Author Topic: Hi from DC!  (Read 1785 times)

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Offline snowkid2themax

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Hi from DC!
« on: Tue, 19 April 2016, 01:09:43 »
Hi everyone! I made this account a long time ago (largely to PM Feng about proxying), but never posted anything. I'm usually a lurker, though have made a few posts/submissions on r/mk under the username /u/cant_remember_old

I've always wanted to go to a keyboard meetup, but I haven't seen any in DC :(

Recently I've been using mechanical keyboards largely as means of building things and tinkering . . . though I've probably bit off more than I can chew.

Projects I'm currently working on as well as progress:
  • Tweak my steno design/Finish things up. I modified the design of a Soft/Hruf to accept cherry switches, now I'm just tweaking. Progress 90% (Everything works, now I need to modify QMK to output serial)
  • Prototyping Universal Steno plate and fiddling around with keycap profiles - Progress 70% (Still need to test a few prototypes and waiting on G20 keycaps)
  • Debug HID controller - I'm using an FTDI and a Pro Micro to output computer keystrokes as a keyboard HID. Progress 50% (Everything is soldered and the chips seem to work. Need to get the serial conversion working
  • Finish Building Dactyl - Planning on using 2 controllers for independent hands and RGB. Progress 20% (Parts printed, need to wire and modify firmware as I'll be using two pro micros)
  • Finish Building Unnamed Jack Rabbit-y board thing - I'm building a keyboard with this layout. Progress 20% (Parts printed, need to wire)
  • Swap Varmillo VB87M switches from Gateron red to Zealios - Progress 20% (Extracted 30 switches so far)
  • Get WheelWriter 1000 keyboard working with a pro micro - Progress 10% (Extracted the keyboard from the type writer . . . that's about it so far)
  • Get trackpoint module working with Planck - Progress 10% (Tinkered with Module)
  • Swap ABKO Switches from Kailh blues to Zealios - Progress 0% (Have all the parts, just haven't started)


Keyboards I currently have:
  • ZZ96 - Zealios
  • Bluetooth HHKB 2 - Silenced 55g
  • Tex Yoda - MX Clears
  • B.Mini - Zealios
  • Planck - MX Tactile Greys
  • Planck - 62g Ergo Clears
  • RGB Soft/Hruf - Gateron Reds
  • Filco Minila Air - Zealios
  • Coolermaster Novatouch - Silenced 55g/45g
  • Leopold 210TP - 58g Ergo Clears
  • Filco Majestouch 2 - 45g Ergo Clears (MX Blue Springs)
  • KBT V60 - Matias Quiet Click
  • Ducky Shine 4 Community Edition - MX Clear/Brown
  • Varmilo VB87M - Gateron Reds
  • ABKO HACKER - Kailh Blues
  • Soon to have a Model F replica

I might be forgetting stuff . . .


Anywho, I'm also looking for costar or cherry plate mounted stabilizers if anyone happens to have them. I'd post in the classifieds, but I don't have the post requirement


Thanks for checking out this thread!

TL;DR: I like keyboards
« Last Edit: Tue, 19 April 2016, 01:33:19 by snowkid2themax »

Offline rowdy

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Re: Hi from DC!
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 19 April 2016, 06:12:40 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

I think your TL;Dr is an understatement :eek:

Do you have much time for your projects?  Just wondering why there are so many projects on the go at the same time.  Most people would only have a few at one time, or perhaps even one.  You have ... 9!

Have you got any/many keycap sets?  Any interest in artisan keycaps?

Very deep rabbit hole ... very deep ...
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline snowkid2themax

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Re: Hi from DC!
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 19 April 2016, 11:58:32 »
As far as time goes, not as much as I'd like (and recently not much at all!). Part of the reason I have so many concurrent projects is that when I see an opportunity I add it to a list of to-do's: There's a recylcing center near me, so just last week I picked up an IBM WheelWriter 1000, so that got added to my list of projects. Found a broken thinkpad, so I wanted to harvest the trackpoint. I have access to a 3D printer so if I see a cool project that could be made, I'll add it to the list. As to why so many have progress but are not complete: I usually pick a project to work on during the weekend. If I hit a roadblock, I'll take a break and work on something else (I find stepping back and revisiting helps a lot in troubleshooting).


As for keycaps, yeah I have some, though plenty more on the way:
Currently Have:
  • Custom Honeybadger Set that my girlfriend made for me (She's an awesome artist!)
  • GMK Hyperfuse
  • Danger Zone
  • Jukebox
  • Granite
  • Apple Extended II
  • Deep Space
  • NPKC Lavender and Orange PBT
  • NPKC Orange and Lavender
  • NPKC Rainbow
  • Tai-Hao Miami
  • Tai-Hao Bumblebee
  • Ducky PBT Blue and Grey
  • Vortex Backlit PBT
  • Assortment of DSA caps
  • All of the stock caps that came with any of my boards

Sets on the way
  • Jelly POM (Many delays on this one . . . )
  • Nantucket Selectric
  • Hangul Cyan and Pink
  • IMSTO Miami Odessa


As for artisans, not particularly. I'm a big fan of KK so I have 10 snackeys but that's about it. My girlfriend might be making some though if I can get the supplies :)

Offline rowdy

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  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: Hi from DC!
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 20 April 2016, 05:48:22 »
The nice thing about so many project is, as you said, if you get stuck on one, you can switch to another.  As long as you've got the space to store them all!

Picture of the Honeybadger Set please - it sounds intriguing :)
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