Peculiar Unicomp buglet

vometia · 19 Jan 2015, 13:51

Hi all,

Hope nobody minds me making a new topic for this: I wasn't sure if there was a generic "keyboard problems" thread I should post in...

Er, anyway, my Unicomp Model M (USB space saver, by which I mean the new 104 key type) seems to have spontaneously developed a fault where every alternate function key no longer works: so F1, F3 and F5 work as expected but F2, F4, F6 etc don't register at all. As far as I can tell, the only other key affected is "the key to the left of 1" where the tilde is on US keyboards.

Anybody have any clues about what could be the problem? And, more to the point, if it could be fixed? Hopefully it won't involve a soldering iron, since me and practical skills don't really mix.

chzel · 19 Jan 2015, 14:02

Do you have a 5,5mm nut driver?

vometia · 19 Jan 2015, 14:14

I do, fortunately! One of my SSKs was decidedly grubby so I bought one in order to give it a good clean. Now I just need to remember in which "safe place" I left it...

chzel · 19 Jan 2015, 14:57

I am sure it will reveal itself the moment you buy a replacement...

When you get it open, remove and replug the membrane connectors, just in case it is not making good contact.
What where you doing before or while the problem surfaced? Did you move or clean the keyboard? Any information helps!

BTW, it would be nice to refrain from using SSK (which we understand to mean IBM Space Saving Keyboard) to describe the "Unicomp Space Saver"! It creates unnecessary confusion!

seebart · 19 Jan 2015, 15:07

chzel wrote: ↑BTW, it would be nice to refrain from using SSK (which we understand to mean IBM Space Saving Keyboard) to describe the "Unicomp Space Saver"! It creates unnecessary confusion!

yes if it is ever built that will be the USK which in germany is also the classification sytem for the movie ratings.

: USK18-Logo-BPJM.png (14.14 KiB) Viewed 1700 times

vometia · 19 Jan 2015, 16:13

chzel wrote: ↑BTW, it would be nice to refrain from using SSK (which we understand to mean IBM Space Saving Keyboard) to describe the "Unicomp Space Saver"! It creates unnecessary confusion!

I'll give that a try when I can face letting my clumsy fingers loose on it! As far as I'm aware, there's no obvious cause, which is why it's such a mystery. One day it worked, the next it didn't.

And that was me trying to avoid confusion and clearly failing miserably.

My day-to-day keyboard is an old IBM-badged 85-key SSK, and the misbehaving Unicomp is a Space Saver, or whatever it's precise name is. I think they could've averted a lot of confusion by calling it a "slimline" or something like that...

chzel · 19 Jan 2015, 20:17

vometia wrote: ↑And that was me trying to avoid confusion and clearly failing miserably. My day-to-day keyboard is an old IBM-badged 85-key SSK, and the misbehaving Unicomp is a Space Saver, or whatever it's precise name is. I think they could've averted a lot of confusion by calling it a "slimline" or something like that...

It not all your fault! I assumed you had a couple of Unicomps!

Unicomp should have called it Ultra Classic for Mac or something! Imagine the confusion if they ever manage to release their TKL!

Muirium · 19 Jan 2015, 20:40

Absolutely. Back when I'd first heard of SSKs (and was verrrrrry keen to get one) I happened to be browsing Unicomp's site and noticed the "Space Saver" name. I was delighted for all of 60 seconds or so when I discovered nope, not *that* kind of space saver. It's all just full size boards there. Ho hum.

vometia · 21 Jan 2015, 14:47

I thought I'd have a look today, but I'm already a bit stumped. I've got the top cover off thanks to having the seemingly notorious screw-removing socket thingy in my possession, but I'm now scratching my head. I'm assuming that the best way to get at the ribbon cable isn't to attempt to unscrew the mini circuit boardlet in the top right but rather to lift the entire keyboard assembly out of the bottom of the case.

Trouble is, I can't see an obvious way of freeing it, and knowing me, I'll pull it and tug it in various creative ways until I creatively break it. Which I'd rather not do. My keyboard may already be irreparably broken, I'm not sure, but at this early stage there's no need for me to make absolutely sure it never works again!

Can anybody offer a clue for the clueless?

chzel · 21 Jan 2015, 15:11

I am not familiar with the specifics of the Unicomp (if it is any different than the M) but the whole assembly should just lift out of the bottom half, controller and all (starting from the back).
Then you unbolt the cable that bolts to the plate and voila, access to the ribbons.
If none of that makes sense, maybe the layout is different.
A couple of pics would help!