Today I build my first keyboard kit, a Freebird TKL keyboard. It came with a aluminum switch plate and a hotswap PCB. Assembly was fairly straight forward. I did use a few YouTube videos as reference, for things I couldn’t figure out by myself—like the stabilizers—, but other than that, it was actually real easy to put together.
I went with the so called “Tsangan” layout, where there the Control and Alternate key are lengthened, and the Super key is shortened, the Space bar is also longer, and there is one less key on the right side. I additionally shortened the right Shift key, since I never like how it looked on ISO keyboards, and how—as seen here—another key can easily be fit beside it. I mapped the extra key to be the < key, a second Alt Gr key put in its place. Strangely, this keycap set didn’t come with any Alt Gr keys; so of the three Alternate keys you see, only one is actually a Alternate key.
The Freebird also features another F key, the “F13” key (here on my layout given a key with the Sillycon Graphics logo), which can be mapped to whatever the user desires.
I mapped it to be the right Super key, which in my OS is set to show a Workspace overview when pressed, additionally if pressed with shift held down, it shows a overview of all the currently open windows, on the current workspace.
Ten key less? More like one key more, am I right?
Sound wise, I’m not sure how I like it yet. I went with Kailh Box White V2 clicky switches. They keyboard sounds a bit hollow, and the clicks of the switches are loud, but also pretty high pitched. I’ll have to spent some time with the board, before I can say if I like the sound, or if some more dampening is required.
One odd issue I have, is with the stabilizers for the Enter, Backspace and Space key. Even though I—to my knowledge—installed them perfectly, the keys sound oddly rattely. Either I made a mistake, or I need to put lube on them. I’ll try to reinstall them, to see if that helps.
I also plan on getting a different keycap set for the board; mainly because of the above mentioned issue with the Alt keys, though I’m also bothered with how out of place the < key looks. I’m thinking of getting one from Monacokeys, a German brand, their sets even come with < keys in the accent color.
An odd part of the case design, is this little goose that’s engraved inside the case. Now, I love the goose; what I find odd, is how it’s on the inside of the case, you know, the part you never see; why isn’t it somewhere on the outside? Weird.
Freebird? More like, Imprisonedbird
Other than that I’m pretty happy with the board, and I love the layout :3. Just gotta sort out the sound.
