https://sungo.io/keyboardssungo.io - Keyboards2022-07-31T00:00:00Zsungohttps://sungo.io/keyboards/zaphod/sungoZaphod2022-07-31T00:00:00Z2022-07-31T00:00:00Z
<h2>Summary</h2>
<ul><li><b>Vendor:</b> petejohanson</li><li><b>Site:</b> <a href="https://lpgala.xyz/gb/zaphod-r1">https://lpgala.xyz/gb/zaphod-r1</a></li><li><b>Purchase At:</b> <a href="https://mkultra.click/zaphod-wireless-ble-34-key-lopro-kit/">https://mkultra.click/zaphod-wireless-ble-34-key-lopro-kit/</a></li><li><b>Style:</b> 3x5 unibody split with column stagger,two thumb keys per side, bluetooth, display</li><li><b>Key Switches:</b> Choc Silver</li><li><b>Keycaps:</b> Black MBK</li></ul>
<div class="article">
<h2>My Thoughts</h2>
<p>The Zaphod is a BLE / USB unibody split keyboard with three rows, five columns
per half, and two thumb keys per side. It has aggressive stagger, inspired by
the Ferris split keyboard, and you really should download the layout tester to
make sure you like it.</p>
<p>The PCB comes mostly assembled, either from the GB or a vendor like mkultra. You
have to deal with the display and the switches. All in all, it’s an easy build.
Follow <a href="https://docs.lpgala.xyz/docs/zaphod-build-guide/overview/">the build
guide</a> particularly
as it concerns the display and the spring headers.</p>
<p>The keyboard itself is extremely well thought out. The punchout for the larger
battery, nestled under the display, is an excellent touch and that battery
should last so long you forget it’s there. The display is a transreflective
Sharp display that has very low power draw. It wouldn’t help much if you like to
code in the dark but it’s fine if there’s a light source around.</p>
<p>You can’t really tell from my photos but there’s an interesting flourish in that
the diodes are, when completed, housed inside the LED opening in the Choc key
switch. They are completely protected. Pete tells me this was also inspired by
the Ferris.</p>
<p>Will I use it? I don’t know. It’s five columns, compared to my usual six, so
it’d take some deep keymap rework. But as I’ve discussed before in builds, I
think that day is coming. I think this might be an excellent board to learn five
columns, particularly if I leverage the display.</p>
<p>I have three warnings about the Zaphod, none of them deal breakers. Just stuff
to be aware of before you buy/build.</p>
<p>First, the keys use choc spacing. There is over 1mm less distance between keys.
If you’ve only ever used Cherry spacing or have giant fingers, the board will
feel cramped. Also, some keycaps, like the WRK Louder sets, will not work. MBK
caps, MoErgo MCC, and Kailh caps all work fine.</p>
<p>Second, the Ferris-inspired stagger is not for everyone. Grab <a href="https://lpgala.xyz/layout-testers/zaphod-layout-tester-us-letter.pdf">the
tester</a>,
print it out, and make sure your fingers can deal before buying. Oddly, with the
choc spacing, the aggressive stagger doesn’t feel as, well, aggressive to me.
But it’s certainly different.</p>
<p>Third, the key switches are soldered. If you’ve read any of my builds before,
you’ll know how much I dislike soldered key switches. But it’s a cute little
board and, at the moment, I have lots of switches to spare. If you feel super
strongly about soldered switches, this ain’t the board for you.</p>
<p>And I have one vendor warning.</p>
<p>The kit from mkultra is… let’s call it a variant. Rather than using the
official acrylic case (or getting it cut as fr4 which I would have loved),
mkultra’s build has no switch plate, no protective cover for the electronics.
