Re: //e Keyboard problems

[dalloff@gcfn.org (Dave Althoff Jr)]

Martin (martinf@ot.com.au) wrote:
: After an absence of 16 years, I have just picked up an (original
: non-enhanced) Apple IIe (also picked up a IIgs last year but thats another
: story).

: Now, a couple of things:

: (1) One of the keys seems to be very iffy, and more often than not doesn't
: appear to make a good contact. I am assuming its just some dirt or dust, as
: the rest of the keyboard seems to work fine.
: So after many previous explorations and fixes to commodore hardware I have
: in my collection, I started ripping the IIe appart with the hope of finding
: out what the problem was.

: After pulling the keyboard out, unscrewing the PCB, the PCB doesn't want to
: come away from the rest of the keyboard.
: I am assuming that I may have to unsolder possibly a few of the solder
: points ? Or do I need to take off particular (or all) Key Caps ? Or is there
: something else I am missing. I couldn't actually see what was holding the
: PCB still on.

: Some guidence in this area would be a appreciated, it will probably save me
: a lot of time.

Remove the keyboard assembly from the case, don't remove any screws from
the keyboard.  Remove all the solder from the two solder points beneath
the key switch you want to replace, and remove the keyswitch from the
metal plat by squeezing the tabs together and lifting straight up.  The
keycaps on the offending key and ideally on the immediately surrounding
keys need to come off.  No need to remove the PCB from the metal plate,
just remove the offending key from the PCB.  You need a vacuum-type
desoldering tool.  Don't overheat the solder pads; if you do you can lift
the trace from the board.

: (2) Embarrasing question, but as I said, it has been a very long time. Can
: someone refresh my memory on what the switch on the outside of the
: bottom-front-right does ? I can't even remember using it when I had my apple
: all those years ago.

Outside bottom front right?  Must be a European Apple...I think I read
here that there were switches on some of those to change either the
character set or the keyboard layout (maybe both, I dunno).  Mine doesn't
have one.

The inside right switch on the ][+ keyboard is to allow you to require or
not-require use of the CTRL key when pressing RESET.  And there are two
modification traces on the bottom of the ][e keyboard for the same purpose
(caution!  don't press RESET on my ][e unless you mean it!  CONTROL not
required!)

--Dave Althoff, ][.


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