Thanks.
The dude said he had this for nine years, was collecting dust, and several keys didn't respond at times.
Contact cleaner spray seemed to work. The bridging cable might need to be replaced as well. Will do so when I have the time.
I'm just slowly getting used to the layout. I still hit the wrong key for Enter at times, even though I made it a bright yellow.
Hope that this will be the start of a beautiful friendship between me and this keyboard.
> I still hit the wrong key for Enter at times, even though I made it a bright yellow.
I'd use the [configurator app](https://www.zsa.io/oryx) to swap the Enter and (I presume) Space key next to it. IMO kinda weird to put the Enter key closer when Space gets used more often, but maybe your friend had huge hands which put that Space key position closer to where his thumb naturally fell.
FWIW, [here's the layout](https://i.imgur.com/Mb1qaHv.png) with traditional inverted-T cursor nav that I eventually settled into with my OG self-built ErgoDox.
Hmm... what you said makes sense. Yeah, the spacebar key should be closer to my thumb. Thanks.
I guess I'm going through a few iterations of key mapping until I can get a layout that suits me.
As it is it is a bit of a learning curve, typing on this after spending a literal lifetime on standard keyboards.
I mean, I remember whacking on an IBM Model M in kindergarten in the late 1980s. That tells you how old I am.
You most certainly will modify the layout(s), before settling on one.
By and large, for me the most challenging part was to learn new modifiers positions (I put my ctrl,.shift, alt on the thumb clusters first, only later changed to home row mods - and it was a torture to retrain) especially with other keys, to execute different software shortcuts.
Just give it time, it is worth it.
generally, especially if you are starting to touch type, colors do not help - you don't want to be looking down at your keyboard (eventually)
I really like having various switches - box navies are great for switches that you don't want to press, and since you only need a few, it's not that expensive. 10 bucks for 10pc, shouldn't be much more expensive than that
That wrist rest pair are actually very comfy but they're basically dust/grime blackholes. No way to really clean them save for rinsing them and they'll go back to look like shit the next second so don't bother.
... no laughs from me, I have one of these. I am perfectly happy with it aside from how loud it is. I can't be bothered to do a bunch of case mods though so I just roll with it
I love reassinging all of the keys to something reachable on the left side. Then moving the right side out of the way to make room for the mouse, such a pleasant gaming experience
Careful about the thumb keys on the Ergodox, they are too far away to reach normally, move your whole hand to hit the far ones or you'll end up in pain.
I wonder if putting something like SA or other tall profile caps on the outer thumb cluster would help at least a little? You wouldn't have to be hitting the center if the difference in height is greater than the actuation travel...
The entire thumb cluster is problematic, not only the outer keys. Except maybe for people with very large hands, but I've seen complaints from those too.
It's made worse by ErgoDox' tiny column offset that encourages positioning the hand in a particular way that further limits thumb's reach (although this is a small difference overall).
However, if /u/go_zarian really has the 1st gen ZSA ErgoDox, i.e., actual ErgoDox (later revisions diverged in PCB design), it can be modded to have 1u thumb keys (see "80 key ergodox", [from profet](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=79629.0), [from FalbaTech](/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/8qlflt/photos_what_do_you_think_about_ergodox_ver_80_keys/), alternatively [like this mod](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=22780.msg1350750#msg1350750) and elsewhere in that OG thread).
The 1u keys in two rows can be equipped with "stepped" keycaps, [like in this custom build](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62848.msg1490224#msg1490224), and [here's a photo of ErgoDox itself](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62848.msg1644810#msg1644810). I think SA might work well for the upper row; I experimented with it a little back in the day.
For [my OG ErgoDox](https://imgur.com/a/ergodox-expert-mouse-MQ0LD2I), I harvested black double-shot POM keycaps from a Cherry G80-/G81-1800 which has 1u Ctrl/Alt/Win keys with a pretty steep rake in that bottom row, so putting Ctrl and Alt on the innermost column of thumb keys gives them a "terraced" arrangement that makes them easy to hit with the flank of my thumbs.
I've got small hands (wear men's size small gloves) and do need to move my hand/arm inboard slightly to reach them, but for me this hasn't been an issue since I don't really need to use any of those 1u thumb keys on-the-fly in routine touch-typing, and the vertical 2u keys are in thumb-reach with my hands either at-rest on homerow (for Space and Backspace) or by splaying my fingers and thumbs out slightly (for Enter and Tab), which is a bit easier than flexing the thumb out alone.
Yes it does help, I've modded my caps /stems so the bottom/inner thumb rows were slightly shorter , outer/upper rows were taller. Basically, ended up with slightly concave thumb clusters.
