Can this be repaired?

[Mackem]

Backspace key on a QFR wasn't working (Was a used board) and I desoldered the switch and this is what it looks like:



Can this be salvaged? If so, how?

[iAmAhab]

Is that rust or flux? Also, have you tested the switch itself?

[Mackem]

I'm not sure, this is the way it was once I desoldered the switch. The switch didn't work.

[iAmAhab]

You have tested the switch by itself after you took it off the board? Should have specified in my first post.

[Mackem]

I desoldered the switch and someone threw it away haha!

[kint]

nah, no rust or flux, the solder pad is ripped off. What you're looking at is the bare PCB plastic.
Repair it with a jumper wire you solder directly on the switch wire, from there to the next solder point of that trace, likely the left one of the dual solder points in the lower right corner.

edit:
I see 3 switch positions, from left BKSPC to right J14.
j14 doesn't seem to be used, the middle one has a torn solder pad. If your BKspsc switch was in the left position you're presumably good to go, just hold the hot iron on the pads very shortly to make the solder spread easily around the hole.

[Mackem]

Ah darn, I'm a noob when it comes to more advanced soldering stuff. Anyone in Europe / UK want to repair it for me?

EDIT: The Backspace was in the middle position AFAIK with it being a QFR w/ Costar stabs.

[matt3o]

I do not completely understand... why are there 4 desolder points for 1 switch? diode? jumper?

[kint]

allright, then you've got the reason why the switch didn't work. the pad was likely shot before you desoldered.
And if you could desolder that switch you can put a jumper wire in as well.
Stick the switch through, then prepare some short wire in appropriate length, strip the isolation off the ends. Solder it directly on the switch wire sticking out of the (torn) hole. then the other end at the next pad of that trace - no big deal, really.

@ matt3o: I think he opened dead solder points on the left position, the ones still there on J14. Just assuming though.

[Mackem]

allright, then you've got the reason why the switch didn't work. the pad was likely shot before you desoldered.
And if you could desolder that switch you can put a jumper wire in as well.
Stick the switch through, then prepare some short wire in appropriate length, strip the isolation off the ends. Solder it directly on the switch wire sticking out of the (torn) hole. then the other end at the next pad of that trace - no big deal, really.

I'm terrible with a soldering iron though Ideally I could just send the new switch and PCB to someone to repair / test then send back.

[kint]

Seriously how much is shipping a keyboard even within the UK forth and back?
You could even solder the jumper wire to the right of the BKspc solder pads - as you look at the PCB trace.
Just try it ! You can do it ! Become an advanced keyboard repair tech great career chances ahead !
No proper nerd without experience in putting in a jumper wire

[Findecanor]

One reason why the pad was lifted from the PCB could be that you used a soldering iron that was too hot. This happened to me all the time when I used a 30W iron. Then I switched to a 15W iron, and I have also tried to be much more careful.

AFAIK, shipping is expensive in the UK. If you would ship to and from another country, it would cost you as much as the price of the QFR in the first place.

[kint]

One reason why the pad was lifted from the PCB could be that you used a soldering iron that was too hot. This happened to me all the time when I used a 30W iron. Then I switched to a 15W iron, and I have also tried to be much more careful...

Except the switch wasn't working beforehand. So how likely is it that the switch of a plate mounted board was dead itself, and then he destroyed the solder pad when getting it out atop of that?

[Mackem]

One reason why the pad was lifted from the PCB could be that you used a soldering iron that was too hot. This happened to me all the time when I used a 30W iron. Then I switched to a 15W iron, and I have also tried to be much more careful.

AFAIK, shipping is expensive in the UK. If you would ship to and from another country, it would cost you as much as the price of the QFR in the first place.

It's hard to tell whether it was like this before I desoldered or not.

I have an iron that is 60W. Would this mean turning it lower would be a good idea (it's a temperature adjustable one from 150C to 450C)?

@matt3o: At first I had a fail moment and desoldered the points on the left before realising the switch pins were actually soldered to the middle two pads.

[kint]

solder at 300°C. If you can't make a good solder point in 3seconds practice on old PCBs.

[kint]

Even if more pads get broken during your repair that's no big deal really. You can still send the board out to someone who will then put jumper wires in on all broken pads. Doesn't really matter whether there is one wire in or three.

[Mackem]

I fixed it by scratching off part of the trace to reveal the copper and soldered that way. I actually found out TWO keys weren't working; both the Backspace and the left Windows key were broken but I solved both. I dare like to bet that I didn't even have to replace the switch on the Backspace seeing as though the trace was broken, but meh, I learned how to solder a switch in anyway.

I mean the job I did looks ugly but I blame that on the fact that the copper ring was basically gone. If it works, who cares about the aesthetics eh?

[kint]

Congrats, that's the spirit. award approved...
Soldering directly on the trace can give odd behaviour over time though, as it can lift the trace or become a bad conduct due to the small area. But then you can drop in a jumper wire anytime anyway.