Awesome tutorial. This is how it should be done. Lots of good visuals, good explanation, explaining the "why I do this" which very useful for adapting to other models and situations, and even throwing in some bits of humor like "there is no spoon" -- all without extra fluff. Plus your voice is very relaxing and calming. Thumbs up and subscribed. Thanks for uploading this. :)
Thank you so much for the feedback! This is one of my first videos and I cringe at it a bit looking back, but I really appreciate the kind words and encouragement! Thank you!!
@@hightech-lowlife You're quite welcome! And yeah, I definitelyknow what that feeling is like, looking back at old creations. Still, you did good, man. :)
Thank you, yes ~ definitely not a 'budget' solution. If you're looking for wireless on the cheap, it's more cost effective to just get a cheap wireless keyboard 😎
Mine actually does have a lot of room in the case despite having foams. The two keyboards I use are actually both stripped down version of their wireless counterparts. So both of them have a slot in the case for a switch and battery pack, and you can actually see the battery and switch labels in the pcb. There's also an led for charging which I can't really use since mine is wired only. Anyways, great video bro! I'm quite busy atm but I'll save this for Future use.
Thanks for watching! Since this video launched I have built my own (crazy) custom *dual battery* wireless keyboard and I documented the process from start to finish in this playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLGIzSUqaQbL6SKxZdtGoUFnYM7-L23BXh check it out if you're interested!
you could ideally 3d print a case for the three components + cable and attach it somehow to the back of your keyboard. The design could have a hole for plugging the charger to the power bank. if you don't have the possibility, or the hability, for soldering, this can be a possible solution that doesn't necessarily void the warranty
Awesome MOD! My keyboard case is a wireless version of the anne pro 2, plenty of room there and the usb-c connection is already hanging out, just perfect for this mod.
Thank you!! Yes, if your case already has provisions for wireless setups it will be a lot easier because they make room for the battery 👍My latest video I'm making my own case for this reason of allowing more space and I'm adding two batteries! Good luck with your mod!
You got yourself a subscriber, and after I finished doing what you've done in the tutorial, I thought why not build the transceiver myself using ESP32. If I manage to do it I'll share the final PCB and the firmware here. Thanks man Keep it High Tech Low Life
That would be awesome man, please do share that as I know a lot of people would be interested, including myself. I have a few ESP32 boards laying around doing nothing 😎Thank you!
Awesome video and enjoyed watching! I have a wireless keyboard that charges via USB-C but I was going to add a wireless charger to it so I didn't have to plug it in. Should be a fun little project.
Thanks so much! That's awesome man, you should take it a step further and embed the charger in your desk and never have to stop typing 😂! I might actually try this someday 👍👍👍
You can fill the LED lights with some gluestick to diffuse the lights. And also adding a small USB Hub would be great when you're plugged in and wanted to connect a flash drive to your pc.
It's a good idea! I also thought of doing some ambient diffusion by using some acrylic, I will try it. It would be cool to add a hub, but I don't think this module supports the use of a hub over bluetooth unfortunately. Unless you're talking about just a separate wired hub 👍I will be making more custom keyboard cases in the future and I will stuff in a hub.
ngl this is more effort than i was willing to put in for this so I've given up - but you deserve my comment, like and subscribe for the video because you've done a great job explaining and also added in some personality. Great job mate!
Thanks so much man, I appreciate that. It is quite a bit of work I'll admit, I think if you break it up into smaller digestible chunks it's a bit easier to tackle over time as it can feel overwhelming all at once. This is one of my earlier videos and it is hard for me to watch as there are so many things I would have changed to make it better and more watchable, so I really appreciate the kind words. I will probably remake and revise this video in the future that is a bit more condensed and better delivery 👍Thank you for watching!
@@hightech-lowlife Frankly if could find the USB to BT adapter (I'm assuming that's what it is) in your initial 'joke' example around my parts of the world I would be very much inclined to go with that solution. There are NO devices of it's kind sold at any vendor *in* or that will deliver *to* Bulgaria. I've been looking all day cause I bought a Marvo KG962 by mistake instead of the wireless version and I was hoping to find a less expensive solution than just buying the correct model on top of the one I got. Ultimately that's what I did and I didn't even bother returning the wired one - it's a good KB and the hassle is not worth the money I'll get back.
