Gameboy color-themed keyboard parts, compatibility check

[ohls]

As a first time builder, my plan is to recreate something similar to this redditor's atomic purple gameboy keyboard. They managed to dye a clear case and keycaps to get the final result.

I've sourced the parts that seem to do the job, but I'm not 100% sure they are compatible. Would you guys mind giving me some feedback on my parts list? And what I might be missing, or could be improved?

Case: GH60 (60%), clear case from AliExpress
PCB: DZ60RGB V2 HOT SWAP CUSTOM KEYBOARD PCB
PCB Foam: DZ60 RGB PCB FOAM
Plate: PC PLATE-B (2.25U left shift)
Switches: Kailh Silent Pink Switch or Lavender Linear Switch
Keycaps: OEM profile, ABS clear keycaps from AliExpress (I couldn't find any PBT set for reasonable price)
Switch films: None. I've heard Kailh switches should be fine without?
Stabilizers: GMK SCREW-IN STABILIZERS
Feet: KBDFANS RUBBER FEET

Additionally, here are some personal preferences:

• Arrow keys is a must
• Linear switches
• I prefer 65%, but couldn't find parts, thus went for 60%.
• Not too concerned about the thocks (since it's an experimental build), but will put effort to lube for the experience itself.

Edit, update to wireless build:
Case: GH60 (60%), clear case from AliExpress
Kit (PCB + Plate + Stabilizers): GK64XS 60%, 64 keys, hot swap, Bluetooth
Switches: Boba gum RGB (62g)
Keycaps: DCS Clear Keys (Polycarbonate)

[nevin]

- MOST 60's have the same mounting holes, might have to check against pcb when you get it. (might have to shave off a standoff in the case)
- make sure the plate you're looking at support the layout you want. (the listing is saying plate B, and also says what stabs are needed: (3) 2u, (1) 6.25u)

- stabs... go with pcb mount (screw-in stabs) your brand of choice
- if you want some blank grey caps to go with it look for thick pbt oem profile
- films... on this type of budget build... nah....

65%... TOFU65?

there's been a handful of gameboy inspired keyboard stuff.... here you go....
https://thekey.company/products/gmk-dmg
https://drop.com/buy/zmkc-pocket-game-console-artisan-keycap
https://ramaworks.store/products/thermal-seq2

... and your links are goofed.
coming up as

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[ohls]

- MOST 60's have the same mounting holes, might have to check against pcb when you get it. (might have to shave off a standoff in the case)
- make sure the plate you're looking at support the layout you want. (the listing is saying plate B, and also says what stabs are needed: (3) 2u, (1) 6.25u)
(Attachment Link)
- stabs... go with pcb mount (screw-in stabs) your brand of choice
- if you want some blank grey caps to go with it look for thick pbt oem profile
- films... on this type of budget build... nah....

65%... TOFU65?

there's been a handful of gameboy inspired keyboard stuff.... here you go....
https://thekey.company/products/gmk-dmg
https://drop.com/buy/zmkc-pocket-game-console-artisan-keycap
https://ramaworks.store/products/thermal-seq2

... and your links are goofed.
coming up as

Code: [Select]

http://%22https//www.aliexpress.com/item/32909665228.html%22should be

Code: [Select]

[url=https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32909665228.htm]title[/url]

Thank you for your guidance! I also fixed the links, got the formatting incorrect (should not have quotation marks around the links like in HTML).

- I should have looked more closely on the PCB page, because apparently the description had listed the compatible mounts. Gonna pick one of the KBDs listed there.
- Will look into some reviews for screw-in stabs in that case.
- Thanks for the blank keycaps, need it for black accent.
- No films, gotcha!
- About 65% Tofu, the acrylic case that comes with the kit is unfortunately frosted, which diffuses the light too much compared to what you'd see on transparent gameboy color. The only 65% clear case I found was this one on AliExpress. Looking at all the reviews, the fit is apparently too tight for most PCBs.

