deskthority

gdaian wrote: There are some unknowns which have a significant effect on whether a nested GB is worthwhile: Are larger packages more or less likely to get checked by customs? Which countries perform less checks?

I'm pretty sure that only the shittier ones (like mine), but those are more to the east. I like the airport idea though... But seriously, the pcb's could be on top of one another, the switches in bags etc- - 20 packs should be able to fit in a reasonably sized sports bag.

This is for those who are in Europe and who desperately wants the keyboard and has absolutely no hope to assemble it themselves:

I've shown the ErgoDox instructions to my father and he is ready to help the community with assembling services in Europe. Last 25 years he was working at the local electronics repair shop, i.e. basically spending 6 days a week 8 hours a day with hot iron on his table. Plus last year he was also working at Ericsson factory testing GSM equipment.

The complete build will cost 50 euros and this includes: soldering, flashing with a latest firmware of your choice, testing every key and screwing it all together. So you get fully ready keyboard like from the shop.

The algorithm:

• you order the kit (s) from MassDrop and pay for it
• the kit is sent either directly to us in Estonia or to someone being a proxy in US to avoid paying extra taxes and reduce shipping
• optional, see above: proxy collects all the orders and sends them in one box to Estonia
• finally I receive it in Estonia and pay import taxes if we fail to avoid them
• I issue an invoice to you: import taxes (if any) + 50 euro + intra-EU shipping (as far as I can see it is around 14 euros in maxi-letter, small box may be more, please correct me)
• keyboard gets assembled
• meanwhile you pay the invoice to my PayPal
• I double test it and send ready keyboard to you

So you pay either 2 or 3 times depending if you choose to use US proxy and if everything gets organized:

• to MassDrop for the kit
• to US proxy for US->EU shipping
• to me: EU taxes(?) + 50 euro + EU->EU shipping

Let me know in PM if there is interest.
I think I would need the following details:

• nick
• email (for emergency messages)
• address to estimate EU shipping
• number of kits you are going to order
• are you ok if we have US proxy?
• max price if 50 euros is way too much for you - we will see if we can figure smth out

BugBuster, nice offer you have there. Would want to use it but I am problably not participating in the massdrop run. What are shipping costs to NL? I am curious.

About my offer for a nested groupbuy, it seems not to go. I am waiting for response regarding the possibility to collect a order for boards and one for keycaps and ship both at once. Which would make the goal of lower shipping costs viable.

Second, personally I do not know if I participate with the MD-GB because I do not know what switch I like. I have never touched a mech.kb afaik, estimating my value for such a pricy device is difficult . I hope to find out before the buy closes. I expect to receive a try bag! (Thanks to CeeSa) but that is in a month. Running a nested GB before MD deal closes? Timewise changes are slim... Who else is stepping up to provide for assisting in such an initiative? Maybe I still decide to order a single set for me, the timeframe to organize a nested GB is small, maybe it's just too much hay on the fork (a dutch expression litterally translated). The nested GB can be good to go if some people decide to take the lead. Do note the if-word.

I believe a second GB will come along regardless the result of the idea stated as above. I am not saying I commit to be the organizer, just bring my idea on.

Anybody knows what site/software is good for running a animocheck and organizing/communicating a groupbuy? If I have more time in three/four days I will look into setting some up. For polling purpose initially, targetted at the nested groupbuy.

BugBuster wrote:...

Decent price. Sounds good

hdss wrote: Second, personally I do not know if I participate with the MD-GB because I do not know what switch I like.

You can order it without switches for 44$ less from Massdrop. You could then add your own switches. Also I think the plate is cut so you can open the switches after they are installed without desoldering them. This means you could later switch out the spring and the slider of the switch (the base and top are identical for the different switches) and replace them with another swtich you want to try.

gdaian wrote:I'm in EU and would participate in a nested GB (for one kit) if it reduces cost. However, I expect minimal savings unless we can avoid customs.

I'm not after an EU groupbuy to reduce costs, more to avoiding massdrop.

If you guys want i might be able to buy from massdrop for you and then ship it in prefered style to your location. I would need the money before ordering to do so though. You could then avoid massdrop in a way.

Also on a side note i have started an assembly GB on GH which is open internationally please check it out http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39263.0

TheProfosist wrote:If you guys want i might be able to buy from massdrop for you and then ship it in prefered style to your location. I would need the money before ordering to do so though. You could then avoid massdrop in a way.

Just an update i will do this as lots of people dont seem to want to deal with buying from massdrop.

TheProfosist wrote:

TheProfosist wrote:If you guys want i might be able to buy from massdrop for you and then ship it in prefered style to your location. I would need the money before ordering to do so though. You could then avoid massdrop in a way.

Just an update i will do this as lots of people dont seem to want to deal with buying from massdrop.