Yes it will do that out of the box, I know that handheld scientific does ship worldwide so most likely they will ship direct to you. If you're just looking for any wireless keyboard, then you're better off just buying a new board that has the features you want @@RoninBlackwing
Thanks for the video! I learned about this adapter recently but was a little confused on exactly how it worked. Didn't realize how simple it was lol I mostly game on my bedroom TV using a Roccat Sova (so I can play in bed while watching TV with my girlfriend on her laptop) but the cords were getting annoying, combined with the bulk of the Sova itself, I have just kind of stopped using it. I'm not technical enough to follow your tutorial but just seeing how it works from your "Easiest tutorial ever" section convinced me to go ahead and get everything. Just gonna fix all of the wires to the Sova itself and use a wireless mouse and it should be a great experience Thanks again!
Unfortunately, the cost of the BT unit and a battery bank added to even the cheapest mech kb is going to be more than a decent budget mech that is already wireless. You could do this a lot cheaper using a cheap microcontroller and low profile LiI battery, but it takes more work and some coding. I think a project that makes more sense is an external unit you can plug any kb into that acts like the BT dongle, but also includes a rotary knob and some media buttons and maybe even a small LCD for dedicated media control, since many boards either lack a knob (the best way to control volume) or have their media controls on another layer. You could make a nice case for it and short cable and then the BT dongle would be a feature and not an eyesore (the battery could be smaller and incorporated) and you wouldn't have to hack the kb at all and could use it with other kbs.
100% agree, I have a blurb in the description and on my site that states that if you're just looking for a cheap way to make a keyboard wireless, this is not the method nor tutorial for you. This is for people that want to convert a keyboard that is simply not offered wirelessly. If you just want a cheap wireless keyboard, there are many out there premade. It's an interesting thought, you could also do this with the BT-500, you don't have to put it in the case, I actually use it like this in the beginning of the video, you could just hot glue it to the top of a battery bank and there it's a portable unit as you have described. The BT-500 is a bit more expensive than even the Adafruit BLE offerings, but if you factor in how much time you will spend writing code and debugging, also taking into account the extra feature set that is built in to the BT-500 firmware (it can do a lot, including mouse control) it could end up being cheaper, depending on how much you value your time. Volume knobs are pretty cool, but I have found for my personal use that just setting up an AHK script and utilizing hotkeys is faster and my hand is already in the right position to manipulate media controls without having to lift to search for a hardware knob. If I couldn't do this, then AltDrag also has a feature where a hotkey turns your mouse wheel into the volume knob, which is even more intuitive. I know people love their rotary encoders these days though. Thank you for your input and feedback, I appreciate it.
@@hightech-lowlife Hey! Sorry I missed this reply when you posted it, you provided info on something I've been looking for for a while - that ability to use mouse wheel for volume. I had previously tried various hot-key and binding remapping software to do that to no avail, so cheers!
One of the best video that I have seen recently. I am starting with my engineering classes and this might be a great project for me to try lol!! Liked and subbed
Very cool, would you consider making a video on battery upgrades for wireless mechanical keyboards? For example, something like the Nuphy Air or Keychronic keyboards are great but the batteries are on the small side. There is definitely room with little modification to fit batteries that would take these from needing weekly recharges to months. Plus it acts to extend the products life as the battery will eventually give out. This way you can highjack the led indicators, charging circuits and switches from the board. I only suggest a tutorial like this because a battery swap is more accessible than building from scratch (I hope). I do hope you'll consider a video like this.
Thanks! Yeah for sure I can do a video like that - I'll check out a suitable board for larger battery mods 👍 It should be fairly straightforward though, lipo batts are 3.7v typically so as long as your battery voltage is the same you can 1:1 swap without any other modifications. Thanks!
Interesting video. I remember when I modded Varmillo VB87M, I wondered if it's possible to make it work not only through Bluetooth, but also with wire instead of just charging from it. From a perspective of an electronics rookie, it seems quite complicated (especially if you use built in Bluetooth chip), but it's quite possible.
