3 replies to this topic

[JJDreese]

I bought a used Orion XT10g and the ESC key didn't work on the SynScan hand controller. It turns out the underlying electrical contact pads had some corrosion or dirt on them. I used the old technique that I used to clean slot car contacts.  It's pretty easy. You'll need a skinny Phillips head screwdriver and a pencil eraser.

WARNING: Be very careful because taking this apart could break something.

1) Flip it over and remove the six Phillips head screws. Then remove the back half.
2) Remove the two Phillips head screwdrivers that hold down the end with the RJ6/phone jack connectors (circled in yellow).

3) Carefully lift up the circuit boards from that end, tilting them up so you can see all of the gold contact pads.

4) Use a pencil eraser to gently clean the pads pertaining to the button that no longer works (see red circles for the ESC button contacts).

5) Just reverse the process to close it back up, being careful not to pinch any wires.

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 
• 
• 

[macdonjh]

Good tip.  I've done something similar to my SynScan hand controllers.  It is amazing how much junk collects under the rubber key pad buttons over time.

[junomike]

I've done this a few times over the yrs.  Learned it from my Vintage Synth days (same thing needed for sticky keys).

[RogerM]

And remember to swab with a little touch of isopropanol afterwards.  Some pencil erasers have vegetable oil plasticizers that leave a non-conductive residue.

 

In my tech days burnishing the contacts on banks of relays we used lots of swabs and a product called Contact Re-Nu. If the surfaces were badly pitted we brought out the 2000 grit...but that method was only for solid not plated contacts.