jsf@psueclb.BITNET (10/22/88)
The keyboard on my Atari 130 XE is shot. Took it apart to figure out why, and it turned out one of the little 'lines' on that plastic sheet inside the keyboard was broken (partially). Well we rubbed over it a few times with a big fat soft pencil and it worked! well, temporarily. After a while it stopped working again, so we tried various other remedies, none of which has helped any. So the question is: Where can I get one of those plastic sheets that goes inside the keyboard and looks like a pc board? Or, just as useful, where can I get a (cheap) keyboard that will fit in the case and is connector-compatible? The general deisgn of that keyboard is very flimsy, so i'd prefer a REAL type. Please reply via e-mail if at all possible since I don't read this group regularly. Thanks in advance, John Faber jsf@ecl.psu.edu (internet) jsf@psuecl.bitnet (bitnet) jsf%psuecl.bitnet%psuvax1.uucp
conklin@eecae.UUCP (Terry Conklin) (10/25/88)
There is a way to FIX your keyboard, but not well known. Keyboard problems
come from little micro-hair trace cracks. The crack is essentially meaningless
but is a gap, enough to cause trouble.
You can purchase special silver-based conductive paint. If you know where the
crack is (which I thought you inferred) then clean it up with a little alcohol
and PAINT it closed.
Beats nothing. And a new sheet of plastic breaks eventually too.
Terry Conklin "Drawn to the castles that float in the sky,
conklin@egr.msu.edu Learn to resist the temptation."
{msudoc|frith}!conklin -Slayer, Altar of Sacrifice
The Club (517) 372-3131 3/12/2400 I was there when it was CTIA
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