You can get an aluminum bottom, which to be fair is really nice, but it doesn’t
come with standoffs or long enough screws to add the acrylic or 3d print case
later. My build features the acrylic case because I happen to have a laser
cutter. The vast majority of the time for my build was finding standoffs and
screws that’d work.</p>
</div>
<h2>Images</h2>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/zaphod/IMG_0402.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/zaphod/IMG_0402.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/zaphod/IMG_0399.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/zaphod/IMG_0399.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/zaphod/IMG_0400.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/zaphod/IMG_0400.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/zaphod/IMG_0403.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/zaphod/IMG_0403.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
https://sungo.io/keyboards/helix/sungoHelix2022-05-22T00:00:00Z2022-05-22T00:00:00Z
<h2>Summary</h2>
<ul><li><b>Vendor:</b> littlekeyboards</li><li><b>Site:</b> <a href="https://github.com/MakotoKurauchi/helix">https://github.com/MakotoKurauchi/helix</a></li><li><b>Purchase At:</b> <a href="https://www.littlekeyboards.com/collections/helix-pcb-kits/products/helix-hotswap-pcb-kit">https://www.littlekeyboards.com/collections/helix-pcb-kits/products/helix-hotswap-pcb-kit</a></li><li><b>Style:</b> split ortholinear board that supports a 64 or 50 key layout.</li><li><b>Key Switches:</b> Gateron Silent Browns</li><li><b>Keycaps:</b> N/A</li></ul>
<h2>Images</h2>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/helix/IMG_0299.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/helix/IMG_0299.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/helix/IMG_0300.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/helix/IMG_0300.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
https://sungo.io/keyboards/draculad/sungoDraculad2022-05-16T00:00:00Z2022-05-16T00:00:00Z
<h2>Summary</h2>
<ul><li><b>Vendor:</b> littlekeyboards</li><li><b>Site:</b> <a href="https://github.com/MangoIV/dracuLad">https://github.com/MangoIV/dracuLad</a></li><li><b>Purchase At:</b> <a href="https://www.littlekeyboards.com/products/draculad-pcb-kit">https://www.littlekeyboards.com/products/draculad-pcb-kit</a></li><li><b>Style:</b> 36 key (or 34 with optional encoders), three rows five columns per, with very aggressive stagger</li><li><b>Key Switches:</b> Gateron Silent Browns</li><li><b>Keycaps:</b> SA Granite</li></ul>
<h2>Images</h2>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/draculad/IMG_0288.jpg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/draculad/IMG_0288.jpg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/draculad/IMG_0291.jpg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/draculad/IMG_0291.jpg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/draculad/IMG_0292.jpg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/draculad/IMG_0292.jpg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/draculad/IMG_0293.jpg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/draculad/IMG_0293.jpg" /></a>
</p>
https://sungo.io/keyboards/snap/sungoSnap2022-04-17T00:00:00Z2022-04-17T00:00:00Z
<h2>Summary</h2>
<ul><li><b>Vendor:</b> nullbits</li><li><b>Site:</b> <a href="https://nullbits.co/snap/">https://nullbits.co/snap/</a></li><li><b>Style:</b> 75% row stagger, split</li><li><b>Key Switches:</b> Hako Violets</li><li><b>Keycaps:</b> Susuwatari MT3</li></ul>
<div class="article">
<h2>My Thoughts</h2>
<p>I really want to love the Snap. I really want to tell you to go buy the Snap if
you want to build a 75% keyboard. But I can’t.</p>
<p><em>TL;DR: if you want a split 75% keyboard and you aren’t obsessed with the
exposed diode aesthetic, go get a
<a href="https://keeb.io/collections/sinc/products/sinc-split-staggered-75-keyboard">Sinc</a>
from Keebio</em></p>
<p>The Snap has some major problems that make it a “do not buy”.</p>
<p>First, you need to buy screws. At time of writing, the screws that come in the
kit are too long, can’t screw in all the way, and work themselves free in a day
or less. If you follow the instructions and solder your switches, the screws up
top are almost impossible to replace after installation. The screws I ended up
using were these <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082XXHDB7/">M2x3mm screws from
uxcell</a> via Amazon. They need an
itty bitty screwdriver but work just fine on the Snap. Nullbits has been
informed of the screw problem and hopefully they’ll get it fixed. However, they
are not offering replacements for folks who already bought their kits.</p>
<p>Second, the pogo plugs and magnets that make this “snap” are a gimmick that
doesn’t really work at all.</p>
<p>By default, the instructions have you insert the magnets in special spots in the
acrylic mid-layer and cover them with a sticker. This, in theory, keeps the
magnets in place and protects them. As you might imagine, the stickers don’t
last long and the pull between the magnets is strong enough to extract the
magnets anyway. They have to be glued to work properly. And bizarrely, the kit
doesn’t contain enough magnets to fill all the spots in the mid-layer that are
clearly intended for magnets.</p>
<p>The pogo plugs are easy enough to solder on but they’re otherwise a mess. They
are intended to allow one to snap the halves together and operate like a
not-split keyboard, without a TRRS cable connecting the halves. There’s nothing
