User Review Cheap Mechanical LED Keyboard - Hcman - 87 Keys

+++ For some reason, I was not able to embed images here, so put them in the second post!

I also managed to successfully embed the GIFs of the lighting modes too!+++


This will not be a detailed review going into a lot of nerdy / geeky (pick the more offensive word ;)) stuff like force needed for actuation, and whether cherry mx switches are better than Kailh or Razer or steelseries is something I am not going to talk about.

However, here are some basic details. If you want to know anything more, please ask! If I know or can figure out, I will tell you!

  • Key type: Pure mechanical blue switches (Cherry Mx clones or something of that sort)
  • Travel: 4mm
  • Actuation point: 2mm
  • Force needed: Not much greater than a good membrane keyboard (I use Microsoft Desktop 800 for 6 out of the 8 desktops I frequently use, and I really like that keyboard)
  • Sound: This is relative, but it makes enough noise, there is both an audible click and the key-bottoming noise, and so far, it has been pleasant.
  • Materials: The keyboard base is machined aluminium with chamfered edges. They keys seems to be regular ABS plastic.
  • Flex: 0.8 to 1.0 mm after a fair bit of twisting (seems solidly built)
  • Weight: 620grams (Non digital weighing scale)
  • Connectivity: USB Wired - Braided cable
  • Cable Length: A little under 5ft (measured again my own height, so please take it with a grain of whichever spice you prefer the most)
  • Back-light: Yes. RGB. 9 modes.

:photogenic: OPINIONS ROLL HERE

Typing Feel and they shebang


I love they way the keyboard feels, My fingers took to it almost instantly, and i seem to be faster at typing and more accurate. If this is a new keyboard effect or a genuine change, I do not know. A few typing speed tests available online have shown speed differences of about 10 words per minute.

I however made a few more spelling errors on the mechanical keyboard as opposed to the earlier one. But this I purely attribute to being more used to the earlier keyboard (been using the same model keyboard for 5 years now).

The clickeyness

Makes me want to hammer fast, and hard, and deep, and rabidly. There is absolutely nothing yet that can replace the feel of typing on a good mechanical keyboard and this one brings all the goodness. I haven't compared how the other blue keyboards feel, soon after typing on this, but independently, I really do like the feel of these keys.

The overall quality

Well, I have typed of keyboards that are better built than this, but at the price which I got the keyboard (A little under INR1900), this is a hard bargain to beat. The key quality is good and there is no bleed whatsoever from any of the letters of the keys.

The scroll lock and the caps lock keys function a little differently. They remain lit and unlit depending on whether they are activated or otherwise, which I think is a cool little feature! Thought it might seem awkward at first, you will find it to be a blessing most of the time.

Full points for thoughtfulness here!

You can listen to the key clicks here:

https://cl.ly/3s2A1O3M0O0Z

+++ Here are a few of GIFs of the lighting modes +++


The light train mode (Is it called something else?)
SecretCelebratedAsianwaterbuffalo-size_restricted.gif

This is the 'Doppler' effect where the light dopplers away from the key you press.
AdvancedIdolizedBarracuda-size_restricted.gif


The keys that have been pressed stay lighted for a while. If you type really fast, this can be a cool effect :D
ImpressiveAggressiveArmedcrab-size_restricted.gif


The 'wave' mode
ElementarySizzlingBasenji-size_restricted.gif

The Breathing mode
PowerlessLividGar-size_restricted.gif



The niggles:

While the keyboard quality and performance is great for the price, there are however a couple of niggles and depending on what you do, these can be pretty frustrating over time.

  1. the speed at which the keyboard deletes the letters when the backspace key is pressed is slower than the speed of my other keyboards (non mecha)
  2. the same can be said about moving forward and back using the arrow keys. There is no difference in the gaming part, but while navigating in a word document, the difference is perceptible. (it isn't too bad, but, for someone who is finicky, this trigger a rage)

I will try and post a few more pictures and close-ups. This however might take time. If any of you guys need a particular picture, please do ask!
 
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Here is the height profile of the keyboard


A bad picture of the fully lit keyboard.


The blue keys (Imitation?) and the cheap key caps.


A slightly better (but still bad) picture of the backlight colouring.


The naked lighting


Keyboard under the glare of a tubelight


The decent braided cable


Another picture in the dark.
 
Nice review, I like the 10keyless design, but where did you get it for 1900, amazon has it for well over 5k...

Completely forgot mentioning that I got it from the UK (www.amazon.co.uk). It was retailing for £24.99 and was on a deal for £19.99. Immediately bought it. Now, it is back up to 24.99.

Search for Hcman Mechanical Keyboard in Amazon UK. You should be able to find it. It seems to be very similar to the redgear mechanical keyboards on Amazon India.

However, redgear claims it has kailh keys while Hcman doesn't seem to be. They hint at them being Cherry MX clones.
 
