Hi there, and welcome to this slightly delayed monthly UHK status update!
TL;DR: Weâve delivered about 50 UHK 60 v2 orders in September, and the overall feedback was great, but a customer reported a production issue that can affect other customers as well. We ensure that this issue wonât reoccur going forward, delaying production by a week or two. We plan to ship about 100 UHK 60 v2 orders in October and keep ramping up production.
TL;DR 2: Due to various factors, order fulfillment is not yet strictly executed on a first-come, first-served basis. If your UHK 60 v2 has a non-black case, your order can get further delayed. We can change your UHK 60 v2 case color to black if you fill out this form. New orders are expected to ship in February 2022. Read on for more details.
Weâre delighted to hear from UHK 60 v2 customers as they received their orders!
@UltHackKeyboard the UHK v2 just arrived and it is fantastic. I like the feet, they need quite a bit of force to lock them in place. I opted for the tenting setup. With my uhk v1 I have four screws to tent the thing. This is much better. Thank You! Great Job.
@UltHackKeyboard the lights change when You press mouse or mod key. Very cute, although I don't look at the keyboard when I type. USB C is definitely an improvement. The key grab thingy works well. The cable between the halves is now textile wrapped, which looks better. pic.twitter.com/ZtzSpoQCgt
@UltHackKeyboard just received my UHK v2! I have to say I am very impressed! Compared to v1 the build quality is so much better! Love the braided cables as well and especially the keycaps with the nice grippy feel. Lubing my switches this weekend now then itâs perfect đ pic.twitter.com/QKTRdjM5l8
Sadly, Ben reported after his initial tweet that three sockets of his UHK separated from the PCB when he replaced all the switches. Socketed keyboards are affected by this issue, but three sockets are too much to be considered normal.
Going forward, our contract manufacturer will use more solder for the sockets, and weâll add mechanical support to prevent such issues. The mechanism for mechanical support will be the same weâve been using for the key cluster module. For the record, weâve delivered thousands of key cluster modules and havenât received any complaints about separated sockets.
For the time being, weâll use extra parts within the case for adding mechanical support. Later, weâll integrate this solution to the bottom case parts by modifying their molds. Weâre chasing the latter solution because it makes manufacturing easier and faster. Consequently, we wonât manufacture non-black cases until the mold gets modified, which should take about three months.
We currently only have black cases in stock, so if youâre early in the queue and donât want your order to get further delayed than necessary, switch to a black case by filling out this form. You can check your order parameters several days after you submit the form.
When will my order arrive?
New orders are expected to ship in February 2022.
As for earlier orders, the following factors inhibited us from shipping on a first-come, first-served basis:
I realized about a week ago that our order allocation algorithm was still buggy and didnât respect our first-come, first-served principle. I fixed the bug, tested it, and it wonât be an issue in the future.
We donât have palm rests and extra v2 feet in stock, so orders containing these items arenât sent to production. We expect to have stock in two weeks, at which point this will be a non-issue.
Only UHKs with black cases will be shipped until modifying the mold to add the mentioned mechanical support mechanism. We expect to manufacture non-black cases about three months from now. Again, you can switch to a black case according to the above instructions.
Consequently, if your order hasn't shipped yet and you see an order number larger than yours shipped, it doesnât mean that there's something wrong with your order. If your order is in the âprocessingâ state, we'll ship it as soon as possible. Please check the status of your order before emailing us.
As soon as points 1 and 2 are resolved, weâll update the delivery status page.
Thanks for reading this update! Weâll be keeping you updated on all things UHK and plan to publish the next update at the end of October.
Hi there, and welcome to this monthly UHK status update!
TL;DR: UHK 60 v2 production has finally started, earliest orders will ship in September, and new orders are expected to ship in January 2022. Every Crowd Supply order has been shipped, and almost all module orders of UHK 60 v1 customers have been shipped.
Please note that these are unusually busy days, and as a result, our support response time is considerably longer than usual. It may take some days to get back to you, but we will get back to you.
UHK 60 v2 production progress
After multiple delays, Iâm delighted to say that all the needed parts have arrived and UHK 60 v2 production has finally started. The earliest orders will ship in September. Weâll work hard to fulfill pending UHK 60 v2 orders and catch up. If you purchase now, we expect to deliver your order in January 2022.
Donât expect our UHK 60 v2 production volume to be high in September, as we still have some modules to ship, and launching the production of a new product is usually a bit slow in the beginning.
Module production progress
Weâve shipped every Crowd Supply order. If you havenât received yours yet, chances are itâs already in transit.