[ohls]

Do most general purpose cases fit battery packs, e.g. if I were to get a PCB with bluetooth support?

I'm looking into applying this "GK64XS" kit to the clear case I linked in the first post. I've noticed the height were different, but not sure if that's any indication.

Below are the dimensions of the "clear case" (but in black variant), there's no info on how tall the standoffs are. And no info on how tall the battery is for the bluetooth keyboard kit.

[yui]

for the battery, yes, or no, it really depend on your battery, you can find batteries small enough to fit in any cases but the capacity is going to be low and so will need to be charged often, i think i have the same model of plastic case you look at at home so it you give me the dimensions of the battery you want to use i could check.
although i thought tinting ABS caps was close to impossible as ABS melts before most dyes activate, but i may be wrong, other than that i see nothing that jumps to me as incompatible.

[nevin]

when i said MOST 60% use the same mounting points, i was talking about our hobby grade boards. inexpensive, mass produced boards will not adhere to what we call "standard" in community produced parts.

you can try mounting the GK64 in a standard 60% case, but who knows what mounting positions they used or if the pcb is slightly larger than what will fit in the case....

i'd spend some serious time searching to see if you can find someone that tried that combination or at the very least a GK64 that's been taken apart to see what's under the plate, where the mounting points are, what/if there is a battery connector (or just soldered to the pcb), etc....

[ohls]

@nevin
What I've done so far is to put them in an image editor and align the boards on top of each other, then set the opacity to ~50%. They seem to align, but I can't be 100% sure due to the scale. I only know the screw holes are positioned the same relative to each other.

@Yui
Do PBT work better for dyeing in that case?

About the battery, I eventually landed on a backup plan. If the included battery doesn't fit, I found a LiPo battery 3.8V 3200mAh that is only 4.4mm in height (119 x 40 x 4.4mm). From my rough estimation, it should probably fit. If the length is a problem, I can probably just cut the plastic.

What I'm unsure of however is the voltage. My understanding is that most mech keyboards uses batteries that sit at 3.7V? I don't know if 3.8V would damage it in any way?

Additionally, do you think a battery of 8mm in height would fit the case? This battery here (50 x 40 x 8mm) would be my second choice if the previous one above is not a good fit.

[nevin]

lipo's straight off the charger will be 4.2v though they are normally calculated at 3.7v per cell (running voltage)...aka will be fine.
if the pcb was meant to have a battery it SHOULD have a battery charger built in and all the necessary charging/cut off precautions.

reference some of the batteries on bluemicros pages (a BT version of the promicro)

Lipo Voltage Chart: Show the Relationship of Voltage and Capacity

if you're planning on running leds, get a temporary battery, get it assembled and get measurements of what you have to work with and get the largest 1 cell battery you can stuff in the case.
- also, MOST led circuitry still draws a nominal current even when the leds are off.

[ohls]

Oh, thanks for confirming! That chart was also really helpful to get more insight. About LEDs, I didn't plan for the build to have them, but since it's included I'll probably end up using them. So I'll most likely follow your advice on getting the highest capacity that fits—now that I know it's safe to do so.

Btw, I was also able to confirm that it houses standard mounting holes for GH60 from this video.

Not sure why I didn't think there would be reviews of this PCB already, but I think it had to do with me being new and assuming Alibaba kits aren't ubiquitous enough. However, it seems like a lot of people in the community uses the site.

[nevin]

great!

[ohls]

although i thought tinting ABS caps was close to impossible as ABS melts before most dyes activate, but i may be wrong

An update to this part. The keycaps the redditor used was apparently polycarbonate. The link doesn't work anymore since it's sold out, but the cached version was able to reveal the details (screenshot).

Luckily, it seem to be possible to dye ABS keycaps with the brand Rit, according to this redditor. I'll probably test it out with one keycap first and then proceed with the rest once confirmed.

