[Help] KBT Race LEDs flickering after months of no problems.

[Waffaru]

Good evening geekhack,

The other day I saw that the LEDs on keys 5 through - on my KBT Race started flickering. I've owned this keyboard since February and haven't had any problems. I've tried to keep it in the best condition possible (monthly compressed air cleanings, cleaning off keycaps weekly) without over doing it. It seems to happen when i turn the brightness up any level past the first. I have no idea how to solder anything, and I have no experience with circuitry.

Is there something I can do to fix it? Should I contact the seller (not sure what he could do considering it's been 4 months since I purchased it)?

Thank you for your help.

Edit #1: The flickering seems to have spread to the 4 key as well as the = key. This is kind of worrisome.

[REVENGE]

Hi, welcome to GH! Did you get this second hand, or from a retailer?

[Waffaru]

I purchased it from a seller on deskthority.net.

[absyrd]

Hmmm...

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?32195-Schematic-diagram-for-KBT-Race

You are not the only one.

Perhaps try contacting Vortex? No clue on how to other than possibly facebook...

[quake4mhg]

I guess we better find a set of keycap ready when the lights go out.   .... but where to find the R5 function keys ... :Cry:

[stephenpark]

I think that you have to change registers frist.
R1 to R9, it has 100 ohm, and 2012 size SMD type.
R10 and R11 has 1.5K ohm but is has nothing to do with LED.
In my case, I've changed all to 50 ohm because I've changed all LED myself, when I work on it, I found that the soldering work for
all registers are very poor, so when I push hard, it just disasembled itself. I think that it is one of the solution for this.

But you shoud have good steady hand and nice soldering machine because 2012 SMD type chip is not a joke. it is real tiny!

[f4d3]

Or you can ask for a refund, that is not acceptable.

[Waffaru]

Thank you for all the replies!

I'll contact the seller when I get a chance to see if I can get a refund. Thanks for the suggestion f4d3.

Stephenpark, unfortunately I have no idea what any of that means and I honestly wish I did so I could try to fix this.

[RickyJ]

I think that you have to change registers frist.
R1 to R9, it has 100 ohm, and 2012 size SMD type.
R10 and R11 has 1.5K ohm but is has nothing to do with LED.
In my case, I've changed all to 50 ohm because I've changed all LED myself, when I work on it, I found that the soldering work for
all registers are very poor, so when I push hard, it just disasembled itself. I think that it is one of the solution for this.

But you shoud have good steady hand and nice soldering machine because 2012 SMD type chip is not a joke. it is real tiny!

Good to know, I've been wanting to pick up a Race for a while.  And as for the 2010 size resistors, I hand-solder 0603's with ease.

[therecorder]

Good to know, I've been wanting to pick up a Race for a while.  And as for the 2010 size resistors, I hand-solder 0603's with ease.

Why are so many people buying pure and race boards, knowing that they are going to have this problem?

[RKY]

This is not a good sign, another Race with LED problems. I think they are covered by a 1 year manufacturers warranty though so you should be able to get it fixed.

[RickyJ]

Why are so many people buying pure and race boards, knowing that they are going to have this problem?

For me, the Choc Mini is the other option, but the layout isn't quite what I want.  I don't particularly want the backlighting of the Race, but I do want the layout.  I can fix soldering and I can swap keycaps, but the layout is the layout.