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Rubber keypad contact repair options...

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creakndale

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I have a 25 year old obsolete alarm system with keypads that are about worn out. I've taken one of the keypads apart and the problem is a lack of conductive material on the back of the rubber membrane due to lots of use. In researching possible solutions, I found 4 that seem viable.

1) Use MG Chemicals 8339 Rubber Keypad Repair Kit.
2) Use Barclay Perma-Pad or similar contact replacements.
3) Use Chemtronics CW2605 Rubber Keypad Repair Kit.
4) Purchase a used keypad from eBay.

Has anybody had any experience with the first 3 products and obtained long term success? Or possibly some other repair option?

creakndale
 
Creakndale,

I have used the CW2605 on a customers remote control (Onkyo Amp) and it has continued to work for the last three years. One other thought on the security keypad though, I have repaired several by a through cleaning of the PCB. There seems to develop a oily residue that prevents good contact. The cleaning method is a good first step not much invested and if does not do the job then you can order the repair kit.

MrKay
 
I just give the board and the buttons a really good clean with isopropyl and let it fully dry, then I take a soft graphite pencil and give the buttons a good rub up with it...depending on use, usually lasts a couple of years :>)

rgds
 
I did clean the contact areas on the PC board and the conductive membrane buttons with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and Q-tips with the understanding that the Alcohol might drawing out the oils in the rubber.

The measured resistance of the good membrane buttons appears to be 100 to 150 ohms. It's more difficult to get readings on the bad buttons since the conductive material is worn away in some areas but intact in others. I was able to measure between 300 to 1K ohms. It does work better after the cleaning.

The easiest fix is to not use those particular 4 digits for the alarm code and reprogram the alarm to use the remaining good digits. However, I'm looking for a permanent fix since I plan to sell this house in the next couple of years.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm probably going to try the MG Chemicals 8339 Rubber Keypad Kit. I also have an old RCA TV remote that needs rejuvenated.

creakndale
 
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