Simple Questions, Simple Answers (FAQ in the OP)

[Leopard223]

I've seen some Ultrasonic cleaners on AliExpress going for about $10, do you think they'll work properly? gut says no but AliExpress never fails to surprise me.

[faye_valentine]

Trying to replace ibm model rubber dome keypad with mechanical keypad I had lying around. When removing the mechanical keypad from its previous circuit, I believe I might have broken it. Please help.

[Username]

I used to use white lithium grease as lube for my stabilizers. Is that okay? Or any other good recommendations?

[Handke]

I've seen some Ultrasonic cleaners on AliExpress going for about $10, do you think they'll work properly? gut says no but AliExpress never fails to surprise me.

If you're going to clean keycaps, a big model (100 watt) will be the absoute minimum. I own smaller units and they don't clean as much, plus you have to waste at least three time as much time to clean.

[suicidal_orange]

Trying to replace ibm model rubber dome keypad with mechanical keypad I had lying around. When removing the mechanical keypad from its previous circuit, I believe I might have broken it. Please help.

The ribbon cable looks fine, only thing that looks possibly damaged is the socket - did the front snap off?  As long as something holds the ribbon against the connector it will work so doesn't look fatal.

If I'm missing something obvious feel free to point it out, I'm pretty much one eyed at the moment so it's very possible

[faye_valentine]

Trying to replace ibm model rubber dome keypad with mechanical keypad I had lying around. When removing the mechanical keypad from its previous circuit, I believe I might have broken it. Please help.(

The ribbon cable looks fine, only thing that looks possibly damaged is the socket - did the front snap off?  As long as something holds the ribbon against the connector it will work so doesn't look fatal.

If I'm missing something obvious feel free to point it out, I'm pretty much one eyed at the moment so it's very possible

Show Image

I assumed I could pull the ribbon, with the socket at the end, directly out of the board. I accidentally pulled the ribbon directly out of the socket itself. Now it's a "naked" ribbon and I'm not sure if I can put it back into a socket, but was afraid to test in case I damaged the ribbon (further). Let me know if you need clarification.

[user 18]

Trying to replace ibm model rubber dome keypad with mechanical keypad I had lying around. When removing the mechanical keypad from its previous circuit, I believe I might have broken it. Please help.(

The ribbon cable looks fine, only thing that looks possibly damaged is the socket - did the front snap off?  As long as something holds the ribbon against the connector it will work so doesn't look fatal.

If I'm missing something obvious feel free to point it out, I'm pretty much one eyed at the moment so it's very possible

Show Image

I assumed I could pull the ribbon, with the socket at the end, directly out of the board. I accidentally pulled the ribbon directly out of the socket itself. Now it's a "naked" ribbon and I'm not sure if I can put it back into a socket, but was afraid to test in case I damaged the ribbon (further). Let me know if you need clarification.

I know that many ribbon cables don't actually have connectors on them, just exposed conductors on the plastic membrane. The socket is soldered to the board. I'm 90% sure that the IBM controllers fall into that category, but don't have one in front of me to double-check.

E: for reference, here's what a model M controller looks like without the ribbon cables inserted. From what I can tell, this is the same socket as your board, which just expects the 'naked' ribbon to be inserted. It doesn't look to me like anything is damaged in your photo.

[faye_valentine]

Thanks, I'll check the link until further notice.

[faye_valentine]

Trying to replace ibm model rubber dome keypad with mechanical keypad I had lying around. When removing the mechanical keypad from its previous circuit, I believe I might have broken it. Please help.(

The ribbon cable looks fine, only thing that looks possibly damaged is the socket - did the front snap off?  As long as something holds the ribbon against the connector it will work so doesn't look fatal.

If I'm missing something obvious feel free to point it out, I'm pretty much one eyed at the moment so it's very possible

Show Image

I assumed I could pull the ribbon, with the socket at the end, directly out of the board. I accidentally pulled the ribbon directly out of the socket itself. Now it's a "naked" ribbon and I'm not sure if I can put it back into a socket, but was afraid to test in case I damaged the ribbon (further). Let me know if you need clarification.