Awesome, yes it's totally possible! If you follow my two recommended schematics you'll have both wired and wireless on a switch - just depends on how you want to wire it up. Thanks!
@@hightech-lowlife After inspecting the board's PCB, I don't think it's possible after all. The plastic connector hubs have two positive and negative pins for only a charge, while the separate mini USB PCB has five solder pads. It seems, the manufacturer had in mind the idea of making both wireless and wired product, but on the last moment gave up on it.
@@guessit5036 This is an only wireless keyboard? I thought this was a wired board you're talking about. Even if it's only wireless and only has power from the USB port, you can just run lines from the PCB to add the data lines, and if the connector doesn't support it just put in a different connector. I have a video on how to add a connector to any keyboard, so if the one currently doesn't support data, you can add your own. As long as you can get to the mini USB leads, you can make it wired as well. You may have to throw in an inline switch to turn off the data pins while charging and using as wireless as keyboards don't usually like being plugged in directly + trying to connect wireless, it will probably flip flop between the two connections as shown in my video. Trust me, it's possible 👍
Hello how are you? excellent video and thank you very much for this great contribution, I wanted to ask you if you managed to find the 3P3T slider switch?
I am well, thank you so much. I have searched high and low for one suitable for this application and I still have not found one. There are some in larger packages and toggles, but for something this small they don't seem to make them - which is unfortunate because that's the best solution to not have to use relays. I did put a 3P3T toggle in my more recent "dual battery" build and it works great, if you have the room or can use a toggle that is one way to do it. 👍
@@yaendiaz165 Yes, unfortunately for 3 way switches, the options are limited for smaller sizes. If you can use the relays (1 or 2) you can get more switch options (pins) off of one slider 👍
@@hightech-lowlife I could glue 2 2P2T switches and bridge them with a jumper on the slider head. I have seen some quite slim models or it could also be put to the side.
Hello, can you confirm with their support team? According to their site they do ship international: "$9.95 to international addresses by USPS airmail." 👍
OK, I'm going to write to them. One question, if the battery runs out and I need to use the keyboard immediately, can I connect it via USB cable and use it, or should I wait for it to charge?
@@AngelSing-Zepol You have to look at my wiring diagrams shown in the video, I also explain in the video there is more than one way to wire it up. Either way it will work directly plugged in because the battery will be charging while you're using it if you'd like, you can also just have a direct wired connection if you want to wire it up that way. I show in the video wiring it either only wireless or both wired/wireless switched connections. 👍
@@hightech-lowlife yes, i saw your plans and they are great, but i have a question, when does the switch from wireless to usb happen? when you press the switch button? Or do I have to enter some command on the pc? the manufacturer talks about switching through the mode button or shortcuts, it is not very clear to me where you switch from BT to USB and vice versa. As I understand the mode button or shortcuts is the button that comes with the adapter, right? if so, you should extend it with cables and another button so you can press it whenever you want without opening the keyboard, right? or control everything from the same power switch button? like a double switch or something, I'm a bit confused at this point.
@@AngelSing-Zepol At the end of the video I explain the two different ways I recommend to wire it up and the pros and cons of both. One is to use the BT module hotkey to do the wired/wireless switching. This is a lot easier to wire in, very simple wiring. _[The only drawback with this method is that the connection to the computer is not native, so your computer sees your keyboard through the BT module "bridge" which is fine for most things, but if you want to do something like flash firmware to your board, you won't be able to because the computer is not seeing your actual keyboard, merely a bridge to it. ]_ The second method I am using my charge circuit flashlight LED switch (double tap the power button) to trigger a set of relays that swap both power and data pins from the BT module to the USB cable. This will allow you to achieve a native USB connection to your computer because the wires from the USB port are directly connected, the BT module is no longer in the circuit at all. The relays are essentially "unplugging" the BT module and then "plugging in" the keyboard port. I hope that makes sense for you. You can wire this up many *many* ways though, I'm just showing you a few. If you're ok with adding another physical switch to your keyboard, then just add it to toggle between the BT and wired modes, that's all my relays are doing - I'm just using them because I can control everything off of one physical button. If you watch my videos on my custom dual battery keyboard I wire it up using a physical switch to toggle between bluetooth and wired modes. 👍
I believe it is possible with this module for both keyboard and mouse/trackpad, you might want to check with the manufacturer before starting the project 👍
This was a great tutorial! However, with the battery you used, how long does the battery last considering the keyboard would not be optimized for being power saving?
