Austin - Compact Fullsize(Finished)

Raffle form will close on Feb 1st
Extras info: $525 for base kit (brass plate, pcb, case, etc)
Extra PCB - $60
Extra plate - Brass $45, PC $40
Extra PCBWay PCB - $40










Design

The Austin was created with the intention of providing a layout that included a full sized numpad without being a full size board. For those who use the numpad on a daily basis or have the muscle memory of using it for any or all numbers, transitioning to a numpadless keyboard or a keyboard with a 1u '0' can be difficult. The 2u '0' is the spacebar for numbers and having to adjust your thumb to accommodate for a 1u '0' will annoy even the best bean counters.The Austin provides an all-in-one package for the keyboard enthusiast who wants a high end keyboard for their home or office needs.




Ergonomics

Since this board is meant to be used all day, we wanted a comfortable angle for most typists. The 5.5 degree slope is an angle that will accommodate for tall keycaps like SA or MT3 profiles but also feels good with the cherry profile keycaps. Our vision for this board is to create a board that includes a full sized numpad while reducing the footprint on your desk. By no means are we calling this a small board but with the compressed layout, the keyboard is 2u thinner than a full size keyboard or 2u wider than a TKL.




Materials

The Austin case will be made out of anodized 6063 grade aluminum, and the weight will be sandblasted raw brass that has been finished with a protective oil to prevent fingerprints. The sandblasted brass has an elegant aesthetic and contrasts nicely with the aluminum chassis. Plate materials will be available in Sandblasted brass (one will be included in the base kit) and Polycarbonate. Brass provides a consistent typing experience across the board no matter which key you press. Polycarbonate will flex up and down more freely for those looking for a more flexible typing experience.




Mounting Method

When I initially brought the idea to the designer PheonixStarr, gasket mounts were barely a thing. So I decided to stick with the top mount method which has been proven to be a solid formula. Boards that are TKL or smaller can benefit from a gasket mount if executed correctly. Gaskets suspend the plates so that there is no metal on metal contact and are meant to dampen vibrations during typing. However, due to the size of the Austin, the gaskets would get too compressed to actually have an effect and could possibly cause additional vibrations. As you can see from the displacement map, the top mount provides a consistent feel across the board.




Layout & PCB

We partnered with Gondolindrim ("Gondo") to create a high quality PCB that will be made available to the public once the GB is over. Gondo currently manages the Acheron Project, an open sourced repository that features fifteen PCBs that are either released or in the GB stage. Our main goal was to make a straightforward layout to reduce the amount of "swiss cheese" and provide a functional and practical layout. The layout provides a few options, such as stepped caps lock, split backspace, two different bottom rows, and split 0's. After considering the feedback from the interest check, we have decided to include ISO compatibility on the PCB, but plates will need to reach an MOQ of 10 before being produced. See below for more details.

https://gondolindrim.github.io/AcheronDocs/austin/intro.html





Disclaimer: Currently, QMK does not support backlight realtime control with the ARM chip utilized in the PCB. If you plan to use backlight LEDs, the PCB will need to be flashed in order to turn them on and off. Hopefully, there will be QMK support by the time we receive the PCBs, but there are no guarantees or ETA for when the feature will be available. If you have any issues with the firmware, feel free to ask in our Discord.


Specs:

• Full aluminum top and bottom case
• 5.5 degree slope
• Sandblasted raw brass weight
• Sandblasted raw brass plate
• PCB is QMK compatible
• USB C (centered)
• Top mounted

Anodized Color Options:

• Oynx Black
• Sterling Silver
• Titanium Gray
• Navy Blue

Price: (not inclusive of transaction (3%) and shipping fees)

• Base kit (Aluminum case, Brass plate, Brass weight, PCB) - $475
• Extra PCB - $60
• Extra Brass Plate - $45
• Extra PC Plate (ANSI only) - $40

ISO: (Please read if you will be using ISO)

Brass ISO plates have a MOQ of 10 units (PC plates will not be available in ISO). If there are less than 10 people who are interested in using ISO, we will send the ISO plate file for ISO users to cut their own plates and reduce the base cost for those individuals to $450. If there is anyone who selected ISO but is okay with using ANSI if the MOQ of 10 is not met, please message me in Discord.


Shipping

Shipping will be from the U.S. Shipping costs will depend on your location. The shipping fee will be invoiced when keyboards are ready. If you need an estimate, message me, and I can use your address from the form to give you a rough estimate of how much it will cost.


GB Method

GB will be FCFS through Google forms. Please read carefully before submitting. The form will close in 1 week or after 40 orders have been submitted. I will be using Square to send invoices due to PayPal complications. Payment is due upon receipt of invoice.


Lead Time

3-4 months


B-Stock/Quality disclosure

If we're unable to receive enough A-stock boards to fulfill the 40 open spots, we will reach out and offer B-stock pricing starting from the bottom of the list (#40). The discount will be at the discretion of the GB runner. If the discount/B-stock is not accepted, the GB runner can refund the spot and the B-stock will be available as an extra.


Updates

Updates will be provided whenever they are available. Normally during the first month or two during production, there will not be any updates besides the boards being in production. Once we are getting closer to the end of the lead time, I will provide as many updates as the manufacturer will provide me. I will update the GB post for all relevant updates





Thanks everyone for your support!