Keyboard Builders' Digest
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Issue 129 / Week 30 / 2023

This is a hand-picked selection of last week's content from a keyboard enthusiast's perspective. Posts that may teach you something, make you think and contribute to the common knowledge of the DIY builder community.

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Contents

Editorial

Quick weekly BTS #2023/30

Quick news, meetups, shops & discounts, whatever. I'm on holiday btw.

Hey y'all,

PSA: Response times may be longer than usual, I'm on holiday. Feel free to approach the tall and skinny guy wearing KBD.NEWS t-shirt in Austria, mostly in and around Vienna. Regardless, keep sending me interesting keyboard projects if you think they merit their share of the limelight.

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Welcome back for a quick weekly recap and behind-the-scenes write-up. If you are new to kbd.news, you can read how this started out and what this is all about nowadays. If you like what you see, subscribe to the newsletter (free) and donate some bucks to keep this otherwise free and ad-free project alive.

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For your ears

Speaking of "limelight", this word has haunted me this whole week, let's summon Rush from 1981. (This would have fit last week's VC-20 much better, but anyway.) I can't get enough of Neil Peart's drumming:

Drop article

So my article on splits went online on drop.com. It's for the average Drop user so probably too basic for kbd.news readers and too in-depth for total beginners. Anyway, check it out if you haven't done it yet. And feel free to comments and press an upvote if you like it or want to see similar articles there from the more freakish depths of the hobby.

Big thanks to HoffmanMyster and Jyri for the opportunity.

Pic:

To say the truth, I had a pretty hard time naming specific split models in that post so before you stone or crucify me for leaving out a lot of popular boards, let me tell you how I decided on what to mention and what not from the many hundred split keyboards: I ended up listing examples based on their occurrence on r/ergomk.

Yep, I wrote this piece back before the Reddit protest. To follow a semi-scientific methodology, I scrolled through a couple of weeks worth of posts and diligently took notes about keyboards mentioned on ergomk. The examples in the article are the winners with the most mentions, so please don't take it too personal, it's probably as objective as it gets.

Reading for the weekend

  • The SpUnLy58, FelixKeeb and Stront MX are all open-source boards and were featured in separate posts. Great projects, check them out!
  • Joe Scotto, after all the handwired keyboards, is back with his first PCB. The PCB version of the Scotto34 is not open source but is a cute little ortho monoblock anyway.
  • Another Scotto-derivative is the PK-S by Protieusz – a modified ScottoFly with Azoteq trackpad.
  • Taro Hayashi's authoritative Killer Whale is making its rounds in the Japanese community. Daihuku has a video about it, and there are many builds out there already. An interview is in the making.

Pic: Killer Whale by Taro Hayashi

Killer Whale by Taro Hayashi

  • Planeta is a new monoblock split by Ergohaven. 3D printed case with universal tenting, plus built-in piezo speaker. Video demo this way. On its way, I'm eager to lay my hands on it and write a thorough review.
  • removed I was asked to postpone this announcement. Let's get back to this next week(?). If you've seen it right after posting, I hope you feel yourself very special now. ;)
  • The GMK twisted stem issue has been confirmed by the manufacturer.
  • Will r/ergomk be back soon? It seems likely.
  • Your keyboard can run Doom now. Graham Sanderson's code modified by Brostafarian.
  • I'm not into artisans myself but have always loved classy wood&resin stuff: Keycap cases by Breakwooden.
  • A gorgeous tented Corne case kit in various colors by Kriscables. So clean!
  • Spotting: a 1975 IBM 5100 Portable posted by FidoMix_Felicia. That extremely tactile red switch lived on in many later models, I have one put aside for future projects in my box of electronic junk.
  • IBM keyboard identification chart by Admiral Shark. Actually, this is really great. I have a single IBM keyboard due to geographical and historical reasons, but I managed to identify it at the very first glance, even on the chart posted on Twitter. And here is the chart for desktop. [correction: I have two IBMs, a model F (bought accidentally) and a cool black Model M-e POS.]
  • Finally, a pretty unique wooden cyberdeck by Yungblude.

Donations

From my keyboard registry (part 2) to the war in Ukraine

So last time I wrote about compiling a list of my boards. My intuition was wrong. It turned out I have only about 70 keyboards, but many of these aren't really noteworthy. Anyway, I told you that I may move them from the attic (half of the collection resides there) to my cellar because of the war in Ukraine. How come?

It came to me again when I talked to a friend last week. Some of you may remember that I live about 100km from the Ukrainian border. The Western border, so nothing near the front line fortunately. As you may know, only women and kids are allowed to leave the country, at least officially and via border crossings. However, this friend, living in a settlement right at the border, told me men keep fleeing too. Many youngsters, afraid of conscription, can't take the border crossing so they have to swim across a river. While women come with cars and belongings, men barely have anything arriving on this side of the river, so local people help them out with used cloths. Btw, my kids have Ukrainian classmates now. But that's just for context, this is still not the reason for a move.

