Hello everyone, I got my Model 01 back in 2017 and it worked well. However, now it seems I’m reaching its end-of-life. Like many 01s it would suffer from a occasional double-typing. Usually the common fix for that worked. However about two weeks ago I came to work to find nearly all keys either double-typing or not doing anything at all. I am not aware that anyone would spill anything on the keyboard or anything like that.
Non-responsive keys start working after pressing them strongly, but still miss clicks or double-click every now and then. Turning the keyboard upside down and pressing repeatedly helps only slightly. Overall it gets better towards the end of the day, but it gets the same next day of after weekend. Either way, having re-type words is getting annoying.
Has anyone experienced such a sudden surge in bad key behavior? Is there something I can try (resoldering something, etc.)? I know that dust and dirt can get in the keys over time, but so many at once? Or should I prepare to get a new Model 100?
Replacing the switches by resoldering them should fix your problems. Matias switches are quite easy to get in bulk. $50 later and you’ll have enough switches for a lifetime. You could even get vintage Alps switches if you don’t like the Matias keyfeel.
Alternatively, you could try to get a Model 100 on ebay or on this forum, there are often great deals from people who bought it out of excitement but ended up not being able to get used to the layour. I got my Model 01 on ebay for around $150 USD
So I’m having most of the keys on the right half of my Model 01 misbehaving the way you describe: double-typing, or typing once on descent then back on ascent of the key… What drives me crazy is, it’s only on the right side keys. None of the left half.
I don’t get it. I’ll order replacement Matias switches and get to soldering as well, because I like the maple look
I guess you already tried another UTP cable. Is it traveling a lot, with disconnecting and reconnecting the UTP perhaps damaging the connector on the right half?
The keyboard didn’t travel at all in the last 3 years. I have not moved it from my desk other than during a move in April, and it worked fine for two months after that.
I’ve got the Matias bag of 200 switches in the mail, so we’ll see how long they last after replacement.
BTW, does anyone have an idea, where I can get spare Matias switches in Europe? The U.S. store is nice, but does not ship to Europe. All the European resellers I tried (or even the official store) seem to just sell keyboards, but not standalone switches…
Matias said they changed the manufacturing process after Keyboardio brought the metal fatigue issue to their attention, and I have not seen anyone complaining about replacement keyswitches also failing, so I suspect you’ll be able to bring your replacement rate to practically zero and still have most of those 200 left over. Keep a few spares and post the rest on the For Sale forum.
Overall it gets better towards the end of the day, but it gets the same next day of after weekend.
I’m curious what could cause this. Is your office cold when you arrive, and warm later in the day?
There are three causes of key chatter that are especially common in the switches Matias provided early in Keyboardio’s manufacturing run: Wandering lubrication, floating right stem, and metal fatigue.
“Floating right stem” is my name for the less known one. It’s described in a thread by user “uosl” with the title “Guide: A second step to fixing key chatter.” I think possibly a lot of cases of this are being under-treated as lubrication problems, or over-treated by replacing the whole switch.
Do email support@keyboard.io about this, especially before you buy a Model 100.
Just got my 200 silent linears, also from the keyboard company. Swapped out the right half tonight. I have to admit, it was quite tedious, and took several hours.
Currently typing with tactiles on the left and lenears on the right
Gonna get myself a new, better solder-sucker and maybe read up on some pro-tips before i do the right half.
I’m curious what could cause this. Is your office cold when you arrive, and warm later in the day?
It is the often the opposite. The AC in the office building is scheduled to turn on around 8 a.m… Before that the room can get hot, especially when there are often several big office printers turned on (we develop sw for those). Also when I am not there, there may be direct sunlight.
The problems did get better overall. Most of the keys went back to behaving correctly only about 4 or 5 have repeated chatter (some other may have rare chatter too).
Anyway, I’ve ordered a batch of keys. Thanks a lot for the link! I will replace just the few problematic ones and watch out for the rest.
I started with a well-reviewed solder sucker, but I’m having an easier time just using fine-braid copper wick.
OK, sometimes I forget to lift it away with the iron, and it gets glued down, but that’s my own fault. My point is, it gets more solder out of the joint with less fuss than the sucker.
To be honest, one shouldn’t even have to do this. The keyboard has cost a fortune.
I myself got two back during the kickstarter day, and both of them still suffer from key chatter years later. I have to do the Isopropyl alcohol workaround once a week, and it really is testing my patience. I absolutely love this keyboard, but the key chatter really sucks and a real and permanent solution has never been proposed by the makers.
I know the feeling. However, as far as I know it was a manufacturing fault from the supplier of the Key Switches. There was no way of knowing that the batch they recieved would have problems over ~9 years later. My Logitech keyboard died sooner than that.
It has been somewhat guarded against the the new version, as you can swap your own out.
I know your pain though. I have 2 pair’s and this has been my weekend. Anyone interested in doing this…just buy a newer board
Ok, so I finally got my batch of keys and got to replacing them… Only to find out that it seems impossible.
I mean, is there some kind of guid or description how to do re-solder a switch? I opened the keyboard only to find out that the switches are snapped onto the metal plate from both sides, or at least it seems that way. It is likely that I am missing something, some kind of trick. Like a $350 keyboard must have been designed from the start with easy maintenance in mind, or not?
Can I ask someone to share a bit of wisdom how to replace just select few keys without messing anything and without having to break down other switches around (or the whole plate)?
@kreeba Thanks a lot! How about the plastic poart once I get the pins out? Is it sort of freely “pullable” out? Asking, because I can see some “flaps” against the bottom of the metal plate that give the feeling they wont just let themselves get pulled back up through the hole.
No, unfortunatly they are not freely pullable, thats why I use the needlenoise tweezers under the 2 side plastic flaps to prize it up. I found a video of me doing it. The trick is to get really pointy tweezers so they can be pushed under the flaps. Do this AFTER using a solder sucker to suck out most of the solder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq3wTMwed-M
I am sure there are better tools/techniques than this but this is using what I had around (the tweezers were in a generic ‘mobile repair kit’ off amazon that had loads of screwdriver pieces. Although I didn’t damage any of the pads, it could easily do so if you put too much pressure on the tweezers.
You can hear the 4 clicks as I desolder the pins. Thinking about it now, I think the clicking sound is coming from those 4 corner clips that hold it in place.
