geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: greynolds on Wed, 01 July 2009, 16:44:54

Title: Zenith (Alps switches) Caps Lock Bulb Blown
Post by: greynolds on Wed, 01 July 2009, 16:44:54

I picked up yet another Zenith keyboard on ebay last week for $40 (including shipping).  After taking it apart and giving it a good cleaning (it was pretty disgusting under the key caps), the only problem with it is that the indicator light on the Caps Lock key doesn't work.  To fix this, do I need to get a replacement Alps switch installed or is it possible to put a new bulb in?  I'm assuming a new switch, but figured I'd ask.  Not sure I want to pay shipping both ways plus labor to have a new switch installed just for this.  I'm not sure that my soldering skills are up to the task of installing a new switch myself and I'd rather not kill the keyboard finding out.

Besides, I've probably got a couple of lifetime supplies of great keyboards at this point.  I've got 5 Zeniths (3 ZKB-2's, 2 KBD17's - 1 ZKB-2 has a hodge podge of key caps and is missing the Zenith logo plate, and one KBD17 with the caps lock indicator light blown), a Northgate 101P (NIB), a Focus 3001 (NIB), a Dell Quiet Writer (Alps switches, NIB), and 5 IBM / Lexmark model M's (3 NIB, all with the 2 piece key caps built around 1994 part #1391401).  I can't decide if I prefer the Zenith or IBM keyboards.  If the IBM's didn't make so much noise (tough to type sometimes without waking the house up), I think it would be the IBM.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, I became a keyboard snob freshman year in college when I got my school issued Zenith Z-248 computer with a ZKB-2 keyboard.  It took me a while to figure this out, but I kept going back to that keyboard as I got new computers.  I still have that original ZKB-2 and will hopefully always have it.

Title: Zenith (Alps switches) Caps Lock Bulb Blown
Post by: talis on Wed, 01 July 2009, 19:08:40

I'm going to try and take some pictures tomorrow and post a soldering tutorial in the wiki.  It sounds like it may come in handy for this, and possibly many other things.

Title: Zenith (Alps switches) Caps Lock Bulb Blown
Post by: greynolds on Wed, 01 July 2009, 19:16:26

Quote from: ripster;100561

I posted LED replacement tips here.  (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?t=5649)  I don't have a Zenith but unless you're saying that you never get the Caps Lock key to work (not just the indicator) it should be a simple LED replacement.

EDIT:  Hmm.... just thought about it a bit.  LEDs rarely go bad.  Do you have a pic?

Thanks, but I guess I should have been a bit more clear.  On the Zenith keyboards, the indicator lights for Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, and Num Lock are built into the Alps switches, not on a separate panel like in the sample you posted the link to.  So the indicator light shows up through a little window on the key cap.  The Caps Lock functionality works just fine, it's just that the indicator light doesn't come on.

I've attached a picture I took of one of my other Zenith keyboards that shows how the caps lock key is setup.

Title: Zenith (Alps switches) Caps Lock Bulb Blown
Post by: ch_123 on Wed, 01 July 2009, 19:32:17

You use Caps Lock? :O

Title: Zenith (Alps switches) Caps Lock Bulb Blown
Post by: greynolds on Wed, 01 July 2009, 20:50:30

Quote from: ch_123;100576

You use Caps Lock? :O

Once in a while :).  Mostly it will just bug me knowing that it's broken...

Title: Zenith (Alps switches) Caps Lock Bulb Blown
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 02 July 2009, 07:52:18

Quote from: ch_123;100576

You use Caps Lock? :O

I do, too.  You might be suprised how many people actually do use Caps Lock.

Title: Zenith (Alps switches) Caps Lock Bulb Blown
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 02 July 2009, 08:07:38

Quote from: itlnstln;100661

I do, too.  You might be suprised how many people actually do use Caps Lock.

I was tempted to post a link to 4chan, but that would be too distasteful, even by my standards =P