AR8000 odd behavior

[AnikF1R]

My trusty 8k began acting strangely when it quit responding to button presses. A while back, I had re-coated the buttons’ carbon contacts and so I had no reason to suspect them. Also, I was able to reset the radio using the special key combination accompanying a power cycle. But now that I’ve done the reset, the radio is stuck on the VFO 1 & 2 screen.

Has anyone experienced this before?

 

[Ubbe]

I don't recall but wasn't it a flex cable going from the keypad to the main board? Then it could be a crack in the flex or a connector crimped to it. Use a continue tester and flex that cable and if the connection is intermittent you could solder some wires to bridge the bad connection.

/Ubbe

 

[AnikF1R]

I opened up the radio, but didn’t find any flex cable. I did, however, see that most of the conductive paint that I’d applied to the back of the SCAN button had worn off, leaving chips. I’ll let you know how a new Caikote 44 application works.

 

[Ubbe]

I would guess that the chips could short circuit the button and render the whole keypad useless.
Try using copper tape and cut out a piece that fits to the button. I have fixed hundreds of worn out buttons that way.

/Ubbe

 

[AnikF1R]

Ubbe, just like you said, some old Caikote 44 had rubbed onto the labyrinth looking metal contact on the pcb. Once I gently scraped this away, the buttons functioned again.

Thanks

 

[64larry]

Check to see if one of your buttons might be sticking.