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Just_Otto
1
May 23, 2015
all but my one key dont work. amyone else experience this?
Kaan
297
May 23, 2015
Just_OttoIf it's just one key, it's probably a dislodged or missing diode like others experience
Re-flow the solder of the diode to try and fix the issue, if it's there (I mean, just touch the solder points of the diode briefly with a solder iron, brief enough to re-liquidify and re-settle the solder)
Just_Otto
1
May 23, 2015
KaanUnfortunately that didn't do it. Thanks for the idea though. Anymore solutions do you know off the top of your head?
A0.C
394
May 23, 2015
Just_OttoIf the diode is not missing, it might be backwards. Or the switch might be bad.
Just_Otto
1
May 23, 2015
A0.CI'm kinda new to buiilding this kind of stuff. What do I do if that is the case? Also installing the spacebar with gateron clears doeosnt seem to work well. It doesnt pop up with hte stabilizers on
Kaan
297
May 23, 2015
Just_OttoIf you can trace the pcb connections, you can manually connect the lines with a wire and test the functionality, the switch is basically a wire when it's pressed, this way you can test whether the problem is with the switch or not, basically you have to connect one end of the switch to one end of the diode, I don't know which end to which, at the top of my head, I can't see a problem with testing all 4 possibilities, no guarantees tho
Like A0.C mentioned, it might be backwards too, so it's a good idea to check the orientation from the small scribblings on
Gateron Clears are the softest switches there is, tooooo soft, you might buy a single Cherry MX Red and use the spring inside to replace it with the Gateron Clear version
You might also push the stabiliser slider further, a lot of people experienced stabiliser issues, this is the fix, the cause is a long story, you might go back in the discussions and find a lot of discussions related to the issue
You also need to put a small amount of paper between the keycap and the stabiliser insert, so it stays in place too, but it's a different issue
In the beginning, it's hard to get costar stabs right, but when you do, the key should be very smooth
Just_Otto
1
May 23, 2015
KaanI appreciate all the info you gave me. As a consumer it is kind of annoying that I brought a product and have to go through all these hoops to make it functional. I don't mind fixing the stabilizer, but I am not confident enough to mess with the diode. Going to contact Massdrop about it. You and A0.C have my gratitude though.
Kaan
297
May 23, 2015
Just_OttoNo problem, it might be a good idea to keep pushing tho, unfortunately all keyboards have their issues, I haven't bought one mechanical keyboard and used it without modifications/fixes to date, the best ones were wasd v2's, where only the stabs needed some adjustments (and one clicky switch needed to be replaced)
On my first mechanical keyboard, a wasd v2, I almost gave up at a similar place to where you are, I'm glad I didn't
kip.ricker, the mechanical keyboards like these have rows and columns that the processor scans, there might be something wrong with one of your columns and it might be preventing all the keys in that column from activating, it might be a good idea to check all the diodes to make sure they are on the right orientation and make sure the solder isn't making any additional connections in general
I had a similar issue with my drop1 infinity keyboard, turned out it was because of an insulation issue, the metal case was touching something, don't know what, it caused the entire column or row to fail, it only happened when I screwed the pcb into the case, so it was extremely hard to detect and fix It's probably not the same issue but, I learned that a problem at a specific place might affect some other keys too
The missing diodes are very disturbing, especially if they ripped the pcb sections with them too, I also suggest everyone to strengthen their usb connectors to the best of their ability, similar to the diodes that fall off, the usb connector isn't very strong either, it's just a small suggestion
(Apart from the issue, this is a nice read in general: http://pcbheaven.com/wikipages/How_Key_Matrices_Works/ - before reading this I didn't know what the diodes were for :)
Just_Otto
1
May 23, 2015
KaanDefinitely a good read. Thankfully all the mechanical keyboards I've received up to this point have worked well. My Poker II sometimes wouldn't type "W", but reconnecting the USB fixed it. This only happened twice. Still my daily driver. I also love my V60 Clicky Matias switch keyboard. I got kind of burned on a Model M keyboard, but I feel it just needs a good cleaning, but I still haven't gotten around to it lol.
kip.ricker
4
May 23, 2015
KaanYeah, it's definitely entire rows for me. I've been looking and I can't find anything that looks like it's causing it. One interesting thing I noticed that if I alternate pressing the dead row and the row next to it, it will sometimes work and when it does it will stick and keep repeating.
Kaan
297
May 23, 2015
kip.rickerJust_Otto :) - my V60 with clears was initially pretty hellish too, it was my first keyboard with cherry stabs, I couldn't rest until I opened it and clipped the stabs, after that it was very usable, used it for a month until I got the infinity, the enter switch of the V60 was also the first really faulty switch I had, changed it later on, after using my modded infinity, I can't go back to the V60, my lubed switches really improved the typing experience by eliminating the switch ping - the infinity was also initially pretty hellish, the usb was broken, the diodes were pressing onto the case, but after solving all the issues, I really like it (but comparatively, the V60 felt much much better emotionally, the infinity keyboard really left a bad taste, I'm hoping the ones I get from the new drop will restore my feeling towards the keyboard, I'm certainly not enjoying my feeling :)
kip.ricker: That's definitely a row/column issue indeed, is the pcb screwed into a case or is it free? Did you confirm all diodes have the same orientation?