I know that many ribbon cables don't actually have connectors on them, just exposed conductors on the plastic membrane. The socket is soldered to the board. I'm 90% sure that the IBM controllers fall into that category, but don't have one in front of me to double-check.

E: for reference, here's what a model M controller looks like without the ribbon cables inserted. From what I can tell, this is the same socket as your board, which just expects the 'naked' ribbon to be inserted. It doesn't look to me like anything is damaged in your photo.

well it appears as though the "working" ibm model m has stopped working
i'm noticing that a ps2 connecter requires 6 metal pins and a large rectangular pin, whereas my current "working" ibm has only 4.
currently not sure as to whether these pins accidentally came off or if I received the ibm this way
pics related
i might still try conducting the keypad swap given i can't get the keyboard working soon just as a fun project

[fohat.digs]

ps2 connecter requires 6 metal pins and a large rectangular pin, whereas my current "working" ibm has only 4

The socket does not "require" 6 pins, it accommodates them. There are only 4 that are live. The ones marked "2" and "6" on the diagram aren't doing anything.

[lowercaselena]

hello, i was wondering if anyone here had experience getting acrylic cut for a custom case/plate. im looking for pointer on how to design the files, places i could contact in europe/france etc

[PinkRoy]

New to geekhack and way too young for a message board like this so sorry if I'm messing anything up. What kind of key rollover do BTC dome with slider boards have? I wanna know if I can use a BTC board for games that require a lot of key combinations at once. Thanks.

[Magnusmaster]

I have a mechanical keyboard that claims to have MX-Compatible Blue switches and the N key is sometimes unresponsive. Blowing the switch makes it more responsive for a while, but the problem persists, so I'm considering changing the switch. However, the keyboard doesn't seem to have standard MX-Compatible Blue switches. The switches have a hole on top to let light go through. Can anyone identify which switch this? Will a standard MX-Compatible Blue switch fit?

[Chewable Food]

I murdered the bootloader of an ATmega32U4 based keyboard (BM980).  There is no ISP header as far as I can tell.  Am I missing something or is there no way to restore the bootloader?  Game over?

[suicidal_orange]

I murdered the bootloader of an ATmega32U4 based keyboard (BM980).  There is no ISP header as far as I can tell.  Am I missing something or is there no way to restore the bootloader?  Game over?

The header is just a convenient place to connect all the pins you need in one place, as long as you connect to them somewhere you can use ISP to fix it.

I can't find any firmware for this board to confirm which pins are used in the matrix but there's a good chance MOSI MISO and SCK are connected to some switches or diodes and if there's a button to enter flashing mode that will be connected to RESET and GND.  Hopefully that just leaves 5V which is conveniently located on a pin on the corner of the chip if it's not attached to something LED related) so you could carefully solder a wire directly to the pin.


Note the dot in the corner to locate pin 1.

If you have firmware and need more help please post a link to it

[fr3]

Would it be okay to lube switches ~8 months in advance with something like tribosys 3204 before putting it in a board? 

[AnonAustria13]

Q: Is there a specific reason for having numblock and nav-cluster to the right where it interferes with mouse movement instead of placing it to the left in a custom layout?

[fohat.digs]

There are left-handed keyboards.

[geoken]

Anybody know the specs for the screw on an FC660C that screws from the bottom case to the top case (the really long one). I lost it and need to order a screw that will fit.

[ideus]

Is there a source to get a couple of 7G/6Gv2 Steelseries BAE's top stem guides?

[Morbii]

I’m new to the hobby and was wondering if there’s a place to find out what is and isn’t safe to stick in a keyboard?

I’ve seen videos with masking tape on the literal PCB / on chips, cotton balls, foams, etc.  Is plastic safe (like bubble wrap)?  Are there any unsafe items that might seem like a good idea, etc.