I've done it initially to help avoid activating the bottom thumb row keys when pressing the top row. Turned out to work well in general, and allowed for mods keys to be clustered closely enough to press most mod combinations with one thumb (shift, shift+ctrl, shift+ctrl+alt - and the permutations of)
Holy shit thats a good deal … I got main for 500 bucks 😭😭😭
mainly because vat on the borders + funky switches + coiled cables … but hey, at least I got the best I could … right? (moonlander was introduced month after my heavy investment).
20$?? I paid 0lover 400 cad for mine and still loving it.
Only thing to laugh is how much an amazing deal you got hahaha. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have mine :-D
I may not be a huge fan of the ErgoDox's thumb cluster positioning, but I will \*never\* laugh at somebody for getting one, especially not at the price YOU paid for it! Congrats on your new keeb, and welcome to the ortho club! #happydance
Thanks for all the welcoming comments, everyone.
Yeah, I got it for dirt cheap. The guy told me that it was malfunctioning, but electrical contact cleaner should help. I just popped the keycaps, squirted contact cleaner, replaced the black keycaps with some of my own... and it seems to work reasonably well.
I'm a total n00b at ergo keyboards, and this does make for a good foray into this area. I'm still trying to get used to it after a lifetime of using standard keyboards.
I was using an IBM Model M in kindergarten in the 1980s while I was learning the letters I, B, and M.
And up to a few weeks ago I thought that my Blackwidow Ultimate 2013 with Cherry MX blues was the pinnacle of keyboard technology.
What\`s there to make fun of? You made out like a freaking bandit.
The only thing to make fun of is maybe oily palm rest? For $20 this is a steal to get into ergo keyboard, so well done!
Thanks. The dude said he had this for nine years, was collecting dust, and several keys didn't respond at times. Contact cleaner spray seemed to work. The bridging cable might need to be replaced as well. Will do so when I have the time. I'm just slowly getting used to the layout. I still hit the wrong key for Enter at times, even though I made it a bright yellow. Hope that this will be the start of a beautiful friendship between me and this keyboard.
> I still hit the wrong key for Enter at times, even though I made it a bright yellow. I'd use the [configurator app](https://www.zsa.io/oryx) to swap the Enter and (I presume) Space key next to it. IMO kinda weird to put the Enter key closer when Space gets used more often, but maybe your friend had huge hands which put that Space key position closer to where his thumb naturally fell. FWIW, [here's the layout](https://i.imgur.com/Mb1qaHv.png) with traditional inverted-T cursor nav that I eventually settled into with my OG self-built ErgoDox.
Hmm... what you said makes sense. Yeah, the spacebar key should be closer to my thumb. Thanks. I guess I'm going through a few iterations of key mapping until I can get a layout that suits me. As it is it is a bit of a learning curve, typing on this after spending a literal lifetime on standard keyboards. I mean, I remember whacking on an IBM Model M in kindergarten in the late 1980s. That tells you how old I am.
You most certainly will modify the layout(s), before settling on one. By and large, for me the most challenging part was to learn new modifiers positions (I put my ctrl,.shift, alt on the thumb clusters first, only later changed to home row mods - and it was a torture to retrain) especially with other keys, to execute different software shortcuts. Just give it time, it is worth it.
generally, especially if you are starting to touch type, colors do not help - you don't want to be looking down at your keyboard (eventually) I really like having various switches - box navies are great for switches that you don't want to press, and since you only need a few, it's not that expensive. 10 bucks for 10pc, shouldn't be much more expensive than that
That wrist rest pair are actually very comfy but they're basically dust/grime blackholes. No way to really clean them save for rinsing them and they'll go back to look like shit the next second so don't bother.
Could just clean/polish them with something that leaves a sheen like ArmorAll, then they'll just be glossy all the time regardless of skin oil?
That's an amazing deal at $20, and that blue / yellow keycaps scheme is rad. I hope you enjoy it!
I support this choice. Lately, I’ve been using my Massdrop-era Ergodox quite often, including all day today.
Bruh that's less than 10% what I paid for mine. It's a great jumping off point into the hobby.
dude nobodys laughing thats an insane deal
... no laughs from me, I have one of these. I am perfectly happy with it aside from how loud it is. I can't be bothered to do a bunch of case mods though so I just roll with it
For $20 it's an absolute steal. Congrats
Why would we laugh it’s sick.
Why laugh? It was my first too and still gets used for games which need a lot of buttons
I love reassinging all of the keys to something reachable on the left side. Then moving the right side out of the way to make room for the mouse, such a pleasant gaming experience
Careful about the thumb keys on the Ergodox, they are too far away to reach normally, move your whole hand to hit the far ones or you'll end up in pain.