But I also happen to live close to a military base. It's one block away. We barely noticed any military presence before last February, but since then military choppers fly over us all the time. They take off from a base less than 500m away, and they literally just fly by a few meters above our chimney. And one of these helicopters, the exact same model, crashed into the ground a few weeks ago while being on a training mission. So the next day, after hearing the news, we talked with the kids about what to do if a helicopter crashes into our house. Crazy times. Anyway, I told them we should be safe on the ground floor, and then they asked me: "But what about your keyboards in the attic?" Good point. My cellar is full of the remnants of my previous hobby though, so this will take some time.

In the mailbox

A Planeta is on its way from Ergohaven, thanks for the offer Evgeny.

Pic:

Other than that, I've been practically on holiday for the majority of this week, so I didn't want to buy anything until I'm back home. (However, I'm really curious about how much that very early C64 in the VIC-20 style breadbin case will change hands for. I was eyeing with it for a few days but it's already way beyond my budget.)

Meetup database

Upcoming meetups, new entries and updates to the database of keyboard meetups.

This weekend:

New addition:

As always, this meetup database is both a calendar and an archive so feel free to send me upcoming events or even ones from the recent past to make this collection as comprehensive as possible.

Vendor database

New shops and updates to the database of keyboard vendors this week:

  • It was reported that the Eloquent Clicks coupon doesn't work. Woob made some changes to the site but the coupon is back now. Thanks! (However, the discount is 3% instead of the previous 5%.)
  • Mechs & Co. was flagged already but I marked it as closed now (PSA on r/mk).
  • Some more shops removed or marked as reported or sus (e.g. Alpherior Keys, loob.no, Oh, keycaps!). Partly still based on Vadym's list of abandoned shops, partly new ones. :(

Developments

New developments:

  • Played a lot with my layout optimization tools, worked on the UI, but not much progress to be honest.
  • LLD stats, scripts, example corpora
  • Vendor database maintenance

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Still here, lost soul? Let's punish you with a dad joke:

"There was a devastating fire in my shoe shop. So many lost soles."

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That's all for today. Thanks for checking by. As always: Keep learning and building!

Until next time, Tamás


Projects

SpUnLy58

Giraffasax made an unsplit and splayed Lily58: the SpUnLy58. The files are available on github.

As already mentioned in an editorial earlier, Giraffasax made an unsplit Lily58: the SpUnLy58.

My super creatively named project SpUnLy58 (Splayed Unibody Lily58) […] This is my first crack at designing a fully custom PCB and it is definitely a first draft – giraffasax.

After teasing it on reddit last week, the author has shared the design files of his SpUnLy58 earlier today.

Custom MBK caps by FK Keycaps. (You can still get a discount with the KBDNEWS coupon code if I'm right.)

Features

  • 58 low-profile keys (6x4 + 4key per half)
  • Choc V1 support (hotswap and soldered)
  • Unibody design with 20 deg angle (measured at middle finger column)
  • Wireless connection
  • Large battery
  • Splayed columns "as my hands can feel a bit cramped at times"
  • Fanned thumb cluster
  • Nice!Nano v2 controller
  • Nice!View support
  • JST battery connector

There's a yet untested v1.1 in the repo. The first version had some flaws, and it featured a vertical spacing of 18 mm which is 17 mm in v1.1 now.

Resources


FelixKeeb

Beekeeb is introducing FelixKeeb, an optionally wireless 60% hotswappable ortholinear split keyboard.

Announced by Beekeeb's Leo, the FelixKeeb is a 5×12+4 (5×6+2 on each side) split ortholinear keyboard with hotswap socket support. It comes in both wired and wireless versions, and beside being on offer as a pre-built product, it's also open source.

The board is based on Cipulot’s Helix HS Choc and MakotoKurauchi’s Helix keyboards.

By the way, the Felix name apparently comes from Helix too:

"Felix" means a wireless bluetooth Helix that is Free from tangled wires / Free of cable clutter – Leo.

Designing the PCB wasn't that easy though. Using 3.3V controllers on the Helix can be challenging because it connects RAW and VCC (more info).

Specs

Wireless version:

  • 64 hotswap MX keys
  • nice!nano controllers
  • nice!view support
  • Socketed MCU & displays
  • On-board JST battery sockets
  • Power (on/off) switches
  • ZMK firmware

Pic: Wireless FelixKeeb by Beekeeb

Wireless FelixKeeb by Beekeeb

Wired version:

  • 64 hotswap MX keys
  • Sea Picro RP2040 controllers (16 MB flash memory)
  • OLED display support
  • USB-C connectors (no pin shorting problems caused by TRRS jacks)
  • Compatible with Helix/rev2 VIAL Firmware

Resources


Stront MX

Zzeneg shared the MX version of his classy split Stront, with a modular case supporting various displays and pointing devices.

The originally low-pro Stront by Evgenii Vilkov aka zzeneg (featured earlier this year) has an improved MX variant now.

Dutch readers are still amused by this name choice, but as already told, it is derived from strontium in Polish.

Hey, I finished an MX version of my Stront. It supports both MX and KS-27/KS-33 switches (with different plates) – zzeneg.

Because of different spacings (MX vs Choc) the PCB and case have been recreated from scratch, and there are also some important changes.