Thank you! It depends on a lot of factors, backlight LEDs being the biggest. For this particular keyboard and battery (3000mAh) On medium brightness about 27 hours on a charge, backlighting off 80+ hours on a charge. Again, this will vary greatly depending on how big your keyboard is, how big your battery is, what brightness or if you are using backlighting at all. I have a lot more information on my site about batteries, run times, etc: hightech-lowlife.github.io/projects/004_wireless_keyboard/004_wireless_keyboard Scroll down to the part about 'runtimes'. Cheers
@@hightech-lowlife Thank you for the reply! The keyboard I had in mind was a 3-keyed macro keyboard that I could try and make wireless and mount to my arm to control music with while in VR.
What an educational video! I've been looking for this in months. However, I was wondering if it can be done with a 2.4GHz transmitter and receiver for better latency. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you! I don't have any experience using 2.4GHz, only bluetooth. If you want to go this route, I think the best would be to get a cheaper keyboard and salvage those parts from it like this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-22MFteWbMIw.html I have seen some other conversions like this from donor boards also, you will need to do a lot more investment in time and research though. You have to dig pretty far on google to find useful examples or instructions, as not many people have done it. Another option is to use Arduino or ESP32 board for a wifi/2.4 connection, but again will take a lot of experimenting and writing code. Bluetooth has an advantage which is why most wireless keyboards and devices are now BT, a lot of devices such as laptops, desktops and phones will already have a built-in bluetooth receiver, so you don't need to plug in any USB dongle. Even though the BT-500 is more expensive, to me it is worth it regarding the time it will save you writing code or figuring out how to convert other things. Of course if you want to put in the time, I know it is possible, also, to me if latency is a larger concern of yours then wireless in general may not be the best way to go. If you do make a 2.4GHz version, please let us see! Thank you.
The idea is pretty neat and well thought through. The biggest block to me is the fact that the Bluetooth adapter costs more than the keyboard itself. I guess if you have a really expensive/custom made keyboard it might be worth it to mod. But as for me with a 2017 Blackwidow Chroma V2, it's not really feasible
Yes, this mod is definitely not as a means of saving money or doing this cheaply, that would be an entirely different video. A lot of viewers seem to think this video was made as a means to make a wired keyboard wirelessly for free (or close to that) which it's not at all. The keyboard I installed this on is 3x the price of the adapter and this model is not offered with a wireless option, which is the use case for this modification. If you have a keyboard you really like and it's not offered wirelessly, then this is the solution. While for some people "just buy a cheap wireless keyboard" will work for them, they don't seem to be able to understand "what if they want this specific keyboard to be wireless?" they don't have an answer for that. There are a lot of options for wireless keyboards in the $50-70 range now (also keep in mind this video was made 3-4 years ago). But this assumes you like those keyboards, or you're not as particular about that as opposed to your budget. I don't think any amount of money (reasonably) is too much for a tool you will use for hours a day every single day. This would be an item you will far more than you will any other item you own by a huge degree (only matched with your mattress). If this keyboard setup runs you 10 years, you can take the initial cost and average that per year. Even if you spent 1000 on your keyboard, that is 100 a year, which is $8.30 a month. More people spend that at starbucks in a single day than they would feel justified spending that much on a tool they use every single day that is closely tied to their ability to produce income.
