But sir, it is wafer-thin. That’s how they get you! Just when you couldn’t possibly justify building another keyboard, let alone owning one, along comes the Kambala by [aroum2].
Image by [aroum2] via reddit
Now, ‘Kambala’ means a few things, but here it refers to fish, as evidenced by logo and matching themed PCB key chain shown in the gallery.
This catch is so flat because of the switches: PG1316S, and 42 of them. These are better known to some as Kailh butterfly switches, and are meant for laptops. But, this is Hackaday.
No matter what you call them, those switches are controlled by a nice!nano V2-compatible controller, which allows for ZMK firmware support. There’s a 110 mAh battery and four status LEDs, and best of all, the charging indicator is in the fish’s eyes.
[aroum2] might share the files later. Here’s hoping!
Let’s Talk DIY Palm Rests
Palm rests! Depending on the keyboard, they can be built right in. This here Kinesis Advantage comes to mind. That said, you can buy a pair of nice adhesive pads for your Kinesis once the ABS shine starts to bother you, or better yet, before that happens. Don’t make your own out of adhesive foam sheets. Just, trust me on this.
Image by [Ok-Obligation9605] via reddit
But oftentimes, especially with travel keyboards, palm rests aren’t included. And that’s fair, because people want different things. Before you go printing some, or even rendering a pair from zebrawood, consider cheap alternatives like a large car-washing sponge cut in half and covered with the fabric of your choice.
On the slightly more expensive side, many employ a pair of Purple mattress samplers, which have doubled in price since I bought some 2022, but are still worth it.
Depending on your desk, you could do something as simple as cutting a pool noodle in half and shoving it onto the edge. Maybe you’ve done something even more temporary that turned out to be permanent. Tell me in the comments!
Squishy. Image via Purple
Even if you have built-in palm rests, sometimes you need to temporarily insert something like a spiral notebook between your desk edge and keyboard, pushing the thing further away and putting your delicate elbows at risk. This is me right now, and each elbow is on a mouse bag. Simple and effective.
Another consideration is attached versus unattached. I mean, if a travel keyboard is going to have palm rests, they should attach rather than just be placed in front. Maybe that’s just me.
The Centerfold: Telegraph Key Macro Pad is Dashing
Image by [Colin Norris] via Hackaday.IO
The system works! [Colin] sent a tip about his Telegraph Key Macro Pad, which is exactly what it sounds like. [Colin] says that his job these days mostly consists of copy/pasting from GPT, and it was quickly becoming a pain in the wrist. (Boy, can I relate.)
Using the thing is just as it should be: to copy, you long press the key like a Morse code dash. To paste, you do the short one. This enables [Colin] to paste many times, and quickly. [Colin] started with a Soviet-era telegraph key from the electronic bay, and a Pimoroni Tiny 2040 programmed with Arduino. It may be wildly overpowered for the application, but hey, it fits nicely in the base of the telegraph key.
The default is to make a sound when you do either action. [Colin] used a piezo disk so that it can handle different tones. This was done mostly for the luls, but it also lets him know when something is copied. There’s also a nifty silent mode that moves the mouse cursor in a quick loop-dee-loo when the deed is done.
Do you rock a sweet set of peripherals on a screamin’ desk pad? Send me a picture along with your handle and all the gory details, and you could be featured here!
Historical Clackers: the Crown Was a Machine for the Millions… Not!
You might wonder why I choose so many index typewriters for this portion of the program. I suppose it’s because they can be so differently designed, yet serve the same purpose. And that’s just cool to me.
Image via The Antikey Chop
The Crown index typewriter is no exception. Let’s start with the fact its creator, Byron Alden Brooks, was a celebrated inventor of early typewriters. You may have heard of the Brooks; he also had a hand in the People’s, the National, the Travis, and of course, the Crown index typewriter. Perhaps most unforgettable among his accomplishments, Brooks invented the Shift key.
The Crown was produced between 1888 and 1894, though it is thought that Brooks began work on it as early as 1881, evidenced by the date on the typewheel patent. It’s also thought that production really ceased in 1893.
That’s right, the Crown used a typewheel and a linear index from which the user selected each character. The ink came from a felt roller situated between the carriage and typewheel. Every time a character was selected, this roller would swing out of the way so the typewheel could strike the platen.
Originally, the Crown cost $20 (about $700 today), with the wooden case thrown in free. The price dropped to $16 by the middle of 1891. Despite being billed as ‘a machine for the millions’, the Crown was a failure.
Finally, There’s a Quiz To Find Your Switch Type
If you’re really up on things, you’re of course no stranger to KBD News and the corresponding newsletter. KBD is a great resource for all things keyboard, and now there’s a switch compatibility quiz to help you get started.
Image via KBD News
Of course, not all switches work with all PCBs, so you can’t begin this journey without knowing which path to head down. Choose MX, and you’ll have a bevvy of beauties to choose from. There are far fewer low-profile and Hall-effect switches out there, so keep that in mind.
Let’s say you go down the MX path. Your next choice is important: how much feedback do you need? None? A little? An audible click? Remember to keep your environment in mind.
If you’re me, you choose clicky. Now it’s time to think about actuation force. There are no light-force clicky switches; it’s just not a thing. So you can choose mid, heavy, or no preference, which takes you directly to RGB choices. Do you want a transparent housing? A light diffuser? Both? If you have no preference here, your final choice concerns factory lubrication. I ended up with 10 different switch recommendations, but of course, YMMV.
It’s important to note that KBD News has a comprehensive guide to choosing keyboard switches, which covers everything from actuation force to travel distance to RGB support, or lack thereof. And don’t miss the mechanical switch FAQ, just below the quiz.
Got a hot tip that has like, anything to do with keyboards? Help me out by sending in a link or two. Don’t want all the Hackaday scribes to see it? Feel free to email me directly.
Instagram Engineering
Shopify Engineering
