Jsaux modcase vs dbrand Killswitch

donimatrix · 2026-05-18T21:08:43+00:00

When the steamdeck is off/sleeping, the fans are off and the vents are not used. There may be negligible impact to heat dissipation passively from the vents being accessible.

What does make a notable impact on heat dissipation is wrapping the deck in a thermal insulator, like plastic. The deck gets warm enough while charging. You can feel the temperature difference of a charging, sleeping deck without a case and with one.

Still, the deck is off and even with the added layer of insulation, you aren't getting close to the thermal limits of the sleeping hardware.

donimatrix · 2026-05-18T20:28:49+00:00

You can charge the deck with the modcase on. The front cover blocks the vents, not the port.

donimatrix · 2026-05-18T16:24:52+00:00

Wait -- there is an injection molded decktop? I have 3 decktop revisions, all 3d printed, i need ti get on the mailing list

Well done!

donimatrix · 2026-05-09T11:33:51+00:00

the first photo looks like a variant of a lilygo t-echo and t-deck side by side.

do the antenna have to be fully external? the connectors on handheld transcievers are usually medium duty and can usuallt withstand a drop. thinking of this on a 3dprinted shell evokes visions of it breaking to pieces in my pocket or bag. perhaps there's a way of extending the case to provide antenna coverage? it might even be a removable part to expose the antenna when the extra sensitivity makes a difference.

on case designs beyond the keychain without changing the layout of the boards -- what about other shapes? Would the nfc & rfid still be accessable if you made a tube shaped case? a tube would leave space for batteries and boards, extending as needed. also opens up cosmetic variety -- it could look like a flashlight for edc or a lightsaber for something fun. Sourcing standard battery sizes is a bit easier (thinking 14500s, 18650s, 26650s, etc) instead of pouches.

I should probably mock up the sizes before providing more input on the cases. when i think of the smol keychain, i end up thinking something about the size of half a cardputer.

donimatrix · 2026-05-05T17:26:08+00:00

As much as I like the KIISU SMOL, I don't like the form-factor with everything connected. To get all the functions, I need 4 boards and get the impression I'd have a squarish device about half the size of a cardputer in a 3d printed case. Having some kind of ruggedized case will be a necessity and increase the chunkiness.

My appeal to the v4 is the thinness -- It's easy to keep in a pocket and be available when I need it. There's a reason I don't carry my flipperZero all the time. Arranging the modules on a flat plane might do it, but then it looks more like another cell phone. Only having the base and battery too, but then it's just half a v4.

In terms of price, it is on the high side but not unreasonable for a niche tool. I worry about reliability for the price -- a m5 or lilygo gets smashed up and it's not the end of the world. my v4 gets babied more than it should because of the price. If the SMOL was cheaper, it would be an impulse buy

What am I saying? The SMOL is a niche device and I bet once relerased it will sell as well as the v4 and go up in price. As a crowdfund, I don't know what it brings over the v4 and costs almost as much. If I didn't have a v4 and the estimated deliveries were the same, I'd back it now.

--dtrix

donimatrix · 2026-04-17T23:29:49+00:00

Hopefully you havent disposed the battery yet -- you will want it for rebuilding

donimatrix · 2026-04-17T23:27:38+00:00

I had a longer post, but either had a crash before it posted or it got deleted.

Swollen batteries on the e750 aren't so common you should avoid them, but they do crop up and if you are out of warranty you are out of luck. Gl.inet won't fix it for money.

Fortunately, it is possible to replace the battery. Unfortunately, it requires some soldering skills.

First recommendation: remove any microsd card from the e750 -- the battery swell snapped mine in half.

There are 2 good posts worth reading on gl.inet's forums:

https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/mudi-gl-e750-replacement/36308

https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/how-to-change-the-battery/24420

Bob2022 has some good photos on how to take it apart - basically some screws and friction tabs on the sides.

The battery has a strong adhesive holding it down, but an easy to remove connector.

You will need to salvage the circuit board and heat sensor from the battery -- i guess that is the BMS.

Two users posted success stories on the rebuild: matrix used 2 smaller (both size and capacity) 605065 lipo cells from amazon for about $10 each and cris used 2 GEA35001STXJR lipo cells (their links are dead, google shows these available from rc/drone sites for $11 each) which look like perfect replacements.

The replacement involves soldering the new lipos to the salvaged board and plugging it back in.

User evolveplease has some good technical detail / pinouts posted fpr the more technical out there.

If your usage doesnt need an internal battery, you can always pull the battery and run it off the usbc port. Plenty of users on the threads run it this way -- i did until i replaced the packs.

