30 Dec
2012
30 Dec
'12
2:59 p.m.
I have two Model F keyboards (original PC or XT) that have gone bad due
to an intermittent connection in the DIN connector. I'm not sure how
these were originally assembled, but in the mode of failure that I have
the pins (embedded in the round black plastic that spaces them) come out
of the rubber sleeve. Pressing tightly restores connection for a little
bit, but it is not really usable that way.
Finding the DIN plug is not a problem. But I really don't want to hack
off the end of the cable with the nice molded IBM plug. These are not
museum pieces, but I'd like the repair to be unobtrusive.
Has anybody else run into this problem and attempted a fix? I'm also
open to just replacing the cord entirely, but I doubt that there is a
surplus of originals laying around anywhere.
Mike
30 Dec
30 Dec
3:32 p.m.
--- On Sun, 12/30/12, Michael B. Brutman <mbbrutman-cctalk at brutman.com> wrote:
Has anybody else run into this problem and attempted
a
fix??
Yes, I ran into this exact problem a couple of years ago. And I just cut the plug off and
soldered a new one on.
Sure, I lost the pretty IBM molded plug, but, now I have a keyboard that works. A keyboard
that doesn't work is useless. And it's not like IBM keyboards are rare or
anything.
I don't know if you're going to be able to fix this without doing the same or
similar. The problem is that the wires have broken free from the pins, and there is no way
that I know of to disassemble the connector without destroying it. Unless you can somehow
get really creative with a heat gun? I've disassembled molded plugs before, but it
always involved cutting the housing apart, then replacing the removed housing with
something standard (i.e. a molded 13W3, cut off/heat gunned from it's housing, fitted
into a standard one after re-use)
Another thing I've done in the past was really for replacing broken off pins, but you
can drill a hole down into the connector and really ram something down in there - in my
case, it was a custom mini-DIN on a set of amplified speakers. I drilled a tiny hole next
to the broken stub of the pin, and heated a straight pin and jammed it into there with
pliers. Once clipped flush with the other pins, the repair worked just fine for years.
Perhaps, if only one pin is intermittent (use your meter to check), you could do something
similar? No idea if this would help in this situation, since I think the problem is the
connection at the back of the pin itself, and if you pull out the old pin, I don't
know what, if anything, would be available to connect to.
-Ian
9:47 p.m.
On Sun, Dec 30, 2012 at 04:59:39PM -0600, Michael B. Brutman wrote:
I have two Model F keyboards (original PC or XT) that have gone bad
due to an intermittent connection in the DIN connector. I'm not
sure how these were originally assembled, but in the mode of failure
that I have the pins (embedded in the round black plastic that
spaces them) come out of the rubber sleeve. Pressing tightly
restores connection for a little bit, but it is not really usable
that way.
Finding the DIN plug is not a problem. But I really don't want to
hack off the end of the cable with the nice molded IBM plug. These
are not museum pieces, but I'd like the repair to be unobtrusive.
Well said.
Has anybody else run into this problem and attempted a fix? I'm
also open to just replacing the cord entirely, but I doubt that
there is a surplus of originals laying around anywhere.
Email the guy at clickykeyboards.com and ask if he has the complete cable.
And sign up for geekhack.com and ask the guys over there also. It's probably
the biggest English language keyboard forum on the net right now.
31 Dec
31 Dec
7:04 a.m.
I have IBM XT and AT kbds that are missing keycaps. I could pull the cable
assembly for you, $10 plus postage.
Cindy Croxton
Electronics Plus
1613 Water Street
Kerrville, TX 78028
(830)792-3400 phone (830)792-3404 fax
AOL IM elcpls
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of microcode at zoho.com
Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 11:47 PM
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: IBM Model F DIN connector repair
On Sun, Dec 30, 2012 at 04:59:39PM -0600, Michael B. Brutman wrote:
I have two Model F keyboards (original PC or XT) that have gone bad
due to an intermittent connection in the DIN connector. I'm not sure
how these were originally assembled, but in the mode of failure that I
have the pins (embedded in the round black plastic that spaces them)
come out of the rubber sleeve. Pressing tightly restores connection
for a little bit, but it is not really usable that way.
