Month: May 2022

My review of the DZ60 mechanical keyboard

After a bit of work yesterday I’m actually really happy with this board. I bought it because I wanted something fairly conventional that I could flash with autoshift so that it could be used as a backup keyboard when I’m travelling (I use a Planck as my main keyboard).

I’ve built it using things I already had lying around (a bright blue plastic case from Optic Boards, plate and stabs from an old pre-built, Glorious Panda switches, and some generic beige keycaps). The hardware build was easy; the software build less so.

The key mapping this board comes with doesn’t really work for me. There is no function key mapped, so no access to layers (and therefore no access to navigation). There was also no way to turn off the very obvious RGB. This didn’t really bother me, as I was planning on using QMK to reflash it. The following is a list of things I learned during the process of building and flashing the firmware.

  • Despite there being an entry for DZ60 in QMK, this board is actually listed as dztech/dz60rgb_ansi/v2
  • The file extension required for the firmware is .bin, despite all other versions of this board being .hex
  • The software reset combination for this board is to hold escape down as you plug the board in
  • The hardware reset button for this board in in the middle on the board, and nowhere near the reset slot in most cases (including my case).

Putting all that aside, it’s a great board that is fun to type on and sounds really good. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who wasn’t used to doing this sort of project, but I actually quite enjoyed the build and can see this as a keyboard that will definitely get some use.

Thoughts about mobile computing

I’ve been thinking about mobile computing a lot recently. Now we are splitting our time between Birmingham and the Isle of Wight I have found myself using my laptop more and more (after it sitting largely idle during lockdown). I have also found myself starting to value portability much more, after a couple of years of building and optimising a powerful desktop computer connected to three large screens.

After our last trip to the island I bought this screen which is a great piece of kit that can be powered by my personal or work laptop, and can also be used as a main screen for a Raspberry Pi or my tiny-but-powerful MSI desktop that I use for hobby stuff or where I want a change of scene. Adding that to my setup adds more possibilities, and should make it absolutely possible to work from anywhere, providing the mobile signal is good enough to support tethering.

I also think I’ve settled on my other travelling peripherals, with my Planck going everywhere with me (and my typing speed being back to normal on it now), and a Kensington Orbit trackball that is quite light and a lot easier to use than a mouse when working on a very small desk.

Talking of which, I’ve been using my phone as a hotspot while I’ve been on the island, and the experience is surprisingly positive. There is free wifi in various places, but it’s easier just to tether and use my very generous data plan which I wasn’t really touching before I started travelling again. Eventually I’ll want a new phone to ensure that battery life doesn’t impact my ability to work on the move, but the basic concept has served me well so far.

Now I just need to work out if I can carry this setup around on a small bike, ready for my solo tour of the Isle of Wight in September.