Chilkey ND104: Silent full-size wireless mechanical keyboard with 120-hour battery approaches Kickstarter deadline with over $120,000 raised
Chilkey opened the ND104 Kickstarter campaign in mid-October, with an official funding goal of $5,000 to fund the initial production of the full-size wireless mechanical keyboard. Just under a month later, the crowdfunding campaign is preparing to close. With 46 hours left of the Kickstarter campaign, Chilkey has officially raised $123,871 from 642 backers, blasting through its initial funding goal. Of course, Chilkey is already an established name in the mechanical keyboard space, so it was expected that there would be considerable interest in the ND104, and these Kickstarter campaigns are generally used as a means to gauge interest in more niche projects, rather than trying to fund the project entirely.
| Dimensions | 437.6 × 140.1 mm; 20 mm front height, 7 degree typing angle |
| Case material | Anodised, CNC-cut 6063 aluminium |
| Weight | 2,225 g |
| Plate | FR4 |
| Switch compatibility | Hot-swap compatible, 5- or 3-pin MX-style mechanical |
| Connectivity options | USB-C wired, 2.4 GHz with Type-A dongle, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Polling rate | 1,000 Hz over 2.4 GHz and wired, 133 Hz over Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Keycaps | Cherry profile, double-shot PBT |
| Backlighting | South-facing per-key RGB |
| Battery capacity | 8,000 mAh, 120 hours estimated battery life |
| Price (MSRP) | $199 |
Chilkey ND104 specs and features: Full-size mechanical keyboard with a screen and built-in calculator
Fundamentally, the Chilkey ND104 is a full-size (104-key), wireless mechanical keyboard with an aluminium case, built-in screen, and a knob, but it also features a few fun, hidden gimmicks and features that make it stand out both for average users and mechanical keyboard enthusiasts.
While the ND104 is a pre-built keyboard, shipping stock with Cherry profile PBT keycaps and "office-friendly" silent or regular linear switches, it also offers customisation, both in terms of physical and firmware layouts and the typing feel. Users can switch between three different mounting styles: top mount for consistent feel and a focus on sound, or a choice between the elastic bar or silicone particle gasket mounts — of which, the elastic bar offers a softer feel. Swapping the mounts is also made easy by the quick-release ball-catch system that makes disassembly of the ND104 simple.
That customisation extends to the built-in screen. The display is customisable in Chilkey's web driver, with options like custom GIFs, displaying the time, and using it as a calculator, and the keyboard can also be remapped and customised in VIA, the open-source keyboard customisation tool. Chilkey also allows you to swap out the 3×2 navigation cluster above the arrow keys for a small storage tray for things like office supplies or screws and parts, if you're an avid hobbyist or crafts fanatic.
There are a handful of other nifty features, like a bottom accent plate and a magnetic storage compartment in the bottom of the keyboard for storing the 2.4 GHz dongle. The ND104 is available in white, grey and black, pink, yellow, or blue, offering a colour option to appeal to a variety of tastes.
Source(s)