However, I'm guessing you did all these already, after all, it might just be a damaged processor, or a very unfortunate solder blob/splash that's connecting the row/column connection to a ground line, or likely to another row/column
I know massdrop sends replacement pcb's, however with the scale of this issue, I'm guessing those replacements will be delayed, also there is no guarantee that the replacements will be without issues
xSoarin
20
May 23, 2015
Just_OttoYou bought a diy product, it is assumed you know what your doing. There is no hoops, just experience.
dumle29
3
May 23, 2015
Just_OttoHmm can you get a macro shot of the W key and it's diode? You'd need some good lenses to get an image though :/
If it's like the first dropped infinity keyboards, then the small lines on one side of the diode has to point downwards.
An example of how faint those lines can be, here's a picture from their ergodox kit from a while back:
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kip.ricker
4
May 23, 2015
KaanOk, so I ended up removing the PCB and inspecting both sides fully. There are no visible bridges or shorts. I've gone up and down the affected columns and can't find anything wrong. Diodes are correctly oriented and have good connections, I've swapped the switches and double checked the traces haven't been exposed and covered in solder.
compuguy
94
May 23, 2015
xSoarinTrue, but certain parts that came it the kit came partially assembled, with the assumption that they would work if put together.
Just_Otto
1
May 24, 2015
KaanUpdate on the spacebar situation. With some lube I got the sppacebar usable =]. Frankly I cannot go without the one key working =/. Thinking about jumping on the v60 gateron group buy.
Kaan
297
May 24, 2015
Just_OttoYou're awfully forgiving :) If you just join another drop when one drop fails, it wouldn't encourage massdrop well :)
A temporary solution would be to remove the diode of the rightmost 1u diode and put it on the missing key (The key doesn't serve a crucial purpose) In your situation, I would hold the diode with a tweezer and just remove it slowly by heating both ends just a bit, considering they fall off on their own, it should be easy to remove them manually (this is assuming you don't have solder wick, if you have, just wick the solder a bit, then hold the diode with a tweezer and remove it with heat)
Then you can glue it a bit in place and add just a little bit of solder to both sides, to make the key usable
Jarz
46
May 24, 2015
Just_OttoOtto, I had issues with the stabilizers on my Gateron Blues. It seems the majority of the stabilizers had not been trimmed after coming out of the mold. Meaning pieces of plastic created friction and all stabilizers would stick. I took a Dremel to all of the stabilizers and it fixed my issue. Fine grit sand paper or even a pocket knife would work as well:
search

In regards to the diode issue, here was my fix for that (also in another thread here):
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In my case I was missing a diode but if the diode is faulty this could help.
Could have had better QC but I am excited these were things I was able to fix.
Just_Otto
1
May 25, 2015
JarzThanks Jarz. You kind of motivated me to fix this damn thing lol. I am not the best at soldering in general so this will be quite a chore. Guess I have nothing to lose either though.
Just_Otto
1
May 25, 2015
KaanTrue, I feel like this will be the last time I'll deal with MD. My itch for keyboards overpowered this idealism lol. I think I will take Jarz advice on the diode issue. I really need that key to be functional.
Just_Otto
1
May 25, 2015
JarzAlso, forgive my ignorance but did you solder the new diode onto the metal bit that poked through the PCB for the switch? Looks like it.
Jarz
46
May 25, 2015
Just_OttoYeah I soldered it directly to the switch and then directly to the lowest solder point for the original diode. Which effectively bypassed the path from the switch to the diode on the PCB.
I toyed around with bending the new diodes wires to fit it into the original diodes solder points, but with this type of diode I couldn't get it to reliably work.
Glad to help.
JarzI found an actual Radio Shack, which I thought had all gone out of business, and found what appears to be the same diode you have here. I got it soldered on in the S41 location and now everything is working great. My soldering job on that diode wasn't pretty, but it works and that is what matters. My caps and case are showing up on Tuesday and then she'll be finished!
Thanks for the help everyone!
xSoarin
20
May 25, 2015
compuguycheck and replace.
JarzHi Jarz,
You appear to not have enough solder on your switches. You need to fill in the whole space with solder not just put a tiny dab on there. If you look at your picture, on the bottom right, there is a switch with almost no solder in the joint. Please check all your joints and make sure that they have enough solder in them as that may be the reason for switches not working. It is also ideal if you use flux with these.
Just_OttoCan you please take pictures of the switch in question (the bottom of the PCB)?
Jarz
46
May 25, 2015
OverKillI actually went back through and touched up all my solder points on the other switches, however the only switch I have had any issue with is the switch missing a diode. It would be nice with future drops if spare diodes are included.
Are you also saying I need to add more solder to the missing diode's lower solder point?
Thanks for the tip.
lejboua
6
Jul 11, 2015
KaanAwesome tip! My Esc wasn't working, even after trying another switch. Touching its diode was the solution for my problem. Thank you so much!
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