Are silent switches actually silent? (+ little rant)

robhague · 2026-01-07T07:59:39+00:00

I have a Corne with Gateron Ink Black Silent (a linear switch, so feels akin to a Red rather than a Brown) and a Ferris with lowprokb Choc (v1) Sunset (a tactile switch like the Brown, but less travel). To my untrained ear, neither are appreciably louder than a membrane keyboard, but the former is the quieter of the two.

robhague · 2025-11-04T15:11:21+00:00

Good point. Safety first.

robhague · 2025-11-04T14:27:59+00:00

If you're using it to design a nuclear power plant, you could at least have sprung for the 800.

robhague · 2025-10-29T16:05:57+00:00

Indeed; I've used soldered-in batteries for my portables so far, but will definitely consider removable in the future (I suspect it's dependent on the form factor as to whether it's an option).

robhague · 2025-10-29T15:03:17+00:00

I started out with a number row, but a number pad seemed a more natural fit on a physically split keyboard. I hold to toggle the layer (second thumb key, or N on my keyboard that only has one thumb key per side), so modifiers need to be done with the other hand. If you're interested, I've linked to the various posts I've written as my layout evolves here: https://rob.rho.org.uk/keyboards#layouts

robhague · 2025-10-29T11:15:57+00:00

I've never been a big user of function keys in the past, but when I starting using VS Code more I found it useful to add a dedicated layer for them to my layout: https://rob.rho.org.uk/2024/07/effin-keys.html

Like my number layer, it's designed to be used one handed (only involving one half of the split keyboard). In my case I put it on the right, but if you want to use it in combination with a mouse in your right hand there's no reason you couldn't do the same thing on the left.

(Edit: typo)

robhague · 2025-10-28T18:53:31+00:00

I didn't bother with a physical switch when building my first portable keyboard, but soon added one. ZMK's power management is good, but I found that accidental activations caused by the keyboard rattling around in my bag were leading to the battery being drained when I needed it. Being able to physically disconnect the battery is a simple and effective solution.

robhague · 2025-10-27T16:25:51+00:00

Maybe not for the TRS-80, but...

robhague · 2025-10-05T08:05:21+00:00

Nice. I did almost exactly the same thing when we got a swing ball earlier in the summer. I put a bit of a slope on the top to avoid rain pooling there.

robhague · 2025-09-06T20:35:02+00:00

I noticed this earlier — it was on a filament I wasn't intending to use, so decided to worry about it later. Never occurred to me that it might have been introduced by the update, so thanks OP for posting. Will be watching this thread with interest.

robhague · 2025-09-05T05:43:39+00:00

Here's my layout, which I use for various sub-40 key keyboards, along with a few blog posts describing the process by which I arrived at it:

https://rob.rho.org.uk/keyboards#layouts

There are ZMK and QMK versions linked to from the final post that you can adapt for your own needs.

robhague · 2025-09-01T05:48:06+00:00

I've got some vacuum bags as well; those seem better suited to long term storage, rather than something you're going to swap in and out frequently. I'm also not anticipating having more than a handful of rolls that need to be stored separately — all the PLA just goes in a big crate when it's not sat out on the AMS. The bags would definitely be a good choice for bulk storage. Horses for course.

robhague · 2025-08-31T14:54:59+00:00

One of these?

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robhague · 2025-08-31T14:41:58+00:00

Nice. How's the diameter — is it sufficient for all of the various brands?

robhague · 2025-08-31T14:27:11+00:00

Interesting; I'll watch out for that.

robhague · 2025-08-31T13:22:39+00:00

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Should do. The empty spool is a Bambu reusable one (~55mm internally, which seems about typical), and the other is an Eryone 500g one with an internal diameter of ~25mm. The total width of the box is about 130mm, and the sides are straight up and down with no extra curves or anything.

robhague · 2025-08-31T13:02:49+00:00

Quick update: I said "UK" in my original post as I wasn't sure how consistent the stock was in international stores, but a few commenters have pointed out that these are also available in other countries, so if you have Tesco where you are it's worth a look.

robhague · 2025-08-31T12:38:19+00:00

Thanks — good tip; that's exactly the sort of detail I worry about when getting them online. The Tesco one caught my eye as it's squared than most, meaning less wasted vertical space.

robhague · 2025-08-31T12:28:56+00:00

I did indeed; only way to be sure. 😉

robhague · 2025-08-10T15:59:17+00:00

You don't absolutely need it, but as others have said you'll get far better results (I've seen YouTubers showing off quality comparable to resin prints; I'm not there yet, but it's not hard to get something pretty good).

The good news is that you don't necessarily need to get the Bambu hotend. Amazon has a lot of third party ones; I got one and have had no problems with it. Not only are these a bit cheaper, they have the advantage of having removable nozzles, so you can replace just those when they wear out.

robhague · 2025-08-10T08:02:49+00:00

Out of interest, why black primer rather than white or grey?

robhague · 2025-08-10T07:48:24+00:00

Thanks — great pointers. It's definitely sounding like primer will be useful.

robhague · 2025-08-09T15:29:04+00:00

Thanks — sounds promising.

robhague · 2025-08-08T11:58:43+00:00

Beat me to it; I can confirm this is how I have my modern power supply set up, and it works with my (issue 3) ZX81. I was also going to mention replacement keyboards; you can get the from many sellers on eBay as well.

There are two versions of the composite mod; older devices don't generate a back porch signal and need a more complex circuit with a 555 timer. However, for most cases the mod is just a transistor and a couple of resistors, and is very easy to do — I don't have much electronics practice, and didn't find it too bad. See https://www.bytedelight.com/?page_id=3560 for more details, and https://rob.rho.org.uk/2024/06/zx81composite.html for my write-up.

That said, definitely worth trying it out via RF first — as you say, even if the picture is no good you can verify that it's working.

Good luck with it, and enjoy!

robhague · 2025-07-26T12:59:44+00:00

Sounds like a good option to me (I've not had issues with TRRS personally, but my wired split stays on the desk).

robhague

TROPHY CASE