A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the
contact across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to work -
what is the latest wisdom for fixing them please?

I seem to recall there is a kit one can get on ebay that has little pads of
a conductive stuff one fashions to fit each button.


Are you sure in your case its not the lubricant in the rubber which is
solidifying and getting in the little pits where the tracks are and stopping
a connection occuring?
I've had no end of trouble this way with Goodmans controls, I have a friend
now who takes them apart and cleans them out every few months. I'm convinced
its a deliberate self destructive design!

Brian

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"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
news
A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the contact
across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to work - what is the
latest wisdom for fixing them please?

On 08/01/2017 11:57, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the contact
across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to work - what is
the latest wisdom for fixing them please?

I fixed a 'pocket dictionary' thing for my dad. It uses about 30
conductive rubber buttons which had worn out.

I used a black plastic anti-static bag, the sort which electronic
components or assemblies are often kept in. (Or were - nowadays it
seems that a transparent plastic is more often used, and I don't know if
that would work.)

I cut this up into short strips and glued them onto each rubber pad with
a smear of RTV silicone.

Worked a treat.

Cheers
--
Clive

On 08/01/2017 11:57, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the contact
across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to work - what is
the latest wisdom for fixing them please?


I've 'repaired' many by just dismantling, washing all component parts
under a cold running tap, drying with paper towel and then just leaving
the dismantled parts in a warm place (on top of a radiator/airing
cupboard) for a day. Re-assembly is the reverse of dismantling.

You may find the high resistance is from crud (contaminated sweat from
hands/food/drink) migrating by capillary action between the rubber key
membrane and the pcb. Usually its only one or two keys that stop working
reliably.

You have replaced the batteries?

--
mailto: news {at} admac {dot] myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

alan_m was thinking very hard :
On 08/01/2017 11:57, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the contact
across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to work - what is
the latest wisdom for fixing them please?


I've 'repaired' many by just dismantling, washing all component parts under a
cold running tap, drying with paper towel and then just leaving the
dismantled parts in a warm place (on top of a radiator/airing cupboard) for a
day. Re-assembly is the reverse of dismantling.

You may find the high resistance is from crud (contaminated sweat from
hands/food/drink) migrating by capillary action between the rubber key
membrane and the pcb. Usually its only one or two keys that stop working
reliably.

You have replaced the batteries?

I have tried washing it out before. It is an old one, little used and
with all the current 10mA passing through the button contacts.
Resistance was up in the 400K range, but the remote works if the
contacts are shorted properly.

I have super glued cooking foil over the rubber contacts and it is
working again. Easy way to check is to shine the remote at a camera and
view the image.

The cooker hood fan seems to have failed now, in the middle of cooking
Sunday dinner - something else to fix :'(

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
alan_m was thinking very hard :
On 08/01/2017 11:57, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the
contact across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to
work - what is the latest wisdom for fixing them please?


I've 'repaired' many by just dismantling, washing all component
parts under a cold running tap, drying with paper towel and then
just leaving the dismantled parts in a warm place (on top of a
radiator/airing cupboard) for a day. Re-assembly is the reverse of
dismantling. You may find the high resistance is from crud (contaminated
sweat
from hands/food/drink) migrating by capillary action between the
rubber key membrane and the pcb. Usually its only one or two keys
that stop working reliably.

You have replaced the batteries?

I have tried washing it out before. It is an old one, little used and
with all the current 10mA passing through the button contacts.
Resistance was up in the 400K range, but the remote works if the
contacts are shorted properly.

I have super glued cooking foil over the rubber contacts and it is
working again. Easy way to check is to shine the remote at a camera
and view the image.

The cooker hood fan seems to have failed now, in the middle of cooking
Sunday dinner - something else to fix :'(

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and cleaned
it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.

On Sun, 08 Jan 2017 17:03:47 -0000, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
alan_m was thinking very hard :
On 08/01/2017 11:57, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the
contact across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to
work - what is the latest wisdom for fixing them please?


I've 'repaired' many by just dismantling, washing all component
parts under a cold running tap, drying with paper towel and then
just leaving the dismantled parts in a warm place (on top of a
radiator/airing cupboard) for a day. Re-assembly is the reverse of
dismantling. You may find the high resistance is from crud (contaminated
sweat
from hands/food/drink) migrating by capillary action between the
rubber key membrane and the pcb. Usually its only one or two keys
that stop working reliably.

You have replaced the batteries?

I have tried washing it out before. It is an old one, little used and
with all the current 10mA passing through the button contacts.
Resistance was up in the 400K range, but the remote works if the
contacts are shorted properly.

I have super glued cooking foil over the rubber contacts and it is
working again. Easy way to check is to shine the remote at a camera
and view the image.

The cooker hood fan seems to have failed now, in the middle of cooking
Sunday dinner - something else to fix :'(

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and cleaned
it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.

I thought you were supposed to use KY Jelly with rubbers?

--
The sailor does not pray for wind, he learns to sail -- Gustaf Lindborg

On 08/01/2017 17:03, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and cleaned
it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.


You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642

GB wrote:
On 08/01/2017 17:03, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and
cleaned it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.


You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642

I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.

James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Sun, 08 Jan 2017 17:03:47 -0000, Mr Pounder Esquire
wrote:
Harry Bloomfield wrote:
alan_m was thinking very hard :
On 08/01/2017 11:57, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the
contact across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to
work - what is the latest wisdom for fixing them please?


I've 'repaired' many by just dismantling, washing all component
parts under a cold running tap, drying with paper towel and then
just leaving the dismantled parts in a warm place (on top of a
radiator/airing cupboard) for a day. Re-assembly is the reverse of
dismantling. You may find the high resistance is from crud
(contaminated sweat
from hands/food/drink) migrating by capillary action between the
rubber key membrane and the pcb. Usually its only one or two keys
that stop working reliably.