Have a look at armaggeddon mka-3c. Its the same with Kalih switches. The base is aluminium. It is also static LEDS (not RGB) jist like the one reviewed here and is 10 key less
 
Completely forgot mentioning that I got it from the UK (www.amazon.co.uk). It was retailing for £24.99 and was on a deal for £19.99. Immediately bought it. Now, it is back up to 24.99.

Search for Hcman Mechanical Keyboard in Amazon UK. You should be able to find it. It seems to be very similar to the redgear mechanical keyboards on Amazon India.

However, redgear claims it has kailh keys while Hcman doesn't seem to be. They hint at them being Cherry MX clones.
Customs?
 
This looks like the same oem as the zebronics max.

https://zebronics.com/products/mechanical/max-keyboard

It is either kailh or outemu switches based on the luck of the draw.

I got the outemu one and paid 2.2k for it a year or two ago.

There are quite a few local make meca keyboards around the 2k price range in Amazon too. The font on the keys is a dead giveaway, they are all copies, a few cosmetic changes notwithstanding.
 
There are quite a few local make meca keyboards around the 2k price range in Amazon too. The font on the keys is a dead giveaway, they are all copies, a few cosmetic changes notwithstanding.
They are not copies. They are probably manufactured in the same factory by the same chinese company on order. The seller (hcman, zebronics etc) just ask the manufacturer to put their logo on it.
 
They are not copies. They are probably manufactured in the same factory by the same chinese company on order. The seller (hcman, zebronics etc) just ask the manufacturer to put their logo on it.

When I said, copy, I did not mean it in the sense they were duplicates. I meant in in the sense of them being specimens of a particular type. Like 1 million copies of the book were sold.

*End of English lesson* :p
 
I personally don't mind these local mech keyboards being "copies", what I do mind however is why the hell do they all have similar design?? Like can't you even come up with an original one even if the keyboard quality is below average? Similar key font, similar lighting etc etc. and lots of them branded "<insert company name here> certified mechanical switches." :facepalm: I would've liked them so much better if they'd just mention the exact switches used like Kailh, Outemu etc etc.
 
I've been using the Azio MK Hue (Outemu Brown switches) and white backlight - outstanding quality and minimalist design (without a gamer-y font)
https://www.amazon.in/Azio-Backlit-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01LYQGLNZ/
and recenty bought this CosmicByte RGB (customizable per key lighting through keyboard). It has blue Jixian switches, I don't mind them, actually, but really prefer browns.
https://www.thecosmicbyte.com/gamin...eye-wired-aluminium-mechanical-keyboard-black
The logo is very tacky, and the fonts are better than the other gamer style fonts in the same types of keyboards.

For 3K or so, outstanding value for both of these keyboards. Both have the keys mounted and not hanging, and both feel very sturdy.
Design wise, Azio hands down, but it's not available at the same price currently, budget wise (and full RGB lighting - CosmicByte).
 
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I personally don't mind these local mech keyboards being "copies", what I do mind however is why the hell do they all have similar design?? Like can't you even come up with an original one even if the keyboard quality is below average? Similar key font, similar lighting etc etc. and lots of them branded "<insert company name here> certified mechanical switches." :facepalm: I would've liked them so much better if they'd just mention the exact switches used like Kailh, Outemu etc etc.

Both of the keyboards I mentioned have a different 'look' :) . They mention the keys too!

^ how is the cosmicbyte one? I wanted to buy one but they were out of stock.

For a cheap mechanical keyboard, it's surprisingly good. I've been using this as my daily beater now. No strain on my fingers, there are plenty of color modes to choose from, and you can even assign individual colors to different keys for game sets. There's no lag or key delay/misses either.

The Azio
IMG_20170225_151634.jpg



IMG_20170225_163253.jpg



CosmicByte
IMG_20171221_020936.jpg


With indivdual key light setup
IMG_20171228_040043.jpg
 
It is good to know the mecha community here is alive too! Everytime they say the PC is dead, I look to my desktops and mechanical keyboards and the people around me that love them...[DOUBLEPOST=1525281753][/DOUBLEPOST]The azio is pretty expensive in comparison. Looks really pretty. It is time we had a revolution in wireless mechanical keyboards. I love my full sized keyboards and I really would love to have a wireless option.

I have been meaning to make myself one, but always seem to give myself some excuse or the other. Time to break open a wireless keyboard and make a Frankenstein mecha wireless for myself. ;)
 
I wasn't talking about the Azio. I like the Azio with white backlit. CosmicByte, RedGear and Circle etc are all in the same group for me.
 
I wasn't talking about the Azio. I like the Azio with white backlit. CosmicByte, RedGear and Circle etc are all in the same group for me.

Cosmicbyte is different in that the aluminium plate is above, and the keys are mounted on it, so they don't look 'floating'. The fonts aren't too bad either. I have no doubt these are mass made and custom logo applied too, but the quality is a cut above the others. I have a circle membrane keyboard too. Liked it, but the keys are too squishy for my taste.
 
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