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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: bazemk1979 on Sat, 03 March 2012, 23:40:41

Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: bazemk1979 on Sat, 03 March 2012, 23:40:41: Hi I would like to modify my TG3 82 with some different led colors for the Esc,WASD and the Arrow keys, but I got one problem, have never done anything to a keyboard more than removing caps itself let alone things like this. I'm super handy, but all I need is an instructional video or DIY step by step with pics and I can wrestle up this project.

here is what I'm thinking about, this was done by some GH member

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IipFDYiw7c&feature=g-upl&context=G2e2284bAUAAAAAAAAAA
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: bazemk1979 on Sun, 04 March 2012, 01:54:31: nobody?
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: bazemk1979 on Sun, 04 March 2012, 02:02:30: Quote from: ripster;534644
Have you searched my sig for "LED"?

no i havent Rip, are you talking of your little subforum on GH?
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: bazemk1979 on Sun, 04 March 2012, 13:30:11: Hey Ripster share the link men
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: bazemk1979 on Sun, 04 March 2012, 15:24:48: no luck ripster, nothing i fond helpfull, just needed some instructions with pics etc etc
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 04 March 2012, 22:01:01: Hahahahahaha,, this is exactly why I opted not to go backlit,, very very cool,, until it craps all over u...
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: silat on Sun, 04 March 2012, 22:22:05: This is mine [ATTACH=CONFIG]42725[/ATTACH]

Here you go..............

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=682742 (http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=682742)

http://www.deckkeyboards.com/light.php (http://www.deckkeyboards.com/light.php)

http://www.deckkeyboards.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=260 (http://www.deckkeyboards.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=260)

http://www.deckkeyboards.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=366&p=1446&hilit=changing+led#p1446 (http://www.deckkeyboards.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=366&p=1446&hilit=changing+led#p1446)
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: bazemk1979 on Mon, 05 March 2012, 08:09:55: thanks guys to some of you I sended pm's regarding choosing the transistors and leds.

@ Silat
Did you end up desoldering all the switches in order to change the just the leds? Hope I dont have to do that on the TG3 82 board, was hoping only desoldering the WASD ESC and arrow keys LED's, I guess time will tell once I open the board.
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: bazemk1979 on Mon, 05 March 2012, 11:10:15: Quote from: ripster;535724
This is one of those times I'm glad I block PMs.

No worries Ripster I already knew from before that you dont accept Pm's.... but hey all it takes to get you to help me by posting this " Ripster if you still consider yourself being the keyboard guru, prove it by helping out".... I dont think you can resist the challenge.
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: silat on Mon, 05 March 2012, 12:39:33: Quote from: bazemk1979;535636
thanks guys to some of you I sended pm's regarding choosing the transistors and leds.

@ Silat
Did you end up desoldering all the switches in order to change the just the leds? Hope I dont have to do that on the TG3 82 board, was hoping only desoldering the WASD ESC and arrow keys LED's, I guess time will tell once I open the board.

Yes you have to take them all out.... Sorry :(
Title: help for replacing leds on mx switch board
Post by: bazemk1979 on Mon, 05 March 2012, 21:00:24: hm just opened the board from curiosity, removed the splash guard and keycaps getting it ready for the next step. So any ways when i took out the inside of the keyboard looking from the back first comes the PCB,then the metal plate. Some say everything needs to be desoldered in order just to gain acess to the soldered LED's... Looks to me like the soldering was done on the rear of the PCB right? I can see all the solderings done to the LED's and the switches. The only problematic thing I see, not sure if it will in my way when desoldering and soldering is the smaller PCB I guess you guys called it PCB controller right, its where cable gets attached to. Well anyways under the very corner of the controller plate is located the tips of the W keys LED.... I can see that the controller sits above the main PCB with some sort of plastic risers that the tip of the risers looks like you can insert a flat screwdriver. I for the life of me tried lefty-loosey to unscrew them in order to remove the controller PCB to gain more acess for the W LED solders but it wont budge... the risers go incircle no matter right ot left but nothing gets loosen or tighten up.... Whats the trick for removing the PCB controller and also what you guys think if I see the LED and Switches solders on the rear of the PCB, then I dont have to desolder everything right? just the LED's and solder new ones right?

also I'm not electrical guy, but as far as I know the board is rated at 5V, and the LED's that I'm looking into are not rated more than 3.2V depending on the color, only difference is the luminous intensity is higher than what DECK is using for their LED's. as far as I know the luminous intensity means how bright the LED shines and that should not interfer withy the overall functionality of the board as long as I keep the LED's under 5V right?

Well any answers will be apreciated, I will keep this thread alive and if you guys dont understand what I'm saying let me know and I will post pics without any problems.

Thanks.