@@hightech-lowlife I actually did not think that far lol but I guess that's true. I just thought of this idea recently because of my new mini ITX I built and wanted to go wireless. Picked up a really cheap mechanical keyboard in pristine condition. I was, and still am, a bit baffled why a conversion like this is not more commonplace. Guess I do know now. The dream is not fully dead yet though 👍
@@qaywsx583 I personally don't even like wireless keyboards, I think the concept itself is largely nonsensical. Sure there are some edge use cases, where you're typing on your couch or using a keyboard for anything other than what they're really designed for (to sit on your desktop). It's not good ergonomically to type in any position that isn't naturally comfortable for your body and can lead to injuries down the road, and I think wireless keyboards actually encourage that or at least make bad decisions more accessible. For most people, they only desire wireless for the "aesthetics" and not the functionality, because functionally they are objectively worse than a wired counterpart. Plus they do have to be wired for at least some portion of the time because you have to charge the batteries which eventually need to be replaced. Connectivity issues, input lag, charging, all that just to hide one wire? I'd rather mod my desk, cut a hole in it to hide the wire than go wireless. I don't subscribe to this ultra minimalist aesthetic anyway, seeing how things connect mechanically is a feature to me, not an eyesore. Plus you can make the cable aesthetically pleasing if it's aesthetics one is after. Wireless keyboards are really just a novelty in my opinion, but having everything be wireless seems to be the trend these days.
@@hightech-lowlife Honestly now that you put it that way, you do have a point. I used to be full wired for like 11 years now, and it's usually been a no brainer for me to use wired peripherals. Only a year or two ago, I started to get absolutely furious when my mouse/keyboard cable gets stuck somewhere while playing, but even then I just worked around it with bungees. Just very recently I'm playing with the idea of just ditching all wires to have more freedom while whipping my mouse around my desk. I guess the wires are just a part of my issue feeling restricted by my desk space. Still kinda torn
@@qaywsx583 A wireless mouse makes more sense to me, this is something that moves, although it's still within a very small confined area, if you're having to move your hand too much you might want to look into DPI scaling. I also use a wired mouse for the same reasons why I use a wired keyboard and if you have your wires routed correctly and unobstructed then you shouldn't have issues with wires (IMHO). Everyone is free to use their computers as to what suits them best and for a lot of people they tend to like wireless, just for me it doesn't make as much sense as wired. Good luck on your setup though man 🍻
omg dude i really really like this content !! making usb devices into a bluetooth this is insane .. plus i been looking for so long how to turn wired controllers into a bluetooth such as ds2 or nacon revolution 2 .. please keep up what you doing man i wish i could be as you in electronics
Thank you so much I really appreciate the feedback! This module should be able to work with controllers too! I'm pretty dense when it comes to electronics, I just research people that know a lot more than me and then experiment - you could know all that I know and more pretty easily 😂- Thank you for watching and commenting!
I have a Logitech K800 that is my absolute most favorite. Only downside is connecting with Logitech unifying dongle. I would really appreciate if you could make a video if it can be converted to bluetooth connection
I'm sure the methods would be more keyboard specific as each mfg probably has their own way of building their systems. The methods I show in this video are truly universal as almost all modern keyboards use USB, so undertaking that specific use case may not translate to other users wanting to do the same. It could be something simple or it could be nearly impossible or contain so many workarounds to get it to work that it's not feasible economically or from a time investment standpoint.
I'm about to watch this. I hope it works out. I have had some ideas, but couldn't find any guides. I stumbled across your video by accident. I was also looking for a bluetooth module like the one you use. I'm going to attempt to solder a usb adapter in series with a cable and a usbc female port. Wish me luck!
This is awesome, one day I hope to get to a point where I'll do a full conversion like you did. However for now, I'm just going to do the simple battery pack/inline BT/Keyboard setup because it's all going to go inside my Old Corsair 'Lapdog' - the old version of their lap board (couch PC gaming w/ mouse and keyboard). The old 'Lapdog/Lapboard' runs a 20+ft usb3 cable across my living room and it's not ideal. I will be able to stuff all the cables and battery bank inside the lapboard enclosure and call it a day and use my mechanical + bluetooth mouse. I'll have to position the battery bank to a spot where I can charge it easily though! Perhaps a cutout/mounting for access. We'll see! Thanks again!
@@WClap It's actually a lot simpler than it seems, the BT-500 does a lot of the heavy lifting and makes this procedure much faster and easier to do. It's also possible to do this with an Ardiuno although you will have to load libraries and do a bit of coding. The BT-500 solves this for only about $10 more than going the Arduino route.
My keyboard has a USB in port on it, would making the keyboard wireless still allow me to use that usb port? I've been watching your videos all night and they're all brilliant. I can't wait to see more uploads.
