Got in some momentary mini toggles and a 22mm aluminum pushbutton. Every couple of years, I bust out the retro, open source game “Endless Sky.” You can play with keyboard-only when in the ship, and the game only has 38 total keybinds, so I’m going to throw together a silly but fun control panel using the switchgear plus some leftover Gat G Pro 2 black and grab-bag keycaps (DSA and F10). I’m pretty well set up to do a faux 80s military look, and I think that aesthetic will actually serve the game well.
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I got some stuff that was on sale at Novelkeys in the mail today. TypePlus stabilizers, TypePlus Peacock switches, and a WT-60 Hotswap PCB. Put them together in a tray mount case (retro60 from The Van Keyboards). I have to say, I’m impressed with the switches. The springs definitely need to be lubed or they ring a lot. I’ve got to test them in some top mount and gasket mount boards to know for sure, but the seem very promising.
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Is it one of the Zebrawood Retro60s or one of the alu boards?
I do have a walnut one but this build is with gray aluminum
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Special board today in the mail.
This is the Friends and Family Sentisi TKL. It’s a collaboration between Mechlovin and Merisi, hence the logo on the back (still have protective cover on it)
Plateless top mount (PCB directly mounted to top). OTD spacing (slightly tighter spacing on switches)
Unique color that I don’t have. A warm gray that is close to a desaturated champagne.
Looking forward to building it. Best part is that it’s plateless, so I don’t have to fret over stabilizers since I can always adjust them!
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picked up a set of pbtfans tape and radio that came in the mail. I like the base colors of sport walker better, but I can’t seem to get my hands on the novelties for that set.
Which set looks better on the Disarray keyboard?
- 1970 retro keycaps
- PBTfans Tape and Radio
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voters
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1970s Retro looks iconic, like it’s a product photo. You’d think the keyboard would be sold together with that set.
Tape and Radio looks good, but only if you haven’t seen it with Sport Walker.
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That warm gray / muted champagne sounds like a really nice middle ground — distinctive without being loud. The Mechlovin x Merisi back logo is a neat touch too, especially on something F&F like this.
Plateless top mount with OTD spacing should be a fun one. I’m curious what switches you’re thinking for it; plateless always makes me want to pick something with a bit of character since the board tends to let more of the switch feel come through.
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Two different ideas for switches, quite different from each other. They will be linear for sure, but I’m on the fence.
Option one - low pitch HMX
I’m a big fan of HMX for stability, smoothness, and overall hassle free building. The pole bottom out on a plateless, top mount board makes for a percussive, resonant board.
Option two - Cherry mx2a
An mx2a very carefully lubed to preserve texture with a crisp bottoming out that uses a 57g ultra long TX spring to keep keypresses feeling snappy. The sound of mx2a can often be muted, but really springs to life with this mounting system. The sound is a “k-chuck” “k-chuck”. Lately my preference for Cherry switches it a “cleaned up” stock feel rather than a more heavily lubed approach that I used to prefer. Granted, this can only be done with mx2a switches. Older cherry switches simply aren’t a good stock experience and must be more heavily modified.
Two very different builds overall but both viable in my eyes. Problem is, I’m still waiting on HMX blossoms from Milktooth (back ordered) and I don’t have a full set of mx2a on hand. They’ve all been used in other builds.
I sit and wait. The only thing consistent about this hobby is that you MUST wait. Always
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