this post was submitted on 30 May 2024
9 points (100.0% liked)

Mechanical Keyboards

8874 readers
23 users here now

Are you addicted to the clicking sounds of your beautiful and impressive mechanical keyboard?
If so, this community is for you!

Here you can discuss everything about mechanical keyboards (and only mechanical keyboards).

Banner by Jay Zhang on Unsplash

founded 4 years ago
 

I rock a 60% which I love, but I’m learning blender and coding, lack of numpad has gotten frustrating.

Anyone got any macro pad suggestions either available now or in GB/IC?

Preferably a hot swap! Open to different sizes and formats. Was tempted by the Piketea standing desk mounted macro pad, but they appear to be sold out.

top 7 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Relatively easy to whip up yourself for little money if you have access to a 3D printer and a soldering iron. Get a RP2040 development board for $2, 9 switches and keycaps and hand solder them directly, you don't even need to source diodes.

[–] wjrii 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I did exacltly that and made the 12-switch version of this for my daughter. As you note, a full size Pi Pico should have the 24 GPIO pins you need to avoid diodes.

For myself, I did a laser-cut numpad to use with the hand wired TKL-like I tend to use on my main PC. Then there are the others. I, uhh, may have a problem.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] robalees 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Doesn’t have to be a standard numpad, I’m open to smaller designs where I can do additional macros.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

I got nuthin so far. I have a numpad in my shopping cart waiting for an influx of money lol

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Actually, I did just buy a 4 key with a knob off of Aliexpress. The switches and caps are shit, but I've got tons of options for those laying around, and it only cost like $4. I have to plug it into someone's PC to program it though. You can't program it on Mac.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOclIE2

[–] DrownedRats 2 points 5 months ago

Drop has a very nice 9 key macro pad called the Nin-doio. It's a macro pad that's made to closely mimic the GBA! It's pricey but it's really good build quality and very very cool.