Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!sequent!coryc From: coryc@sequent.UUCP (Cory Carpenter) Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops Subject: Re: Bad Keys on T1000 Message-ID: <30612@sequent.UUCP> Date: 5 Mar 90 08:19:20 GMT References: <15505@vlsisj.VLSI.COM> Reply-To: coryc@sequent.UUCP (Cory Carpenter) Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc Lines: 66 In article <15505@vlsisj.VLSI.COM> davidc@vlsisj.UUCP (David Chapman) writes: >In article bumby@math.rutgers.edu (Richard Bumby) writes: >>In article <5044@emory.mathcs.emory.edu> km@mathcs.emory.edu (Ken >>Mandelberg) writes: >> >>> Two keys on the top row of my T1000 keyboard have developed troubles >>> . . . I guess it must be releated to wear. >>> >>> Is there a way to repair them? >>> -- >Usually you can pry off the keycaps without damaging anything. If >so, you can scrape the contacts with a knife blade or wipe them with >a swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. You might want to shake the computer >upside down to dislodge any dirt, or use a can of compressed air to >blow it out. Not to cast disparagement on David, but pulling the keycaps off a T1K won't get you anywhere. (Except to the stems of the keys, of course.) After some hundreds of hours of (ab)use, my T1K developed the same problems, most notably with the `F4' key which is used extensively with several of my favorite programs. The solution to this problem requires guts, perseverence, and willingness to play fast and loose with one's warranty. (Or perhaps not: I've never been too clear on manufacturer's attitudes toward opening the cases of our expensive toys.) Rubbing alcohol -- mmm... maybe. You'd be better off with electronic-grade alcohol or freon, since they lack the lanolin or other lubricants used in rubbing alcohol. Tweak (tm) contact enhancer might also work. At any rate, the solution I used involved opening the case of my T1K (remove six Phillips screws on the underside, and carefully release the plastic locking tabs on both sides and at the rear above the DB25 connectors), detaching the keyboard and LCD cable connectors, and removing the printed-contact board for the keyboard (secured by some dozen rather small Phillips screws). Once the contact-board is removed, the contacts can be cleaned at will, using your method of choice. (A standard pencil eraser also works very well.) Once the contacts are clean, don't ignore the rubberized bridges (or whatever the #$^%@ they're called) on the underside of the keys. This is where your cleaning solution, applied with a cotton swab, will be the most useful. Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. (Take some care with your LCD cable: it's rather bulky and can distort the bottom of the case if not routed properly.) (When it comes right down to it, the procedure is almost identical with cleaning the contacts on a Commodore VIC-20 or -64 keyboard, except that a soldering iron is not require for detaching the leads to the shift-lock key.) Hope this helps out, and in apology to David, removing your keycaps can be useful if you want to clean out the dirt, dust, and other skuz that builds up between the keys. -- ______________________________________________________________________________ | Cory R. Carpenter | "The world had never had so many moving parts | | Sequent Computer Systems | or so few labels." | | {uunet}!sequent!coryc | --William Gibson, `Mona Lisa Overdrive' |