Issue 161 / Week 14 / 2024
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.
There are 8+15 entries in this issue:
Editorial
Behind the scenes #161
Keyboard projects, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, new vendors and discount codes!
Projects
Rattlemebonez32
Chris Lo's rattlemebonez32 is a 32-key unibody pocket keyboard with minimal Choc spacing, CH552 MCU and FAK firmware.
Rzr36
MReavley's split Rzr36 is the BLE Choc version of his earlier Slice36.
Gull
Sneftel's Gull v1 is an ergo unibody split with keywell and unique thumb cluster.
Kai Ascend
Ascend is a cute split keyboard designed and shared by Kai H. Chang.
Woodpecker
The Woodpecker by Özkan Çelik is a Lumberjack/Lumberelite variant with Cirque trackpad.
Tamatama
Dane Lipscombe's Tamatama is a 28-key Dactyl derivative with dual trackballs.
Review
ErgoDox 76 Hot Dox V2 review
The ErgoDox Hot Dox is another reinterpretation of a classic design by Alpaca Keyboards. What was once the go-to DIY split kit with a hallmark thumb cluster, comes now pre-built, in a refreshed hotswap version and in a stunning acrylic case.
Quick news
Twist40 by Rain2.
I have only a youtube teaser (thanks Den!), but T-Keyboard seems something new. The concept is similar to GrabShell, but there are trackpads here, positioned quite interestingly.
Macoy Madson ended up writing a custom firmware for his Dactyl, using the Pico C SDK and TinyUSB. And here is a blog post with a lot of info.
Joe Scotto writes about Compiling QMK using Github Codespaces.
DrZippit made a case for the Aurora Lily58 (printables, reddit).
WIP: Spaceball42, trackball, wireless, and compatible with GH60 cases. And also a strange handwired one by reporepo344.
ShelZuuz tested Greyhill 04A-K01 joysticks on a build: "Don't use them".
This week was about the solar eclipse in the US, so here is a photo by Peppersheep: "Eclipse filtered through the blinds and projected straight onto the keeb…" (source)
Stone-style keycaps by taneyats.
MU01 Mountain Seclusion colorway – a wireless walnut keyboard by Akko. Not in mass production yet, but already teased at the 2024 Global Source Hong Kong Consumer Electronics Show.
Shelves. Posted by icream4cookies.
40rmie LX build by Sofaking0.
"Kunai" Corne build by mrusme.
Starship Centurion with matching deskmat designed by Philip Lalonde aka jadepug (png images).
Matrix Faukwaa posted by Ookad.
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