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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: badcop on Sun, 03 March 2013, 10:59:50
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Long story short. Changed out the springs in my qfr. While desoldering i found a bad joint on one of the components and now "o" doesn't work. Anyone know what that point is? About middle of the picture.
Apologizing for grammar and spelling. I'm typing on my phone.
It doesnt look like it has any tracing on it? im lost.
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Long story short. Changed out the springs in my qfr. While desoldering i found a bad joint on one of the components and now "o" doesn't work. Anyone know what that point is? About middle of the picture.
Apologizing for grammar and spelling. I'm typing on my phone.
It doesnt look like it has any tracing on it? im lost.
No, there used to be "tracing"
You burned it out. :))
This is why QFR is not recommended for any modding involving soldering..
Get a Filco if you want to reliably mod.
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Looks like you lifted a pad on the diode for O. Try jump the lead from the missing pad directly to the switch.
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If you can't jump to the missing pad, you can try jumping to this joint and see if that works:
EDIT: nevermind, that won't work. I just checked my QFR and it's definitely a diode. Like Laffin said, you can try to reconnect to the diode where the pad lifted off with a jump. Or you can desolder the diode and resolder it on the top side between these two points:
(http://i.imgur.com/cbOg2BW.jpg)
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there was no pad from the factory. it was just a dribble of solder from the switch to that point. i'll try jumping it with some wire. thank you.
EDIT: everything works now. thanks so much for the help!
(http://i.imgur.com/pfsM9uh.jpg)
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Long story short. Changed out the springs in my qfr. While desoldering i found a bad joint on one of the components and now "o" doesn't work. Anyone know what that point is? About middle of the picture.
Apologizing for grammar and spelling. I'm typing on my phone.
It doesnt look like it has any tracing on it? im lost.
No, there used to be "tracing"
You burned it out. :))
This is why QFR is not recommended for any modding involving soldering..
Get a Filco if you want to reliably mod.
have a filco. its better to practice on the cheap board right?
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Long story short. Changed out the springs in my qfr. While desoldering i found a bad joint on one of the components and now "o" doesn't work. Anyone know what that point is? About middle of the picture.
Apologizing for grammar and spelling. I'm typing on my phone.
It doesnt look like it has any tracing on it? im lost.
No, there used to be "tracing"
You burned it out. :))
This is why QFR is not recommended for any modding involving soldering..
Get a Filco if you want to reliably mod.
have a filco. its better to practice on the cheap board right?
solder sucker.. must have. :D
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Hello Keyboard Masters.
I have my first mechanical keyboard a QFR with Browns. It's UnBranded and has the Spanish ISO Layout.
The trouble is the "S" key is no longer working, otherwise it works fine. I've only had it for 2 months.
I guess I have a few options:
1.) eRMA it which I have in Process but haven't heard back from them yet. This option could take weeks.
2.) Solder the switch myself and void the warranty.
3.) Offer it to you guys as some sort of mutually agreeable deal. (edit.. as in sold for swtiches)
They're going for about $80 bucks plus shipping for the US Layout, but I got mine direct from the CM Store, paid $65 shipped.
I know the switches alone are worth more than that. I really like the fact that it's unbranded, and the Brown Switches seem good.
Has the QC on these things been flaky, I thought the QFR was built like a tank? Let me know what you guys think I should do.
John
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1) Not preferable, unless it's your only option. Takes too long.
2) Have you soldered before? If so, I'd go with this one.
3) Do you mean sending it off to be fixed or sending it off to be sold?
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Incredibly quick reply and Yes I do mean "Sold for Switches"
I have soldered before that's not the issue, it's mainly that it's still practically new and I don't have a replacement brown if I need it.
It seems to me to be a soldering issue as the key itself seems to be working and I don't imagine the cherry mx switch contacts get bent
to the point of failure, as it seems like a fairly simple normally closed contact.
1.) Does any one have a tear down video or pictures of getting it open? I don't see any screws save for possibly one under the QC sticker.
2.) Should I start with popping the switch open?
Thanks.
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there's just one screw under the "do not remove" sticker. After that, you need to use something thin and non-marring like a credit card or plastic case opening tool and run it under the front lip of the case to separate the top from the bottom. There are 4 places I believe where the top latches to the bottom on the front lip, and a couple more on the back. I do the front first, then the back.
I couldn't find a video but I didn't look very hard. I just winged it the first time and it went fairly easily.
Remember, the PCB is connected to the bottom half of the case on the inside by a cable so don't just try to lift it all the way out of the bottom of the case without disconnecting that cable first. Also I recommend noting the orientation of the cable before you disconnect it so that you don't reconnect it backwards.
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feature=share&list=UU8WqdwRVjibpzHqvg_69gzw - WFD's video
start at 4min 48 seconds to see how the case opens up
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You guys are awesome thank you so much, I've gone ahead and went with the self repair option and
well I'm typing on the QFR right now. Look SSSSS it works. I guess now I'm truly part of geekhack.
I did look at that video and the Filco PCB seems to be a lot nicer than my QFR as it appears to be cleanly waved soldered. throughout.
I've enclosed a picture of my QFR just after opening it and well it looks like it was done in two parts (wave soldered diodes, hand soldered switches).
There's a ton of cold joints on mine, not to mention the lifted solder pad on the S key which was the cause of my problem.
For the price I paid I'm not complaining, just wondering if this is typical.
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Yea, the pcb is really skimp... the lacquer does very poorly against heat... that's probably why it has crummy solder joints to begin with.. If they turned up the heat while assembling it, it would burn right through...