Yes, there are many ways you can wire it up, the way I have it set up you use the same port for charging + direct wired 👍 Thank you so much, I have a ton more projects in the queue!
@@hightech-lowlife Do you have a recommendation for the power hub? I was reading on your website you recommend buying the circuit + battery separately.. Is that only if you plan on taking them apart?
@@hightech-lowlife Thanks so much for setting me down this path! That USB dongle is a great find! I found a nice belkin 20k power hub that should power it forever
@@disarmyouwitha No problem 👍I you just want wireless you can put a gigantic power bank next to it and run forever. Yeah the aluminum frames aren't that great for wireless either, so having it outside would be even better. Thanks!
I want to try this with an slightly different approach, AAA batteries. Make a small module that would connect to the micro-sub port of the keyboard. The module would basically be the Bluetooth transmitter and the AAA batteries connected to it.
I bought a tiny Wireless transmitter that adds wireless communications without Bluetooth, it's just a wireless transmitter. AND it cost less than $3.00. I'd send a pix but it's installed and can't be seen. I thought I had another but can't find it. It's very small, about the size of a USB dongle, that's probably what it was designed for I guess
Thanks man, much appreciated! You can do this with an arduino, but the BT versions you need it's still about 30-40, so you don't save much - plus you have to do a bunch of code writing to make it work. If I find a cheaper alternative I'll definitely make a video on it. Thank you!
I purchased the coolest rgb keyboard and a mouse (but wired, not so cool though) 3 months ago. Now I got a new desktop which I want to connect it along my other one desktop (and probably a laptop to join the party as well), all via a KVM...there's no way I'll get rid of my cool looking pheripherals so...here I am.
Thank you for the comment! You can do it!! If you're using windows, check out mouse without borders - www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35460 I used to use KVMs but for me this is 1000% better of a setup.
It's a great video and proves it can be done although the adapter itself costs around $40 and a power bank around $20 not to mention the time and other tools required to make it happen. Unless it's a really unique or special wired keyboard to convert to wireless I believe one can get a fairly good wireless keyboard for $60. Add another $20 and we are in mx mini or keychron territory.
Thank you. Yes, I was going to put something in the video explaining this, but I felt it was so obvious that it would be a bit condescending, but it seemed like I needed to do it after all judging by quite a few comments I got that were attempting to call out my "oversight". A lot of people have pointed out "this is pointless because I could just buy a _____ for _____ and save money and it would be easier". To me, this is obvious, not really worth commenting on as this video is clearly not for that intention, if you're trying to make a wireless keyboard for less than $5, this is not the tutorial for you, and I don't believe it's possible to convert a wired keyboard to wireless at that price point, unless you're exceptionally good at hacking, firmware and software modifications and even then if you value your time at all, it's not worth it. The fact that someone has not done or made a tutorial on it yet in all of these years to me shows the difficulty. I feel if you're severely limited by your budget than seeking a wireless option is equally pointless, you can easily get by with with a very cheap and most cases free keyboard that is wired. Wireless adds much more complication, less reliable connection, reliance on batteries, etc. If your end goal is just "cheap wireless" there are many options premade already out there, this tutorial is not meant to be a replacement of that. This tutorial is for people who either want to hack and build something of their own for many reasons (love DIY, learning electronics), or if they have a board in which was never offered wireless and there are no alternatives to the keyboard they want that is also wireless. Thank you.
@@hightech-lowlife Well said however with such videos it is obvious to the content creator as you are already aware and have done your homework but to the rest of us who are not aware it is not so obvious. As you have mentioned a lot of people have pointed it out which should give you some sort of feedback and another *idea*. Personally yes I would wish to do such a project as you have demonstrated how simple it is. I’m not saying the whole project should cost me less than $5 which is not practical but it shouldn’t cost me more than the price of a brand new Logitech MX Mini or a similar tier keyboard which is also not practical. I am not severely limited in my budget that I cannot afford a wireless keyboard. They can be bought for as cheap as $10. I just bought a Logitech MX master 3 mouse and was looking to compliment it with a wireless keyboard. I have a wired PS/2 cherry keyboard and was looking to make it wireless but if that's the cost then I'm better off just buying a Logitech Mx mini. Wireless is not as bad as you point it out to be. Yes, they rely on batteries but so does every other wireless device. I have not heard of a connection issue unless the keyboard is either very far away from the computer or there is a hardware or driver error. At the end wireless is all about user experience and convenience. I totally agree with you on the part where there are cheaper wireless options already out there. And yes this project is for those who have a wired keyboard that they really want to make wireless. Otherwise the reason why I watched your video is because I also love and enjoy DIY projects. I thought of doing a DIY project on my cherry keyboard but I will be using a different method.
