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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: TastaturenAuslese on Wed, 22 July 2015, 03:26:40

Title: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: TastaturenAuslese on Wed, 22 July 2015, 03:26:40
I was wondering if heat was bad for a keyboard?

There are times when I leave my HHKB inside my bag in my car, and we all know how hot a car can get in the sun. But more commonly, I use my HHKB on top of my macbook pro's keyboard (I literally place the HHKB over the laptop's keyboard). The laptop gets hot sometimes depending on what I do, and I notice that this heats up the bottom of my HHKB quite a bit. Should I be worried about any damage that this heat could cause?

I feel like it might have detrimental effects on the rubber domes, or perhaps on the PCB? Not sure though. Thoughts?
Title: Re: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: Dreamre on Wed, 22 July 2015, 10:47:33
The only worry would be warping of the bottom of the case. I doubt that would happen with the MBP, but I've seen some cases where a hairdryer was used under a keyboard case to remove some adhesive residue and it was warped because of the heat.
Title: Re: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: Doyniish on Wed, 22 July 2015, 12:21:36
I feel like your MBP would have to be problematically hot for it to do anything (laptop will fail far before your keyboard in this case). You're more than fine placing your HHKB on top of your MBP keyboard.
Title: Re: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: inanis on Wed, 22 July 2015, 12:55:21
I have left my keyboard in my car over the course of several very hot days. I'm talking 90 F or higher, in an all black car with all black interior. It was left on the front passenger seat, in direct sunlight. It still works great. In my case this was done by accident, and not something I'd want to do again, but for the close to three full days it was in there, no damage was done.
Title: Re: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: TastaturenAuslese on Wed, 22 July 2015, 12:57:34
Awesome. That's very reassuring.

Anyone have any thoughts on how bad it would affect the rubber domes inside the topre switches? But as you've all said, I feel like with the heat of the MBP, it's too minimal to do anything detrimental even if it were to affect the rubber domes.
Title: Re: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: hwood34 on Wed, 22 July 2015, 13:01:16
Awesome. That's very reassuring.

Anyone have any thoughts on how bad it would affect the rubber domes inside the topre switches? But as you've all said, I feel like with the heat of the MBP, it's too minimal to do anything detrimental even if it were to affect the rubber domes.
The domes should be fine as well
Title: Re: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: Doyniish on Wed, 22 July 2015, 13:30:26
Anyone have any thoughts on how bad it would affect the rubber domes inside the topre switches?

Might make them feel better  :-*
Title: Re: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: jerr on Mon, 27 July 2015, 17:22:04
I've left my keyboard in the car when it was 100+. No problems, still works fine
Title: Re: Keyboards and Heat
Post by: Mooksie on Mon, 27 July 2015, 17:28:28
Glad to know that it's safe to leave a kb in a hot car. I ended up not taking my realforce with me on vacation because I was scared of the case melting or something when I left it in the trunk.