We plan to ship pending module orders in the next two weeks to every customer who hasnât ordered a UHK 60 v2.
As for the rest of the module orders, weâll ship them together with UHK 60 v2 units.
Your tweets
You guys keep sending your tweets, and we're always eager to read and feature them! If you got your UHK or modules, please share your love!
Finally got my @UltHackKeyboard modules. The trackball is perfectly intuitive; now I can get rid of theđąď¸ for good đ I don't think any other keyboard out there gets even close to what UHK delivers! Kudos to you @mondalaci đââď¸ pic.twitter.com/avV0K9V8SZ
The trackball module is a gamechanger for me. The default red one (which I prefer colourwise) is a little to light for my preferences, but the black one does it for me really well. Great move to provide different balls. Most ppl should be able to pick one that match their liking.
Hi there, and welcome to this monthly UHK status update!
Weâve been churning out as many modules as we could In July and received more feedback than ever, including Yukio Miyamotoâs who happens to be an outstanding illustrator. In his true style, Yukio wasnât afraid to put his skills to good use, resulting in some spectacular photos.
Iâve recently noticed that our batch allocation algorithm was buggy, and it didnât respect our first-come, first-served principle. If it did, we would have already shipped every Crowd Supply order. Iâve just fixed our algorithm, and the last Crowd Supply order is expected to leave our facility next Wednesday. Chances are good Crowd Supply will deliver every pending order in August.
We expect to ship non-Crowd Supply module orders in August, too, except for the modules of UHK 60 v2 customers who havenât ordered a UHK 60 v1. Weâll deliver such modules together with UHK 60 v2 keyboards, as the modules are not helpful without a keyboard.
As for the UHK 60 v2, we received the first production sample of its injection-molded cases just a couple of days earlier.
The cases are the only missing parts to launch UHK 60 v2 production, so this is a major step forward, but they contain some minor defects, and the tooling must be fixed accordingly. Weâll receive subsequent case samples in a week or two, and afterward, the mold may have to be further tweaked depending on the results. Weâre pushing hard to launch UHK 60 v2 production in August.
From that point forward, weâll continuously ship UHK 60 v2 pre-orders on a first-come, first-served basis as quickly as we can. We should be able to ship the majority of UHK 60 v2 preorders in 2021, but some will probably slip to early 2022 despite our best effort. We canât provide a more precise production schedule yet, but weâll keep you updated monthly as usual.
Your tweets
Weâre delighted to see your posts on the modules and the UHK in general. Please keep spreading the word; we greatly appreciate it.
@UltHackKeyboard Trackpoint and Key Cluster modules just arrived. Plugged them in and they just work! As a longtime ThinkPad user, it is SO great to once again have a trackpoint! Placement feels "natural" and the "thumball" feels good for scrolling. Awesome work! Worth the wait!
— Broadcast Tool & Die (@BroadcastTool) July 28, 2021
Hi there, and welcome to this monthly UHK status update!
Module shipping has peaked in June, and as a result, weâve received some tweets which make us very excited.
.@UltHackKeyboard I am now fully moduled up! Very impressed with the trackball module especially. It has the same immediate usability and feeling of âhow did I manage without thisâ of the UHK itself! #gotmyuhkpic.twitter.com/lsS2XUWqQl
— Heidi hopes you are ok (@wiredferret) June 21, 2021
Right now, module production is on a temporary halt, and itâll resume in two days; we recently noticed that a large portion of module cases didnât meet our quality standards, and we had to get new cases made. This issue set back module production by about one and a half weeks, unfortunately. Weâll be doing more thorough early incoming quality control to catch such problems early on.
Weâll keep churning out the modules, and we expect to ship every Crowd Supply order in the first half of July. The delivery of non-EU orders via Crowd Supply may take weeks longer due to the extra fulfillment and shipping step on their part.
Weâll continue with the modules ordered via the UHK webshop, and we believe weâll ship most or all of them until the end of July, except for the modules of UHK 60 v2 customers who havenât ordered a UHK 60 v1. Weâll deliver such modules together with UHK 60 v2 keyboards, as the modules are not helpful without a keyboard.
As for UHK 60 v2 production, weâre only two days away from having the final mold, but our injection molding supplier has an organizational restructuring which can delay the production schedule by about a week or two. When the first molded UHK 60 v2 parts come off the assembly line, weâll see how much tweaking has to be made to the mold. We believe we can launch UHK 60 v2 production in late July.