@@ahmedtwahir Thanks man! Yes, it's actually quite difficult to create content in a mindful way, as the range of understanding from your viewers is extremely large, so you have to choose some spectrum. This also was the 4th video I ever made and I would have done a lot of things differently had I the experience I have now. I think for your particular wants, then it would be possible to do it for less, there are some arduino boards that are bluetooth that can do this, but you will have to load some code and probably edit some things. It may also not have all the features that this module does, so to save some money, there are some trade offs. Another option is to pick up another cheaper wireless keyboard, and port the guts to your wired board, I've seen this done and it could also be a cheaper method, it all depends on how much you can get the other used board for. People will have a subjective experience with wireless, but having worked in many environments using wireless (business, networking, etc), you always use a wire when you can for a reason. Hardware and driver errors can occur quite often, or actually most often when you don't have the time to deal with them. Thank you for your feedback, it's much appreciated. If you do try to the DIY route, I wish you the best of luck on your project and I hope it comes out very well.
@@hightech-lowlife I agree the viewer spectrum is broad on this one. I'm getting a wireless keyboard and mouse set for less than $10. Will do the internal swaps and maybe even mod the cherry chassis with a paint job or carbon fiber wrap. Easier said than done 😅. I'm still new to content creation and my video/audio is not as crisp as yours but will get there eventually with discipline and practice. Thank you for taking the time to write back and wish me luck. I wish you more success with your channel and videos 🤝.
Yeah this was the smartest way of doing this, that sounded sarcastic. BUT I DO has that BT-500 (OFFICAL and not so offical from MAD CATS or was it iPega. It's the latter. Those were cheaper and I heard those were SUPER ANNOYING TO USE, never tried. The iPega uses ON-KEYBOARD button combos that aren't super intuitive and since a lot of keyboards don't have FN keys that you'd be converting, means they rely on combos that might conflict with combos you use in other programs. A lot of CTRL + ALT + letter or number.
The BT-500 can do a lot of macros and remaps that are "on keyboard" if you need it and it does work just fine. I prefer OS/Software macros and remaps as they are generally much easier to program, and you can copy them easily from computer to computer, and they also can do way more things than a firmware solution could. 🍻
I’d love a video that shows how to use a 2.4g wifi option instead of bluetooth for gaming latency issues. Would it be possible to rip off the components from an unused logitech lightspeed mouse and transfer it to the keyboard or would it not be compatible and require re-coding
Yes it is possible to take the guts from a 2.4ghz keyboard and put them into a mechanical keyboard. I'm not sure about using a mouse, but it may be possible. I've only seen it done with a different (non-mechanical) keyboard. 👍
Pretty impressive I wonder if I can do this with my Corsair K70 RGB, it has 2 USB cables, I'm guessing one's for power and the other for data? I have no idea but I think I'd look sick. Anyway thanks for the video it is very entertaining.
Hi, thanks for a video. Having a question about close topic. Have same sort of a problem, but i don't need a battery. I'm planning to connect it to 1 PC via USB and to another via BT. Keyboard itself will be always wired, so no need to have a battery. I just need to be able to switch between 2 PCs. What i'm planning to do is buy bluetooth module with 2 USB ports(one for power, one for keyboard) and an external USB switch(1 input USB, 2 output USB, togglable button to change direction). Then connect keyboard to a USB switch. Then first USB switch's output port connect to first PC. Then second USB switch's output port connect to a BT module's keyboard USB port. Then BT module's USB power port connect to a first PC. Then pair BT module to a second PC. Done. AFAIU pressing USB swtich's button should change my connection from PC1 to PC2. I want to ask you if you see any problems at this solution? For example i worry that BT module may not like usb keyboard been disappeared after switching direction and may malfunction.
