any way to fix a broken switch?

[Special K]

The L key on my Dell AT101W seems to be broken.  About half the time when I press it, the keypress isn't registered.  Sometimes more than one keypress is registered, and the rest of the time it works correctly.  This behavior just started a couple days ago.  Before that it worked fine.

Is there any way to fix this?  I suspect buying a new switch wouldn't be a cost-effective solution, as I only paid $15 for this board to begin with.  Also I bought it used.

[itlnstln]

You can try switching the guts out with a rarely-used key like Scroll Lock.  If that doesn't work, there might be bigger problems with the switch, and you will have to decide if you are willing to commit to some soldering work.

[chimera15]

The L key on my Dell AT101W seems to be broken.  About half the time when I press it, the keypress isn't registered.  Sometimes more than one keypress is registered, and the rest of the time it works correctly.  This behavior just started a couple days ago.  Before that it worked fine.

Is there any way to fix this?  I suspect buying a new switch wouldn't be a cost-effective solution, as I only paid $15 for this board to begin with.  Also I bought it used.

Yeah, just get a desoldering tool, and move a switch from one of the alt's on the right or left side that you would never use.  That's why they put them there right? lol

[Special K]

You can try switching the guts out with a rarely-used key like Scroll Lock.  If that doesn't work, there might be bigger problems with the switch, and you will have to decide if you are willing to commit to some soldering work.

Do I need a soldering iron to "switch the guts out" with a different key?  Your post seems to say that I don't, but chimera15's post below seems to say that I do.  

Are you saying I can either exchange the internals of the switch, which doesn't require a soldering iron, or exchange the entire switch, which does require a soldering iron?

[IBI]

Are you saying I can either exchange the internals of the switch, which doesn't require a soldering iron, or exchange the entire switch, which does require a soldering iron?

Yes, Assuming the switches on the Dell are mounted in such a way that you can open them up while they're still soldered down.

[cchan]

Yes, Assuming the switches on the Dell are mounted in such a way that you can open them up while they're still soldered down.

They are.

[chimera15]

Do I need a soldering iron to "switch the guts out" with a different key?  Your post seems to say that I don't, but chimera15's post below seems to say that I do.  

Are you saying I can either exchange the internals of the switch, which doesn't require a soldering iron, or exchange the entire switch, which does require a soldering iron?

You can open the switch and swap out some of the internals, however this can be difficult, and sometimes results in the key feeling off.  It's a lot simplier just to leave the internals alone, desolder the switch completely, and solder in a new one.  Once you have a desoldering tool, and a soldering iron, it's pretty easy to do, take you about 5 minutes.

[Special K]

You can open the switch and swap out some of the internals, however this can be difficult, and sometimes results in the key feeling off.  It's a lot simplier just to leave the internals alone, desolder the switch completely, and solder in a new one.  Once you have a desoldering tool, and a soldering iron, it's pretty easy to do, take you about 5 minutes.

D'oh, I don't have a soldering iron either, although I do know how to solder.  A quick amazon search shows a basic Weller costs ~$40:

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-Soldering-Hobbyist-Yourselfer/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1245206136&sr=8-1

They have a more expensive model for ~$83 that looks like the ones I used in college:

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1245206197&sr=8-6

I guess repairing keyboards is cost-prohibitive unless the keyboard is really expensive, you know you will be repairing a lot of them, and/or you already have the necessary equipment.

[chimera15]

D'oh, I don't have a soldering iron either, although I do know how to solder.  A quick amazon search shows a basic Weller costs ~$40:

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-Soldering-Hobbyist-Yourselfer/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1245206136&sr=8-1

They have a more expensive model for ~$83 that looks like the ones I used in college:

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1245206197&sr=8-6

I guess repairing keyboards is cost-prohibitive unless the keyboard is really expensive, you know you will be repairing a lot of them, and/or you already have the necessary equipment.

Just go to radioshack, they have desoldering and soldering tools that work fine.  I wouldn't imagine it would cost you more than $20-30.  Get the silver solder too.

