AmateurRadio.com

Because I do a lot of contesting, my keyboard gets a serious workout every year. Recently, some keys started becoming unreliable. I’d press a key and nothing would happen until I tried again—sometimes several times. I considered taking the keyboard apart and cleaning the contacts, but it looked like I’d have to practically destroy it to get inside.

My Lenovo keyboard had served me well, but this was the second one I’d worn out. The membrane seemed to be failing, leaving certain keys hit-or-miss. That’s especially frustrating during a CW contest: when a letter doesn’t register as I’m typing a call sign, I press it again—and sometimes end up with too many of that letter.

I’d been thinking about switching to a mechanical keyboard. If a switch fails, it can be replaced. The key-caps can be customized, and the keys can be remapped. It was time for a new keyboard, I chose the full-size Keychron C2 Pro, which had excellent reviews.

It came with yellow switches, which are relatively quiet. I can rest my fingers on the keys without accidentally activating them. Mechanical switches come in different types, often identified by color, with different characteristics. It’s worth reading up on them to find the ones that suit your typing style. 

The keyboard can also be remapped using Keychron’s software. I wanted to move the backslash key to the Windows key’s spot—the second key from the left on the bottom row. The software’s AI made it easy: I described the key I wanted to move, where I wanted it, and what I wanted the Windows key to do instead. It handled the remapping for me.

That placement is ideal when operating SO2V (single operator, two VFOs), because the backslash key switches between VFO A and VFO B. With the key in its usual spot, I had to move my fingers away from the home row and then find my way back to type a call sign. In the heat of a contest, those extra movements cost time.

I also discovered that I tend to rest my fingers heavily on the keyboard. During quiet moments, I was sometimes pressing keys without meaning to and entering repeated letters. I asked Keychron’s AI how to prevent that, and it adjusted the keyboard settings. The problem stopped, and it worked great for me. The Keychron keyboard is a nice addition for both contesting and blogging.