Is it required that one connection be BT and the other USB? Or can both be USB? Sharing one keyboard between two computers is a pretty common use case scenario and there are already a lot of premade, tried, tested solutions for this desire. There are software methods and hardware methods to do this, I'm not sure if trying to come up with your own unique way is worth the capital or time investment, but it depends on your goals or the impetus behind the project.
@@hightech-lowlife > Is it required that one connection be BT and the other USB? Or can both be USB? Yes, exactly 1 USB and 1 BT are required. And i haven't found such premade solution yet.
@@Vanilla_Sausage I'm sure it's possible, just a question of how much effort and work is involved. If it were me I would solve it much easier way, but good luck man 👍
no need to cut the usb connector , just use a Rose metal to unsolder this. Rose metal has melting point about 95 degrees celsius. So it can be easily unsoldered using this metal
A hot air station would work too, but unless you will reuse these USB ports, it is easier just to cut them out 👍- although even easier still is that I found out recently HandheldSci will actually sell you a parts kit of the BT-500 so they will just give you all the pieces unassembled if requested - that will be the easiest 🤖
excellent video, can ask what that "black hot glue" is? Is it just black as the only difference, or is really like potting compound glue/silastic or something ?
if a RASPBERRY PI zero can be inside of a keyboard, it should be my dream keyboard. Why though, I would not like to recommend the use of the pi as a pc but a linux console that I can access on a serial port.if i want to do something with linux, i can easily open my com port :D happy innovating
Thanks, yes you could put a raz pi in a keyboard, it's been done many times 🍻 I think their official store even sells a keyboard with a space for a raz pi 👍
Wow amazing, is there any way to change the name of the bluetooth adapter device? Also I have a spare Razer Blackwidow I'm going to try it on, that comes with built in USB ports on the side so maybe I will try to upgrade them or something :)
Its awesome and SOOOOOOO clear to understand! I`m starting a project with a OLD HyperX Mars, changing all the switches to hotswappable, some leds, and studying how to make it wireless/bt. This video will help me! THANKS! If you have some time to help, send a message.
Really solid work. But this got me thinking about, what if I just take the circuitry of an existing bluetooth keyboard and swap that module over to a wired keyboard, since all the compact minimization is already done for you. Would certainly save a bunch of time too. Do you think that's feasible?
Thank you! Yes, 100%! This guy did it with good results: www.ivanyu.ca/blog/2014/2/2/wireless-das-keyboard-modification It's a bit more involved, but certainly possible!
Super cool project and I love the idea. I don't think I'll be able to get it to work with my GMMK Pro since it's solid aluminum and there's 0 extra space in there for a battery or bluetooth module.
Thanks! Yes, unfortunately aluminum will inhibit the bluetooth signal quite a bit, and most aluminum cases have very tight tolerances so that most of the space if filled up with metal. You could have an add-on module that attaches to your keyboard externally is 3d printed to house the battery / bt, that way no real modifications to the board is necessary. I might do this in the future to show as an alternative 👍
@@hightech-lowlife I hadn’t actually thought about the signal being blocked by the aluminum, I was focused on the 0 space for any extra components haha. I actually really like the 3D printed module idea, I figure it could be made small and flat enough that it won’t be visible if you’re just typing normally. I imagine it’ll be easier to wire everything nicely if you have the freedom of making your own circuits and not relying on tapping into existing ones. Plus, if the module is detachable you can optionally simplify a lot of the circuits and switches since the module can just be charged separately and you can remove it if you want to use your keyboard wired.
@@colin7231 I don't have any tests or experience, but I do know that metal blocks wireless signals way more than plastic, so it's bound to have an effect. It's for sure an avenue that you can go down, has a lot of positives and the only real negative is that it's bulky and outside the case, but I'm sure you could design it in a way to make it more discrete. 👍 Thanks!
@@jchoneandonly They are huge batteries! Double the size of the battery in this video and there are two of them! Check out my latest video I released today if you're interested in that build 👍
