Problem with my BACKSPACE key on my Siig Minitouch GH edition !!!

[Buckling_Summer]

Hi brothers and sisters.  I need your help and guidance.

Have been using my good SIIG Minitouch GeekHack Edition for 4 years now.
Excellent experience and daily use.
It's condition is near perfect.

But these days I noticed that the BACKSPACE key does always register the key press and I have to press it harder sometimes or knock it down hard to function!
Once I took the keycap and replace it and it seemed to work again with no lost keystrokes.

Last time I tried to take the keycap out and clean it or inspect it but to avail. No improvement.. I lost 75% of my keystrokes on that specific key.. It is a disaster for such a beautiful keyboard.

What can I do?  Is it the pcb or is it something else.?

[Kagusaki Wolf]

I had somewhat the same problem on my Monterrey keyboard.  It was the left ctrl key that only register half the time.  I looked at the switch and everything looked okay.  I decided to re-solder the switch and never had any problems after. 

[CPTBadAss]

Sounds like the joint came loose? From what I'm reading from the two posts before me. I'd try resoldering the switch.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

You could try disassembling the switch and rebuilding it, making sure the contact leafs are functioning as they should be. Had an ALPS board a few years ago that had several switches with this same problem, and they started working again after I rebuilt them.

[Buckling_Summer]

I had somewhat the same problem on my Monterrey keyboard.  It was the left ctrl key that only register half the time.  I looked at the switch and everything looked okay.  I decided to re-solder the switch and never had any problems after. 

Thanks Kagusaki Wolf..

So the problem lies at the board connection. I don't think that these Alps-clones switch have any problems.
Re-solder.. ?    I haven't done this before... I suppose I must open the keyboard. 
I don't remember well  but can I pull out the switch and put it again on the board without opening it.. Am I right?

[CPTBadAss]

Well to resolder it you'd have to open it up and get at the bottom of the PCB. If you want to just look at the spring or stem or contacts and leave the bottom of the switch connected, you can just pull the top off and check the contact leaf.

[Buckling_Summer]

Thanks CPTBadAss.

As a matter of fact I will need some pictorial instructions .. I am afraid I could ruin my keyboard. ;-)

With this SIIG Minitouch,  I remember that one day the same problem appeared with the "LEFT SHIFT" key .  I pulled the keycap out with the key-puller and it was very hard. THe keycap seemed to be stuck!.
Finally with some effort it came out but with the whole XM simplified switch stuck with it.. !!!  I could see the  little "feet" of the switch.. I was terrified but I carefully placed the switch back on the holes .
The shift key functions 100% till now.

[CPTBadAss]

Instructions on what? Desoldering or pulling the top off?

And yeah....if you pulled the whole switch out, you probably reseated it and was lucky enough to have it be in contact with the PCB pads. Now you've jostled it to the point that it's not longer touching the pads and not working properly. Seems more and more that it's a problem to be solved with soldering.

[Buckling_Summer]

Instructions on what? Desoldering or pulling the top off?

And yeah....if you pulled the whole switch out, you probably reseated it and was lucky enough to have it be in contact with the PCB pads. Now you've jostled it to the point that it's not longer touching the pads and not working properly. Seems more and more that it's a problem to be solved with soldering.

Yes maybe I will need some info on both..  Desoldering and pulling the top off.

You are right.. Soldering maybe is the solution.  If I fail, I will get some special friend with solder expertise.

[CPTBadAss]

I think this is the comic people use as the intro to soldering...someone please correct me if that's not it. There's also a Living Soldering Thread that may help. And perhaps a video on YouTube can help? I recommend watching WhiteFireDragon's videos, especially the KMAC 2 assembly video.

And I think these pictures are fairly clear showing how to take apart an Alps switch.

Good luck on fixing the board, let us know if you need more help .

[Buckling_Summer]

I think this is the comic people use as the intro to soldering...someone please correct me if that's not it. There's also a Living Soldering Thread that may help. And perhaps a video on YouTube can help? I recommend watching WhiteFireDragon's videos, especially the KMAC 2 assembly video.

And I think these pictures are fairly clear showing how to take apart and Alps switch.

Good luck on fixing the board, let us know if you need more help .

Wow !  That's a big hand of help... God bless ya.

[Kagusaki Wolf]

Yeah I've never soldered anything before so that was the first time I did it.  It isn't too hard but it's quite intimidating at first.  I had to watch youtube vids and read about soldering before working on the keyboard lol  But once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to do repairs on your keyboard instead of spending a lot for a professional