Cable TV remote control reassembly

[Gib Bogle]

This is a real puzzle. My daughter dropped her remote control and it came apart. There are three pieces: the top and bottom of the case, the circuit board, and the silicone rubber(?) strip with all the keys. Putting it back together is child's play - the circuit board fits into the case bottom, the keypad fits into the case top, and the two halves click together. But the keys do not stay firmly protruding from the case, they fall down inside, so the tips are level with the surface. Needless to say the control doesn't work.

Neither of us can see what is supposed to retain the silicone keypad tightly against the case top. She swears that there was no other part to be found when the case split open. I have an identical control, but I am reluctant to take it apart in case I run into the same problem.

I can't see who made the control (it only shows the name of the cable company (VTR) here in Chile), but I'm guessing that most controls use a very similar design. I'm usually able to figure out how things work, and often able to fix them, but this one has me stumped. Any ideas?

Thanks, Gib

[Jeff Layman]

Not that it might have anything to do with your problem, but why in the picture on the right (pieces.jpg) is the right-hand side of the case - with the back of the keypad showing - upside down with respect to the left-hand side of the case? They will not fit together that way.

[Gib Bogle]

You are right, they wouldn't fit together that way. But it's only a photo. There is also a photo of the control assembled. As I said at the start, the pieces are very easily assembled, but the silicone keypad is loose instead of tight against the case.

[Dave Liquorice]

That's unusual. the conductive bit of each button is normally ressesed until pushed. It then becomes proud and makes contact with the board.

I think there must be perforated frame that sits between the silicone buttons and the board that has done a pingfuckit. This frame would keep the proud button contacts clear of the board and to hold the membrane in place against the case top.

[Gib Bogle]

I agree Dave. That's all I can think of. But my daughter insists that there was no other piece, and such a frame would be quite big, hard to lose. But not impossible. Maybe it went under the fridge. I'll pass your message on to her and suggest that she does a more thorough search. Cheers, Gib

[Paul]

Works fine here.

It's possible someone who has a Google Drive account would get prompted to log into their own Google Drive (because Google loves to copy stuff to another drive as a free means of using up the users capacity).

Looking at your picture of the two assembled remotes, the one with the buttons not at the right height, it appears the buttons in the center are the least high, the ones on the ends are almost the right height. As if the PCB is bowed a bit. See if you can find anything in the middle of the remote, causing the PCB to not sit down. Usually there are two alignment posts in the middle of the plastic body, that have to clear the PCB and they hold the PCB centered within the remote.

Paul

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Well, in one remote here there is a kind of slide in slot in the top half which holds both the rubber bit and the board. Its not mega strong though until you clip the bottom bit back on. The trouble is there seem to be almost infinite variations on this theme from what I've heard. Thus if you put the board in the bottom it will all rattle about inside. The tell tale is the position of the battery connections being a bit wrong and wobbly. Of course as has been said, there could be some bits missing like a spacer. Brian

[Andy Burns]

does it screw or clip together? If the latter are the halves pressed firmly enough together?

[Dave Liquorice]

Or the cooker...

Time to carefully open yours up I think to find out how it is supposed to go to go together and to show daughter the missing part. B-)

[Gib Bogle]

She swears that she has looked everywhere thoroughly (including under the fridge), and that she couldn't miss a piece like that. I don't think there is space under the cooker. Mind you, she is caring for two babies under the age of two, and her mind is a bit overloaded. The way the unit clips together makes it hard to pull apart, so I'm reluctant to do it. I am extremely curious though ...

[Dave W]

Your first photo seems to show a gap between the two halves, as if they are not fully clicked together?

[Gib Bogle]

They are fully clicked together.