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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: tinydog on Wed, 24 December 2014, 19:38:43
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About 2 years ago I did my research, became enamored with the concept of mechanical keyboards, then indulged myself with a Ducky Shine II with Cherry MX Blue key switches and blue LEDs. I loved it. That is, until a few weeks ago when the "M" key started failing to register keystrokes, regardless of the angle or pressure with which I depressed the key. Part of my troubleshooting involved switching the keyboard to "reactive" mode, where each key lights up as you press it. About 50% of the time when I pressed the "M" key it didn't light up at all.
Since Ducky's warranty is only 1 year, I went ahead and dismantled the keyboard. I found dust and other gunk that ends up falling between the keys, but the key switch itself was pristine. I pulled out my soldering iron and swapped the "M" key switch with the "E-mail" key switch, which I never use. Thenceforth, "M" has behaved perfectly.
Then, a few days ago, the "3" key started failing to register keystrokes just as the "M" key had. Now it looks like I'm going to have to dismantle my keyboard again, pull out my soldering iron again, and swap the "3" key switch with another unused key that's working properly.
Two Cherry MX Blue key switch failures on the same keyboard after just 2 years of moderate use? At the call center where I work I have lots of junky generic $5 keyboards that are 10+ years old, that still work fine! Why the blazes do we pay $140+ for fancy mechanical keyboards, if they aren't even going to last as long as a "normal" keyboard? How many of you have experienced failure rates like this; how common is it?
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I bet the switches are fine. Probably bad factory soldering :/ Try just re-flowing the "3" switch and see if that fixes it.
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I bet the switches are fine. Probably bad factory soldering :/ Try just re-flowing the "3" switch and see if that fixes it.
Stuff like that are the reasons why I don't want to pay big bucks for brand names. Too many tales of switch failure on Ducky or Filco.
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I bet the switches are fine. Probably bad factory soldering :/ Try just re-flowing the "3" switch and see if that fixes it.
Stuff like that are the reasons why I don't want to pay big bucks for brand names. Too many tales of switch failure on Ducky or Filco.
LMFAO! sorry, but what? Ducky is a brand name...? WASD must be a brand name too then...
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It is unusual.
Does the email switch work after you swapped it with the M switch?
If/when you switch the 3 key with something else, does that original 3 switch work in its new location?
If the answer to both is yes, it might just have been a bad soldering job.
I have a Ducky Shine 1 with MX blues that has had heavy daily use for about 18 months and is still going strong.
My other Ducky Shine 1 has had intermittent use for, maybe, two years, and still works perfectly.
Also, before you remove a switch, try shorting out the pins with a short length of wire and see if it registers (yes, have the computer on when you do this, and be careful!). If it does register, might be a bad solder joint.
If it does not register and you remove the switch, see if the switch registers when its out of the keyboard by connecting it to a multimeter or similar.
That way you can eliminate whether it is a faulty switch, or just poor factory soldering.
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Does the email switch work after you swapped it with the M switch?
The e-mail switch DOES seem to be working currently. At least, it launched the Microsoft Outlook Setup dialog each of the ~50 times I pressed it, just now. That's intriguing. I think when I take my keyboard apart again on Monday or Tuesday (when I'll have access to all my soldering tools), I'm going to desolder the "3" key and then re-solder it in the same location, without swapping it with another key. See if that fixes the issue.
If/when you switch the 3 key with something else, does that original 3 switch work in its new location?
If the answer to both is yes, it might just have been a bad soldering job.
Also, before you remove a switch, try shorting out the pins with a short length of wire and see if it registers (yes, have the computer on when you do this, and be careful!). If it does register, might be a bad solder joint.
If it does not register and you remove the switch, see if the switch registers when its out of the keyboard by connecting it to a multimeter or similar.
That way you can eliminate whether it is a faulty switch, or just poor factory soldering.
Excellent suggestions; thanks. I'll also try the "short" technique. Carefully, of course.
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Fascinating. It was bad soldering by Ducky! I desoldered the "3" key switch and then, without even moving it or pulling it out, re-soldered it. Now it works perfectly again! I'm very disappointed in Ducky, and my faith in Cherry key switches has been restored.
I could also have tried "reflowing" the PCB by heating it in an oven, but I've never done anything like that and it sounds frighteningly risky.
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Congrats!
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Yay! And you even posted the solution so that anyone looking for it later can find it ;D