From that point forward, weâll continuously ship UHK 60 v2 pre-orders on a first-come, first-served basis as quickly as we can, possibly until the end of the year. We canât provide a more precise production schedule yet, but weâll keep you updated monthly as usual.
We appreciate your patience, and weâre looking forward to talking to you at the end of July.
Hi there, and welcome to this monthly UHK status update!
Module production is in full swing. When we started up, we could only assemble several hundreds of modules per month, and now, itâs in the thousands. We expect to ship every module order in June, excluding customers without a UHK.
It took me a lot of time to sync Crowd Supply orders with our database and tweak our backend system for order fulfillment via Crowd Supply. But now that our systems are ready and we have quite a few modules in our facility ready to be shipped, you can expect a heavy surge of module shipments In June.
If you got your modules, make sure to update to the latest Agent and flash the latest firmware as we keep smashing bugs and releasing new versions.
The modules are not helpful without a keyboard, so UHK 60 v2 customers without a UHK 60 v1 who also ordered modules will receive every item in one package, including their modules and UHKs.
Almost every part is available for UHK 60 v2 production except for keycaps and plastic parts. Our PBT keycap supplier confirmed that theyâll start shipping keycaps in mid-June, as previously discussed, and the silk-printed side legends of the final PBT keycap sample look great.
As for the plastic parts, tweaking the plastic module cases pushed UHK 60 v2 plastic part production further. As a result, we expect to launch the production of the much-anticipated UHK 60 v2 units in early July.
From that point forward, weâll continuously ship UHK 60 v2 pre-orders as fast as we can, possibly until the end of the year. I asked our plastic supplier to hurry up without compromising quality.
The best way forward is to plow through every obstacle we encounter, and Iâm sure weâll end up with a keyboard like no other. We appreciate your patience on this journey, and weâre looking forward to talking to you at the end of June.
Hi there, and welcome to this monthly UHK status update!
TL;DR: The first 400 modules have been shipped from our facility, and weâll be continuously shipping the remaining module pre-orders. Weâve approved the latest PBT keycap set our supplier sent to us, and UHK 60 v2 production is expected to start in early June. We will try to provide estimates regarding pending orders in our next update.
Also, please open the web address that you can find in the module boxes to be able to use the modules and make the most out of them. Donât forget to update to Agent 1.5.12 and firmware 8.10.9 or any later version available.
Production progress
After all this time, weâve finally shipped the first module batch, containing 400 modules. These are some of the modules.
Weâve ended up providing a red ball, a black ball, and a steel ball for the trackball modules because weâre unsure which one youâll like best, and your feedback is much welcome.
We canât wait to see your posts and hear your experiences regarding the modules. The following is the first weâve received.
You may be wondering why you havenât gotten your module order even though you ordered earlier than Domi. The reason is that so far, weâve only shipped non-Crowd Supply module orders because Crowd Supplyâs order database is not synchronized with ours yet. In a couple of days, however, it will be synchronized, at which point weâll start shipping Crowd Supply module orders, too.
Weâll be continuously shipping the remaining module pre-orders in the coming months. Weâll provide an estimate regarding module shipping, but itâs too early as it was challenging to start module mass production, so the assembly speed of the first module batch is not representative.
As stated in our previous newsletter, the UHK 60 v2 is currently blocked by the lack of PBT keycaps and plastic parts. Our keycap supplier expects to start shipping the keycaps in early June, by which time the plastic parts should be ready, too, and UHK 60 v2 production will begin. From that point forward, weâll continuously ship UHK 60 v2 orders, possibly until the end of the year, which begs some explanation.
The current and future state of delivery
Under normal circumstances, we ship orders in a matter of days, as we did from 2019 May to 2020 October.
As you can probably tell, the current circumstances are everything but normal for several reasons, some of which Iâm about to explain.
Weâre releasing five different products (four modules and the UHK 60 v2). Every product has its own set of manufacturing challenges, and ramping up production is quite challenging even for a single product.
We have quite a backlog, especially of modules that we need to fulfill. At the same time, the demand for our products has significantly increased recently.
Our on-site, on-demand manufacturing operation is excellent when it comes to a steady stream of orders but not ideal for combating large backlogs. As a result, it takes more time to catch up than if we had an OEM in China.
The electronics supply chain is a wreck due to Covid. We had to purchase several thousand ICs for the modules and the UHK 60 v2 for about ten times the price we usually pay, and we were told weâre lucky we could even get the parts.
We sympathize with every one of our customers whose order is delayed, and weâre doing our best to catch up.
