ErgoMechKeyboards

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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

Rules

Keep it ergo

Posts must be of/about keyboards that have a clear delineation between the left and right halves of the keyboard, column stagger, or both. This includes one-handed (one half doesn't exist, what clearer delineation is that!?)

i.e. no regular non-split¹ row-stagger and no non-split¹ ortholinear²

¹ split meaning a separation of the halves, whether fixed in place or entirely separate, both are fine.
² ortholinear meaning keys layed out in a grid

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No excessive posting/"shilling" for commercial purposes. Vendors are permitted to promote their products/services but keep it to a minimum and use the [vendor] flair. Posts that appear to be marketing without being transparent about it will be removed.

No Buy/Sell/Trade

This subreddit is not a marketplace, please post on r/mechmarket or other relevant marketplace.

Some useful links

EMK wiki
Split keyboard compare tool
Compare keycap profiles Looking for another set of keycaps - check this site to compare the different keycap profiles https://www.keycaps.info/
Keymap database A database with all kinds of keymap layouts - some of them fits ergo keyboards - get inspired https://keymapdb.com/

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Need advice for buying my first split keyboard (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by GeorgesKab@lemmy.world to c/ergomechkeyboards@lemmy.world

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I am looking to buy my first split keyboard. My first option was the zsa voyager and I was going to buy it until I stumbled on the whole world of split keyboards and now I can’t make up my mind. I have no experience in soldering or anything and I would prefer to get it fully assembled but if it’s way cheaper to get a kit I guess I can learn but I’m scared to mess it up. I’ll be ordering it to France so I’m looking to get the keyboard with shipping and taxes and duties for a maximum budget of 300-350€. There are so many options and websites and I don’t know which one to go for and which will be worth it. I know the quality of the voyager is the best but I’m okay with not having the greatest quality if it’s a good keyboard. Let me know if you have any advice for me since I really need the help and hoping to order the keyboard soon.

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[–] Panties@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

I've had pretty good experiences with https://42keebs.eu/ and https://keeb.supply/ for my two split keyboards. They both offer kits and assembly services. I especially like that acrylic covers from 42 keebs, and they hand write a greeting on the receipt, which always makes me feel quite nice, haha.

For a first build I feel like QMK firmware with Vial support really made it easy for me to configure the keys how I like. My second keyboard used ZMK, directly modifying config file is not exactly hard, just a little more daunting.

I did ask a colleague to teach me how to solder for my first keyboard, he spent 10 minutes explaining, I practiced a little, and then I soldered everything without too much issue. I enjoyed it a lot, but it's probably not for everyone.

I also quite like https://splitkb.com/ with their super easy customizable designs, but never really went for that kind of budget. They should be within your budget though, you should check them out.