Logitech illuminated keyboard

S

ShimizuToshie

n00b
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
26
Got the Logitech illuminated keyboard in 2009. I'm a gamer so naturally ASWD is used the most. This is what happens after two years.

YgAdh.jpg


I've completely bored a hole through the key! Keyboard still works, but the gel pins under the key had to be pressed.

So... I got another illuminated keyboard... one year later this is what happens

U3qMm.jpg


The paint on the ASWD is wearing out again, and soon in another year there will be a hole.





I rather not buy another keyboard, since mechanically it still functions. A tempt fix would be to remove random key off my previous keyboard and replace it with my current one.

Anyone know of a fix or better yet a way to prevent the paint from chipping off slowly?


As requested here via pm, I posted this on reddit
 
Last edited:
i think putting a little square of clear tape over it would prevent it, i think.
and also keeping your nails short :)
 
Wtf I have one of the originals where there is no key block(woohoo) and its keys are still nice and near new save for the oily build up.

Btw I swear I think the LEDs are starting to get dimmer...
 
cat824 said:
i think putting a little square of clear tape over it would prevent it, i think.
and also keeping your nails short :)
Click to expand...

I think clear tape would start to peel at the edge rather fast since my finger will be moving over it a lot. Maybe a spray or coating of something would do better?
 
You could remove them, cover the letter with a tape letter of the same font. Spray paint the key black then cover with a clear coat of some sort(or multiple coats). Then when it wears through again rinse and repeat. (or if you dont mind you could just paint them sold black) I have not looked at the keys for said keyboard so not sure if you could easily remove paint from other keys and then add stickers and repaint. You also might be able to contact logitech and ask for replacement keys for both boards.
 
Ponder said:
You could remove them, cover the letter with a tape letter of the same font. Spray paint the key black then cover with a clear coat of some sort(or multiple coats). Then when it wears through again rinse and repeat. (or if you dont mind you could just paint them sold black) I have not looked at the keys for said keyboard so not sure if you could easily remove paint from other keys and then add stickers and repaint. You also might be able to contact logitech and ask for replacement keys for both boards.
Click to expand...

Sadly the keys are too brittle to successfully remove and reattach, I've tried with my gf's when one of the keys popped off in a vacuuming accident. More than half the time the little tabs break.
 
WTF are you doing? Do you have sandpaper type fingertips? I've never heard of this before.
 
most keyboard have thick keys, but this logitech illuminated one being very low profile has very thin keys which wears out easily for gamers that frequently use the ASWD keys hours a week playing fps games.

I've had other keyboards and at worse the lettering would just fade slightly. Lettering was painted on or a sticker type. But this illuminated keyboard uses laser etching to create the lettering right out of the paint.

BTW, what type of clear coating would you suggest? These keys are very thin, I wouldn't want to add too much noticeable thickness to the keys.

The keys are removable. I've tried in on my previous copy. I used replaced the ASWD with one from the keypad area I rarely used. But, eventually I did break the pins/latch underneath; it is rather fragile.
 
Key thickness doesn't effect how the print wears, one thing that does dramatically is keeping the keys and your hands clean (human oils are very corrosive).

Like I said earlier, my gf uses the same keyboard, but we haven't seen anywhere near this level of wear after half a year or so. We're not light gamers either, and she often types much more than me as well, but we keep our keyboards, mice and hands clean.
 
the circle hole you see is actually worn out from below the key itself, the contact pin below it slowly wear it away from beneath. Typing is different than playing fps games where your finger is on aswd 99% of the time for hours. Looking at my steam account looks like it took about 2k hours to bore the hole =] Most keyboard aren't illuminated so the whole key is solid block of plastic, but this keyboard is thin, transparent plastic with thinner layer of paint to cover it.
 
So not sure that painting will fix the problem if wear is from the pin itself. It would only make the key look a little better. This would lead me to believe that you might simply be better off considering other options. Now if the wear is from the inside could you add a buffer of some sort. A thin slice of rubber/plastic maybe? Can you contact logitech and simply ask for more keys? Otherwise I would just swap out keys. Your other option is to consider a more durable keyboard.
 
There are no keys designs that can really be considered solid blocks, and reasonably so since it wouldn't be cost effective, what makes the type of wear you describe possible is the basic scissor switch design. Iirc, the keys on this particular board are the same thickness as they are on most standard RD boards (it has been a while so I could be wrong though).

I understand how this can happen with this design, but having logged about the same amount of time on said board and not seeing any signs of similar wear, I wonder what you're doing with the thing.

It seems like you like these boards or scissor switches in general, but you're not going to find one that'll really be any more durable. You may want to check out keyboards with ALPS type switches since they are low-travel switches much like scissor switches. I'm not sure you'll be able to find any backlit, but the simplified versions can be had for reasonable prices.
 
Ponder said:
So not sure that painting will fix the problem if wear is from the pin itself. It would only make the key look a little better. This would lead me to believe that you might simply be better off considering other options. Now if the wear is from the inside could you add a buffer of some sort. A thin slice of rubber/plastic maybe? Can you contact logitech and simply ask for more keys? Otherwise I would just swap out keys. Your other option is to consider a more durable keyboard.
Click to expand...

They''ll replace the board if it's within warranty, but won't send out individual keys. We've already tried a few times :mad:
 
I really like the backlit illuminated look in my room at night. What would be a better keyboard alternative?
 
What do you look for in a keyboard? There's a lot to consider from key press feel and key feel (a bit limited with backlighting unless you want to pay a bit) to things like macro/media keys and extra peripheral ports.

edit: mechanicalkeyboards.com has a decent list if you'd like to browse for some ideas, there are many more out there though.
 
I can take a look, but I don't think there's going to be anything low-profile out there with a more durable design.
 
They have a three year warranty, I would use it. You can get an extra year warranty if you buy with certain credit cards. Basically I would have two keyboards at a time and use the oldest which was currently repaired. When the warranty is up pick a second when they next go onsale. There are other keyboard options if you are willing to give up either backlit or low profile.

You might be able to get extra mileage if you could find a way to reinforce the wear point. You could also maybe glue on plastic after it breaks, but if you have the option to use the warranty that seems the best option.
 
I had the same keyboard. I thought I needed the backlit too. Then I bought a Filco and matching Filco armrest and never looked back.

If you think you MUST have illumination, get a Ducky Shine.
 
Ducky Shine isn't the only decent quality backlit Cherry MX board; there's the CMStorm Trigger, Deck, KeyCool, Rosewill are showing some promise, WASD will soon have backlit options (unsure of who they've chosen to manufacture them though), KBT are questionable but seem promising as well.

I really don't know of any low-profile boards that have an outstanding build quality compared to Logitech's.
 
I was wondering if gorilla tape might be enough to fix the broken keys. It would not likely peel at the edges as it is basically black duct tape. Another option would be soft rubber and glue of some sort. Black plastic would also work.
 
I would still lean towards gorilla tape. It is a nice black color and reasonably thick. I am worried because taking keys off said keyboard is normally difficult. You could try brushing something on, but tape just seems so much easier.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top