If you need an ergonomic keyboard quickly due to health issues, the UHK is not the right choice now. (Unless you pick up the handful of UHK 60 v1âs left on stock.) But if youâre not in a hurry, itâs still worth purchasing because weâll raise the price of our products after we catch up with pre-orders, and we deliver on a first-come, first-served basis.
On the upside, after shipping the current module and UHK 60 v2 pre-orders, we expect to ship most orders in 24 hours on workdays, faster than ever before.
Thanks for your understanding, and your continued patience is much appreciated.
Your tweets
Please keep spreading the word on the modules and the UHK in general. The following tweets put smiles on our faces.
In case you missed it on Saturday, I have a blog again, and the first real post was about my workplace setup - maybe it helps the one or other among you!
Hi there, and welcome to this delayed monthly UHK status update!
TL; DR: The assembly of the first 400 modules is underway in our facility, and we expect to ship them in about a week. Afterward, weâll be continuously producing and shipping module preorders as quickly as we can. One of our key contractors has become suddenly overloaded, and as a result, we expect to start UHK 60 v2 production around the end of April. There are a lot of cool demos in this update, so make sure to read it.
Module production
Module manufacturing has finally started, and weâre assembling the first 400 modules, including 100 modules per type. The following photo was taken after surface-mount assembly and shows the module panels:
Unlike the UHK panels, the module panels contain numerous PCBs. The key cluster panel looks like some kind of modern art:
The trackball panel is very densely populated:
Itâs interesting to peek into the modules, so here are some pictures of them half-assembled and fully assembled:
The following modules have been assembled so far:
The modulesâ look and accuracy have greatly improved since I made the last module demo videos, so Iâve made some new ones. At the end of the videos, you can see the scrolling navigation mode in action assigned to the Mod layer of my UHK 60 v2. This mode makes it easy to zoom through a massive amount of content quickly, and itâs great to skim through documents.
Letâs start with the trackball module.
Weâve tried many different balls, and weâre unsure whether to provide a light black resin ball or a heavier steel ball, so weâll include both. We may eventually offer only one of these balls based on your feedback. The balls can be quickly replaced without tools, according to the following video.
The new, modified, injection-molded spacer improved trackpoint accuracy, and now it feels more accurate.
Beyond single tapping, the touchpad module supports two-finger tapping, two-finger scrolling, and pinch to zoom, but only tapping is supported at this point. Weâll add firmware support for every one of these actions soon.
Can the modules replace the mouse? Itâs a question asked by many, so itâs worth an answer. The modules are a good fit to replace the mouse for regular desktop use, such as web browsing or interacting with applications. If youâre a graphics designer and spend a lot of time in Gimp or Photoshop, a mouse or a graphic tablet is a better choice, though. As for gaming, I think the modules are useful for specific games such as turn-based strategy, but I wouldnât play fast-paced games, such as first-person shooters with them.
We keep shipping on a first-come, first-served basis, but the first 400 modules will be sent only to non-Crowd Supply backers. The reason for this is that Crowd Supply could potentially cause a weeks-long delay in delivery, and it is vital to get quick user feedback at the start of module mass production.
After shipping the first 400 modules, weâll fully adhere to our first-come, first-served shipping policy, and weâll be continuously producing and shipping module pre-orders as quickly as we can. So far, module mass-production has been a smooth ride, but itâs just started, so we donât have reliable metrics on how long itâll take to assemble all modules. Weâll provide you an estimate in our next monthly update.
In the meantime, make sure to update your address if you have moved to another location since your order.
Agent progress
Agent has evolved quite a bit recently, and now itâs able to detect every module and configure the actions of module keys and buttons.
A seamless experience of a fully-fledged product is kind of magical, and I believe that the above demo exemplifies it well. You can take a look at Agentâs web demo, which now includes the modules, too. Weâre working hard to make the modules not only work for you but amuse you.
UHK 60 v2 progress
Two issues are blocking UHK 60 v2 production: PBT keycaps and plastic parts.
Weâve received a new PBT keycap sample set for approval since the last monthly update. This sample is a definite improvement over the previous one, but some keycapsâ shine-thru performance, especially the convex keycapsâ, should be better. Our supplier is doing their best to maximize shine-through performance and provide improved samples soon.
As for the plastic parts of the UHK 60 v2, theyâre larger than the modules and can only be molded with a larger machine. We have a great supplier who proved themselves, but due to a sudden influx of foreign orders, theyâre quite overwhelmed these days and can only mold UHK 60 v2 parts around the end of April.