More importantly physical safety and fire safety, but electronics safety too.

[user 18]

I’m new to the hobby and was wondering if there’s a place to find out what is and isn’t safe to stick in a keyboard?

I’ve seen videos with masking tape on the literal PCB / on chips, cotton balls, foams, etc.  Is plastic safe (like bubble wrap)?  Are there any unsafe items that might seem like a good idea, etc.

More importantly physical safety and fire safety, but electronics safety too.

The biggest electronics/fire safety risk would be introducing a conductive material that causes a short circuit. Most of these tapes, foams, plastics, etc. that you see used for sound/vibration damping are non-conductive materials.

Usually the electronic components of a keyboard don't generate a ton of heat when operating normally, but it might in principle be possible to generate enough heat with a well-insulated controller or powerful LED to cause some trouble as well. Any component that consumes power (essentially any chip or discrete circuit element such as a diode/LED or resistor) should have some allowance made for cooling, although this could be as little as putting it in thermal contact with the PCB, and assuming heat will transfer into the copper ground plane.

In terms of physical safety, all the normal standards would apply, I guess. Don't ingest lube, try not to inhale flux vapour, don't hold the soldering iron too close to the tip, watch out for sharp edges on machined parts.

If you can post a bit more about what you're trying to accomplish, someone might be able to offer more specific advice.

[Morbii]

Thank you!  I think that's a good head start for me just in terms of some basics. 

The thing that triggered this question is that I'm going to start trying to modify a high profile Drop CTRL to see what I can do with it.  I realize that there probably won't be too much I can do with it due to its limitations (plate mount stabs, integrated plate, no daughterboard or gaskets, no foam, wild pinging sounds, not a lot of room to maneuver in the case, etc), but I think it will be a good start just to play around.    I've already replaced the stabs with everglides, lubed them with 205g0 and the wire with grease, and used the Holee mod (no clips to snip).  Sounds better than it did, but I want to try to fiddle around a bit inside the case too.

I'm a fast learner, so beyond that I'm just trying to throw myself into the hobby in whichever ways I can.  I recently picked up my first soldering iron and some DIY kits, but I want to focus on a few more basics before I dive fully in, and probably want to either take a soldering class or find a good tutorial (I ordered a Hakko FX888 station).  I also have several boards to play with, from GMMK Pros, to Keychrons, some much more mainstream boards, and a Bubble 75 (with two PCBs, one solderable and one not - an end goal will be soldering the Bubble75 PCB when I am at least a little skilled at it).

My biggest issue was wondering about conductivity and which materials were/weren't safe.  I never would have thought of taping up a whole side of a PCB with masking tape, but I saw it in a video from someone that appeared very knowledgeable, so it invited questions.

[user 18]

Sounds awesome! Fortunately, keyswitches are just about the easiest thing in the world to solder -- large through-hole components that tend to stay in place even before soldering (either with PCB-mount legs, or from being held by a plate).

If you're looking at tape, keep in mind that most tapes will leave residue if used over long periods of time. You could also take a look around at what types of foam various other keyboards or kits have used, to get an idea for what's popular.

[Coreda]

Is anyone familiar with QMK firmware configs that could let me know whether there's a modifier key that can be mapped like the 'Pn' key on the Poker, where only the keys pressed while that modifier is held down activate their secondary layer function (instead of toggling a secondary layer across the entire board)?

On the Poker this allows for those Pn-held keys to be simultaneously used along with the default layer's keys.

I'd assume this is totally possible but just wanted some confirmation.

Looking at config.qmk.fm is either 'MO' or 'OSL' the correct modifier I'd be looking for?

[Morbii]

Is anyone familiar with QMK firmware configs that could let me know whether there's a modifier key that can be mapped like the 'Pn' key on the Poker, where only the keys pressed while that modifier is held down activate their secondary layer function (instead of toggling a secondary layer across the entire board)?