Highlights

  • Modular case with swappable covers which support different devices out of the box – rectangular 1.69" or round 1.28" displays and 40mm flat or curved Cirque trackpads.

Pic:

  • VIK-compatibility: the PCB is now compatible with Sadek Baroudi's VIK data interface standard, so you can connect any other VIK-compatible peripheral device like a trackball, bigger trackpad, display or anything else. "It's not fully up to standard as I combine I2C and SPI pins, but it should be enough for most needs."

Pic:

Round display support is in progress right now, but should be released soon.

As for the top photo, these are MX and KS-33 (Nuphy Wisteria) boards with XVX keycaps. Case is translucent resin from JLCPCB ("with a lot of sanding").

Resources


Scotto34 PCB

The Scotto34 (PCB Edition) is a low-profile 34-key split monoblock ortholinear keyboard by Joe Scotto. Choc spacing, hotswap, exposed controller.

The Scotto34 (PCB Edition) by Joe Scotto is a low-profile 34-key split monoblock ortholinear keyboard that uses 18x17mm spaced Choc switches, hotswap sockets, and an exposed controller in the middle.

I released my first PCB board recently. The Scotto34 was originally a handwired board and my first to use Choc switches. It turned out to be really comfortable for gaming and an overall easy design to convert, so that’s what I did – Joe.

The PCB is not open-sourced like the author's handwired stuff but is available for sale at scottokeebs.com.

It's hotswap and uses 18x17mm Choc switches, both V1 and V2, although V2 are harder because of the spacing. Everything gets powered off a centrally mounted Raspberry Pi Pico.

The board is fully compatible with QMK having firmware on the main repo along with the configurator. It also features Vial compatibility with pre-compiled firmware available on my site.

Resources


PK-S

The PK-S by Protieusz is a modded ScottoFly with trackpad – inspired by Daraku-Neko's Ieneko42C.

Inspired by Daraku-Neko's Ieneko42C, Protieusz modded Joe Scotto's ScottoFly and got a nice monoblock split with trackpad: the PK-S. ("S" stands for small here, referring to the small trackpad, but there's also a PK-XL in the making.)

Originally I wanted something like Darakuneko's Ieneko42c but with slightly less keys. So I modified the handwired ScottoFly to something similar to Ieneko42C with an Azoteq 43mm trackpad. I have a PCB version designed from a while back with Cirque trackpad but due to budget I have not have it printed – Protieusz.

The two extra thumb keys near the trackpad act as left and right click even though the Azoteq supports gestures. The idea came from the Ieneko42c that has the same trackpad, and the source code for the trackpad was borrowed from that project as well.

The case is green resin and the switch plate is regular PLA printed.

Resources

The untested PCB version is in the repo, but use it at your own risk!

  • Github fork
  • You may find the Azoteq 43mm trackpad at mouser.com. I can't link it because the site sucks. For EU folks it's also available at keycapsss.

Quick news

Planeta is a new monoblock split by Ergohaven. 3D printed case with universal tenting, plus built-in piezo speaker. Video demo this way. On its way, I'm eager to lay my hands on it and write a thorough review.


The GMK twisted stem issue has been confirmed by the manufacturer.


Taro Hayashi's authoritative Killer Whale is making its rounds in the Japanese community. Daihuku has a video about it, and there are many builds out there already. An interview is in the making.


Will r/ergomk be back soon? It seems likely.


Your keyboard can run Doom now. Graham Sanderson's code adapted by Brostafarian.


I'm not into artisans myself but have always loved classy wood & resin stuff: Keycap cases by Breakwooden.


A gorgeous tented Corne case kit in various colors by Kriscables. So clean!


Spotting: a 1975 IBM 5100 Portable posted by FidoMix_Felicia. That extremely tactile red switch lived on in many later models, I put one aside for future projects in my box of electronic junk.


IBM keyboard identification chart by Admiral Shark. Actually, this is really great. I managed to identify my single IBM keyboard at the very first glance, even on the small chart posted on Twitter. And here is the fullscreen version for desktop.


A pretty unique wooden cyberdeck by Yungblude.


That was Issue #129. Thanks for stopping by.

This issue was made possible by the donations of:
splitkb.com, MoErgo Glove80, u/chad3814, MKUltra, Aiksplace, @keebio, Upgrade Keyboards, @kaleid1990, Sean Grady, Cyboard, Jacob Mikesell, KEEBD, cdc, Jason Hazel, ghsear.ch, u/motfalcon, littlemer-the-second, Bob Cotton, kiyejoco, Christian Lo, DROP, FFKeebs, @therick0996, Richard Sutherland, Joel Simpson, Lev Popov, Christian Mladenov, Daniel Nikolov, Spencer Blackwood, Skyler Thuss, u/eighty58five, Yuan Liu, Caleb Rand, Schnoor Typography, Mats Faugli,James McCleese, Davidjohn Gerena, Ergohaven, Benjamin Bell, Matthias Goffette, Hating TheFruit, Fabian Suceveanu, anonymous, Spencer Dabell, Patchesweaver, macakeg

Your support is crucial to help this project survive.

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