This is the one I use. Works fine.  $11.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731

Silver solder $5.50

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062725

Soldering iron  Dual wattage $11

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062730

I've got digital controlled soldering irons, and really expensive stuff for soldering, but I always come back to the simple stuff cause it's easy to plug in and set up and gets the job done.

[skriefal]

It may be just a bit of dust or dirt inside the switch, preventing it from operating consistently.  I had that happen with a Northgate Omnikey with white Alps switches.  Popped off the cap, grabbed a can of "compressed air", and used it to blow into the switch internals while manually operating the switch plunger a few times.  That seemed to resolve the issue... at least until the dust decides to relocate again!

[Special K]

It may be just a bit of dust or dirt inside the switch, preventing it from operating consistently.  I had that happen with a Northgate Omnikey with white Alps switches.  Popped off the cap, grabbed a can of "compressed air", and used it to blow into the switch internals while manually operating the switch plunger a few times.  That seemed to resolve the issue... at least until the dust decides to relocate again!

You might be right.  I recently noticed that I'm not having the problem with the L key anymore.  Now it works fine.  I didn't even do anything to clean or change the switch.

[huha]

That expensive Weller is the one to get.  I have one.  Highly recommended.

Best feature - auto turnoff.  Saved me from burning the house down many a time.

Expensive Weller for $80? What a toy. Real men use Weller's Magnastat soldering irons. If you've worked with them once, you don't ever want anything else. Trust me.

-huha

[talis]

Expensive Weller for $80? What a toy. Real men use Weller's Magnastat soldering irons. If you've worked with them once, you don't ever want anything else. Trust me.

-huha

The magnastat ones are nice, but they don't work well if you want to use lead free solder.    The melting point of 97/2.5/.5 solder is about 40C (100F) higher then the older 63/37 lead solder.  Its hard to find tips that will reach that temp.  The analog/digital ones usually let you dial the temp up high enough to work with it.


The one on the left is a magnastat.


The tip is the second from the right, it has a little magnet on the bottom that looses its magnetic properties at a particular temperature, that in turn turns the heat on and off to the iron.

I know I promised a soldering tutorial, took about 70 pictures the other day.  I just need to organize them all and put the rest together.

[talis]

The magnastat ones are nice, but they don't work well if you want to use lead free solder.    The melting point of 97/2.5/.5 solder is about 40C (100F) higher then the older 63/37 lead solder.  Its hard to find tips that will reach that temp.  The analog/digital ones usually let you dial the temp up high enough to work with it.

Looks like digikey is actually stocking a few of the tips for lead free solder.

[huha]

Looks like digikey is actually stocking a few of the tips for lead free solder.

Got any article/ordering numbers?

-huha

[talis]

Got any article/ordering numbers?

-huha

They seem to have two sets, one is 700F, one 800F.  I assume the 800's are for Sn/Ag/Cu, even if its higher then I'd run a digital station.  The 700F tips work fine for tin/lead, but I find is  too cold to get proper wetting for lead free.  

I've never actually used my magnistat station for anything but tin/lead solder, but it looks like these should work for lead free :

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=PTA8-ND
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=PTC8-ND
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=PTS8-ND

[GreeN]

You might be right.  I recently noticed that I'm not having the problem with the L key anymore.  Now it works fine.  I didn't even do anything to clean or change the switch.

Are you a user of macro/hot-key utilities by any chance? Auto Hotkey in particular still has some odd bugs in windows which can cause very similar occurrences

[GreeN]

I haven't heard of that one.  Source?

For me it works fine all the time.  It may be buggy when trying to get a script to act properly but once it does it's been completely transparent - never missed a keypress.

Simply out of experience, on multiple computers. Auto Hotkey seems to reproduce odd input variations when simultaneously actuating a command whilst transferring in/out of DX windows, for example. I find them hard to reproduce personally, but I have experienced extremes of multiple keys not functioning until I erase all instances of AHK

[Special K]

Are you a user of macro/hot-key utilities by any chance? Auto Hotkey in particular still has some odd bugs in windows which can cause very similar occurrences

No, I've never used any of those utilities before.