Most of you are very patient regarding such delays and primarily concerned about the quality of the final product which we highly appreciate, and we resonate with your mindset. Others are less patient which is understandable. We have dozens of suppliers, and even if one of them introduces a delay, the whole project gets delayed. These delays are often unexpected, and theyâre among the top reasons why shipping hardware is so much harder than shipping software. Weâll do our best to push forward. Weâre making sure that the wait worths it, and weâll be keeping you updated.
Your tweets
You guys keep sending your awesome tweets, and we're always eager to read and feature them! If you got your modules, please share your love!
Weâll be keeping you updated on all things UHK and are looking forward to talking to you in mid-April. Thereâs a lot to do nowadays, so the update may be a bit late, but Iâll do my best.
Hi there, and welcome to this monthly UHK status update!
TL; DR: Weâve shipped a couple of modules to select testers, and their feedback was very positive, but theyâve also noticed some small issues. PBT keycap and ABS tooling are late, which affects estimated delivery dates. We plan to start shipping the modules around the end of February or March and the UHK 60 v2 around late March.
Module progress
Shortly before Christmas, we finished assembling the following modules and shipped them to select testers.
The feedback we received was very positive but also revealed some new issues. For some testers, the top and bottom parts of the key cluster came apart.
As for the touchpad, some testers pushed the top board into the module case.
Regarding the trackball, weâve learned during the assembly process that the sealing ring slightly interfered with the ball in some cases, causing the ball to get stuck somewhat. Weâve also noticed that adding a slight pattern to the ball significantly improves optical sensor tracking at high speeds.
We havenât heard any critiques of the trackpoint, which is unexpected because the spacer that held the top trackpoint part was 3D printed and slightly wiggled. We already had an injection-molded spacer, but we improved it, resulting in lower trackpoint operating force, and the mold hasnât been modified yet, hence the 3D-printed part. If the 3D printed part was good enough, then the final molded part will be great.
Weâre also removing a small plastic part that connects the two case buttons of right-handed modules based on tester feedback. This way, the buttons will be easier to press along their entire surface. The small plastic part was needed for the 3D-printed button prototypes to be sufficiently rigid, but injection-molded plastic behaves much better, and weâre better off without this part.
Luckily, all of the above issues are easy to fix by tweaking the molds, and our contractor is working on the fixes.
Itâs fair to say that weâve learned a ton from the testersâ feedback and the module assembly. I think weâre at a point where apart from the above fixes, the module hardware is excellent and cannot be improved significantly.
Our mold making contractor expects to update the module molds by the middle of February, and UHK 60 v2 mold modifications are expected to get ready by the beginning of March.
Keycap progress
Our PBT keycap supplier has finally sent us samples for approval. The majority of the keycapsâ shine-through performance is excellent, except for a handful of keys, including Space and Mod.
Several UHK 60 v1 owners wanted consistent key cluster keycaps, and as a result, we will also provide ABS keycaps for the key cluster. Our ABS keycap supplier is ready with convex 1U keycap molds, and weâll ship every key cluster with both PBT and ABS keycaps. We expect to discontinue ABS keycaps for the key cluster in the far future, but now theyâre included for free.
Our PBT keycap supplier recently told us that they can only provide the keycap sets in late March, which surprised us quite a bit. Previously, we only used ABS keycaps, which werenât subjected to such delays.
As it turns out, manufacturing high quality, custom PBT keycaps of excellent shine-through performance is much more time consuming and complicated than making laser-engraved ABS keycaps, hence the delay.
Weâre pushing our supplier to provide at least the key cluster PBT keycaps in March, enabling us to start shipping the modules sooner. Unfortunately, the UHK 60 v2 PBT keycaps will have to wait until the end of March despite our best effort.
Module configuration options
Agentâs master branch can already visualize the modules in real-time, and remapping them should be possible soon. The following screenshot is a work-in-progress, but you get the idea.
Remapping the modules, however, is not sufficient to make them live up to their full potential.
It can be difficult to hit small targets or take too much effort to make large motions with the pointer when using the modules. Thatâs where speed and acceleration settings come in. The speed setting is a linear multiplier, and the acceleration setting is an exponential multiplier. Weâve been already playing around with these values, and they make a world of difference.
When it comes to module usability, another critical feature is navigation mode, which determines what modules do when using their mousing instrument:
Cursor mode: moves the mouse cursor
Scroll mode: behaves like a scroll wheel
Caret mode: moves the text cursor, just like with up/down/left/right arrow keys
Media mode: invokes volume up, volume down, previous track, and next track on upward, downward, leftward, and rightward motions, respectively
Speed, acceleration, and navigation mode will be adjustable on a per-layer and per-module basis. So, for example, youâll be able to make the trackball scroll when the mod layer is active.
