Author Topic: key not working :(  (Read 1289 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline cskeyboard

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 3
key not working :(
« on: Fri, 08 April 2016, 21:09:02 »
Hello, please go easy on me because i am a keyboard noob :(  I have had my code 87 cherry green board for a few months now and i love it! However yesterday i noticed that the '3' key isnt working properly, it sounds just the same as the other keys, however to ge the key to register the command i really have to put the tip of my finger of the key and press hard (much harder then i feel comfortable/is easy) my question is how do i fix this, is this an issue that i can fix without soldering? it is very frustrating :( sorry if this gets posted a lot but i didnt see a thread where its this style of broken.

edit:i noticed that if i just press the key with a normal amount of force it works, but not immediately, it take maybe 1/1.5 seconds before it responds :(
« Last Edit: Fri, 08 April 2016, 21:13:43 by cskeyboard »

Offline tp4tissue

  • * Destiny Supporter
  • Posts: 13722
  • Location: Official Geekhack Public Defender..
  • OmniExpert of: Rice, Top-Ramen, Ergodox, n Females
Re: key not working :(
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 08 April 2016, 21:27:46 »
Almost certainly a cold-solder joint.


basically, when the switch is being soldered to the pcb, the solder did not meld to the contacts completely, so over time, the impact from you fingers will losen the connection, eventually leading to the intermittent behavior you're experiencing.


You have to take it apart and touch up that joint..

buy one of those $5 soldering irons online.. that's all you need..

you don't even need to buy any solder.

Offline cskeyboard

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 3
Re: key not working :(
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 09 April 2016, 06:48:02 »
thank you, i will try that soon! does it make any difference if i say that when i hold shift and press it the key works normally?

Offline tp4tissue

  • * Destiny Supporter
  • Posts: 13722
  • Location: Official Geekhack Public Defender..
  • OmniExpert of: Rice, Top-Ramen, Ergodox, n Females
Re: key not working :(
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 09 April 2016, 14:44:37 »
thank you, i will try that soon! does it make any difference if i say that when i hold shift and press it the key works normally?


if the key registers with ANY form of clicking,  that is intermittent operation.

Intermittent operation is caused by

loose connection, which can be caused by

--- cold solder joint
--- cracked pcb (cracking the copper traces)


It mayyy be a broken switch, but if that's the case, you will still need the soldering iron to fix it, by buying another switch.

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: key not working :(
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 09 April 2016, 23:45:35 »
Before you open it up, is it still under warranty?

If you've only had it a few months it should still be covered, the question is now much trouble it is to return it.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