Finding the DIN plug is not a problem. But I really don't want to
hack off the end of the cable with the nice molded IBM plug. These
are not museum pieces, but I'd like the repair to be unobtrusive.
Well said.
Has anybody else run into this problem and attempted a fix? I'm also
open to just replacing the cord entirely, but I doubt that there is a
surplus of originals laying around anywhere.
Email the guy at clickykeyboards.com and ask if he has the complete cable.
And sign up for geekhack.com and ask the guys over there also. It's probably
the biggest English language keyboard forum on the net right now.
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6:24 p.m.
On 12/30/2012 04:59 PM, Michael B. Brutman wrote:
I have two Model F keyboards (original PC or XT) that have gone bad due to
an intermittent connection in the DIN connector. I'm not sure how these
were originally assembled, but in the mode of failure that I have the pins
(embedded in the round black plastic that spaces them) come out of the
rubber sleeve. Pressing tightly restores connection for a little bit, but
it is not really usable that way.
Finding the DIN plug is not a problem. But I really don't want to hack off
the end of the cable with the nice molded IBM plug. These are not museum
pieces, but I'd like the repair to be unobtrusive.
Has anybody else run into this problem and attempted a fix?
What's at the other end of the cable? It's been so long that I don't
remember. I assume it goes via some molded strain-relief widget at the
keyboard end, but does it terminate within the keyboard with a plug that
*is* replaceable (or perhaps wires soldered straight to a PCB)?
If so, personally I'd replace the whole molded cable and plug with modern
parts, but keep the original cable and faulty connector to pass on to a
future owner. Then I'd have a working keyboard, but a subsequent owner
could return it to a partly-functional original "museum piece" if they
wanted (or hack the plug off and replace that if they so desired, but at
least I still would have done my bit to preserve things).
cheers
Jules
1 Jan
1 Jan
2:20 p.m.
On 12/31/2012 8:24 PM, Jules Richardson wrote:
What's at the other end of the cable? It's been so long that I don't
remember. I assume it goes via some molded strain-relief widget at the
keyboard end, but does it terminate within the keyboard with a plug that
*is* replaceable (or perhaps wires soldered straight to a PCB)?
If so, personally I'd replace the whole molded cable and plug with
modern parts, but keep the original cable and faulty connector to pass
on to a future owner. Then I'd have a working keyboard, but a subsequent
owner could return it to a partly-functional original "museum piece" if
they wanted (or hack the plug off and replace that if they so desired,
but at least I still would have done my bit to preserve things).
cheers
Jules
It is a cable assembly - the other end terminates in a nice Berg
connector. Since it is hidden in the keyboard case all sorts of nasty
hackish things can be done without detection.
Here is a photo:
http://www.brutman.com/pics/IBM_5150_Keyboard_cable.jpg
Like you suggested, I am holding the faulty parts - I do that as a
matter of policy. I might not be able to make a fix today, but in the
future I might or I will run into somebody who can.
Substituting in something else is a good workaround for now. I don't
need these two keyboards operating at the moment so they'll just go back
on the shelf with a tag.
It does annoy me that a second one went bad after just a little usage.
I suspect something dries out over time and makes it more fragile.
Regards,
Mike
3 Mar
3 Mar
2:41 p.m.
New subject: IBM Model F (PC 5150) DIN connector repair
Tying up loose ends ...
I was able to repair the DIN connector. It is not museum original
anymore, but it works. The details (with pictures) can be found here:
http://www.brutman.com/IBM_PC_Keyboard_Plug_Repair/IBM_PC_Keyboard_Plug_Rep…
The short story is, the plug comes apart. Get another DIN connector,
hollow out the original IBM housing slightly, and then connect up the
innards of the new DIN connector. You can make a pretty decent looking
repair this way.
Mike
4082
days inactive
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6 comments
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participants (5)
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ian_primus＠yahoo.com -
jules.richardson99＠gmail.com -
mbbrutman-cctalk＠brutman.com -
microcode＠zoho.com -
sales＠elecplus.com