By default, the navigation mode of the base, mouse, mod, and fn layers will be set to cursor, scroll, caret, and media mode, respectively, which are sensible and intuitive defaults given these layersâ default behavior.
I can think of a couple more minor options, and Iâm sure the community will make further suggestions, but by and large, Iâm quite confident that the above configuration options will provide sufficient freedom to achieve excellent usability.
Your tweets
You guys keep sending your awesome tweets, and we're always eager to read and feature them! Iâm blown away by Sebastianâs review, Hubertâs chair mount hack, Alexâs custom tenting stand, and all the modded UHKs. Keep it up!
Hi there, and welcome to this delayed monthly UHK status update!
TL; DR: Except for small refinements, the molds of the modules are done, and we have some great looking samples to show you. Weâll send a couple of module prototypes to select testers in December. We plan to start module shipment at the end of January 2021. PBT keycap tooling is coming along nicely. Agent now has a dark mode.
The modules look almost perfect from the outside. Minor surface defects result from not using the final injection molding machine and not setting optimal production parameters, both non-issues for the final production run.
Despite their nearly perfect look, some tooling changes still have to be done to the modules. Weâll fine-tune the length of the bosses of the microswitches to achieve optimal actuation force, and some other internal tweaks have to be done to optimize the parts for assembly.
The key cluster plastic parts should be fine as they are, and we donât plan to make changes to them. The keycaps on the above photo are not final. The final keycaps will be made of PBT, and the bottom two keycaps will be convex.
Due to popular request, weâll include three extra blank ABS keycaps for every key cluster for no additional cost to make key clusters more consistent with UHK 60 v1 keyboards.
The inner trackball housing needs to be adjusted for the distance between the ball and the optical sensor.
The trackpoint is already working fine, but weâre experimenting with optimal trackpoint cap height, which may affect the inner holder part. We plan to add a nice texture to the big glossy area near the cap. These are minor tooling changes.
The touchpad plastic parts work flawlessly. The golden edge at the left side wonât be visible as the final mylar sheetâs size will be corrected. The marker text which contains the version number of the PCB wonât be featured on the final product.
The above module plastic samples are surprisingly good for a first run. We aim for a second run in December, at which point the samples should be nearly perfect, and we plan to do a third run in January when we expect the samples to be flawless, and we plan to start shipping at the end of January 2021.
Plastic tooling does take more time than anticipated. Weâre doing our best to release the modules as soon as we can. We wonât make any quality compromises, however, and the ETA will be extended if needed. We appreciate your continued patience, and weâll be keeping you updated.
PBT keycap progress
As for the UHK 60 v2, our supplier sent us a photo of production PBT keycap samples.
Almost all custom legends look fine, but Mod, Space, and right Shift will be revised.
Join the dark side
Mad props go to our fabulous contributor, Mikko Lakomaa, as he has almost single-handedly implemented Agentâs dark mode.
Decided to nerd it up and recap my @UltHackKeyboard ... love the feel of these spherical keys and it looks beautiful to me as well. Was able to replace nonstandard keys in 3 places with blanks⌠the only issue is the BS key which is an R2 and thus a bit recessed. pic.twitter.com/7zmKnJDseh
Hot-swap sockets, per-key RGB backlighting, double shot PBT keycaps, USB-C, braided cables, and much more - Say hi to the UHK 60 v2!
The previous UHK version, the UHK 60 v1, is out of stock and discontinued. The UHK 60 v2 is expected to ship around the end of January 2021, and you can pre-order yours now. We havenât raised the price yet, but we will eventually. If you own a UHK 60 v1 and want to purchase accessories, be sure to read the âUHK 60 v1 parts availability and compatibilityâ section at the end of this update.
Regarding the modules, weâve upgraded every key cluster module pre-order for free to per-key RGB backlighting, hot-swap sockets, and double-shot PBT keycaps. All the modules are fully compatible with both the UHK 60 v1 and the UHK 60 v2, and firmware upgrades will be released as usual. We expect the first injection molded parts of every module type to be ready in a week, at which point weâll publish a dedicated update about them. In the meantime, please read the âHot-swappable, backlit key cluster moduleâ and âUHK 60 v2 timing rationaleâ sections below.
A little history
Our first keyboard, which you know as the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard, or more precisely as the UHK 60 v1, has been exceptionally well received. But it's been three years since we started mass production, and based on your feedback, we could make it even more powerful.
