Need some help on bridging/fixing my rk61

[N1zz]

I tried to change my rk61 but my solder skill is not the best which made the pads lifted, after a while trying to bridge my switches using yt videos but it doesn't help at all cause this pcb is different from those on YT. The broken key are #9, Q, U B and N i hope you guys can help me on this since this keybroad was a gift from a friend

I know it might be not fixable but if you guys found a way then i will try it out.

 Picture Note: 1 = Q key
                     2 = #9 key
                     3 = U key
                     4 = B and N key

[Maledicted]

I don't mean to be a douche, but that's some of the worst soldering I have ever seen. Even the switches that currently work are going to start malfunctioning with that many dry solder joints. I can see legs that are probably not bonded at all to the solder outside of physical proximity.

Are you using good 60/40 solder? (I like Kester rosin core) Are you using any flux if your solder doesn't have a flux core? Any time the solder looks dry like that, try adding some flux and reflowing it. Only heat the pad and/or leg as long as you need for the solder to flow (if it doesn't want to flow, add flux). Try not to move any part of the joint while the solder is drying.

Nobody is good at it when they start, and cheap tools and bad solder don't help. Don't let this discourage you.

Here's a universal post I made on fixing lifted pads that can be applied to most keyboards. It is the lazy/nuclear option. You don't need to figure out the matrix to do it. The only time it will not work is if trace continuity is dependent on the pad itself. In which case, you would need to figure out where that row or column leads and fix the break with a jumper. I don't think that's the case with this one.

If you do end up needing to figure out the matrix, you're going to need some really clear pictures. suicidal_orange is really good at that stuff.

[N1zz]

First of all even tho it was my first time but i didn't put enough effort into soldering and also im not using any flux at all, tbh i didn't know that you need flux to solder the switch joints lol. But ty for helping me also i think my pcb don't have diodes or its using other kind of diodes on this pcb

[Maledicted]

First of all even tho it was my first time but i didn't put enough effort into soldering and also im not using any flux at all, tbh i didn't know that you need flux to solder the switch joints lol. But ty for helping me also i think my pcb don't have diodes or its using other kind of diodes on this pcb

Some solder has a flux core, if it does not, you do need your own flux. If the core burns off before you're done soldering, you also need flux. It helps the solder flow properly and stick to compatible surfaces.

You also want to keep the tip of your iron clean so that it can properly transfer heat. A wet sponge can be used for this while the iron is hot, or a brass or copper scouring pad/tip cleaner. Be careful with general purpose scouring pads as they may only be plated.

I'm not one to care about diodes myself. I just bypass them. If diodes are being used for each switch, they're either on the other side of the board or not necessarily near each switch.

[suicidal_orange]

If diodes are being used for each switch, they're either on the other side of the board or not necessarily near each switch.

I see components marked DW[number] each attached to two switches - strange but I can only think they're diodes.  One side is soldered to the left pin and one to the right making general guidance as to what goes where even worse to talk about, but where you can see a line running from the missing pad to anywhere you can carefully solder a jumper wire to that component

The diodes that are visible are connected across the rows as normal so the side with no trace to a diode will connect to the pad not connected to a diode of a switch in the row above or below, as in Maledicted's linked post.

First though you do need to get some flux

[N1zz]

I got some solder wires with flux and a sponge to clean my solder. I also noticed that my pcb is so different compar to other pcb out there, right ? Yesterday i forgot to mention that my X key also got lifted the right pads and somehow i fixed it by jump wire the Alt key right pad with the right switch pin of the X key and now it work normal. I think im ready to do some bridging if that possible on this pcb, and i think my solder looks dry because i cleaned the joints with rubbing alcohol before taking pictures

[suicidal_orange]

Yes your PCB is different - you have diodes which connect to two switches rather than one diode per switch but the theory is the same.  Sharing the diodes saves pennies but that's still a saving so I'm surprised not to have seen this design before.

Your Alt-X connection makes sense, good work

There are no labels to say what key is what so I'll suggest the right pad of the switch with ON between it's pads should go to the left side of DW23.  Considering your Alt-X fix and the visible trace on the right of the switch below that probably means the left pad of ON goes to the left pad of the switch below.  Or in colours - touch a wire between orange and cyan and it should type "ON".  If it does solder a jumper between orange and red and another between cyan and green and "ON" will work.

[Maledicted]

and i think my solder looks dry because i cleaned the joints with rubbing alcohol before taking pictures

You can scrub a good solder joint all day long with isopropyl/rubbing alcohol and it will still shine like a mirror when it evaporates. In fact, if there's flux residue on the joint, it might end up looking even more shiny when you clean it off with isopropyl. You've got blobs of solder in various places that would normally not break away easily either if the solder were clean. Flux helps remove the impurities and promote better adhesion.

I also saw exposed legs of switches that looked like there may even be air gaps between them and the solder. If you gently jiggle those switches and you see the legs moving at all in relation to the solder, you're going to have problems down the road even if they mostly work now.

Try reflowing a few with some of your flux core solder and you'll see what I mean.

[N1zz]

I managed to fix the "ON" key aka the B key, and using the same method im also fixed all the broken keys besides the N key or "OFF" because i can't really figure out what key in suppose to touch wire with.

[suicidal_orange]

Good work!  You can see the diode for N and the other pin will connect to either H or J, you can see the diode between them too so it will be the pin not connected to it.

Enjoy your new switches

[N1zz]

And yup. The keybroad is working fine now, Thanks y'all for helping me on this