[nevin]

i haven't done any dying in ages. when i did, i was dying nylon r/c parts... my only suggestions:
- don't get it too hot
- mix it strong
- check it often.
- may get slightly lighter after you rinse it, so keep that in mind when you're checking it.

[yui]

@Yui
Do PBT work better for dyeing in that case?

i had success with dyeing PBT and i know peoples had success with ABS, it is just much harder and slower

About the battery, I eventually landed on a backup plan. If the included battery doesn't fit, I found a LiPo battery 3.8V 3200mAh that is only 4.4mm in height (119 x 40 x 4.4mm). From my rough estimation, it should probably fit. If the length is a problem, I can probably just cut the plastic.

What I'm unsure of however is the voltage. My understanding is that most mech keyboards uses batteries that sit at 3.7V? I don't know if 3.8V would damage it in any way?

Additionally, do you think a battery of 8mm in height would fit the case? This battery here (50 x 40 x 8mm) would be my second choice if the previous one above is not a good fit.

as nevin said LiPo voltages are on a range 3.7 or 3.8 is in that range they both will charge to about 4 to 4.3v and discharge to 3.7 or lower depending on the charging circuit and battery protection, at worse the 3.8v rated one may cut a bit sooner but also last longer in term of charge cycles. i check tomorrow for the battery dimentions, 11pm here right now...

[ohls]

i had success with dyeing PBT and i know peoples had success with ABS, it is just much harder and slower

I was lucky enough to find the the clear polycarbonate in stock, so I'll switch up to those instead!

I haven't ordered anything yet, but planning this weekend. Here's is the updated build:

Case: GH60 (60%), clear case from AliExpress
Kit (PCB + Plate + Stabilizers): GK64XS 60%, 64 keys, hot swap, Bluetooth
Switches: Boba gum RGB (62g)
Keycaps: DCS Clear Keys (Polycarbonate)

i check tomorrow for the battery dimentions, 11pm here right now...

Haha, many thanks!

[nevin]

boba... i'm a fan of hbheroinbob/the great Gazzew.... i have his silent tactile stems and a sample of the U4.
...haven't tried the linears yet though.

[yui]

so in my cheap plastic chinese case, the biggest cavity is 91*38*7mm or as there is the injection nipple 110*38*5 and if you do not mind cutting some of the webbing you can get that 38 easily to 55, overall by cutting and keeping the 5mm depth and without removing any pcb supports you can get a 126*62*5 cavity to put a battery in, but at that point you would be cutting almost all the webbing on the right side of the board, making it a very flexible case, not that it does not already flex a lot.
i thought there was space between PCB and webbing but although i was right, it is only about 1mm so not nearly enough for any battery.

[ohls]

boba... i'm a fan of hbheroinbob/the great Gazzew.... i have his silent tactile stems and a sample of the U4.
...haven't tried the linears yet though.

I actually never tried a silent switch before to be honest, but I do however know that I prefer linear so I went with the boba gum—still haven't ordered anything yet though.

I was initially trying to get something more purple, but most of them are tactile. I thought the pink boba color might work well with the colored transparent keycaps (the build is focused on half the aesthetic, and half the functionality after all). 

so in my cheap plastic chinese case, the biggest cavity is 91*38*7mm or as there is the injection nipple 110*38*5 and if you do not mind cutting some of the webbing you can get that 38 easily to 55, overall by cutting and keeping the 5mm depth and without removing any pcb supports you can get a 126*62*5 cavity to put a battery in, but at that point you would be cutting almost all the webbing on the right side of the board, making it a very flexible case, not that it does not already flex a lot.
i thought there was space between PCB and webbing but although i was right, it is only about 1mm so not nearly enough for any battery.

Thanks for giving it a look!

Ahh... But then I might have to go with something lower capacity or simply find a more suitable shaped battery. But 91*38*7mm does seem like a fair amount of space to work with though.
If I can avoid cutting the webbing, that would be ideal. But I would most likely prioritize the battery capacity. At least how I see it right now, I'll see how much it actually flex in person later.

