.

All the videos on YouTube suck too, they're showing hand movement, but are too zoomed out / covering what he's actually doing, so not really helpful.
 
MarkG509
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:27 pm

Mkilbride wrote:
not really helpful.
Just note that I'm a "software guy", who gets/likes to tell the h/w guys what they're doing wrong. I hope/expect that the experts will correct me when I'm wrong or clarify as needed.

+ Soldering is far easier if you can fix the things you're intending to solder in the right place, strongly enough so they don't move around when you hit them with the iron and the solder. When I did my USB connector, I used a Vice Grip (way overkill, but it was all I had) to firmly hold the connector in place.
+ Soldering kits often come with multiple screw-on tips to choose from. Use the smallest one you have.
+ Soldering irons are hot. Components start out cold, and don't like to get too hot. Your "job" is to get the right amount of heat in the right places. Solder melts way before any other metal that you'll find in the general area, but not so much before any plastic, like the plastic inside the USB connector. You're no where near a "chip" which would require very precise temperature control (and don't think any success in this would qualify you to go anywhere near a chip, especially not a BGA).
+ You'll want to approach it from the "solder side" of the board and angle it to mostly touch the 'tang' of the USB connector that's sticking through the board, while also barely letting it touch the circuit board contact.
+ Your solder (probably) came in a spool. Unwind about 6 inches and straighten it out. Every half-second or so (while the iron is mostly on the tang), touch the tip of your solder to the tip of tang from the USB connector. You're good to go (things are hot enough) when the solder stops bouncing off the tang and starts to feel squishy, or perhaps wants to stick to the tip of the tang.
+ Feed the solder (probably 0.5 inch) right into the place where the tip of the iron is touching the tang and the circuit board pad, mostly onto the iron. The solder flow will follow the heat.
+ When you've fed in enough solder to fill the hole (through which the tang is sticking) and formed a bit of a blob beyond that, STOP, take away the solder and the iron, and especially resist the temptation to retouch your work. Let it all cool, then decide later if you did well or not.

Edit: typos, clarifications.
 
Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Fri Sep 13, 2013 2:57 am

http://youtu.be/2SwWSBHuNZY

This video kinda shows exactly what I need to do. One of the solders remains on the keyboard, but it's not holding anything down. So I need to remove that. Then I need to re-apply some new Solder.

So, basically, after I get the old solder off, I imagine I can just use the Soldering Iron, melt the new Solder on top of the two little connectors, it falls on top of it, cools down, and holds it down?

Actually, I picked it back up and the other piece of Solder fell right off...christ. I don't see any pins, though?
 
MarkG509
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:13 am

Mkilbride wrote:
I don't see any pins

The USB connector shown in that video should (hard to see in the video) have pins that stick through those two solder-filled holes nearer the edge of the board, one on each side of the connector. In my case, the pins went all the way through the circuit board. Hope that those two holes near the edge are the only ones you need to mess with.
 
Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:05 am

Hmm, well, mine don't really go all the way through much, you can barely feel it, like a tiny bump.
 
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Fri Sep 13, 2013 9:15 am

They don't really need to stick out the back side of the board, though a 32nd of an inch (give or take) of protruding tab would give it a bit more mechanical strength. As long as the connector lays flush against the board and the tabs go through the holes you should be fine.
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Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:38 pm

Didn't come in today, guess I'll have to wait til Monday or Tuesday.

Am I right in assuming that all I need to do is heat the Iron up, hold the little pocket solder thing over the location I want to solder, press the tip of the soldering iron against the solder, let it drop onto the holes with the tabs til it's blob, then let cool?
 
JustAnEngineer
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Fri Sep 13, 2013 7:19 pm

Negative.

Heat the iron up. Tin the tip as recommended earlier in the thread.
Press the pieces to be soldered into place and hold them there for the remainder of the procedure. If you have a clamp or can arrange for gravity to do this, it's even better.
Press the tip of the soldering iron to both of the items to be soldered at the joint (or alternate between them if you have to) to heat them up.
Periodically dab the tip of the solder wire to the contact point between the parts that you need to join. When the solder flows, feed enough solder to make a joint that covers the wires, but doesn't ball up and flow all over the place.
Remove the soldering iron and the solder wire. Let the joint cool.
Only after the liquid solder has cooled to a solid (with a nice shiny finish, not a spiderweb-covered gray one) can you stop holding the two pieces perfectly stationary.

As others have recommended, practice up on some spare wires first.
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Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:33 pm

I don't understand how wire would help me practice at all. It literally makes no sense to me.


Also, I heat the item up with the soldering iron, then place the solder onto it, and it melts onto it? Well my issue with this being is, I can't exactly put the tip of the soldering iron on two fins or whatever. They're so small, they're IN the PCB. I don't think the tip will be small enough for that.
 
MarkG509
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:50 pm

Mkilbride wrote:
They're so small, they're IN the PCB..
There's 2 holes. You need to do one at a time. If you have experience with soldering and know what you are doing, you could try to do both at about the same time, but that's harder.

Edit: Take #2.
 
Mkilbride
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Re: Rosewill RK-9000 caveat

Sat Sep 14, 2013 12:35 am

http://www.howtogeek.com/63630/how-to-u ... ers-guide/

This guide kind of helped me get the idea of what to do. Is it good?

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