IBM Model M SSK Key 'Stuck'

suclearnub · 10 Jan 2016, 07:18

Hey guys, first post here! I've been having some trouble with my SSK. Every once in a while, especially when I'm typing fast, one key get's stuck and keeps on repeating itself. I have to then mash the keyboard to stop the repeating. Any idea what's going on?

Example:

Code: Select all

The quick brown foooooooooooooooox jumps over the lazy dog

Redmaus · 10 Jan 2016, 07:26

My best guess would be broken rivets. This makes the plate loose and then these things can happen.

Check the inside or simply shake the SSK around. If there are a bunch of rivets in there this is likely your problem.

EDIT: Best way to fix this is a bolt mod, you can pay someone else to do it or do it yourself. I believe it is definitely worth the effort.

suclearnub · 10 Jan 2016, 15:17

EDIT: Best way to fix this is a bolt mod, you can pay someone else to do it or do it yourself. I believe it is definitely worth the effort.

I don't nearly have the expertise to be able to do this myself, any idea where I can pay someone to do it for me?

fohat · 10 Jan 2016, 16:31

If it is always the same key, pull the key stem, examine and clean everything well, and carefully re-seat it.

Vacuum out the barrel (aka chimney) (with scraps and tape you can rig a drinking straw tip to a vacuum hose in an emergency) if you think that dirt is the problem.

scottc · 10 Jan 2016, 16:36

This has happened to me before and I've been able to fix it without a bolt mod. From my experience, it can be:
- A misshapen or otherwise strange keycap stem - you can try putting another keycap in its place temporarily to see if that fits it (like numlock or something equally useless)
- A bent spring - you can try to straighten it out using a toothpick. I was able to fix a shift key like this before where the spring had come out entirely when I was trying to reseat a key.

suclearnub · 11 Jan 2016, 02:09

fohat wrote: ↑If it is always the same key, pull the key stem, examine and clean everything well, and carefully re-seat it.

It can happen to any key that I was typing on.

dwasifar · 12 Jan 2016, 03:23

I have had that happen on my laptop keyboard. It's usually the result of some sort of fatfinger tangle-up where I press too many keys at once. I can't reproduce it, but it always follows that kind of thing. What OS are you running?

suclearnub · 12 Jan 2016, 05:29

dwasifar wrote: ↑I have had that happen on my laptop keyboard. It's usually the result of some sort of fatfinger tangle-up where I press too many keys at once. I can't reproduce it, but it always follows that kind of thing. What OS are you running?

I'm running Windows 7 on one computer and 10 on another. Happens on both machines.

Muirium · 12 Jan 2016, 06:14

Strange.

Your SSK looks in good shape. And Model Ms are typically very well behaved at debouncing. Are you using a cheapo PS/2 > USB converter by any chance?

suclearnub · 12 Jan 2016, 08:25

Muirium wrote: ↑Strange.

Your SSK looks in good shape. And Model Ms are typically very well behaved at debouncing. Are you using a cheapo PS/2 > USB converter by any chance?

Yeah I'm using a cheap converter. Could that be the reason?

Muirium · 12 Jan 2016, 08:45

Yes! Try it in a native PS/2 port instead.

Others can advise good USB converters. (Orihalcon or whatever his name is sells some nice ones.) I build my own instead.

shreebles · 12 Jan 2016, 08:58

These have been proven quite reliable for me so far:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-PS-2-Adapte ... SwuTxV-E8h

Madhias · 12 Jan 2016, 09:15

shreebles wrote: ↑These have been proven quite reliable for me so far:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-PS-2-Adapte ... SwuTxV-E8h

Those are cheap! Good to know, I have two of those blue USB converters from clickeykeyboards.com

andrewjoy · 12 Jan 2016, 11:53

The Famous Blue Cube is another good one

http://www.amazon.com/SANOXY-PS2-Keyboa ... B000BSJFJS

as is the lindy one

http://www.lindy.co.uk/cables-adapters- ... cable-p438

personally used both on an SSK and they both work flawlessly

suclearnub · 15 Jan 2016, 02:34

Unfortunately I don't think of them ships over to where I live. I saw a... Soarer's Converter? on eBay, and they're quite expensive. Are those worth taking a look at?

fohat · 15 Jan 2016, 03:52

suclearnub wrote: ↑Unfortunately I don't think of them ships over to where I live. I saw a... Soarer's Converter? on eBay, and they're quite expensive. Are those worth taking a look at?

Soarer's / Teensy is a whole "thing" unto itself and is very versatile. You can program it with your key mappings, for example, and not have to worry with software if you take it to another computer.

suclearnub · 17 Jan 2016, 16:02

I don't think any of those ship to Hong Kong... any ideas? I love this keyboard to death and I want to use it more, but the constant key repeating is really annoying...

fohat · 17 Jan 2016, 17:13

The Teensy will be $30 by the time is is shipped to China, but I have built a couple of dozen of them and they always worked flawlessly. The knock-offs can be had for $5 but they are reputed to be much more difficult to program.

https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy.html

Muirium · 17 Jan 2016, 17:22

A Pro Micro can handle this kind of work on the cheap. But involves soldering etc.

Go for one of Orihalcon's pricey but good converter cables. They're worth it for the effort saved!

suclearnub · 18 Jan 2016, 02:30

Muirium wrote: ↑A Pro Micro can handle this kind of work on the cheap. But involves soldering etc.

Go for one of Orihalcon's pricey but good converter cables. They're worth it for the effort saved!

Got a link to where to buy it? I'm new to all of this vintage stuff

hypkx · 18 Jan 2016, 09:29

You can buy a pro micro at aliexpress and Orihalcon's converters on ebay.com. Btw I had the same problem with my ssk, it was not usable every key I pressed stuck. I use also a cheap converter, after I swapped the ssk controller with one from an model m it works perfect, even with my cheap converter.

shreebles · 18 Jan 2016, 16:03

What about the embedded numpad? Did that still work on the SSK?