C64 Keyboard Question

[fatwizard]

Hello to all here in the Commodore forum.

I finally got around to firing up an old C64 that a customer had given me years ago. I didn't have a proper power supply, but I rigged up a makeshift one with a PC supply giving the 5V DC, and an old Atari 9V AC adapter all wired to a seven pin DIN. To my surprise and pleasure it booted right up to basic.

In fact, the only issue it seems to have is the keyboard is kind of spotty. It's not made like other keyboards I'm more familiar with, and I thought this would be the place to ask for advice on cleaning it up.

This is my first post here, but I have left some tracks in the PC and Atari forums, and I've been at this (computers) since I got my first one in 1982, and this is the very first time I've had a working Commodore 64!

Kind of embarrassing.

I am grateful for your thoughts.

 

[KC9UDX]

Spotty? As in keys are intermittent and sometimes double-strike?

This is quite common. I've disassembled and cleaned them before, but, usually all I do is spray contact cleaner down inside the keyboard, blast it out with compressed air, and rapid-fire press each key 100 times or so.

 

[fatwizard]

Yeah, I guess spotty isn't very precise. Some keys are not responsive, some have to be pestered a bit, and some double strike. I wasn't sure if a zillion springs or something would come flying out of it if I took it apart. Thanks for the info. I'll give it a shot.

 

[zylon]

I take them apart and clean the carbon contacts under the keys and the contacts on the board. The little screws underneath are easy, but you do have to desolder the 2 leads for the Caps Lock key before you can really get in there.
I've got about 5-6 of those brown keyboards saved from old Vic-20's and C64 breadbins.

 

[KC9UDX]

OK. Keep us posted. It's been 25 years since I took one of those keyboards apart, and I still have all the springs from one of them. Yes, there are a zillion springs! :D But, I don't recall if they come flying out when you take it apart. Maybe someone who has taken one apart recently can chime in.

 

[zylon]

OK. Keep us posted. It's been 25 years since I took one of those keyboards apart, and I still have all the springs from one of them. Yes, there are a zillion springs! :D But, I don't recall if they come flying out when you take it apart. Maybe someone who has taken one apart recently can chime in.

C64/vic-20 keyboards have the springs under the keycaps. They'll stay put when you open one up. Atari XL's were the ones that sent all the little springs flying all over. Did that more than a couple times.

 

[badmofo]

I've pulled a couple apart recently and they're very easy to work with once you get the keycaps off. To do that I use an IC puller:

Just make sure you position it centrally under the key and pull straight up with a sharp jerking action. That way you don't break the stem or lose the spring. I restored a C64 case / keyboard recently and there's some more pics in this thread regarding the keyboard, which might be helpful:

http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=39567

 

[fatwizard]

Fantastic! This is all just what I needed. I have removed the bottom plate and I am at home with the carbon puck in the rubber dome tech. I confess I didn't think that's what I would find. The caps Lock key is totally bugged up and I had it out first. I though maybe the other keys were similar but without a latch. I am confident now of getting it working, save for the Caps Lock key which will need replacing.

I can clean up the top part well enough without even removing the key caps. My old dust collectors get cleaned and made to operate with their original perfection (however imperfect that may have been), but a complete cosmetic restoration requires skills I really don't have. I don't mind that they look old, and they don't care that I do.

Thanks to you all, and a way cool media hub badmofo. Astonishing paint job!

After I get the old C64 back together I have two 1541 floppy drives sitting on the shelf where the C64 hung out for years. I figure good odds of getting at least one of them going. Going to have to scare up a boot disk, now that I think about it, but I haven't even tried looking for that yet. Fun fun!

Thanks Thanks Thanks!

 

[dhoelzer]

I've pulled a couple apart recently and they're very easy to work with once you get the keycaps off. To do that I use an IC puller:

Wow, that's super. I've never had any success pulling keycaps off of a C64. The things are so stinkin tight!