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Mac Plus Alps keyboard switch, anything in the UK?

buserror

Active member
I've got 2 broken switches. Well one is not physically broken, but won't work (looks very clean inside, but no contacts somehow). The other one is definitely broken, but not the stem, the gray 'chassis' instead.

I've googled a bit and it seems the only possible replacements are in the US, which means long delay, taxes, VAT etc etc -- anyone has replacement nearer?
 

mg.man

Well-known member
Maybe... I have some random key switches, not 100% sure they're Alps. Can you post a pic of your broken one(s)?
 

buserror

Active member
Here goes. The one on the left works, but it's gray tabs are broken. I can/will put a drop of superglue on it, as I don't think I plan to disassemble it again anyway.
The one that is disassembled is mechanically fine, BUT doesn't work, can't seem to find out why...
1649094563853.png
 

macuserman

Well-known member
Here goes. The one on the left works, but it's gray tabs are broken. I can/will put a drop of superglue on it, as I don't think I plan to disassemble it again anyway.
The one that is disassembled is mechanically fine, BUT doesn't work, can't seem to find out why...
View attachment 40254
Dumb question maybe, but I assume you tried a different switch in that spot and verified it's the switch that's the problem and not the board? Or hooked up a multimeter to the switch pins in continuity mode and checked it that way to see if it is for sure not triggering?
 

buserror

Active member
Yes I used continuity after removing the switch. I managed to fix one of them too, somehow bending the little blade 'just so' made it work, while no amount of contact fluid seemed to help.
However the keyboard is in very good cosmetic shape, but quite a few keys are hit/miss somehow, I wonder if there is another underlying problem with the board itself. Are there any caps I need to change? Migth be REALLY hard to, I see some caps under the metal chassis, but to get to them I would have to desolder every single key!
 

buserror

Active member
Thanks for checking your stocks @mg.man -- I DID manage to fix the broken key switch. Still have intermittent problem with quite a few other keys, even with deox. I think I'll let it 'rest' a bit as I might have overdosed the keyboard with deox :)
 
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