jdeitch@umiami.ir.miami.edu (Jonathan Deitch) (05/21/91)
greggb@pro-fred.cts.com (System Administrator) writes: > In-Reply-To: message from marks@pro-shop.cts.com > > I was chuckling about the "wash the keyboard" issue with a friend who is an > Apple II reapairman yesterday when he showed me something interesting. He > took apart the key mechaninsm and showed me all the contacts (5 little metal > plates) that are squished into each key holder. He suggested waiting > putting the keyboard, face out into a pillow case and flinging it around as > sort of a homemade centrifuge to force as much of the water out as > possible. From what he said, it may take up to TWO MONTHS to dry out, but > once it does, your keyboard may be back in business. > > Gregg > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ProLine : greggb@pro-fred InterNET : greggb@pro-fred.cts.com > UUCP : crash!pro-fred!greggb > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- > "If I had a yard, I would play in it." -- The Choir I have a cousin who is a technician at Hughes Aircraft who told me this story : Apparently NASA uses II+ motherboards with modified ROMs to control small experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, plugging one experiment into each slot. Apparently NASA recovered the II+ board that was on the Challenger intact and floating in the Atlantic after the explosion. They bagged it up and mailed it to Apple who then sent it to a techie to play with. That person washed it off and hung it on a clothesline to dry. A while later, he took it down and plugged it in and IT STILL WORKED! I don't in any way verify the authenticity of this story. My cousin said he was called by the guy at Apple (My cousin was fiddling with the remains of the Hughes satellite so he was in contact with other people ...) with this story. I guess it just goes to show that if you are careful, you probably could wash a circuit board/keyboard, dry it off, and get away with it. I see two things that you would need : A really good washing solution rather that simple tap water and a really non-humid environment to speed the drying process and limit corrosion of contacts. 'til later ... - Jonathan jdeitch@umiami.miami.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Internet : jdeitch@umiami.miami.edu | "Good musicians execute ------------------------------------------------- | their music but bad ones "I'm a Time Lord. I walk in eternity !" - Dr Who | murder it !!! "