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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 3rd Jul 2020, 2:04 pm   #1
jonnybear
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Default Remote control repairs

Remote controls, once the pads have become none conductive they can be a pain, I have tried a pad repair kit that costs a fortune and lasts a few months conductive paint enough said, really the only solution has been replacement control, until I started messing around with a needle and thin wire, I found by stitching a cross on the pad it worked quite well and has now lasted well over a year with no problems, see picture.
john
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Old 3rd Jul 2020, 3:10 pm   #2
Lloyd 1985
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

Ah, yes! I did that to my Nan’s remote for her Virgin media box, the ‘0’ button had given up and made it very hard for her to get the channel she wanted. I did t have any thin copper wire to hand, so I ended up finding one of those plastic covered wire tie things that come with new cables, stripped the plastic off and used the wire from inside it as you have. Worked a treat, and didn’t need me to take the remote away for repair, she was very happy that it was all done quickly and she could use the telly again!

Regards
Lloyd
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Old 3rd Jul 2020, 3:34 pm   #3
Hartley118
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

Sometimes an emergency repair is the only option, but more generally I've found it easier and cheaper just to treat the remote as a component in its own right and get a replacement from the likes of https://www.remotes4u.co.uk/home.php .

I've been impressed by the sheer number and variety of remotes available. Whether through loss or damage, it's interesting that the supply of replacement remotes is a significant business opportunity.

Martin
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Old 3rd Jul 2020, 3:38 pm   #4
mickm3for
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

Hi i have repaired a humax rc play button using a small aluminium disc cut from Baco foil glued to pad 1 year + ago still ok Mick
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Old 3rd Jul 2020, 3:59 pm   #5
jonnybear
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

Quote:
Originally Posted by mickm3for View Post
Hi i have repaired a humax rc play button using a small aluminium disc cut from Baco foil glued to pad 1 year + ago still ok Mick
Never had a lot of luck with gluing silicone rubber always finished up like sticky gunge, unless someone knows of a glue that will stick.
John
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Old 3rd Jul 2020, 6:03 pm   #6
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

The 'Proper stuff' (Black rubbery conductive paint) works well if applied properly to a well cleaned and if necessary roughened surface and allowed to dry for the full recommended term before reassembly.

Silver metallic conductive paint of the type used for track repairs is not flexible enough and will eventually disintegrate into tiny little flecks of conductive dandruff.
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Old 3rd Jul 2020, 7:04 pm   #7
Boulevardier
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

Quote:
Originally Posted by SiriusHardware View Post
The 'Proper stuff' (Black rubbery conductive paint) works well if applied properly to a well cleaned and if necessary roughened surface and allowed to dry for the full recommended term before reassembly.

Silver metallic conductive paint of the type used for track repairs is not flexible enough and will eventually disintegrate into tiny little flecks of conductive dandruff.
If looking online for that "proper stuff", what would one Google for? Is there a particular brand?

Mike
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Old 4th Jul 2020, 1:46 pm   #8
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

You used to be able to buy Conductive rubber sheets.

I used to fix remotes, by cutting small Pads out of the sheet and
Super Glueing them to what was left of the original Pad.
Worked a treat.
The Sheet was about Half a mm thick as I remember.

Can't remember where I got the Sheet from now, it was many Years ago.
Probably Maplin (when they were a useful Componant supplier) or RS.
Definately before Ebay existed!

You must still be able to get it somewhere.


Ian
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Old 4th Jul 2020, 3:09 pm   #9
Lloyd 1985
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

The problem we had with our old Sony tv remote was that the keypad itself was oozing out some sort of clear liquid, which had insulating properties! It would coat the PCB and the conductive pads and stop it working, cleaning it normally resulted in normal operation for a few weeks before it came back again. I thought someone had spilled something on it when I first saw it, but then it kept coming back and I was sure it hadn’t been subjected to any liquid. Eventually the rubber pads stopped being conductive, so I tried glueing bits of foil to them, but they wouldn’t stay stuck because that liquid would build up behind the glue and push it off. After many short lived attempts at repair I finally gave in and bought a new pattern remote, which is doing sterling service currently, operating a 14 year old flat screen! Never thought it’d live this long!

Regards
Lloyd
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Old 4th Jul 2020, 3:47 pm   #10
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

The company in post #3 has the genuine samsung remote for my smart tv for £47.95 or a custom made, by Classic, a German company for a third of that price. Both have 1 year warranty.
Found by entering my tv model and remote keywords in google, came up with the same remote4u company, but as alternative item.
Rob
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Old 17th Jul 2020, 4:39 pm   #11
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Smile Re: Remote control repairs

Hi,
I used to clean the carbon studs and the pads of my Sky remote with meths, which worked well for a year or so, So that became part of the annual to-do list.
The Humax Freesat remote started getting 'iffy' a couple of months ago, so I took it to bits to affect a similar cleaning job.
Imagine my surprise when saw that some of the buttons are the usual carbon studs, but the others were metal 'tactile' types pressing onto solder pads. There are tiny points inside the button caps, and after I opened it up, the points must have moved ever so slightly and sorted the problem.
I don't understand why there are two different types of button.
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 20th Jul 2020, 7:38 pm   #12
Geoff 555
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

Hello I have had the same problem, I had a can of GRAPHIT 33 which is a conductive spray which contains graphite, shake well and spray a little into a container, I used the tin cap, use a cotton bud or something like that and put a layer onto the pad which is worn. Let dry, more than 1 coat may be wanted.
I did a remote 5 years ago and it is still good.
Cheers.
Geoff.
It is used for the dag coating on CRT's.
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Old 22nd Jul 2020, 11:50 pm   #13
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

Whether it'll work on a lot of remotes or not I don't know, but I've bodged a PS2 controller with a tiny square of plain paper folded up to give some thickness. It worked well on one controller and not so much on another.

'77
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Old 23rd Jul 2020, 12:01 am   #14
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

I’ve used thus stuff with good results but it does dry out in the tube after a few months.

https://cpc.farnell.com/bare-conduct...0ml/dp/MK00589

Kev
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Old 23rd Jul 2020, 9:28 am   #15
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: Remote control repairs

Yes, the instructions usually say that you have to mix it very, very well before use, and in some types the solvent and the paste actually separate over time so they have to be really thoroughly mixed back together before use. It is crucial that the stuff is allowed to dry completely no matter how impatient you may be to have the remote or other device back in working order.

If the original conductive pills have been worn smooth you may also have to roughen them a bit with fine graded sandpaper, which feels counterproductive because obviously that will destroy whatever is left of the original surface coating, but if you don't, the new rubber coating will just slide off after a few hundred actuations.
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