On the Poker this allows for those Pn-held keys to be simultaneously used along with the default layer's keys.

I'd assume this is totally possible but just wanted some confirmation.

Looking at config.qmk.fm is either 'MO' or 'OSL' the correct modifier I'd be looking for?

MO is what you’re looking for.

[Coreda]

MO is what you’re looking for.

Thanks!

[Coreda]

Just another thing: is there any technical reason why the DZ60 RGB-ANSI (hotswap) PCB has north-facing switches for apparently only the Esc and 1 keys (around the USB port area) while being south-facing everywhere else?

From what I've read north-facing is only a relevant physical issue on the home row if using thicker keycaps? Not too worried about the LED position inconsistency with the layout.

[Morbii]

Just another thing: is there any technical reason why the DZ60 RGB-ANSI (hotswap) PCB has north-facing switches for apparently only the Esc and 1 keys (around the USB port area) while being south-facing everywhere else?

From what I've read north-facing is only a relevant physical issue on the home row if using thicker keycaps? Not too worried about the LED position inconsistency with the layout.

(Attachment Link)

Yeah!  They do this so they have room on the PCB for the USB port.  So, you did basically guess the reason!

If you get one that utilizes a daughter board (or “better” port placement), you’ll notice you won’t see this.

[Coreda]

Ah, thanks again. If I decide to go with it hopefully it won't be a problem with any keycaps.

[Morbii]

Ah, thanks again. If I decide to go with it hopefully it won't be a problem with any keycaps.

Yeah, sorry I kinda ignored the second part.  You shouldn’t have any Keycap issues unless you’re using cherry row 3 up there for some reason, but even if so the LED interference issue is more of an anal “perfection” issue as most people probably wouldn’t really notice unless they’d been told it was happening.

[oledome]

What are the off-shelf options for 1800 layout + low profile cherry / gateron switches?

[spilt_yogurt]

What's the general concensus on mechanical gaming keyboards? What's the preferred form factor / size?

[CptMorris]

There is a 65g version of the Boba U4T being sold on Aliexpress. Is this one legit? I only remember there being 62g and 68g versions of the Boba U4T.

[Morbii]

There is a 65g version of the Boba U4T being sold on Aliexpress. Is this one legit? I only remember there being 62g and 68g versions of the Boba U4T.

If it's the U4Tx, it's legit (these come in 55 and 65). It's a different switch though, and people seem to like it.  I have some, but haven't mounted any yet.

[AspiringMechKeebFan]

What alice/arisu-layout keyboards are there that feature columns on the both sides? Sorta like Malicious from CannonKeys.

[kldscpe]

Is there a list of wireless keyboards somewhere? The ones I know of are the Keychron,RK, Epomaker, Monokei and Meletrix.

[Shaggy]

Does anyone know the name of this switch type or who makes it? Seems to be a triangular metal dome plate that collapses under the pressure of the spring (which has foam in the middle of it) as it is pressed down. The keyboard is branded by Mohawk Data Sciences and most of the ICs are dated 1982/83.

Show Image

I've been researching and documenting this company lately, just stumbled onto this thread. here is a cross section of the switch.

[ShangWang]

I'm trying to band-aid mod/lubricate my cherry stabilizers on the HyperX Alloy Origins without desoldering. I'm not sure if the stabilizers are plate mounted, but upon attempting to push on the plastic clips and pushing the stabilizers up, I can't push it up enough to easily slide in the band aid from the underside.

The stabilizers seem pretty snug even when lifted up, and doesn't look like they can wiggle out of the socket freely.

I'm wondering if anyone has been been able to band-aid mod this keyboard and if they did, will it require desoldering the switches to be able to lift the stabilizers high enough, or do I just need to keep pushing up on the stabilizers? Are they plate mounted?

[Melvang]

Anyone know if Cherry profile caps will fit the Corsair K100 with the OPX switches?