[yui]

keyboards are not really that power hungry, 3000 mAh is in the realms of laptop and phone batteries, it would last months if not years in a keyboard.

[nevin]

keyboards are not really that power hungry, 3000 mAh is in the realms of laptop and phone batteries, it would last months if not years in a keyboard.

normally, yes that would be true. even small split boards like the mitosis can run off a button cell for a long time.
for this build.... it depends on if/how often and bright they use the rgb lights. this many rgb leds can be power hungry and we don't know the specifics of the current draw of the GK64XS pcb to be able to guestimate run time with a given battery.

kit description from link above says it comes with a battery. (didn't realize it came with one, not in kit picture either)

GK64XS Dual mode version with rechargeable 1900ma lithium battery

just use that for now and if you're using the leds and not getting the run time you want then look for a bigger battery

[ohls]

Yep, that sounds good!

I use a Asus Falchion right now (which got me interested in 60-65% in the first place), and it advertises 450 hours LED off, and all the way down to 53 hours with LED on. They don't say the battery capacity though, so I don't have a reference point as to how much 1900mAh might give me, but I'll start with that (if the battery fits).

I wasn't able to find a solid number for the battery life from a semi-quick search, only that it was worse than keychrons. And from video "reviews", most of them tend to leave out the details and only show the assembly process.

Edit: I think I'll go ahead and start ordering the parts this weekend, it will take probably a month before I get the stuff from AliExpress though. Thanks for the help so far!

[nevin]

yep.

run time will not only depend on if they are on or off, but what colors and brightness.

[yui]

it depends on if/how often and bright they use the rgb lights

yeah sorry, forgot about RGB, if you use it then my estimations are all wrong... sorry.

[nevin]

do a search for "purple linear mx switch"
it's a popular color for switches. and even if they're not stock as linear, all you have to do is swap in a linear stem.....

linear
durock purple clear https://www.amazon.com/Transparent-Gold-Plated-Keyswitch-Mechanical-Keyboards/dp/B08RBTKHH8
durock purple smoked housing https://divinikey.com/products/durock-linear-switches?variant=32069991989313
CłEQUALZ X TKC BANANA SPLIT https://thekey.company/products/c3-equalz-x-tkc-banana-split-switches
Lavender Linear Switch https://cannonkeys.com/products/lavender-linear-switch?_pos=1&_sid=6b0699bf4&_ss=r
KBDFANS X MITO CUSTOM LASER SWITCHES https://kbdfans.com/products/kbdfans-x-mito-custom-laser-switches
https://mitormk.com/laserons/
- was to go with the laser keyset https://mitormk.com/portfolio/gmk-laser-2017/
 
tactile
TECSEE Purple Panda all purple housing https://1upkeyboards.com/shop/switches/set-packs/tecsee-purple-panda-tactile-switches/
TECSEE IceGrape https://tecseekeys.com/products/tecsee-ruby-switch-5
SP-STAR https://thekey.company/products/sp-star-switch

[ohls]

Oh, seems like there were a few that I didn't stumble upon my research. I also had no idea that switching out the stem would make a switch linear, but that would unfortunately increase my budget too.

I actually had another reason for wanting to try silent switches. Since I work from home these days, my co-workers tend to react when I type on my keyboard. I have my mic set to omnidirectional so it captures a lot of background noise—using it unidirectional was too much of a pain.

But are you implying the boba gums aren't that good, or is that more of a preference thing?
Prior to choosing them, I looked at a few reviews and they seemed well-received. However, I have no idea if there are similar and "better" keycaps within the same price range.

That MITO GMK LASER also looked really nice! I was looking at the "Blocknet" set (modifier keys with icon legend), but that alone was $80. Not ready to fork out that money yet, but we'll once/if I get more addicted to this hobby. 

