Re: restoring electrical conductivity of PET keyboard pad tips

From: Tom Rehnström <tom.rehnstrom_at_gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Nov 2017 11:32:08 +0100
Message-ID: <CAOz2OrYD5QECX7kUrc=23XYrbm0GFo0vwCS6FaRWyvudaMbQGg@mail.gmail.com>
Hi,

I've used alcohol-cleaning of rubber contact and PCB with q-tips, as many
suggested already. Then I just wiped a "standard" pencil lead (HB or
preferably softer) over the rubber contact. Works for me every time!

Tom

2017-11-04 5:07 GMT+01:00 William Levak <wlevak@sdf.org>:

>
>
> I have done this many times.  When I was maintaining PETs this was a
> constant problem.
>
> First, clean everything with 91% isopropyl alcohol.
> Next, clean the circuit board contacts with a non-abrasive eraser.
>
> If this doesn't work, then the rubber contacts have shrunk with age.
> I then put a small piece of flexible eraser inside the rubber contact so
> that it pushes out the rubber contact enough to make a good contact.
>
> There's no point in trying to measure the conductivity of the rubber
> contact.  This is a high impedance circuit and takes special equipment to
> measure.
>
> If you have the version of keyboard with the shift lock key, it's a good
> idea to replace the two wires going to the shift lock key with longer ones.
> You will need to clean these keyboards periodically.
>
>
>
> On Fri, 3 Nov 2017, william degnan wrote:
>
> Hi...I am working on a PET 2001-32B with a bad keyboard.  The circuit board
>> is OK, the keyboard logic is OK, the computer itself is fine.  I have
>> isolated the problem to the black carbon tips that touch the circuit board
>> upon a tap of a key from the keyboard.
>>
>> I have cleaned the tips with 91% isopropyl alcohol and that has had little
>> effect.  I speculate a glaze has formed on the tips and the conductivity
>> has been lost.
>>
>> Should I clean "harder"?
>>
>> I have heard one should paint/brush a metallic paint onto these tips, but
>> I
>> am thinking there must be a way to restore the conductivity without adding
>> paint, something that will lead to issues down the road.  I have also seen
>> a page stating the solution is to scribble on the tips with a pencil.
>> Also
>> not to me a good long-term solution.
>>
>> Would it make sense to simply use a pencil *eraser* on the tips instead,
>> or
>> a very smooth sandpaper/file to buff them in order to clear off a thin
>> layer/film that may have formed?
>>
>> I figure someone here has been through this.  I searched the web,
>> surprised
>> to have not have found more written about this.  Up to this point I have
>> had spare keyboards and this issue never came up.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Bill
>>
>>
> wlevak@sdf.lonestar.org
> SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org
>
>
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>


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Received on 2017-11-06 11:00:02

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