Behind the Scenes of Issue 80

Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial

Behind the Scenes of Issue 80

Issue #79 follow-up, lots of new discounts, purchasing the Kontron, upcoming raffles.

dovenyi
Published May 30, 2022

Creators! Feel free to tip me off about your keyboard related projects to bring them to 100K readers.

Hey y'all,

Lots of important stuff to talk about this time. Make sure you scan this post all over because you can win a cool Megalodon macropad. (Read the rules!)

But before that, my usual opening credit for new readers:

Welcome back for another edition of Keyboard Builders' Digest (this time Issue #80), a weekly roundup of this DIY keyboard focused newsletter and blog from Tamas Dovenyi – that's me. If you are new to this, you can read how this started out and what this is all about nowadays. If you like what you see, you can subscribe to the newsletter (free) and donate some bucks to keep this otherwise free and ad-free project alive.

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Issue 79 follow-up

@StenoKeyboards found a reference to Miles Bartholomew, the "godfather of steno machines" (related post).

The original one is in Russian (here) – and here is it fed into Google Translate.

Pic: Miles Bartholomew (1844--?)

Miles Bartholomew (1844--?)

The source of the photo is ETCetera #16 (Magazine of the Early Typewriter Collectors Association), and there is an article and a short bio in the issue. Check it out.

New shops & discount codes

UK-based custom deskmat manufacturer Strumace offered you a 10% discount (coupon code: KBDNEWS).

Keebmat offered a 5% coupon too. Clicking the link should take care of the discount but if you need to type it in, the coupon code is "KBDNEWS" as well.

KeebMonkey offered you not just a 5% discount (the code is KBDNEWS) but also some goodies for a raffle. I'll have to refine the rules (feel free to give me some ideas), but read further to win the first prize, a crazy Megalodon macropad.

Beside saving some bucks, purchases made with the codes above may earn me a small commission, thus, you support kbd.news while buying cool (and discounted) stuff.

In addition, I've included Play Keyboard, Keycap Quarry, and Keysium into the database.

I continue standardizing discount codes: FalbaTech's code is now KBDNEWS as well (6% off).

Kontron purchase

I didn't want to clutter the Kontron post with loosely related details so here are the circumstances of this purchase:

As I teased it in my #77 editorial, the seller uploaded two photos with the original listing on a local site. This was one of them:

Pic: This is the actual photo from the listing… :D

This is the actual photo from the listing… :D

Seeing these, I had to pull the trigger immediately.

No, not really. :D First, I asked for some usable photos and decided to buy it only when I saw the cool arrow arrangement. :D

I paid about $25 in local currency and the package was delivered next day. Actually, 11AM next day. :O

Btw, the packaging was a strong contender for the most bizarre one I've ever received. Like someone wrapped the item into his own bedsheet, added his pillow, and a sack woven from some coarse thread – the ones people used to store raw wool cut off sheep – about 30-40 years ago when it was a thing around here. :D

In the end, it matched a 40-year-old keyboard, and it did its job just fine.

So based on this experience (receiving something in 24 hours) I could claim that collecting vintage stuff works much better than the group buy part of the hobby. However, just wait until my next post where, after two months of travel from a neighboring country, I'm still fighting with the local customs staff for two vintage keyboards…

Yep, and one more thing: the pink springs. They don't match the accented orange caps but do match my garden these days:

Pic: Cleaning 40-year-old pink springs

Cleaning 40-year-old pink springs

Giveaway

KeebMonkey reached out to me and offered some coupons, among them some 100% ones which means (almost) free stuff for you.

The only caveat is that shipping cannot be covered by the discount code "for technical reasons". That means you will have to pay the 8-12USD shipping fee (plus ofc VAT and customs if there's any in your country).

Regardless, if you are interested in winning one of the crazy Megalodon macropads, here are the rules:

Pic:

Rules

I think asking for likes, upvotes and shares is just lame. (I'm always grateful for those of course so feel free to share and like if you feel to.) Instead:

1.) Comment (top level) below this issue's post on Reddit or Twitter (here or here) what you liked or learned from this week's posts.

2.) And close your comment with something nice. Like "I love you", "world peace", whatever. :D Or simply your country.

E.g. "Those pink springs of the Kontron are kick-ass. I love you." or "Thanks for the cocot duplex example – from New Zealand."

That's your entry to win this prize. Instead of merging the two datasets I'll probably randomize a number to decide between Reddit and Twitter, and then again to select the winner from the top level commenters on that platform.

I will contact the winner and publish his/her nick in the next issue (next Monday).

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That's all for today folks.

Feel free to comment in this issue's r/mk thread, and as always: keep learning and building.

Cheers, Tamás

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Published on Mon 30th May 2022. Featured in KBD #80.

Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial