What can I do with a non-working Cherry G80?

[Yngwie]

Hi guys, new here. I have a Cherry G80-8200 that unfortunately had a spilling accident several months back. I immediately took it apart and cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol but it's a no-go. So basically I'm left with a bunch of good-looking key caps, some PCB-mounted cherry brown switches, and a diode for each one. I'm looking for a cheap way to have another working mechanical keyboard. Are there any keyboard PCB's out there that I can buy and just pop these keys into, or are there any other options I have other than buying an entirely new keyboard? I'm basically looking for a budget solution and something to do with these leftover parts.

[Yngwie]

So then my only option is to try selling the parts that I do have?

[The Solutor]

So then my only option is to try selling the parts that I do have?

You can look for a spare logic board in the classified room, I've one from a G80 3000, but I don't know it fit in your specific board.

A photo and/or the detailed model of your board could be heplful

[Yngwie]

You can look for a spare logic board in the classified room, I've one from a G80 3000, but I don't know it fit in your specific board.

A photo and/or the detailed model of your board could be heplful

I assume that this is the logic board, correct?
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 21558[/ATTACH]

The keyboard is a G80-8200LPBUS / 09 and the only significant looking writing on the logic board that I could find says Cherry 601-1881 Rev. :11 K01-5116

[The Solutor]

Ahhh it's a POS board, no personally I can't help

BTW a lot of people is used to buy pos boards as switches donor, so is not impossible to find one of them for a good price.

[Yngwie]

Ahhh it's a POS board, no personally I can't help

BTW a lot of people is used to buy pos boards as switches donor, so is not impossible to find one of them for a good price.

Thanks, but how will I know if a board is compatible with what I have? I really don't care about the card reader, so if that's the only difference between a POS and a regular board then that won't matter.

[The Solutor]

Ask for the correct model, here and in deskthority.

If someone reply ask for a photo as I did with you...

[N8N]

I'm typing this right now on the exact board that you're looking for, and it's for sale.  Or you could buy another one for about $35 shipped from "rawko" on eBay (where I got this one.)  Mine's clean though.

They are pretty good value boards for the money; I've just decided that I like my identical board w/ clears better.

I'd save the browns from your old board though; that way you can experiment - why not buy another one with clears instead of browns.  That way you could try the clears and see if you like them better; then swap the springs from the browns into the clears for "ergo clears" and then if you still miss the browns swap the brown stems into your new board and you're right back where you started (and you have a bag of clear stems and springs that you could sell to someone who likes them, like me for instance.  And a set of keycaps as well.)  I see "rawko" put up another batch of boards w/ clears as well.  I've bought a couple boards from him though and they're all filthy so plan on spending an evening cleaning it up.  (haven't been disappointed though, just needed a little TLC to make everything look good.)

good luck!

[litster]

I just threw away 2 old G80 POS circuit boards after I gutted them for switches.  I can send them to you if you pay for shipping and packaging.  I can take pictures of them to see if they match what you have.

[Yngwie]

I'm typing this right now on the exact board that you're looking for, and it's for sale.  Or you could buy another one for about $35 shipped from "rawko" on eBay (where I got this one.)  Mine's clean though.

They are pretty good value boards for the money; I've just decided that I like my identical board w/ clears better.

I'd save the browns from your old board though; that way you can experiment - why not buy another one with clears instead of browns.  That way you could try the clears and see if you like them better; then swap the springs from the browns into the clears for "ergo clears" and then if you still miss the browns swap the brown stems into your new board and you're right back where you started (and you have a bag of clear stems and springs that you could sell to someone who likes them, like me for instance.  And a set of keycaps as well.)  I see "rawko" put up another batch of boards w/ clears as well.  I've bought a couple boards from him though and they're all filthy so plan on spending an evening cleaning it up.  (haven't been disappointed though, just needed a little TLC to make everything look good.)

good luck!

Actually I bought my current board from that same seller a long while back, and I just bought the one with clears earlier today. I guess I had the same idea that you did.

I just threw away 2 old G80 POS circuit boards after I gutted them for switches.  I can send them to you if you pay for shipping and packaging.  I can take pictures of them to see if they match what you have.

That sounds like a good idea. It never hurts to have more than one working keyboard. Go ahead and send me some pictures. Thanks!

[litster]

Here are the pictures:

[N8N]

the funny thing is that I just gutted a G81 POS board and it used proper ribbon cables and connectors.  The switches suck a copious amount of arse, but the cables are much nicer than the G80 POS board that I'm typing this on (which feels infinitely better to use.)

[Yngwie]

Have you isolated the problem to the switch matrix or the controller?  I don't see a lot of fried controllers from water.   LOTS of fried/damp/shorted membranes/switches/connectors.

 
Well I guess I don't know for a fact. When I plug it in it sometimes plays a continuous beep from the keyboard speaker. All of the num lock, scroll lock, and caps lock lights light up, and none of the keys on the board are responsive. So unless that's any indication of what's wrong with it then I guess I'll just wait until the other G80 comes in the mail and I can test them to make sure.

It looks like the board in that picture is the same as mine. The only difference being the Rev 9, while mine is Rev 11. I'm going to just assume that the they'll work just fine.

[Yngwie]

I used the Microsoft ghosting test http://www.microsoft.com/appliedsciences/AntiGhostingExplained.mspx and couldn't get any keys to register in it. I'm pretty sure the keys are fine though.