[Morbii]

Anyone know if Cherry profile caps will fit the Corsair K100 with the OPX switches?

They should since they appear to be MX-style switches.  However, note that Corsair uses a non-standard 6.5U spacebar, and that will be much harder to find (i.e. you won't find it with GMK, SP, etc).

[Melvang]

This board did go to a standard 6.25 unit space bar with 1.25 mods. My question is re regarding the RGB being on the top of the switch, not the bottom.

Anyone know if Cherry profile caps will fit the Corsair K100 with the OPX switches?

They should since they appear to be MX-style switches.  However, note that Corsair uses a non-standard 6.5U spacebar, and that will be much harder to find (i.e. you won't find it with GMK, SP, etc).

[ShangWang]

Is it bad to have dielectric grease on the bottom of your costar stabilizers? Will it do nothing or does it affect the sound if a thin layer is there?

If any dielectric grease seeped under to the PCB, would that cause any damage? If I used a paper towel to wipe off the dielectric grease and it scratched the surface, would that also be an issue or is it all cosmetic? When and where would scratches on a PCB be an issue?

PCB: https://imgur.com/a/zmuq77u
Stabilizer: https://imgur.com/fwnrcBV

Thanks a lot for help!
I can't speak from experience to how it would affect the sound. I wouldn't expect there to be a major difference if it's really just a thin layer -- I don't believe the stabilizer inserts bottom out during normal use.

Dielectric grease is nonconductive, so it shouldn't lead to any shorting or undesirable behaviour if it's in contact with the PCB. I believe it's also used to protect electrical contacts against corrosion, so it shouldn't cause any long-term issues if it's touching PCB traces or contacts.

Scratches to a PCB can cause issues when they sever an electrical connection, or significantly reduce its cross-sectional area (i.e. cut almost all the way through), particularly for a trace that carries a reasonable amount of power -- which you usually won't find in a keyboard. Your photo is a bit blurry, but I don't see any obvious signs of damage there. I wouldn't expect the mild abrasive of a paper towel to cause significant damage anyway, unless you applied a lot of pressure when wiping up the grease, or have a particularly fragile PCB.

Thank you for the reply!

[AlexShepel]

plz help
Somebody knows what’s keyboard on this photo?

[OrcswithForks]

I'd like to buy a modern full-size Focus-layout keyboard if one exists.  Specifically, I would like to have the backslash/pipe key to the right of a smaller right shift key.  I can't seem to find this layout for sale anywhere except for old PS/2 keyboards.  I bought an old FK-6200, which has the layout, but I'm not a huge fan of the rubber-dome switches.  I'd like something more tactile/clicky.

[Maledicted]

I'd like to buy a modern full-size Focus-layout keyboard if one exists.  Specifically, I would like to have the backslash/pipe key to the right of a smaller right shift key.  I can't seem to find this layout for sale anywhere except for old PS/2 keyboards.  I bought an old FK-6200, which has the layout, but I'm not a huge fan of the rubber-dome switches.  I'd like something more tactile/clicky.

Hi OrcswithForks. Welcome to Geekhack.

Those boards are clicky, since they have Focus DWS switches. They're actually highly regarded with many people that like vintage clicky switches, including myself. If you want boards with Alps switches (or clones), the Focus FK-2001 can have this layout (They're later and might all have Alps clones). The FK-555 has it but with a different mapping (which you could change). A lot of Northgate Omnikeys (besides 101) also have it.

Take a look at the Deskthority wiki in regard to this. People on the Deskthority Discord may know more than I do just off the top of my head.

[DashanYYY]

Hi everyone, I know this may sound dump. How can I insert a picture into a thread that I post? Does Imgur link still work on Geekhack?

[fohat.digs]

Below the message box is "Attachments and other options"

You can attach a picture file there.

[DashanYYY]

Thank you very much

[Morbii]

How does Domikey compare with Maxkey and SP?  I absolutely love SP, but not a huge fan of Maxkey.