Heyo
I want to switch to a split keyboard setup, but I really don’t want to spend $400 only to end up hating it. Are there any cheaper options that I can get as a temporary board while deciding?
EDIT: Massive thank you to all the replies I got. All of the suggestions and advice are great and have been very helpful. That being said, I will likely be going for the Momoka Ergo due to it having free shipping to South Africa and includes switches and keycaps. (Switches are extremely expensive here (around $250 for a set of Cherry switches for example))
https://www.momoka.co/ergo for US$ 180,-?
This looks pretty cool! Will do some research on this. And free shipping to South Africa definitely helps!
Is there a way to mod the Momoka to add tenting?
The model I got (early adopter) had an aluminum top and bottom plate. I guess it still has those. I just stuck some rubber feet under it and placed the halves on two hardshell glasses cases that had the right height ;) , but you should be able to fix something more permanent to the bottom plate with screws or magnets (glued to the plate).
Heyo. Quick question, I see on the QMK configurator that there are three layers on the Momoka. My questions are:
- Is this true? and
- How do you switch layers? The Momoka site is very bare and their chat has been unattended for a few days.
(I had to take a look at the keymap to verify, as I have been using a custom keymap for years.)
Yes, to switch to the second layer, you press and hold one of the FN keys and to switch to the third layer, you press the shift key in addition to that.
They do have a VIA-enabled firmware, in which you can change which keys are used for that in a graphical interface and, if you familiarize yourself with QMK and how to build it yourself (not as hard, as it may sound), you can have a keymap with as many layers as will fit in the keyboards memory and can have all kinds of useful functions.
My keymap for the Momoka has five layers, a key that will activate one layer when tapped and another when held, Home Row Mods (The keys on the home row produce letters when tapped and Shift, Ctrl, Alt and Win/Super when held), etc., etc.
That’s cool! I was mainly hoping to avoid needed an external numpad by mapping the numpad onto the right hand for data entry. That’s great! Should fit my needs perfectly. Thanks for all the assistance!
If you’re comfortable around a soldering iron, building a split can be pretty cheap.
What sorta features are you looking for? How many keys?
I’m comfortable enough. Wouldn’t say I’m any good at it though lol.
I’m looking for a keyboard that has some tenting features to combat severe tendonitis in my forearms. I want a number row and a thumb cluster, would also like some additional programmable keys if possible, but not needed.
The Corne is a very popular split keyboard that is very cheap. It requires some level of DIY, but the main board can be had for $33. It can also be made Bluetooth with the nice!nano. You will still need switches and caps, but depending on what you’re after, those can be cheap as well.
I’m obviously very new to the fancy shmancy keyboard world. Do I need to build this thing completely from scratch? Or do they sell ready made ones? The site is a bit intense haha
Hey, we all start somewhere! I ordered mine from keyhive and made the mistake of ordering the DIY version. I usually like to do things myself, but had a hell of a time soldering the SMD diodes on. I would recommend the partially assembled version. Keyhive also lists the other parts you will need. If you order the partially assembled version, you will only need a microcontroller, switches, and caps for a complete keyboard! Keyhive also lists the microcontrollers you can use. Personally, I love the nice!nano. It ads BLE and the battery lasts for quite a while. You will need to solder the microcontroller, but it’s easy to do assuming you have an iron. Let me know if you have more questions!
Ah I see all the Corne kits are sold out. But anyway, I was hoping for a more robust thumb cluster too. The Momoka looks like exactly what I’m looking for, only thing missing is tenting. Thanks for the help though!
I’m a big fan of the Sofle RGB layout. The board kit is about 25 bucks from little keyboards (where I got my kits). Add a 20$ case, some cheap caps and switches, and a set of micros and a cable and you’re there.
Same for any other DIY board really, this will get you where you want to go without the level of spending you want to stay away from. Corne is mentioned here as well, similar layout with less keys.
You could go with something even cheaper like a Helix kit but you’ll still be around 20 bucks plus the rest of the parts, so that extra 5-10 bucks on the kit is worth it if you want something a bit more contemporary.
Those look great. But I would really like bigger thumb clusters and some form of tenting if possible. However, I guess as an in between these could be great! Thanks
keebio has some good options for affordable split keyboards
