Hey guys! I would like to present to all of you a project that I have been working on for the past couple of months.
Because this is the first board that I have brought to the public eye, I decided to name it after the first letter in the Greek alphabet.
Wolf art on the weight because I like wolves.
Fun fact: The idea that the alpha in a wolf pack is the strongest and commands submission from its pack is a misconception. The wolves in charge of packs are usually just the oldest and most experienced of the pack.
Details- Isolated Gasket Mount
- Anodized 5052 Aluminum for the Top and Bottom Case
- Sandblasted Brass Weight and Badge
- 6.5 Degree Typing Angle
- 17mm Front Typing Height
- Centered USB-C daughterboard
- QMK/VIA compatible PCB
- Pricing: TBA
I chose to go with a relatively low typing angle at 6.5 degrees and front lip height of 17mm for my own comfort. I have found that my preferred range for typing angles is between 5 degrees and 7.5 degrees.
Any lower feels awkward. Any higher results in strain on my wrists. Similarly, a typing height of over 20mm results in my wrists losing contact with my desk, forcing me to keep my hands floating. I find this tiring so I made the typing height as low as possible.
I decided to use Poron for the gaskets for its damping qualities.
Supported Layouts
First and foremost, I designed the Alpha65 and its layout around what I find the most aesthetically pleasing and functionally suitable for my own use case. As such, it will feature a forced Tsangan bottom row. The board will support standard and stepped Caps Lock as well as standard and split backspace options.
The original design I had made almost two years ago called for a Winkeyless bottom row. But as time moved on, so had my tastes. I no longer like the aesthetics of WKL bottom row on 65% boards. As such, I got rid of that option to simplify logistics.
The reason that I will not be supporting more layouts is that I want to avoid having a swiss cheese PCB and plate. A (mostly) fixed layout will avoid crooked keys and provide a better typing experience. So please do not ask me for ISO, standard bottom row, or support for whatever else.
Plate
The plate will be the standard 1.5mm thickness. I have placed relief cuts around the larger keys for a more consistent typing feel.
There will be a few choices for plate material:
I had originally planned on providing aluminum and brass plate options, but I was extremely underwhelmed and dissatisfied with how metal plates felt in isolation gasket mount boards. They made for a very stiff and dead typing feel.
Instead, there will only be plates made from composite materials and plastic. These are materials that have more lively typing feels and are balanced by the damping characteristics of the Poron gaskets.
The FR4 plate option will be perforated to allow it to be easily half plated it if desired:
ColorsA preliminary list of colors:
I would like to stress that these colors are not final. There may be more colors or there may be fewer.
PCB
This beauty was designed by Trifelife. It has the following features:
- QMK and VIA Compatibility
- ESD Protection
- Universal Daughterboard
Click for pictures and videos of older revision:More
Click below for old specs and information:More
Details- Isolated Gasket Mount
- Anodized 6063 Aluminum for the Top and Bottom Case
- Sandblasted Brass Weight and Badge
- 6.5 Degree Typing Angle
- 16.5mm Front Typing Height
- Centered USB-C connector
- PCB Compatible With QMK
- Pricing: most likely mid-$300's (tentative estimate)
I chose to go with a relatively low typing angle at 6.5 degrees and front lip height of 16.5mm for my own comfort. I have found that my preferred range for typing angles is between 5 degrees and 7.5 degrees.
Any lower feels awkward. Any higher results in strain on my wrists. Similarly, a typing height of over 20mm results in my wrists losing contact with my desk, forcing me to keep my hands floating. I find this tiring so I made the typing height as low as possible.
I have not yet decided on the material that I will use for the gaskets, but I have narrowed down my choices to two options:
- Polyurethane (like Poron)
Silicone
I am currently leaning towards Polyurethane. I have decided to use Poron for the gaskets for its superior dampening qualities compared to silicone.
Supported Layouts
First and foremost, I designed the Alpha65 and its layout around what I find the most aesthetically pleasing and functionally suitable for my own use case. As such, it will feature a winkeyless bottom row.
The board will support standard and stepped Caps Lock as well as standard and split backspace options.
I am not yet entirely sure whether or not I will have a winkey version, but if I do, it will be a Tsangan-style bottom row. WinKey will be an option.
The reason that I will not be supporting more layouts is that I want to avoid having a swiss cheese PCB and plate. A (mostly) fixed layout should avoid crooked keys and provide a better typing experience.
PlateThe plate will be the standard 1.5mm thickness. I have placed relief cuts around the larger keys for a more consistent typing feel.
There will be a few choices for plate material:
Personally, POM is the material that I am most interested in trying out for this board.
ColorsA preliminary list of colors:
- Dark Gray
- Red
- Blue Gray
- Pink
I would like to stress that these colors are not final. There may be more colors or there may be fewer.
Prototype Pictures
FAQQ: Any ISO avail?
A: No
Q: Can you switch the alpha symbol and the wolf art so that the wolf is on the badge and the alpha is on the weight?
A: This is not possible. The badge is too small for something as detailed as the wolf to be properly machined into it.
Q: Even blockers pls?
A: No
The best place to contact me about information and updates regarding this board will be on Discord
