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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ScottPaladin on Mon, 26 March 2018, 15:17:19

Title: Plate + PCB vs Plate + Hand Wire
Post by: ScottPaladin on Mon, 26 March 2018, 15:17:19
All of my builds and mods have been with PCBs and plates, but I'm getting a slight hankering to try hand wiring one of these days. Is there any noticeable difference between having a PCB and not? I could imagine it going either way.
Title: Re: Plate + PCB vs Plate + Hand Wire
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 26 March 2018, 15:18:04
There is such a thing as soldering-art..  so maybe give that a go..




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Title: Re: Plate + PCB vs Plate + Hand Wire
Post by: ScottPaladin on Mon, 26 March 2018, 15:35:56
I'm sure that would provide some "interesting" key feel.
Title: Re: Plate + PCB vs Plate + Hand Wire
Post by: phoible on Sat, 31 March 2018, 00:15:28
I've heard that some keyboards are quieter without a PCB.

I'm working on my first hand wire myself (have the matrix wired - waiting for some parts to connect it to the teensy). It has definitely been A LOT more work than just going with a PCB.
I've been working on it on and off for a few weeks and I'm not done yet, whereas I can put together a PCB with LEDs in a couple of hours. I think it would be easier the second time, though.

Hopefully it's worth it in the end.

The nice thing about a hand wire is that you can do whatever you want with it, even if there isn't a PCB made. In my case, I'm redoing an old M0110, but a lot of people do it for slightly custom layouts that no one supports yet or for prototyping a new design.