That is why we've been working over the last few years to take the UHK to the next level, keeping all you loved and adding everything you yearned for. The result is the UHK 60 v2, and we're super excited to unveil it now. If you liked the v1, you will love the v2.
I'll list all the improvements we've made, so you'll know if it's time for you to upgrade or purchase your first UHK. Fasten your seatbelts for this long ride.
Hot-swap sockets
Hot-swap sockets have been becoming increasingly popular in recent years. It's no surprise because they enable switch swapping, which makes replacing faulty switches or installing alternative switches a breeze.
Speaking of replacing the switches of your UHK, we include a combined keycap and switch puller with every UHK 60 v2.
Regular, box, and silent switches
We can no longer offer the same switch types for the UHK 60 v2 that we provided for the UHK 60 v1 because they're not backlit-compatible. We also wanted to expand our switch range to offer a wider selection of quality product options. See the following switch matrix.
Let us first look at the vertical axis of the matrix. You're already familiar with regular MX switches, as their non-backlit version was available for the UHK 60 v1 and countless other keyboards. As for the box switches, they're my personal favorite. They feel more precise; they're better protected from dust and, in my opinion, offer a better typing experience. Last but not least, the silent switches make your UHK more bearable in noise-sensitive environments at the expense of some mushiness.
As for the matrixâs horizontal axis, I think clicky switches are the best typing choice, but your environment may not tolerate their noise. Gamers often prefer linear switches, and tactile switches are the best middle ground between typing and gaming.
The above switches are all made by Kailh. Currently, we offer every UHK switch option for the same price, but this will likely change eventually because some switches are considerably more expensive than others, especially the silent ones.
Double shot PBT keycaps
We have provided laser-etched ABS keycaps for the UHK 60 v1. Most were happy with them, but some pushed for PBT keycaps, and understandably so, as unlike ABS, the surface of PBT keycaps never gets shiny with use, and their legends never fade.
The parallel lines you can see on the above photo are the signature sign of double-shot keycaps. It's worth mentioning that these keycaps are best-in-class double shot PBT keycaps which offer unmatched shine-through performance, and the custom legends are easy to read even when they're not backlit.
The keycaps' side legends are here to stay, but they will be silk printed this time because laser-etching on PBT would have been very dark.
New keycap options
We've changed the keycap printing options for the UHK 60 v2. For the UHK 60 v1, you could choose Linux, Mac, Windows, Blank option, and ANSI vs. ISO was available as a separate option, resulting in 4 x 2 = 8 possibilities.
For the UHK 60 v2, you can select English US (ANSI), English UK (ISO), Blank ANSI, or Blank ISO. Being a backlit keyboard, we implemented the blank option by placing small translucent dots on every keycap. All these keycap options are made of double-shot PBT.
Functional per-key RGB backlighting
RGB backlighting needs no introduction, as youâve probably seen countless backlit keyboards. The way the UHK uses RGB, however, is unique.
When I was thinking about adding RGB backlighting to the UHK, I had mixed feelings. Iâve seen loads of keyboards that tried to stand out by being flashy and utilizing all kinds of fancy colorful animations. In the true spirit of the UHK, itâs a professional tool, not a Christmas tree ornament, I thought, so I implemented what I call âfunctional backlighting.â
Based on the actual keymap and layer in use, every key has a function, and the keys light up according to the color of their function. See the following video.
As you can see, regular alphanumeric keys are white, modifiers are light blue, layer switcher keys are yellow, shortcuts are dark blue, mouse actions are green, macros are purple, keymap switch actions are red, and unused keys donât light up. This color scheme is useful for learning what the keys of your UHK do, and Agent will allow you to configure the colors.
USB-C connector, adapter, and cables
USB-C needs no explanation as everything comes with it these days. What might not be so evident to some is that USB4 is on its way, and both ends of the USB cable will feature USB-C connectors. Naturally, we want the UHK 60 v2 to be as future-proof as possible while providing backward-compatibility.
As you can see, we offer a USB-C to USB-C cable with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, so youâre covered no matter what.
Unlike the USB cable of the UHK 60 v1, the new USB cable doesnât have a ferrite choke at its end near the UHK, so itâs slimmer and also braided. For the sake of consistency, weâve also braided the bridge cable.
Weâve made several improvements to USB connectivity besides simply switching to USB-C. The new USB connector is closer to the back side of the UHK, so itâs much easier to access it than the previous USB Mini-B connector, which sat deeper. And the redesigned cable recess mechanism should be more gentle with the cable and maximize its lifespan.
