Drop Mech Keys Meetup Recap - Thanks for Visiting!
As you may have seen, we just hosted our first meetup in quite a while here at Drop HQ (Corsair HQ, but they seem to like us enough :) )! It was a blast to get to meet so many enthusiasts local to the bay area—it had been 10 years since I was last hanging out with keyboard nerds in the bay, at KeyCon 2014. We had a great time hosting everyone at the offices, checking out all the very nice boards y'all brought, and sharing some of our own projects/spaces! I knew it would be fun to host in the Game Room when I first saw it in person, but seeing it come to fruition was still so cool. Alright, I'll stop blabbering on now. xD Picture time! (Oh, real quick - there will be more of these! Stay tuned for more info and to catch the next one!)
May 15, 2024
PCB-Mount Stabilizers Because of their popularity, there is a wide variety of choices when it comes to purchasing PCB mount stabilizers. As of writing, in February of 2024, the most popular choices for stabilizers are TX AP, AEBoards Staebies, Durock V2, Gateron Ink V2, and Owlab Owlstab V2. Starting with TX AP stabilizers, the AP stands for almost perfect. These stabilizers are unique in that they are the main offering of 1.2mm stabilizers. They come in both clip-in and screw-in varieties and even have a special offering called Long Pole. These are designed to work well with switches that have shorter travel distances which we refer to as long pole switches. They are currently the only stabilizer producer to offer this choice. Speaking of unique features, TX AP stabilizers feature a built-in Holee Mod. The Holee Mod is a popular modification done to stabilizers to address ticking between the wire and the stem of the stabilizer. This is typically done through bandaids, Teflon tape, or precut strips included with stabilizers. TX AP uses a double shot stem that features a softer material where the wire touches the stem, thus reducing ticking greatly. This feature makes them a favorite of novice and experienced builders alike. TX also includes shims with clip-in stabilizers to help create a secure mount. This addresses a common complaint of older-generation clip-in stabilizers as they would sometimes pop off the PCB.