You have replaced the batteries?

I have tried washing it out before. It is an old one, little used
and with all the current 10mA passing through the button contacts.
Resistance was up in the 400K range, but the remote works if the
contacts are shorted properly.

I have super glued cooking foil over the rubber contacts and it is
working again. Easy way to check is to shine the remote at a camera
and view the image.

The cooker hood fan seems to have failed now, in the middle of
cooking Sunday dinner - something else to fix :'(

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and
cleaned it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.

I thought you were supposed to use KY Jelly with rubbers?

I've never needed to buy it.

On 08/01/2017 18:03, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:
GB wrote:
On 08/01/2017 17:03, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and
cleaned it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.


You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642

I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.


I have a controller that can't be dismantled. I was thinking of spray
some of that stuff in and hoping for the best!

On Sun, 08 Jan 2017 18:05:50 -0000, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:

James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Sun, 08 Jan 2017 17:03:47 -0000, Mr Pounder Esquire
wrote:
Harry Bloomfield wrote:
alan_m was thinking very hard :
On 08/01/2017 11:57, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
A simple remote control which uses the conductive rubber for the
contact across the PCB has failed/ become too high resistance to
work - what is the latest wisdom for fixing them please?


I've 'repaired' many by just dismantling, washing all component
parts under a cold running tap, drying with paper towel and then
just leaving the dismantled parts in a warm place (on top of a
radiator/airing cupboard) for a day. Re-assembly is the reverse of
dismantling. You may find the high resistance is from crud
(contaminated sweat
from hands/food/drink) migrating by capillary action between the
rubber key membrane and the pcb. Usually its only one or two keys
that stop working reliably.

You have replaced the batteries?

I have tried washing it out before. It is an old one, little used
and with all the current 10mA passing through the button contacts.
Resistance was up in the 400K range, but the remote works if the
contacts are shorted properly.

I have super glued cooking foil over the rubber contacts and it is
working again. Easy way to check is to shine the remote at a camera
and view the image.

The cooker hood fan seems to have failed now, in the middle of
cooking Sunday dinner - something else to fix :'(

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and
cleaned it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.

I thought you were supposed to use KY Jelly with rubbers?

I've never needed to buy it.

Depends how thick the meat is.

--
The only differences between lawyers and prostitutes are that prostitutes are generally better looking and more honest about how they make a living.

On Sun, 08 Jan 2017 18:08:42 -0000, GB wrote:

On 08/01/2017 18:03, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:
GB wrote:
On 08/01/2017 17:03, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and
cleaned it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.


You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642

I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.


I have a controller that can't be dismantled. I was thinking of spray
some of that stuff in and hoping for the best!

They all can, may need prising carefully.

--
The only differences between lawyers and prostitutes are that prostitutes are generally better looking and more honest about how they make a living.

On 08/01/2017 18:48, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:

You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642


I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.


I have a controller that can't be dismantled. I was thinking of spray
some of that stuff in and hoping for the best!

They all can, may need prising carefully.


Not this particular one, but thanks for your insightful post.

"GB" wrote in message
news
On 08/01/2017 18:48, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:

You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642


I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.


I have a controller that can't be dismantled. I was thinking of spray
some of that stuff in and hoping for the best!

They all can, may need prising carefully.


Not this particular one, but thanks for your insightful post.


They all can, albeit with slight damage.
--
Dave W

On Sun, 08 Jan 2017 19:14:59 -0000, GB wrote:

On 08/01/2017 18:48, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:

You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642


I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.


I have a controller that can't be dismantled. I was thinking of spray
some of that stuff in and hoping for the best!

They all can, may need prising carefully.


Not this particular one, but thanks for your insightful post.

I've never come across anything that can't. What on earth makes you think you can't? It'll be clips or glue if there's no hidden screws.

--
An optimist thinks this is the best possible world.
A pessimist fears this is true.

GB wrote:
On 08/01/2017 18:03, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:
GB wrote:
On 08/01/2017 17:03, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:

Bit late for me to comment:
We have a Sky remote that was playing up. I took the rubber out and
cleaned it with nail varnish remover.
The remote has been working fine for over a year now.


You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642

I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.


I have a controller that can't be dismantled. I was thinking of spray
some of that stuff in and hoping for the best!

I think that with care and a sharp knife the back will just ping off.

On 08/01/2017 20:18, Dave W wrote:
"GB" wrote in message
news
On 08/01/2017 18:48, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:

You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642


I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.


I have a controller that can't be dismantled. I was thinking of spray
some of that stuff in and hoping for the best!

They all can, may need prising carefully.


Not this particular one, but thanks for your insightful post.


They all can, albeit with slight damage.

That's what I thought, but this one seems to have been very thoroughly
glued together. It's for a very very old PVR, but probably worth a
squirt of contact cleaner.

On Mon, 09 Jan 2017 10:07:35 -0000, GB wrote:

On 08/01/2017 20:18, Dave W wrote:
"GB" wrote in message
news
On 08/01/2017 18:48, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:

You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...cleaner-292642


I did not have any to hand.
What I used worked.


I have a controller that can't be dismantled. I was thinking of spray
some of that stuff in and hoping for the best!

They all can, may need prising carefully.


Not this particular one, but thanks for your insightful post.


They all can, albeit with slight damage.

That's what I thought, but this one seems to have been very thoroughly
glued together. It's for a very very old PVR, but probably worth a
squirt of contact cleaner.

Some sort of glue dissolver rubbed into the edges with a small paintbrush?

--
Before you set out on a journey, ring your local radio station and say there's a terrible congestion on your road. Everybody avoids it and it's clear for you! -- Jack Dee