to support the middle, though. So if you try and move the keyboard around,
chances are the halves will come apart. At this point, the firmware typically
freaks out. I’m not sure what’s going on here because QMK normally does just
fine if you unplug half a split. The Snap, however, in my brief attempts, needs
to be unplugged when the halves come apart. This isn’t a problem if you put the
halves together using the TRRS cable but at that point why even have the pogo
plugs.</p>
<p>Third, despite having spots for an OLED on both halves of the board, only one
can be used at any given time. This is a QMK behavior and there’s nothing
nullbits can do about it but the docs, at time of writing, don’t explain this at
all.</p>
<p>Fourth, at time of writing, the firmware is still not in mainline QMK and as
such it is not available in the QMK configurator. nullbits intends you to use
VIA but VIA is simply not capable of many advanced features. Yes, you can git
clone the firmware into your local QMK checkout but the lack of configurator
support breaks the easiest way of handling keymaps. Specifically, this doesn’t
work with my userspace so, even if I wanted to put the Snap into daily rotation,
I couldn’t really until configurator support is a thing.</p>
<p>Fifth, the instructions really assume you’re soldering everything down. The
switch holes take Mil-Max sockets well but if one is just following the standard
instructions, everything is permanently affixed. Given that Nullbits really
targets these products at newbies, I am of the opinion that focusing on
permanent installation does them a great disservice.</p>
<p>The last bit that drives me nuts with the Snap is a personal item and probably
reflects more on my growth and preference change since I built that <a href="/keyboards/nibble">first
Nibble in 2021</a>. Nullbits has an aesthetic of exposed
electronics and the owner of Nullbits is an electronics person. These combined
lead to the Snap having way more bits to solder than any other board.</p>
<p>The aesthetic of the exposed glass diodes means there is no option for SMD
diodes and I have grown to hate through-hole diodes. They take forever to
install and solder and they are prone to getting misaligned or otherwise ugly.
The through-holes on the Snap are large so it’s really easy to get too much
solder in the hole and have it pour out the other side. And the other side is
the front of the keyboard, visible to everyone for all of time. A lot of folks
like this sort of look but it’s just not for me.</p>
<p>Nullbits chose to use integrated circuits to expand the keyboard matrix. Those
are the big black rectangles on the top. They are directional and fiddly as hell
to get in. The pins must be bent inward to fit and the pins are very thin and
prone to breaking. They are also highly directional.</p>
<p>All this combines to make the Nullbits Snap a project that takes even me
multiple days to get through with a high probability of error.</p>
<p>Like I said at the start, I really wanted to come out of this build raving about
another Nullbits product. I like them a lot and the community they foster. But
this is simply not a product I suggest anyone purchase.</p>
</div>
<h2>Images</h2>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0266.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0266.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0272.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0272.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0267.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0267.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0271.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0271.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0269.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0269.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0274.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/snap/IMG_0274.jpeg" /></a>
</p>
https://sungo.io/keyboards/quefrency/sungoQuefrency v42022-04-15T00:00:00Z2022-04-15T00:00:00Z
<h2>Summary</h2>
<ul><li><b>Vendor:</b> Keebio</li><li><b>Site:</b> <a href="https://keeb.io/collections/quefrency-split-staggered-65-keyboard">https://keeb.io/collections/quefrency-split-staggered-65-keyboard</a></li><li><b>Style:</b> Split staggered 65%</li><li><b>Key Switches:</b> Box Browns</li><li><b>Keycaps:</b> Susuwatari MT3</li></ul>
<div class="article">
<h2>My Thoughts</h2>
<p>To be honest, this barely counts as a build. This kit comes entirely
pre-soldered. You have to install the stabilizers, the switches, and caps. The
board itself comes with QMK/VIA pre-installed. The switches are hotswap via
pre-soldered Kailh sockets. All-in-all, installation time is a half hour or
less and is mostly just pushing stuff into holes.</p>
<p>As always, Keebio delivers a solid product with the Quefrency. Each half has
extra macro keys which can be snapped off at build time. It’s a little stressful
to break off part of the keyboard PCB but it works. I chose, as shown in the
photos, to break off the macros on the left hand side to reduce the travel time
to my trackball. The halves are connected with a usb-c cable which is a really
nice decision. It’s safe to unplug the halves while connected to the keyboard
without worrying about shorting the board.</p>
<p>There’s really not all that much more to say. If you’re using a 65% keyboard and
want to split, this is a very solid choice.</p>
</div>
<h2>Images</h2>
<p>
<a href="/static/img/keyboards/quefrency/IMG_0262.jpeg"><img src="/static/img/keyboards/quefrency/IMG_0262.jpeg" /></a>
</p>