Remote control buttons fix?

[Harry Bloomfield]

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?

[Brian Gaff]

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

[Clive Arthur]

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

[alan_m]

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? :)

[Harry Bloomfield]

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 :'(

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

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.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

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

[GB]

You can buy contact cleaner spray. Does that help?

This stuff, for example.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

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

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

I've never needed to buy it.

[GB]

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

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

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

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Look for the hidden screws under the labels.