[nevin]

no, i was just looking for other purple switches....
yes, would definitely increase price as you'd be buying two switches to make one....

yes, the stem is what makes a switch tactile or linear or silent.
....now, we're not talking about the box switches with the click bar (that's a whole other ball of wax).

the boba's should be fine.

[yui]

i just thought about it but a likely decent estimate for bright-ish RGB would be 1mA/LED (so 3mA per RGB chip)i do not know how many LEDs there is on your board but that then divides the battery capacity to give you a run time in hours (ex 60 RGB chips with a 1900mAh battery gives 1900/(60*3) ≃ 10h) although that calculation expect always on RGB, if you only turn it on dimly or when you are at the pc then the estimations would go up a lot, and if you really push the LEDs to their limits it would go down (WS2812 datasheet indicates an absolute maximum of 18.5mA per chip, that would burn your eyes to look at, and burn the LED without cooling but would lend you in the 1.7h with the same parameters)
hope this helps.
edit: link to the datasheet https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/datasheets/WS2812.pdf if one cares

[ohls]

@nevin
I see! Then I'll go with the bobas,

@yui
Oh that's interesting! I typically don't go past 50% brightness so I guess I should get at least more than 10 hours with your estimation.

I'll simply have to see how it goes. If it drains real quick, I'll most likely take the plunge and buy a new and bigger capacity battery.

[ohls]

I've now ordered all the parts, I guess I'll update this thread once I've progressed with the build. Won't be very soon due to the shipping time from China.
Thanks again for all the helpful tips and insight!

[nevin]

will keep an eye out on the thread.

[ohls]

Quick update!
Got all the stuff now except the dye itself, but a half-assembly reveals that all parts fit!

One unfortunately thing about the battery is that it's so stuck to the case that I can't get it out. I tried to slowly pry it at first but gave up the idea as I didn't want to risk puncturing it during the process. And heating the glue (along with the battery) is probably not a good idea. I'll probably just buy a new one since it's still within my budget.

[nevin]

YAY!

i usually use lighter fluid to remove sticky stuff. wet the bottom of that compartment give it a couple minutes, and slowly work it up. maybe with a plastic pry thing (meant for opening phones etc. ifixit kit?) push against the bottom of the case, letting the incline of the pry tool lift the battery, not pulling on the battery directly?

[ohls]

Hmm... I don't have any lighter fluid lying around but I've tried using those "plastic pry things" (like the blue plastic stick at the bottom of my photo). However, I can tell that if I put too much force, the battery will end up getting bent, so I'll probably play it safe this time.  )

[nevin]

no problem. those type batteries are cheap anyway.

[yui]

those batteries can support being bent a fair bit, and likely it getting slightly bent will dislodge it too
when i say a fair bit i had one bent at about 5 degrees.

[ohls]

Alright, so I got a bit more aggressive with it after finding out that the local shop that I was supposed to buy the battery from did not have a single one (at higher capacity) that would fit the current cutout/webbing.

I had to use something with higher density than my cheap plastic tool so I shoved in a pair of steel tweezers and forced it through. It worked surprisingly well.

[nevin]

just be real careful that the battery is not punctured. the back does not look that good.

[ohls]

Thanks for the pointer! I took a closer look and it seemed to have survived (at least to my untrained naked eyes). The black mark on the back in the previous photo seemed to be some dirt that the glue attracted and not the inside of the battery.

[nevin]

once you get it put back together, i'd keep an eye on it. checking the battery every so often to make sure it's not puffing (usually the 1st sign of the battery getting ready to fail. if that happens, swap it out for a new one.

[yui]

i would recommend not sticking it with double sided tape, or some rather weak one, foam to prevent it from moving about seems like a better idea, from the photo i would say that it looks like pretty typical damage to a taped battery and it is just the plastic sheathing that got distended a bit, if it was ruptured you would likely already had had a reaction (puff up and maybe smoke) so i'd say it looks safe.
although one slightly less safe thing is that i do not see any protection circuit on this battery, if it is really not protected by itself please make sure the board does have proper protection, else you have a fire hazard under your hands...

