Summary and Conclusion

Prices

• The MOONDROP x G-Square switches are currently available in Lunalight (linear) and Tessence (tactile) versions in packs of 35 switches with each pack costing $30 ($20 on sale) from Drop.
• The Akko MOD 004 aluminium tray mount keyboard kit comes in multiple color options and sells for $149.99 from the Akko shop as well as other authorized retailers as of the date this is written.
• The Epomaker Sailing ABS doubleshot set of 173 Cherry profile keycaps sells for $69.99 from the Epomaker web shop as of the date of this article.

No matter what you do with your keyboard build, make sure every single switch is working. This is especially important with hot-swappable switches since the metal pin contacts may be bent if not perfectly inserted into the socket—especially valid with these switches and the TTC sockets as mentioned over the course of this article. Simple tools, including those I use for my reviews, will help you test for key rollover and key chatter in addition to key actuation and recognition. For example, while this 98-key kit does not leave much to chance, you still need to figure out which keys in the top-right corner are used by default. It was Insert, Delete, Page Up, and Page Down here as I knew based on my previous experience with Akko kits and keyboards. The keyboard, once assembled, also displayed full N-key rollover with USB. There is no wireless connectivity on offer here.


While it may not have been marketed at the time of the Akko MOD 004 kits launch, the PCB is compatible with the Akko Cloud Driver covered in more detail here. Note that there is a newer version for newer Akko PCBs, so don't be confused by what is seen on this page as part of the more modern Akko 5000 series keyboards. Regardless, we see that these drivers allow for more customization options including software profiles, full key mapping and layer support, lighting customization, and even macro recording and assignment. You can change the typing layout if QWERTY is not to your liking, and add some layers or custom multimedia functions, with the extra keycaps coming in handy as we saw. The kit otherwise retains Akko's suite of onboard functions, including pre-programmed shortcuts and key combinations for lighting effects as described in the user manual.


If the PCB supports lighting, as it does here, it is a great and fast way to visually see whether all the contacts are working. It's also fun to see the individual switches light up, at least until we get to the keycaps which support no backlighting at all. Seen above is a photo and a video of the setup that has the two switches and some of the keycaps arranged in exactly the configuration used in the title image on the first page of this article. It also shows the built-in light diffusion of these RGB switches, or lack thereof which results in some of the light bleed captured on the video, and how the opaque PBT keycaps turn the RGB lighting into just accent lighting once installed. The only visible lighting is limited to the gaps between the keycaps and thus not really worth talking about in detail.

Hopefully by now you have a better appreciation of not just how to choose components that match up well aesthetically but also how to put them together to build your own custom keyboard. The goal of this article was also for me to learn more about how the MOONDROP switches worked and share my experience using them with the Akko MOD 004 kit and the Epomaker Sailing keycaps set. The MOD 004 kits in particular tend to sell out quickly owing to their price point and Akko has come out with more kits to choose from, including the acrylic ones we saw previously as well as other fascinating layouts beyond this 96% one that may or may not be to your liking. There are far more customization options once you get on this slippery slope and there will be more such articles covering other brands and their products too.