Very Odd Problem with Alps / Alps Clone Keyboards

[hellothere]

I'm really starting to suspect it's me. Which worries me.

I've had 5 or 6 Alps and Alps clone keyboards and a Matias Ergo Pro over the past few months. All of them, except for an original Apple keyboard with orange Alps and an Apple Extended Keyboard II with cream damped Alps, "ghost" or echo the "S" key, like thissss. Not all the time, but often enough that it's extremely annoying. Generally, replacing the switch fixes it. The Matias is a definite exception, but that could be a quality control issue.

I've used different adapters for 5 Pin Din and PS/2 to USB. My PC also has a PS/2 port, so I've tried to use that directly and/or with a 5 Pin DIN adapter to PS/2.

I don't have this problem with other keyboards, just the Alps and Alps clones and it's just the "S." I haven't checked if it's only lower case or upper case, tho.

Any ideas? I'm thinking about wiring up a Soarer's Converter to go directly from a 5 Pin DIN to USB and see if that makes a difference. I used a "Drakware" converter with the Apple keyboards.

[Jesseg]

So, you're saying you've had 5 keyboards that only ghost the S key?

[hellothere]

At least four.

The current one I'm playing with is a Chicony with pine white Alps. I replaced the 5 pin DIN to PS/2 adapter with a brand new one from Unicomp and I replaced the PS/2 to USB adapter to one that I know works great. Same problem. Tested on both my Mac and PC. Even tried a powered USB hub.

After the first two that had the same problem, I started wondering if there's some sort of special internal wiring that separates the side or row of the keyboard that has the "S" key. But we're talking different motherboards. Maybe there's some odd grounding issue that I'm not properly addressing.

[Yasu0]

Gamers do press the S key disproportionately a lot, also in English use its a top ten letter. But 4 or 5, Those odds have got to still be very high... unless you have an static electro zap in your left ring finger.

FYI I also have one keyboard which repeats the S key. Also the R sometimes, another top ten most used letter.

[inmbolmie]

This has to be a glitch in the Matrix.

[hellothere]

Gamers do press the S key disproportionately a lot, also in English use its a top ten letter. But 4 or 5, Those odds have got to still be very high... unless you have an static electro zap in your left ring finger.

FYI I also have one keyboard which repeats the S key. Also the R sometimes, another top ten most used letter.

TRNSLE. Most commonly used letters. They now give these to you at the finale of "Wheel of Fortune" because those were the ones everyone was picking.

I don't remember if I removed any of the switches Alps clone keyboards that came my way, before I found the "S" problem, so that's a possibility. The Chicony was a complete teardown of the entire board, as well as desoldering, disassembling, cleaning, and lubing all the switches.

I'll also mention that I don't really know how to type, so I generally hit S with my middle finger.

[gipetto]

If it was a medical issue then your finger would be on the s button, but if its an electrical issue then your finger is away. check while you type.

[hellothere]

So, my Chicony is now about 90% restored. I swapped out the S key with another one that I knew worked fine and ... still a problem. I should probably schedule a doctor visit.