[nevin]

agreed. two little pads of standard double sided foam tape should do the job nicely. and the thing with the foam tape is, the foam will give/separate, leaving the adhesive on each half. just make two squares as wide as the tape is... 1"x1" or even .5"x.5" if it's a .5" wide roll. just need a little bit to hold it so it's not rattling around.

just being extra cautious, with lipos, especially if they don't know much about them. they can be quite volatile compared to other battery chemistries, if you mistreat them.

[ohls]

Thanks for the advice guys! I actually have some foam tape lying around at home so I'll see if I can make use of it.

And about the circuit, the only "protection" it has is the heat-resistant tape surrounding it. I'm definitely not an expert with batteries, but it looks like most other thin-type lipo batteries have the same design?

[yui]

some batteries will have a small PCB were the wires solder to, it is the protection, most common is over charge, discharge and current protection, because over discharge will reduce the life of the battery and the 2 others have a fairly big chance of making it catch on fire, not all batteries have them because it cost money to implement and a fair number of battery using appliance have those integrated, from the photo i can't see if the wires are soldered directly to the tabs of the battery or a protection board, and i have no idea if the board you bought has any of those protections so it is why i warned you, i am guessing the board should at least have a charge IC so not risks of overcharge, and being a keyboard there is a good chance something would burn before the battery in case of over-current (those type of batteries can supply multiple amps i feel like the resistance of the traces should be enough to prevent that) leaving over-discharge as likely your main worry, not too bad but i also made assumptions that may not hold true

[ohls]

Oh wow, that's some useful stuff to know! I'll drop another photo, hopefully this one is more clear.
I haven't seen any complaints or alarming headlines/thread titles about this board, so naively speaking, it seems to be reliable.

As for the status of my build. I still haven't started putting the parts together because the dye might have gotten lost in transit, or it's still stuck somewhere. I got a refund but I'll give it a few more days before putting a new order. Then it's the waiting game again...

[yui]

yeah on this photo we can see that there is a pcb, nothing on this side of it but very likely there is the protection IC on the other side, so you should be all good

[ohls]

I finally finished putting it together! Many thanks again for the help as your guidance allowed me to confidently order the right parts!

The build as a whole was a success, but mine ended up rather pink-ish as opposed to purple. Since the color is such a big part of the build, I kind of feel a bit dissatisfied with the outcome.
The boba switches were really nice btw, very quiet (great for WFH), especially after lubing them. Not much thock, but rather a damp click sound profile (which might not be appreciated by most people).

In terms of usability of the GK64XS board.
- The bluetooth connection is very brittle. I can barely move it around which I need to do when clearing my desk for other work. It seems to work well though at its primary spot.
- Unlike my ASUS Falchion that is essentially connected at all times via 2.4 Ghz, the GK64XS needs a few seconds to reconnect after inactivity.
- I'm using AHK to remap my keys, so I haven't tried its proprietary software.

[nevin]

you could try dying the caps darker, if they are too light/pink for your taste.
- dye might mottle a little
- watch temperature, if unsure, make it hot but not boiling and mix the dye very strong and should take but will take longer (slow change)
- last i dyed stuff was r/c parts, eons ago (and those were nylon)

[ohls]

you could try dying the caps darker, if they are too light/pink for your taste.
- dye might mottle a little
- watch temperature, if unsure, make it hot but not boiling and mix the dye very strong and should take but will take longer (slow change)
- last i dyed stuff was r/c parts, eons ago (and those were nylon)

I wanted it in a different hue so I was contemplating if I should try to dye it with a little blue. But I think in the end, I'm somewhat happy with the build. Seeing it as one piece, I've gotten a bit lazy to do any more modifications.

I think you also have a point with the temperature. I boiled the water first and poured it into another container, within that container, I mixed in the dye. I think it had cooled down a bit too much by the time I started working on it.