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I just finished building my first DIY keyboard! Cheapino
(lemmy.world)
This is the first time I built a keyboard!
A cheapino!
It took a little bit of time to get everything figured out, but I was able to finish that build relatively easily.
However, I am having trouble customizing the layout... I can't load it in the qmk.fm tool and when I upload a json file it gives me something that doesn't match my keyboard.
Also, the encoder currently types 'y' when turned right, I got 2 thumb keys working as spaces and I don't have a modifier key.
As far as I can tell, everything is soldered right, the diodes are in the right direction...
Did I mess up my soldering or is the cheapino firmware buggy?
Any app that can help me flash/customize my keyboard? I'll keep googling.
Thanks!
I'm all about DIYing things, but I'll never understand these fancy keyboards without the basic keys needed for a keyboard to function - number keys, function keys, arrows, etc. That extra 3 square inches of desk real estate is just not important enough to get rid of those things. I can appreciate the work put into something like this, but I just don't get the limitations.
I also don't understand it at the moment, but I was curious so I built the cheapest good unit I could find to try it out.
Maybe I'll like it or maybe it'll go to eBay. We'll see.
What got me interested initially is the regonomic aspect of split keyboards since I spend most of my time at the computer and I'd like to avoid injury.
The vast majority of "ergonomic" keyboards are marketing BS. You want a comfortable typing pose? Tilt the keyboard away from you so your wrists are in a more natural slightly bent downward pose. Most keyboards are laid out the opposite way - tilted toward the person so you can see the keys easier, but that outs your wrist in an unnatural bent up pose.
Used to work for a very high end furniture company so we have tons of ergonomic studies. There is so much to all this but people rather get something pretty than comfortable.
Anyways, not trying to badmouth this keyboard, but if it had the very important keys that people use all the time, it might actually work.
I actually bought myself an ergonomic keyboard months ago that does support tilting it in the other direction, with a curved wrist rest to help.
It works quite well, but I also like the concept of the one I built.
I's like to tilt it to make it more comfortable, if it turns out I like using it.
From what I understand, you can have all the keys you need on a keyboard like that, but it requires muscle memory of key combinations, and I do not know yet if that's for me. I'd have liked to start on a board with more keys, but it's expensive just to see if it suits me or not.
I can also see it being useful in VR while playing games like Elite Dangerous, to have one half per arm on a chair with a HOTAS setup.
It's definitely a niche thing.
edit: just read your other comments and I think you should chill a bit. I see these things as specialized and personalized computer input interfaces. People are different and input methods should be too. It might not fit your bill, but it might for some people here or maybe they like experimenting to find what works for them.
I don't want this to become a VI vs Emacs flame war analogy.
I have no idea where you think I wasn't being "chill". In fact I was reading your reply and was going to offer up suggestions in designing a tilt mechanism to get it to tilt away from you since that is just the kind of stuff I do for a living.
The part with the pickup trucks... idk.
I will not be able to design an intricate tilt mechanism in the short term, I have almost no CAD software knowledge... Thanks though.
I was planning on 'baking' the tilt into the case model or glue little feet.