130xe keyboard problem

[AtariLeaf]

Ok I picked this up yesterday and it seems the function keys won't respond. All the other keys work fine except for the Start, Select, Option, Reset, Help.

So I take the keyboard off and clean the contacts. They were pretty black so I figured that was the problem so I cleaned them off with an eraser. Still no go. After this I'm stuck. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

From what I've read in some newsgroups, this is a common problem

[AtariLeaf]

Update:

 

The mylar looks burnt along the circuit to these 5 buttons so thats probably it. Oh well, at least I have the 2 800xl's. Still, if anyone knows of a cheap way to fix or clean the circuit instead of replacing the mylar or keyboard itself, I'll give it a try.

[Callipygous]

Yeah the conductive trace isn't completing the circuit to those keys. It may be more trouble than its worth but you can buy conductive ink and go over the traces to that set of keys. Here is a posting from someone that I saved a while back describing the process:

 

"Another answer that I demoed years ago at the LIAUG (Long Island Atari User Group) meeting is to get either Nickel Print or another conductive paint (one uses silver and comes in a pen type dispenser) Remove the keyboard of the 130 and remove all of the screws from the back. (about 20-25) you will find a plastic sheet that has conductive traces painted on it. Using the silver dispensing paint pen or a small artist brush and the Nickel Print (keep mixing this stuff the nickel iracs heavy and precipitates out quickly) you can repaint the traces and repair them. To find the bad spot if you have a meter and set it to its conductivity setting (the one where it makes noise when the probes are touching) you can start at the location where the key makes contact with one of the two pads that it will hit when normally pressed and follow the trace down to the bottom of the connector that plugs into the computer moving a few inches at a time listening for the sound that the meter makes so that you know each segment is conducting. If you see a physical break or lose conductivity you can paint over the bad spot to restore operation. Be certain when your done painting that you let the paint dry and check that you haven't painted a trail from one trace to another."

 

Best Electronics sells new improved mylars but its kind of expensive.

[Guy Ferrante]

Hi,

 

This is a common problem with the Atari 130 XE keyboard.

I used Nickel Print to fix the traces a few times. This seems to be a quick

fix and give you enough time to order a new mylar from Best Electronics.

 

A new mylar will last at lease 10 years.

 

-Atari8man-