My remote dropped to the floor (cat pushed it) and now a few buttons don't work. Any idea how to diagnose/fix the problem?

Inoperable buttons are:
Guide
Surr*
Mute
TV/Video*
REC

I'm not 100% sure about Surr and TV/Video as I'm not sure they were enabled for my setup. But, I can't get the red light to flash for them for any mode, so I'm suspecting that they are inoperable.

I opened it up to take a quick look as something was rolling around inside - turns out a tiny screw had popped out when it fell - could this screw have shorted out one of the components or do you think something else is wrong?

I have a Jp1 cable if that will help in the diagnosis. Let me know...

Mark (first-time poster)

Carefully open it up and examine back of the key pad and the PCB. (How to open up the remote: [Link: hifi-remote.com])

Especially,
Any parts chipped or fell off
Traces and conductive paint (pairs of black stuff on each button location) cut or scraped

Lightly damaged traces can be fixed with a conductive ink pen (Jameco #195160, etc. Not sure if RS carries one.)

Try this procedure if everything look OK but some buttons still don't work:
[Link: hifi-remote.com]
(The same conductive link pen may be able to fix it, too, but I haven't tried it myself.)

Good luck,
Hal

My first reply to this seems to have vanished.

Those 5 keys plus the backlight key share one scan line, so I assume the backlight key doesn't work either.

I'd be surprised if temporarily shorting that scan line to any voltage inside the remote would permanently damage the scan driver, but I'd also be surprised if it's still shorted after you opened to remove that screw, or if a trace on the PCB cracked from the drop or of the screw bouncing around was enough to scratch a gap in that trace.

With no likely theory, all I can suggest is open it up and find and examine the bad trace from where it emerges from under the epoxy to where it reaches the first key (unless the backlight key does work in which case the trace must be bad after it reaches the light key).

You should be able to identify the PCB "pads" for the 5 or 6 bad keys and you will see a trace tieing together one side of each of those pads. That trace is the one to inspect.

No point looking for damaged parts. The only part involved in that scan line is the main chip (under the epoxy). If its internal driver for that scan line is dead, there won't be a practical fix.

If the conductive ink (those black pairs at each button location) were damaged, only one key (or a few random keys) would be bad, not a set of keys sharing one scan line. Similarly for problems with the flexible pads (discussed in that link). Conductive ink (or the rear window defogger repair kit's conductive paint) might be enough to repair minor damage to the trace if you find the damaged spot.

Thanks for the quick replies! Good info - Yes, the backlight button is broken, too. Hadn't noticed that before.

If the PCB trace looks fine is it possible to replace the scan driver or should I just look for a new remote? :-( That would be too bad, as I love this 1994. (Anyone got one they would sell?)

I'll follow-up after I check out the scan line.

Mark

I guess I was unclear. The scan driver is inside the main chip. You can't replace part of a chip. You can't replace the whole chip because you couldn't get a new one and because you couldn't get the epoxy off without destroying the PCB.


I hope you fine a scratch across that trace, because it would be easier to fix.

I opened it up again, this time removing the PC Board - I hadn't done so last time, as the screw was just rolling around on the back.

Anyway, I've looked all over, especially close to the epoxy-covered chip (boy, now I know what you mean - there's no replacing that!) and I cannot see a thing.

My suspicion is that the screw shorted out a couple of the (resistor?) wires that run along the back near the scan driver.

Regardless, I think something's fatally wounded. The keys I miss the most are the Guide and Mute buttons.

Does anyone have a 1994 or 1995 they want to sell? :-(

I guess I'll have to poke around and look for recommended replacements. URC 8811??

Mark

Have you seen the new 15-2116, it has exactly the same casing as the 15-1995, except the button labels have been re-arranged. However, it doesn't have the four smart keys that you may have come to depend on.

Rob

Someone posted this link in the JP1 group a few days ago, but no bidders yet as of now...
[Link: cgi.ebay.com]

If you manage to find a new 1994, I would really like the broken one...mine works fine, but the case has some marks from my dog's toothing stage
Nick

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