What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
My impressions after a week or so now with it are as follows:
1) Construction is solid, yet notably cheaper than the v60 minis or pokers. 2) The stock keycaps (non-dye sub) are junk mostly - not the worst keycaps I've seen but definitely the worst PBT caps I've seen. For the price though I can't complain. 3) The gateron switches I got (red) took a bit to get used to but are every bit as comfortable to type on as cherry mx reds. 4) The programming process was a bit difficult at first - thankfully there are some great people on this discussion and over at keychatter who helped a great deal. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty nice - and the programmed keys and layers respond perfectly (like the board just came that way). I really liked that you could add as many layers as you want (just give yourself a consistent way to switch back within each layer).
5) An odd thing I found was the stabilizers are like costar but not the standard costar I'm used to seeing. It makes getting those keys back on a little more difficult and different keycaps can stick - seemingly because of these stabilizers.
Overall it's incredible value to me for the price I paid. They keycaps were a disappointment but I soon replaced those with some v60 mini caps and it looks and feels a lot better. Still fighting with the stabilizers on one shift key (causes it to stick) though.
Also, can anyone else confirm the stabilizer issue? I have quite a few different keycap sets and it would be disappointing if any of them don't fit right. Do you have some pictures of the stabilizer problem? Do you think it's an easy fix?
Thanks for helping! Hopefully I can cancel my order in time if the issues are serious.
I'll see if I can put up a pic of the stabilizers sometime tomorrow if not today. The only experience I have with costar stabilizers is with a WASD V1 (first mech I had - the rest have all been cherry stabilizers). On the WASD, the stabilizer bars were straight and snapped onto plastic clips on the plate from the top and they move freely 180 degrees on top of the plate. On the KC60, the stabilizers are bent on the long side so it forms a tab of sorts. The bent parts snap onto plastic clips from the side (facing bottom) and can only move about 45 degrees off their resting spot. This just makes it hard to get a keycap back on without taking the stabilizer off the clip, attaching the keycap, then getting a tool of some sort to push the stabilizer bar back into its clips while positioning the keycap correctly. You could take out the clips and do the whole assembly that way I suppose, but I doubt it would be easier - and the clips are really in there (unlike the WASD I had where they came out when i pulled the keycap off sometimes).
All that being said - I replaced all my keycaps with cherry mx caps and they all worked fine - the one shift key sticks a bit due to the stabilizer I think but I'm working with it. If you have cherry mx keycaps, I doubt you'll have too many issues getting them on.