Hot-swappable feet
UHK 60 v1 feet were fixed by screws, and the legs had to be inserted into feet bases after screwing. This solution was reliable and worked well, but the feetâ installation and removal were quite time-consuming and demanding. This mechanism also discouraged experimentation with different setups, such as tenting versus negative-tilting.
The redesigned feet mounting mechanism makes all the difference as the legs are pre-assembled into the bases. You only have to gently insert the feet into the newly created recesses of the back of the UHK, then turn them clockwise. You can simply remove the feet by turning them counterclockwise.
Removable palm rest
The palm rest had to be screwed to the UHK just like the feet. Screwing it was less of an inconvenience than screwing the feet, but itâs still useful to easily remove the palm rest for transportation, so now itâs possible.
You only have to screw a pair of plastic bolts per keyboard half into the existing bronze inserts of the UHK once. Then you can simply pull the palm rest apart from the UHK to unmount it and mount it in the opposite direction. If you want to use your UHK flat, the plastic bolts are not in the way.
Hot-swappable, backlit key cluster module
Although this is not a module update, it wouldnât be complete without mentioning that the key cluster has also been upgraded to hot-swap sockets, per-key RGB backlighting, and double shot PBT keycaps. This free upgrade includes every key cluster pre-order ever made.
Regarding switch options, the switches of existing key cluster orders remain unchanged, but new key clusters are only available with the new switch types mentioned above going forward. Feel free to purchase alternative switches from any shop and replace them.
Production progress and ETA
The design and procurement of the UHK 60 v2 have been underway for years, and itâs very close to completion. We have already had the product FCC and CE certified, had the first batch of PCBs manufactured, ordered almost all parts, and the firmware is working with Agent.
The main thing thatâs missing is the modification of the mold of the UHK case. The modifications will be barely visible from the outside except for the USB-C connector and the recess for the USB cable, but they still take some time. Our mold making contractor is busy with the module molds and expects to have the UHK 60 v2 mold ready by about the end of January 2021.
Another contractor is working on PBT keycap and keycap legend tooling, which are nearing completion and should be done well before case mold modifications.
UHK 60 v1 parts availability and compatibility
Weâre committed to supporting UHK 60 v1 owners for as long as possible, so let me elaborate on parts availability and compatibility.
The v1 palm rest is discontinued, and you can only purchase the v2 palm rest going forward. Weâve only changed the palm restâs base plate, which is only compatible with the new hot-swappable v2 feet. So if youâre a UHK 60 v1 owner looking for a palm rest, purchase the v2 palm rest and v2 feet. This way, your UHK 60 v1 uses v1 feet, and your v2 palm rest uses v2 feet. Similarly, if you already have a v1 palm rest, you can use it with the UHK 60 v2, in which case the v1 palm rest uses v1 feet, and the UHK 60 v2 uses v2 feet.
We have an extensive inventory of v1 feet and black v1 cases that will likely last for years to come. These items are incompatible with their v2 counterparts, and you can purchase them in the âUHK 60 v1 partsâ section of our webshop.
The UHK 60 v1 keycap set is discontinued. Still, you can purchase the new UHK 60 v2 PBT keycap set for your UHK 60 v1 or wait a few weeks until we announce the availability of the UHK 60 v1 backlight upgrade kit in a dedicated newsletter.
UHK 60 v2 timing rationale
Some of you who are waiting for your pre-ordered modules may be frustrated that we started to develop the UHK 60 v2 before delivering the modules. This timing is because we wanted to take our technology stack to the next level as soon as possible. As a direct result, we were able to upgrade the key cluster module, which benefits everybody.
Alternatively, weâd have to release the key cluster module as originally envisioned without all these improvements, then release another version with the upgrades. We knew weâd implement these upgrades anyway, so weâve taken a bigger leap forward.
Rest assured, the funds required to release the modules have already been allocated for them, so weâre not using the funds of module pre-orders to develop the UHK 60 v2.
Thank you for your patience as we move forward with production. Weâre confident the chosen path results in a more capable product line.
Closing words
If youâre still here, then youâre one of the brave few, and we appreciate your interest. This update was probably the longest Iâve ever written, but there was a lot of ground to cover, and I wanted to leave no stone unturned.
The UHK 60 v2 is the culmination of all our experiences, and itâs been a huge effort to make it happen. It packs quite a punch, and itâs the best value weâve ever provided, especially while we donât raise its price. If youâve been on the fence, itâs time to pull the trigger.
Weâll be keeping you updated about the UHK 60 v2 in our monthly updates, and Iâll publish an update about the modules in about a week.
