Group BuyKeycaps

Bias - GB Complete, Extras available

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Description

Bias R2 Group Buy by Baionlenja

Years of work and 7 unique prototype rounds later, Bias is ready to be made public.

Raffle Info

620 USD
VAT included for EU buyers

Raffle on 16th of November 2021
Raffle form opens tomorrow at UTC 12:00 and is open for modification for 48 hours
Ships from Finland Q3 2022 or before
Bias will be retired after this group buy

Raffle form will be posted here
Shopify invoices will be sent to winners by email on 18th
Payment window is 24 hours after invoices have been sent
Contact me if you need a bit more time to pay
Otherwise unpaid invoices will be swiftly re-raffled in my Discord

Update 30.11.2021
Order has been paid and placed at the factory! I will update bi-weekly every sunday, then switch to weekly updates as GB nears completion.

More detailed information at the end of post

Bias

OG Bias group buy was ran invite only in 2020 and I have been getting tons of requests from vendors and fans of my designs to sell it publicly.
Instead of just using the original design to cash out, I wanted to improve Bias as much as I could to make it worthy of your consideration.
Thus began a wild ride of endless prototype rounds, thousands of hours of testing, development, sourcing and learning.
And finally here we are. I sincerely hope you will appreciate the passion and commitment I've put to every single millimeter of Bias.

Photos & Renders

Main Features

Fixed WKL TKL layout
17.5mm front height
7 degree typing angle
"Seamless" HHK+B Sides
M3 Hex screws flush to the surface
All this and the mounting system fits inside the classic bezels without dodgy thin walls
Very grabbable sides
Recessed USB-C port angled to the table
Bumpon cutouts
40$ more expensive than Bias R1, but with significantly upgraded features and materials

Evolved grommet mount

I wanted to make a mounting style that had the isolated plate and softer typing feel like gasket mount, but without the faffing around with foam stickers, misaligned plates or trying to get the stickers off when swapping plates.
In 2020, I started experimenting with rubber grommets and made a couple projects around them (WB for example).
With what I learned I decided to continue improving the design and this is the result.
These custom injection molded silicone grommets easily snap onto the plate and automatically align the plate assembly to the center.
They're removable, and you will receive two sets of different softnesses for more customization.

Leaf spring cuts

Additionally I experimented with leaf spring cuts on the aluminium plate.
I included them in several projects (Bias 1.5 and 2.0) but with Ophanim and WB I combined the milder leaf cuts with the custom grommets which yielded excellent results.
What you are seeing in Bias is the result of all this work. The polycarbonate plate option does not have leaf springs as it would be so flexy it would be unusable

BAION WAVE TM (patent pending) /s

These distinct waves on the case floor allow the pcb to flex more without the switch pins contacting the case.
It's among the many interesting machining details for those who enjoy exploring the insides of every keyboard.

PCB Film

Another thing I've been working on for a while. I'm a big fan of offering built in sound customization options that do not affect typing feel.
It's a glossy film with a thin poron layer which goes on the pcb and under the switches.
It creates a more firm connection from switch to PCB and results in an interesting sound profile without muting the entire distinct sound of the board.
It's extremely tough which lends to good durability when redoing builds, and it's completely optional, not affecting typing feel with or without.

I recommend trying it! I personally like it with Gateron switches, but prefer to take it off for Cherry switches.

Two colours

Radiant sunshine battery acid eggplant atrocity Black
Emerald sugarplum starshine cerebrospinal fluid Silver

Click here for more renders
Click here for more prototype photos

Many of the features in this keyboard are to address my personal grievances

JST cable channel is widened for ease of building. (You'll thank me when you're building it.)
Screws are thick and flush to the surface. No more deep screw tunnels that end up in you scratching the sides of the screw hole because your screwdriver is too short.
All case internal geometry is extra thick and robust.
No glue involved in the mounting system.
Grommets can be replaced with standard grommets found in mcmaster catalogue.
Case and plate align themselves.
Screws and mounting points are very carefully placed to minimize bezel sizes.
PCB has some very specific design features which increase longevity such as spare diodes.
Case is very easily liftable because "someone" dropped their Ikirouta on their finger once and vowed for such tragedy to never happen again.

So as you can see my personal obsessions experiences over the years have influenced this keyboard's smaller features heavily.
I hope that you will appreciate them as much as my poor fingers do!
Additionally I have gathered tons of feedback and suggestions from other hobby veterans.

Layout

Winkeyless only
Fixed ANSI with optional stepped caps lock
Optional fixed ISO plate with optional stepped caps lock
Plate files for more layouts will be released before Bias is shipped so that you can get your own plates made ready

Typing test

Pre-Order Information

Group buy format: Raffle
Group buy date: 16th of November, 2021, 12:00 UTC time
Raffle window: 48h
Ships from Finland

Raffle form, updates and future projects will be posted in Geekhack and in my Discord

Estimated shipping date: Q3 of 2022 or earlier
Extra units available after shipment

Base kit includes

Bias Keyboard
Stainless steel multicolor weight
Custom PCB by Yiancar (case is also h87 compatible)
Aluminium plate
Two sets of custom grommets at different softnesses
2 x Custom molded poron PCB film
Carrying case with custom molded interior
Hardware and stickers
2 Year standard European warranty

Pricing

Bias Kit

620 USD

For EU buyers price includes VAT. For those outside EU, check your local tax rates for importing.
All orders are shipped from EU

Shipping

DHL Express Worldwide

International 45 USD

Extra parts

Extra PCB with daughterboard: 60 USD
Extra aluminium plate: 50 USD
Polycarbonate plate: 60 USD
Misc Kit (2 sets of grommets, 2 extra PCB films, stickers and extra bumpons): 20USD

I will be stocking replacement parts such as PCB's grommets and PCB films.
Additionally I will provide a 2 year warranty for the buyer with quick and easy replacements.
A keyboard such as this is a big investment and I want to make sure you can find spare parts whenever you need them.

Additions after IC

I've sneakily increased the prices for shipping by a few euros in hopes of purchasing a second yacht

But for real I got a quote from DHL and I decided to go with them instead of the very slow Finland Post.
I've also very slyly removed the notion of how many raffles spots there are. Time for another private jet

If there's a gargantuan amount of raffle entries, I will dispense some extra spots to not dilute the chances of the who have been exited and following this project from the start. I now have some able extra hands to help me with the soul crushing task of QC and packaging

Since Shopify does not offer multiple currencies for Finnish stores, EU people will have to be paying in USD. Don't worry, VAT is still included in price. Downside is that you are now in the mercy of exchange rates.

Thank you for reading my IC and GB posts. The kind words mean so much to me and I never thought I could get a reception like this. It really has inspired me to pass on the kind words and try encourage others as well.
And here's one for the lurkers, yes you. The valiant heroes of the forum and Discord server bandwidth, those who simply observe. Thank you for blessing me with your eyeballs. I will do my best to make my keyboards equally available to even those who do not engage in the community verbally.

Thank you for considering HHK+B

edits:
Added two more irl pics
added raffle link