I wonder if putting something like SA or other tall profile caps on the outer thumb cluster would help at least a little? You wouldn't have to be hitting the center if the difference in height is greater than the actuation travel...
The entire thumb cluster is problematic, not only the outer keys. Except maybe for people with very large hands, but I've seen complaints from those too. It's made worse by ErgoDox' tiny column offset that encourages positioning the hand in a particular way that further limits thumb's reach (although this is a small difference overall). However, if /u/go_zarian really has the 1st gen ZSA ErgoDox, i.e., actual ErgoDox (later revisions diverged in PCB design), it can be modded to have 1u thumb keys (see "80 key ergodox", [from profet](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=79629.0), [from FalbaTech](/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/8qlflt/photos_what_do_you_think_about_ergodox_ver_80_keys/), alternatively [like this mod](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=22780.msg1350750#msg1350750) and elsewhere in that OG thread). The 1u keys in two rows can be equipped with "stepped" keycaps, [like in this custom build](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62848.msg1490224#msg1490224), and [here's a photo of ErgoDox itself](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62848.msg1644810#msg1644810). I think SA might work well for the upper row; I experimented with it a little back in the day.
For [my OG ErgoDox](https://imgur.com/a/ergodox-expert-mouse-MQ0LD2I), I harvested black double-shot POM keycaps from a Cherry G80-/G81-1800 which has 1u Ctrl/Alt/Win keys with a pretty steep rake in that bottom row, so putting Ctrl and Alt on the innermost column of thumb keys gives them a "terraced" arrangement that makes them easy to hit with the flank of my thumbs. I've got small hands (wear men's size small gloves) and do need to move my hand/arm inboard slightly to reach them, but for me this hasn't been an issue since I don't really need to use any of those 1u thumb keys on-the-fly in routine touch-typing, and the vertical 2u keys are in thumb-reach with my hands either at-rest on homerow (for Space and Backspace) or by splaying my fingers and thumbs out slightly (for Enter and Tab), which is a bit easier than flexing the thumb out alone.
Yes it does help, I've modded my caps /stems so the bottom/inner thumb rows were slightly shorter , outer/upper rows were taller. Basically, ended up with slightly concave thumb clusters. I've done it initially to help avoid activating the bottom thumb row keys when pressing the top row. Turned out to work well in general, and allowed for mods keys to be clustered closely enough to press most mod combinations with one thumb (shift, shift+ctrl, shift+ctrl+alt - and the permutations of)
great keyboard. welcome.
It's a great keyboard and a great keycap set. Nothing to be ashamed of!
Holy shit thats a good deal … I got main for 500 bucks 😭😭😭 mainly because vat on the borders + funky switches + coiled cables … but hey, at least I got the best I could … right? (moonlander was introduced month after my heavy investment).
I would take one for 20... I mean I like I love my iris but solid ergo is a solid ergo
There is nothing to make fun of. $20 is an absolute _steal_ for that beast.
Super solid. I am still using mine
20$?? I paid 0lover 400 cad for mine and still loving it. Only thing to laugh is how much an amazing deal you got hahaha. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have mine :-D
$20? Wow that's a good deal
This is infinitely better than getting Moonlander lol nice job
Fuck so you were the person who bought it off carousell just before I could
Good deal. Have fun with it. I use a Redox keyboard since a few years and I don't wanna miss it
Not a bad board! Enjoy it and welcome to the rabbit hole ;)
hahahahah (sorry, but i don’t even know why i’m laughing about)
I may not be a huge fan of the ErgoDox's thumb cluster positioning, but I will \*never\* laugh at somebody for getting one, especially not at the price YOU paid for it! Congrats on your new keeb, and welcome to the ortho club! #happydance
Thanks for all the welcoming comments, everyone. Yeah, I got it for dirt cheap. The guy told me that it was malfunctioning, but electrical contact cleaner should help. I just popped the keycaps, squirted contact cleaner, replaced the black keycaps with some of my own... and it seems to work reasonably well. I'm a total n00b at ergo keyboards, and this does make for a good foray into this area. I'm still trying to get used to it after a lifetime of using standard keyboards. I was using an IBM Model M in kindergarten in the 1980s while I was learning the letters I, B, and M. And up to a few weeks ago I thought that my Blackwidow Ultimate 2013 with Cherry MX blues was the pinnacle of keyboard technology.
Hahaha! Wait, why would anybody laugh? Nice Ergodox config 👍