XE keyboard repair ?

[analmux]

Hi there,

 

As many may know, the weakest spot in the Atari xe line computers is the keyboard.

 

I've got 2 atari 130xe's, both with a bad keyboard, i.e. some keys stopped functioning. This is caused by worn out aluminum strips on the plastic sheet under the keys.

 

Is there a simple way to repair this???

 

I've found a few myself, but they are not very easy

 

- 12 years ago I made a photocopy of the plastic sheet (with the print layout) on a copper board, which is a lot stronger, but thicker...so that gave a new problem

 

- few months ago I used some sticky tape and a thin layer of metal on the exact location where the break was located...which worked for a short time...after half a day it broke ....so I have to be more subtle in future.

 

...is there a better way???

 

getting another (undamaged) XE keyboard isn't an option for me....I don't have any fully functioning XE keyboards left.

[Gunstar]

A little more explanation to the problem is needed. At one point you say the cause is worn out aluminum, but then you refer to a "break," what ever that means. Are there broken traces(aluminum "strips"; though I'm not sure if that's what the actual metal is) that you can actually see the cracks? Or are you talking about the contacts right under the keys not being responsive? Becuase the contacts on the plastic mylar strip can be cleaned with an eraser, and then a cotton swab and some alcohol on both the rubber key contact and the mylar trace contact. If it is actual cracks in the traces, your best bet would probably be to a special trace making paint pen with metalic paint for making and repairing traces, like pictured below, though I understand that the brand I have pictured, from RadioShack, was discontinued. With one of these, you can either draw right on top of the crack, or you can just draw a new trace around the crack, if there is space.

Edited April 7, 2007 by Gunstar

[analmux]

A little more explanation to the problem is needed. At one point you say the cause is worn out aluminum, but then you refer to a "break," what ever that means. Are there broken traces(aluminum "strips"; though I'm not sure if that's what the actual metal is) that you can actually see the cracks? Or are you talking about the contacts right under the keys not being responsive? Becuase the contacts on the plastic mylar strip can be cleaned with an eraser, and then a cotton swab and some alcohol on both the rubber key contact and the mylar trace contact. If it is actual cracks in the traces, your best bet would probably be to a special trace making paint pen with metalic paint for making and repairing traces, like pictured below, though I understand that the brand I have pictured, from RadioShack, was discontinued. With one of these, you can either draw right on top of the crack, or you can just draw a new trace around the crack, if there is space.

 

I indeed meant that the traces are broken at some places....the switching contacts under the keys are still in good condition

 

...indeed your solution looks like it should be very easy

 

I hope I can find such a thing, or maybe it is possible to make it myself.

 

anyway thanks

[Mathy]

Hello guys

 

The easiest way is to buy new ones at Best Electronics. But at 22 dollars, it's not the cheapest. Best has two different keyboard inlays. The single layer and the dual layer version. Make sure you get the same one as is currently in your XE. BTW the XEGS uses the same inlay.

 

Greetings

 

Mathy

[Urchlay]

The Rat Shack circuit trace pen is discontinued... but you can go to any auto parts store and buy a "rear window defroster repair kit", which includes a bottle of conductive paint that works the same way. You use a little paintbrush instead of a pen, which is a little harder to do.

[Gunstar]

Thank's Urchlay, I remembered hearing about a substitute, but could remember what it was. I never cared for the pen much myself anyway, it clogged easily and I ended up opening it up and dipping a paint brush in anyway. But that may have just been a poor design of the RadioShack CircuitWriter brand pen. It didn't have a ball or head on it, just a spring loaded point that released the ink/paint when pressure was applied.

[charliecron]

This place is nearby me, 1 stop down I75, I get my pens from there..but they do mail order too..

 

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cf...tnumber=341-236

[+orpheuswaking]

This place is nearby me, 1 stop down I75, I get my pens from there..but they do mail order too..

 

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cf...tnumber=341-236

 

Parts Express, that's part of Mendelsons right? I used to go there all the time Live in Indy now, although I'm in Dayton every other weekend

[re-atari]

Hi there,

 

As many may know, the weakest spot in the Atari xe line computers is the keyboard.

 

I've got 2 atari 130xe's, both with a bad keyboard, i.e. some keys stopped functioning. This is caused by worn out aluminum strips on the plastic sheet under the keys.

 

Is there a simple way to repair this???

 

I've found a few myself, but they are not very easy

 

- 12 years ago I made a photocopy of the plastic sheet (with the print layout) on a copper board, which is a lot stronger, but thicker...so that gave a new problem

 

- few months ago I used some sticky tape and a thin layer of metal on the exact location where the break was located...which worked for a short time...after half a day it broke ....so I have to be more subtle in future.

 

...is there a better way???

 

getting another (undamaged) XE keyboard isn't an option for me....I don't have any fully functioning XE keyboards left.

 

Check the sticky thread dealing with restoration techniques, tools, etc. on top of the list in in this forum, there's a post by me dealing with this issue. Well, actually it's a repost of a message I wrote a year or so back.

If you had searched this forum, you would undoubtedly have stumbled across both posts.

 

re-atari

[Algie]

PAL machines, are you in the UK? Maplin do a conductive paint pen. A bit pricey though - 21.00 GBP

 

Also, I have a spare Keyboard.

 

Algie