Hey guys, looking for advice on my first build. I’m looking forward to building a Dactyl Manuform but I’ve run into some hiccups that I seek your advice on. I apologize in advance if my English is a bit wonky.

  1. Wireless? I thought about going wireless and ordering a pair of nice!nano controllers. I assume it will be a bit easier to assemble (less components) and I can switch between devices easily, but I’ve heard it’s a bit harder to troubleshoot. Is this a good idea or should I go wired for a first build? How do I go about connecting the battery and which batteries should I look into?

  2. How to solder? Most of the Dactyl tutorials and guides I’ve come across assume some level of soldering experience and skip over some steps - I have none whatsoever but I’m a very willing self-learner. What are some good resources to learn how to do this? I’m talking basic stuff including things like where all the components go and which connect to which.

  3. Compatible switches? I’ve looked into tactile switches and loved the sound (or lack of) Gazzew Boba U4 Black Silent. Would these be compatible and a good alternative to standard cherry mx switches?

Thanks in advance for your help!

  • @TerrestrialSpaceship
    4•1 year ago

    I haven’t built my Skelytl yet, but just completed my first build (Corne), and was in a similar situation, so hopefully my experience helps.

    1. I went wireless and ZMK was fairly easy to work with, after using other’s configs for ideas. The initial ZMK build was quite straightforward. I got the nice!displays, so I could see layers. On my Moonlander, I use colors to easily identify what layer I am on. From what I have read, if you want lights, stick with wired, due to the energy draw. I have not yet connected to multiple devices, but plan on using that functionality.
    2. I hadn’t soldered in many years. Searched on YouTube for some examples of soldering PCBs and Joe Scotto has a nice build tutorial for the Corne. Take your time, get a solder sucker to fix mistakes, and perhaps a magnifying glass (I used my iPhone with zoom) to check your work.
    3. On my Corne, I am using some chocs, but on my Moonlander I tried the Bobas (borrowed a couple from a friend - they were nice ) but am using Tealios v2 (linears - very smooth and have a nice sound) which I have been really happy with. For a different build, just ordered some Drop + Invyr Holy Pandas, to try something different.

    Good luck - while occasionally challenging, I really had fun with it and glad I did it.