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43 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
43 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
---
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title: A Mechanical Keyboard Journey
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tags:
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- diy
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- keyboard
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- programming
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- difficulty-easy
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- seedling
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draft: true
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date: 2024-07-25
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lastmod: 2024-07-25
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---
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## The Problem
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I have two areas where I use keyboards. My home desk, and my work.
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At home, I had a "gaming keyboard", which was starting to become unbearable. It had generation 1 "silent" switches, which were both loud and uncomfortable to type on. Not to mention the awful software (Corsair iCue, my beloathed). I did enjoy its ergonomics outside of the way the switches felt, but that wasn't enough to justify attempting to retrofit the nearly 10-year-old soldered keyboard.
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And at work, I had a generic membrane keyboard that always felt off no matter how I positioned it. Obviously, a change was needed.
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As such, I did what I do best, and I hyperfixated. I have now built two mechanical keyboards in the past month, and I'm very happy with them! Here's what I learned. There are three basic components to a keyboard build:
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## Switches
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I've previously tested all different kinds of switches. A switch's sound and feel falls into three different categories:
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- Linear: Most people will have experienced this with a cheap HP membrane keyboard at their work or school. For those that haven't, it's a much longer travel compared to the flat, short press of a laptop keyboard or similar "scissor switch" keyboards. The amount of force needed to press it down is the same throughout the keypress.
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- Tactile: Unlike a linear switch, somewhere in the keystroke, a tactile switch will feature a 'bump' where the force required increases and decreases. A **D-shape** bump will be in the middle of the stroke, a **P-shape** bump will be at the end of the stroke.
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- I think a D-shape should be called a thorn bump, but I'm weird.
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- Clicky: instead of the tactile bump, where the change is mostly in feel (and the added force of the bump makes *you* cause the noise), clicky switches have a separate metal tang that gets compressed and snapped against another piece of metal during the stroke. This produces a sharp metallic sound and unique feel that some people enjoy.
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Personally, I like
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### Tech Detour
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The way a mechanical keyboard switch works is pretty mundane. The plastic stem
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### What I chose
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## Keycaps
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### Material (Girl)
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## Boards
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