scrambled-egg

A couple months ago, I purchased a Voyager68 Retro Edition 65% keyboard, made by a local company called PressPlay. It is quite good actually. The keyboard is available in three gateron switches you can choose, red (linear), brown (tactile), or blue (clicky). I personally picked the brown one, because ever since the first time I'm stumbled upon the mechanical keyboard hobby, I like tactile switches better. The housing made of plastic with no screw at all. While it is a perk, unfortunately, it is also a flaw. If you're not careful, the plastic clip that held the keyboard altogether will break and your keyboard will not be held as tight as before. That is what exactly happened to me.

Before I decided to open the case, I've been exploring google and youtube for tutorials. Since it's a local product, most of the webpage or videos I found was made by local and not one of them mention about a special tool to opened it. Therefore, I used a minus screwdriver to pry it open. The first time I opened it, I managed to broke one of the clip. The second time, because I needed to check on the PCB, two other clips were broken. At this rate, I will broken the entire clip and the case will have nothing to held itself.

Luckily, using the power of internet, I could order an acrylic case to replace the broken plastic case. At the same time, as if the internet play a joke on me, I found out that I need something called pry tool that specifically made to open, mostly, cellphone cases to avoid breaking the clips! Cool... cool cool cool cool cool cool cool...

When the acrylic case arrived, I was excited. The fun of modding your mechakeebs is basically solving the problems that occur using tricks to reach what is called the ENDGAME. It is a term coined in the mechakeebs community when you reach the satisfaction of modding your keyboard. Changing my keyboard case using acrylic not exactly solving my problem. The new acrylic case has screws to secure the PCB and the plate. However, the side hole for the on-off and connection switches cannot be closed using the original case's switch. I need a screwdriver to change the connection or turn it off. The hole for the USB-C cable is not exactly perfect, so I need to use feeling to connect it, and hence, I cannot use the wired connection. I'm stuck with the Bluetooth connection (or in that matter perhaps I can use my 2.4Hz dongle) because the placement of the hole and how my PCB situated prevent me from using the wired connection. Lucky for me, I can still using the cable for charging the keyboard.

It all started with Tom Hanks' hobby. He loves the sound and collects many typewriters. Hence, he creates an app that allows people to try to type using certain brands of typewriters. I love to hear the clacking sound it produces and reminds me of when I was in elementary school (or junior high? I can't exactly remember). I used to type my paper using my late Dad's old typewriter and hurt my fingers in the process because it was so old and the grease perhaps no longer working as well as its glory days. Somehow, that clacking sound brought me to my new hobby now, modding the mechanical keyboard.

I know, merely using a mechanical keyboard is not actually a hobby. It's just like day-to-day use of your favorite pan to fry an egg. I thought so too when I initially bought my first mechakeebs (short for... you know...). How naive was I when I first touch my first mechakeebs that it will satisfy my curiousity. I browse the important parts that make mechakeebs different from other kinds of keyboards, the function of switches, keycaps, lubing, etc, each type of profile and layouts. It leads me down to the rabbit hole of mechakeebology (the knowledge and science of mechanical keyboards.... at this point, it's just made-up words by me).

Furthermore, to create a certain sensation of typing, you need to know what kinds of layout make you comfortable. What kinds of sound that entertain your ear, the type of keycaps profile or color that entices your eyes, or what you're going to use it for. To try and error your way to what you like most from your mechakeebs, one requires a deep wallet to fund the whole things. For example, once you know you like XDA profile keycaps, it is more expensive than the more readily available OEM profile. Certain switches such as linear or tactile (or least favorite clicky switches) can cost you a fortune to buy for the whole set (or to save some money, just for the alpha keycaps). You still have to choose between PBT or ABS. And many more!

Anyhow, due to a more unidentifiable idle-and-working time, I’m having a new hobby now, modding mechanical keyboards. Ehm... it’s not really modding (or modifying) actually. It’s a more of feeling the urge of buying a mechanical keyboard. I like to disassemble it to know what’s in it, putting it back together and, while crossing my fingers, hoped it still works. I’m still at that phase to buy various keycaps or switch, try to pull and put them, trying them and try to type using ‘em. So far, my favorite is a prelubed gateron brown switch (I’m only can afford these ones, there are others which is more expensive [psst, don’t tell my saving account]) installed on a local brand mechakeebs called voyager68. 

Right now, I’m gathering my gut to lubbing some switch! I already have most of the tools but really unsure on the type of the lubricants used. There are many tutorials on the internet, and I’m still learning ‘em. Most of these videos say that it is a hard labor that require a comfortable chair and table, so that you won’t hurt your back or hand doing it. I’m not there yet!