VortexRace3ForMacOS.md

How to setup Vortex Race 3 (firmware v1.02.05) for Mac OS

The Vortex Race 3 is a great mechanical keyboard, but using it with MacOS requires some adjustments. We need to reposition and reprogram the modifier keys. Unfortunately the Race 3 does not support the online MPC, so we will have to do this using the on-board programming mode.

This guide is heavily based on a gist by arogulin. It only adds a bit of formatting and a few minor notes.

For better understanding we will use the following naming convention for the key positions: L1L2L3SpaceR1R2R3

1. Reset everything. Press L3+R1 for 5 seconds. Release the keys when the white led stops blinking.
2. Choose a progammable layer (and led color) by pressing R2+RShift several times. I chose red (layer 1).
3. Put the keyboard in Windows mode: Pn+W
4. Move Fn from R2 to Home.

• Press R2+L3 for 3 seconds. Both LEDs will turn blue when you release the keys.
• Press Home.
• You may want to open the MacOS Onscreen Keyboard to check what R2 is doing now. Like L2, it should be mapped to the Cmd key now.

5. Enter programming mode. Press Home+R3. The right LED will turn white.
6. Swap L2 and L3.

• Press L2. The right LED will turn red and will start blinking.
• Press L3.
• Press Pn. The red LED will turn white.
• Press L3. The LED will turn red and will start blinking.
• Press L2.
• Press Pn. The LED will turn white.

7. Swap R1 and R2.

• Press R1. The LED will turn red and will start blinking.
• Press R2.
• Press Pn. The LED will turn white.
• Press R2. The LED will turn red and will start blinking.
• Press R1.
• Press Pn. The LED will turn white.

8. Get out of programming mode. Press Home+R3. The LED goes off.
9. Swap the keycaps.

To get rid of the annoying red LED, we simply put some black insulating tape on it.

After switching from MacOS to Windows mode it might be necessary to force the os to re-identify the keyboard.
A sudo rm /Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboardtype.plist and a reboot afterwards should do the trick.

I ended up putting Fn where End is because (accidentally) pressing Fn + PgUp will change the keyboard layout and the only way to put it back into QWERTY mode is Fn + Home. Since Home is actually Fn, the only way to return to QWERTY is by resetting the keyboard and starting over with this guide.