Keyboard Woes

[Jeff]

Hi Guys,
Every time I leave my C4P for a month or two, all (well almost all) the keys of the keyboard stop working and need to be cleaned with contact cleaner spray. Does anybody have any suggestions regarding how to get more reliable performance from these aging key switches?

Cheers
/Jeff

[Klyball]

Jeff

I might have a line on some nos keys, I will keep you posted

Grant

[dave]

@Grant: Definitely would like to hear about the NOS keys.

@Jeff: This document describes a keyswitch repair procedure in great detail:

http://osiweb.org/repairs_and_mods/OSI% ... Switch.pdf

It looks like it may be time consuming to go through the whole keyboard, though.

Dave

[Jeff]

Thanks all.

Im thinking that maybe, if there is interest, I would plot out a new 540 keyboard board that uses new key switches, but our original key caps onto a new PBC. Then buy some new keyboard switches and populate it with them (like the SB ///). That way we could just build it up and replace the aging keyboards in our units.

shouldn't be that hard.

Thoughts?

[Steve Gray]

Thanks all.

Im thinking that maybe, if there is interest, I would plot out a new 540 keyboard board that uses new key switches, but our original key caps onto a new PBC. Then buy some new keyboard switches and populate it with them (like the SB ///). That way we could just build it up and replace the aging keyboards in our units.

shouldn't be that hard.

Thoughts?

Provided the new plunger posts are compatible with the old keycaps... Having experience with Commodore keyboards I can tell you that even posts from the same manufacturer can be different. Just something to be aware of.

Steve

[Jeff]

Thanks. I will be sure to check that!
/Jeff

[Jeff]

Yesterday I took my Superboard out of its anti-static bag so I could start testing my memory board. Sadly, the entire keyboard was now suffering from 'E' key syndrome (no longer working). So I plugged in my soldering iron, and located my solder sucker and went to work.

Keyboard Repair.jpg (161.53 KiB) Viewed 10259 times

The last part of the repair was to "fix" the shift-lock key. I tried cleaning it but it was terribly sticky and completely worn out. What I did was dis-assemble the original shift lock key switch as well as a new one, and transferred the original plunger and an additional white piece of plastic that performs the locking action from the old shift lock key into one of the new key switch bodies. This essentially converted a normal key switch into a locking key switch with the benefit of new contacts!

At the end of the repair, all the keys worked perfectly!

Keys Working.jpg (149.27 KiB) Viewed 10259 times

/Jeff