594: My Cockpit Rev #19 – Mini Keyboard

With my DIY cockpit gradually forming in shape, I found the using and fitting of the keyboard and mouse a bit clumsy.  The worse is they cannot be simply “trashed” as they are needed for many inputs and controls, such as airport switching.

In the end, I found a solution of replacing the normal keyboard and the mouse with a miniature keyboard that comes with an integrated touchpad.  The best part is the keyboard even has a backlit.

Actually it (D8) is not my first choice.

I like the one (H20) below more as it looks cleaner because its touchpad is put on the opposite side of it.  Unfortunately, such as a design won’t allow the keyboard and the touchpad to be used simultaneously because the touchpad is activated only when the device is flipped over.

If I choose this one, I’ll need to keep the regular mouse in the system, which is against my intention in the beginning.  So I choose the other one eventually.

Anyway, I have them both and I could swap them whenever I like.

Edit: I have swapped to use the H20 mini keyboard as its key arrangement is more logical and the needing of mouse isn’t really that much.

About the attaching of the keyboard to the yoke, it did give me some hard times for a few days.  Then I suddenly realized the simplest solution was to put some nano-tapes onto the control handle and then stuck the keyboard onto it. 
No drilling nor clamping is required, and it is firmly secured.  If needed, the keyboard can be removed easily.

Of course, the using of the miniature keyboards will not be as smooth as the full-size ones, but they are good enough for any input during a flight session.

 

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