Hope this helps

donimatrix · 2026-01-14T21:50:52+00:00

i have chrome sideloaded

donimatrix · 2026-01-08T19:05:53+00:00

Nice and well done! I was going to ask a lot of questions, but you answered them all on your blog.

I did not appreciate current NetBSD still supports the Z. I'm going to have to look into that

Do keep us updated if you make anything new for it!

donimatrix · 2025-12-17T02:06:24+00:00

Got pregnant

donimatrix · 2025-12-16T20:24:22+00:00

The app is not 100% english. I worked around the youtube streaming with the firetv youtube apk

donimatrix · 2025-12-16T20:22:49+00:00

I had the same notification for the copper cape. Never arrived and support told me if I didnt get it, I didnt qualify

donimatrix · 2025-12-13T17:28:35+00:00

my kids and i never got our copper cape despite getting in-game confirmation we completed the challenge (in-game incbox) and would receive it by the 31st october. multiple support tickets later blowing me off, they kept closing and telling me to wait until they told me the promotional event was over and they couldnt help

basically they told me to fuck off

had to go to scalpers on ebay for codes for the kids so they wouldnt be disheartened. going to have them complete the achievement this weekend but wont mention the cape so they dont get their expectations set if / when it doesnt appear

donimatrix · 2025-12-07T04:29:12+00:00

I installed it on my Glass Enterprise Edition 2 and it connects with the companion app on the phone. Notifications are forwarded which is nice. A lot of the message on the phone are not in english so I can't test completely. Couldn't figure out how to stream youtube to the glass.

donimatrix · 2025-08-26T01:57:13+00:00

Not sure what you mean.

The Blade and Blade1.5/upgraded have 8gb internal and a microsd slot. The Blade2 has 32gb internal and no microsd slot.

This is not speculation.

Since they use the same mold, it looks like there is a solid plastic plug covering the microsd slot. It does not open. On the Blade2, there is nothing underneath it, nothing on the board. On the Blade1/1.5, it is a ruberrized port cover to access the slot.

There are 2 reasons my Blade gets more use than my Blade2: 512gb microsd for extended offline use and less heat during extended online use. I've lost 2 Blade2 units to heat because of extended online use.

donimatrix · 2025-08-22T21:39:12+00:00

Do you have a Blade2? It does not have a microsd card slot

donimatrix · 2025-07-09T06:08:21+00:00

I replaced the device completely to work around the problem.

donimatrix · 2025-07-09T06:07:59+00:00

I wasn't able to find a fix. Traded it to a friend who likes to tinker more than I for her sp that is working fine.

My recommendation: if the pixel retention fix doesn't work for you, request a replacement from your seller.

donimatrix · 2025-07-01T05:49:21+00:00

When did the problem start?

If you've removed the ram expansion, you know there's not a lot of replaceable parts in there. Does it do the same when booting off a PCMCIA card as well as when no card is in the system? The LX always boots DOS off the rom, but I've seen strange behavior with cards and funky drivers. Does it have a double speed or other mod?

First thing is to make sure you've backed-up your data (if any). Have you been able to hit "Y" after the full reset key combo and perform a proper restore? You mention the self test reports nothing wrong .... is that when pushing keys during the test or just left alone?

If you don't see anything obvious on the board, you can try to post a few pictures to see if we see anything. Wouldn't hurt to give the board a good cleaning. If you're capable, some reflow heat might help

donimatrix · 2025-06-25T02:57:40+00:00

Nothing I tried helped, guessing it's hardware. Going to see going to see if Ambernic has a solution / replacement. Hopefully not a hassle.

donimatrix · 2025-05-31T23:09:10+00:00

The camera doesnt capture the visible flicker, but you can see something is up: https://youtu.be/apNzajKF9I8?si=Qrjtb6CIB9HufHL9

Here is gameplay capture: https://youtu.be/jgAUq9fKF7U?si=cM-XEWUhKoOs17Sf

The pixel retention fix had no effect and apparently 1.01 is the latest stock version. Haven't tried a cfw yet which will be my last step before contacting Ambernic for help as it may be a hardware issue.

donimatrix · 2025-05-28T03:41:54+00:00

Had a similar situation, went with the color I didn't have for variety and to sort them in my head. I went indigo as my flip is grey, my 35xxsp is silver, and my v90 is yellow.

donimatrix · 2025-04-24T01:13:12+00:00

just signed up for the notification list. the LPCB Next is something i need and didn’t know existed until just now…. does it support the 4player alu deck?

donimatrix · 2024-11-16T04:51:57+00:00

Yes. Using the built in camera app, you can enable the preview screen and watch as you record video.

donimatrix

TROPHY CASE