AFAIK, It is also possible that people order directly from Massdrop and specify your address for shipping.
I mean, there are many different ways it can be done and everyone can choose what suits him best.

BugBuster wrote:

TheProfosist wrote:

TheProfosist wrote:If you guys want i might be able to buy from massdrop for you and then ship it in prefered style to your location. I would need the money before ordering to do so though. You could then avoid massdrop in a way.

Just an update i will do this as lots of people dont seem to want to deal with buying from massdrop.

AFAIK, It is also possible that people order directly from Massdrop and specify your address for shipping.
I mean, there are many different ways it can be done and everyone can choose what suits him best.

Yes i know but some people were wanting to a either no deal with massdrop as all and b have a sub GB to save on shipping. This is what im offering to do.

Ooh, just 25 more needed and it goes down to $199.
With 10 days left I think it will make it, especially if massdrop will post alu case pictures!

sordna wrote:Ooh, just 25 more needed and it goes down to $199.
With 10 days left I think it will make it, especially if massdrop will post alu case pictures!

Hopefully that'll be tomorrow

I have to say I'll be very tempted to pull the trigger when I see aluminium...

What's everyone doing about keycaps? Still haven't sourced any for mine.

TheProfosist wrote:

TheProfosist wrote:If you guys want i might be able to buy from massdrop for you and then ship it in prefered style to your location. I would need the money before ordering to do so though. You could then avoid massdrop in a way.

Just an update i will do this as lots of people dont seem to want to deal with buying from massdrop.

That's nice of you, but it goes against the principle of voting with your feet.

See also Wikipedia: Dollar voting.

Anyone noticed how bad the math is on the MassDrop buy? 100 needed to reach $199... 60 purchased, 23 more needed to reach $199.

I can believe they are not counting some special orders, like PCBs only, where they just take the order by hand and update the tally manually, but in the end which one is it? 23 more to go or 40 more to go?

Since I was quoted at a fixed price for case+PCBs regardless of the price tier reached, I'm not motivated to find out the answer. Still, the curiosity is nagging me.

It's not bad math, it just means that 17 have done "commit to join" instead of "join", which means they will only buy at $199. So when $199 is reached, these 17 will be automatically joined as buyers, otherwise if it stays at $226 they won't buy (unless they change their mind in the mean time). It's actually very encouraging that most people have actually bought it, instead of promise to.

JBert wrote:That's nice of you, but it goes against the principle of voting with your feet.

TheProfosist will still be of service to some people with practical rather than ideological differences/problems with Massdrop.

The aluminium case is here:



Personally I don't like it, probably got my expectations too high.

Why didn't they use countersunk screws on this? The build in wristrest looks odd to me.

What about without wrist rests? Is it an option?

dirge wrote:What about without wrist rests? Is it an option?

Yes this
Wondering how difficult it is to widen the screw holes for sunk in screws.
Also thanks for all the soldering info dirge.

Daniel wrote:Why didn't they use countersunk screws on this? The build in wristrest looks odd to me.

They used the design that litster provided them; as well, using screws that would lay flush with the surface would add machining cost to the case.

richie wrote:Wondering how difficult it is to widen the screw holes for sunk in screws.
Also thanks for all the soldering info dirge.

Not at all, countersink or countersinking bits (or burrs) are easily available in a wide variety of sizes - I work with silver not aluminium, but each hole can't take much more than 30 seconds with a power tool, or a couple of minutes by hand.

What's more you can then also get some nice safety torque headed screws.

If they're being mass produced then they'd use a CNC mill and program it, make a jig to hold the top plate and the counter sinking might take a minute for all eight holes.

Or...

are the eight holes drilled through all the plates? There are drill bits with a built in counter sink.

As it is I think it looks unfinished. Even home made would have counter sunk screws. A mass produced item would have screws going in from under the top plate to threads in the top so there nothing poking through the top.

I guess anyone who's bothered can spend a few minutes and counter sink their own?

I'm just about to fall off the fence on the side of the MD GB.$226 ain't bad, all the better if it gets down to $200, and $6 for Canadian shipping is pretty nice too. I don't have any caps though, has anyone thought about getting a GB going for that?

Yeah not to excited about the aluminium case at 65$ extra

I've also decided to go for acrylic ones and if needed some years later print a new ones on 3D printer, when it costs $5 a case

Man in 10 years I'll print the entire thing with my iPad 30!

More pictures of the alu case.




I was hesitant but now I actually like the rawness of the design. It could eventually be smoothed out with flat screws and sanding the sides.

Edit: Here is my (horrible) photoshop mockup of the 'classic' aluminum case. I like it much more.

Massdrop has a keycap buy up for blank black PBT. Price breaks are $41/$37/$35.

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/ergodox-keycap