THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET ("Throop,Henry B") (05/08/91)
[stuff about it being ok to put keyboard under water deleted] Well, I tried this, and currently have a clean but nonfunctional keyboard to show for it. Basically, the keyboard sends out just a continuous stream of m's or some other letter. It does respond to reset, as well as shift and control, though not any non-modifier keys. If I unplug the keyboard after it's started putting out m's, it keeps on doing it; if I boot up w/ no keyboard I don't get any. Any suggestions? Keyboard, keyboard encoder, ADB chip on motherboard? Thanks for any help. Henry (P.S. The self-test gives no error messages. ROM 1 gs.) -- Henry Throop THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET throoph@jacobs.cs.orst.edu
THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET ("Throop,Henry B") (05/12/91)
OK, as per teh advice posted here, I tried washing my keyboard a couple of days ago. After letting it dry for a few hours, it would just give repeated characters when no key was pressed. The character it repeated was random, so it wasn't just a key in permanent down position. After letting it dry overnight, it basically worked again, except a few (4- 5?) keys didn't respond. I then took off all the keycaps, gave it a thorough washing again, and let it dry overnight. Now, in addition to teh 4-5 keys that didn't work before, thee are about a half dozen more. Programming without a delete key is kind of difficult :-) Anways, it seems that the water has gotten into the contacts in the keyswitches themselves and maybe corroded them. Squirting electronics cleaner stuff in there doesn't do anything. Any other suggestions out there? Since the keyswitches are pretty much permanently on the keyboard, does anyone happen to have an old ADB keyboard they might willing to part with cheap, or have one with bad ADB connectors or keyboard encoder that they've replaced with a new keyboard? Thanks. Henry -- Henry Throop THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET throoph@jacobs.cs.orst.edu (P.S. The Buy-Henry-a-new-keyboard fund is now accepting donations :)
gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) (05/12/91)
In article <9105112014.AA18486@apple.com> THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET ("Throop,Henry B") writes: >OK, as per teh advice posted here, I tried washing my keyboard ... >After letting it dry overnight, it basically worked again, except a few (4- >5?) keys didn't respond. I then took off all the keycaps, gave it a thorough >washing again, and let it dry overnight. Now, in addition to teh 4-5 keys >that didn't work before, thee are about a half dozen more. I suppose you dry your poodle in the microwave oven, too? >Anways, it seems that the water has gotten into the contacts in the >keyswitches themselves and maybe corroded them. Squirting electronics >cleaner stuff in there doesn't do anything. Any other suggestions out >there? Of course there is corrosion and other cruft on the contacts. Get yourself a large supply of 1/8" wide by 2" long strips of rough paper, such as used in business cards, remove the keycaps, and use the paper strip as a mild abrasive (sort of like an emery file but MUCH gentler) to scour between the contacts. Depress the plunger while the paper is between the contacts to get the contacts to spring together against the paper. Good luck, you'll need it.
plucky.duck@pro-midnightex.cts.com (Terry Guelfo) (05/17/91)
In-Reply-To: message from THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET
> does anyone happen to have an old ADB keyboard...
Well, if you can save $100 over the next few months, go out and buy
yourself a new one. That's all they cost, and they DO sell them
separately... at least, the Mac ADB keyboards they do... at least, the
Computerland franchise that I frequent does... they will even take your old
busted one in trade... at least, the one near me does...
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"What a torture! What a delicious torture, Bateman! Greater than Poe. Poe
only conceived it; I have done it, Bateman! Poe, you are avenged!"
-- Dr. Richard Vollin <Bela Lugosi>, The Raven/1935marks@pro-shop.cts.com (System Administrator) (05/19/91)
In-Reply-To: message from THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET > Anways, it seems that the water has gotten into the contacts in the > keyswitches themselves and maybe corroded them. Squirting electronics [ deleted ] > (P.S. The Buy-Henry-a-new-keyboard fund is now accepting donations :) Maybe all the "wizards" who suggested you wash the keyboard be the first to donate... ;-) -- Mark ---- ProLine: marks@pro-shop UUCP: crash!pro-shop!marks Internet: marks@pro-shop.cts.com ARPANet: crash!pro-shop!marks@nosc.mil [ Pro-Shop BBS (717)945-5448 / Scranton, Pa. ]
greggb@pro-fred.cts.com (System Administrator) (05/19/91)
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
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