[IC] 啟65 - Qi65 - A Start of My Journey - UPDATES

[ryanlau998]

INTRO

Hi guys, this is rkeebs_. It's been a while since I post updates for the Qi65 board. Because there were some issues with the GH server, so I would like to create a brand new thread to do the IC.


Credit to CaptainSterling

Let's start with updates!
1. Manu has been changed to DDS.
2. New Colorways.
3. Minor problems found in the Round 1 Prototypes that will be solved for future versions.
4. 2nd round prototypes are ordered and expected to be finished in late July.

DESIGN
Qi65 is the first keyboard I ever designed. It's a board came in full of straight lines and angles.
With most of the boards published recently are made of curves and curved surface, I want to do something differently.



Right on the front face, because of the asymmetrical face and limited space of 65%,
I only added a very subtle line on the top of the bezel, along with a diamond shape engraving in the middle.



On the side, I want to make something in the middle stand out as this is a copper/brass/SS midpiece board,
showing what's inside and complement with the aluminum cases to point out the theme of the board.



On the type-c port face, same as the side profile, the groove extends to the c-port as bevels and merged into the face.



On the back, this is where things get interesting!
An ancient-chinese-seal-like graph in the middle of the back, along with the grooves coming in from the two sides to make a connection from other faces.
The character in the middle means "啟", which signifies "Start" in Traditional Chinese.
Meaning that this will be the start of my journey in keyboard design.

SPECS

Layout: 65%
Typing Angle: 8.5 Deg
Front Height: 18.2mm
EKH: 22.94mm
Mount: Poron Gasket
Weight: Brass(Built) 2882g, Copper(Built) 3004g, SS(Not tested)
Manufacturer: DDS

Internal



The internal midpiece will have bulges to better isolates the sound of the board.
Main case is consists of 4 parts: midpiece, top case, and two bottom cases.
The screw-in method will be from the internal but rather putting the screws on the edge of the internal case,
we decided to put screws "inside" the internal, punching holes on the plate and PCB,
to avoid unwanted noises from normal internal scerws.

There are 5 mounting points, top 3 and bottom 2, leaving the spacebar alone.

PCB Compatibility
Hotswap


Solder


KIT CONTENT
Top Case (Ano/Raw)
Bottom Case (Ano/Raw)
Midpiece (Copper/Brass/Stainless Steel)
Rubber Feet (Grey 70A/Black 80A)
Poron Gaskets
Plate of Choice (ALU(full/half), Carbon Fiber(full/half), PP(full)) *Plate files will be release after GB
Keyboard Carrying Case
Customized Screwdriver

COLORS

Anodized Grey Sand


Anodized Light Sand


Anodized Ink Green


Anodized Silver


Anodized Dark Grey


Raw
(It's hard to render the actual finish of Raw, IRL photos will be updated once Prototypes are done)


Plus, we will be doing 1-2 community voted colors that people can participate
and bring that color to real life. Please join the Discord server to participate!
Link will be provided at the end of the post.

UPDATES
From the first round prototypes, we realized there are many things that need to be tweaked
to make this board perfect.
1. Shorting problem
-- We solved this by increasing the distance between PCB and the internal case.
-- Due to the fact that poron gaskets are soft, we will increase the thickness of gaskets
    to make it a bit more stiffer.
2. Internal Assembly Shifting
-- After testing with different thicknesses of gaskets, we solved this by providing a thicker gaskets.
3. Inconsistent screw sizes
-- Remodel screws cutout and make all the screws to use the same screw bit.
4. Bottom out on the internal case.
-- We added cutouts for silicones inside the case to avoid the internal assembly to hit the case.


Also, we changed the gaskets size compared to R1 Prototypes.


PHOTOS
Here are photos taken by my dear reviewers for the R1 Prototypes.

Credit to CaptainSterling


Credit to Keyboard_Dad


Credit to Bokenhhbob


STATUS
2nd round prototypes are being manufactured, expected to be finished in Late July.
GB date estimated late July.

VENDOR
Global: UNIKEYS

PRICE
Due to the weight of the midpiece and machining time, the price is the lowest I can get.
*Prices include PCB but not plates
Brass: $349
Copper: $379
SS: $399

Extras:
Hotswap PCB: $25
Solder PCB: $20
ALU/CF Plate: $25
PP Plate: $20

Please join the Discord Server for updates and check out more IRL photos of the board!
https://discord.gg/ePY4whKvZs

[ryanlau998]

Reserved

More Photos:

Credit to me




Sound Tests
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcM2RflmSeE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0VdFZMWnCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NntUFEiAdBE
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iKfzy0DNv8A

[ryanlau998]

Reserved.

[Excalibur1224]

Looks amazing! No more red though?? That was my favorite color, although the board sounds pretty good.