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Other ADA Gear => Step On It! => Topic started by: rnolan on March 21, 2016, 06:36:55 PM

Title: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: rnolan on March 21, 2016, 06:36:55 PM
So my new (latest acquisition) MXC and Quad switch buttons are a bit dickey and I suspect need their contacts cleaned. Anyone ever done this, any advice re the best/easiest way to do it ?  With my old MC1 IIRC I just sprayed some contact cleaner around the button from the top which seemed to work ?
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: Systematic Chaos on March 22, 2016, 02:23:41 AM
Since these specific buttons are pretty easy to replace and are real cheap, I would´t bother cleaning them.
Old ones (prone to fail after a certain time) out, new ones in.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: Dante on March 22, 2016, 12:00:55 PM
Since these specific buttons are pretty easy to replace and are real cheap, I would´t bother cleaning them.
Old ones (prone to fail after a certain time) out, new ones in.

I agree, they're easy to change. Besides, the cheap plastic housing will probably crack as you're cleaning it.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: MarshallJMP on March 22, 2016, 02:40:28 PM
Well you can spray some contact cleaner between the button and the housing on top and it will work for a while but it will come back.Your stuff is almost finished,if you want i can send some buttons along with the rest?
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: rnolan on March 22, 2016, 11:55:06 PM
I gave them a pray and span them around a bit, they seem to work ok for now.  How do you get them off the face plate ? Also the only thing holding the circuit board is the buttons and the jack socket, no other mounting points. It's working for now, when I get a job (I was supposed to start next Tuesday but the job was withdrawn at the last minute  :facepalm: ), I'll pick some up.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: MarshallJMP on March 23, 2016, 08:39:21 AM
The buttons aren't connected to the pcb,they are wired to a connector that goes into the pcb.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: Dante on March 23, 2016, 10:17:40 AM
Just open the housing, it's like a box. The PCB is mounted inside, the switches are all soldered together and snapped into the cover of the housing. Seeing as the switches are just plastic, I'm surprised they last as long as they do, getting stepped on all the time.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: rnolan on March 23, 2016, 08:45:18 PM
The buttons aren't connected to the pcb,they are wired to a connector that goes into the pcb.
They are in this quad switch (or am I missing something ?). And to get the angles right it seems the switches are attached to the face plate and the PCB soldered to their connectors afterward. The PCB has no mounting screws, just the connections to the 4 switches and the jack socket holds it in place.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: Systematic Chaos on March 24, 2016, 01:36:34 AM
With this Quad-switch you have to unsolder the buttons from the PCB....
The MXC/MPX on the other hand should have them mounted/soldered as MJMP said....

32 it is then  :thumb-up:
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: rnolan on March 24, 2016, 04:28:52 AM
Hey SC, cool cool my friend, enjoy Japan  :thumb-up: (albeit a flash vist). I must crack open my other Quad switch and see if it's the same. The bit that's bothering me  (a little) is how to get the buttons off the face plate (without doing any damage). So I'm thinking desolder them first and remove the PCB, then remove/replace the buttons and then resolder PCB to the buttons. Has anyone ever done this ? Any tips appreciated  :wave:
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: Dante on March 24, 2016, 09:56:22 AM
I think I have replaced one of my quad switch buttons, but I don't remember it being on the PCB...I'll look at it later
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: tomy on March 24, 2016, 10:06:50 AM
Hey Richard, Do the buttons really dead ? My MC1 spend couple of years in a garage. Some of those were not working, unusable. I just cleaned it with electronic spray and now they work as brand new
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: MarshallJMP on March 24, 2016, 10:15:35 AM
Yes these are soldered on the PCB with the quad switch.So you need to desolder them,get the PCB out.To get the switches out you need to push in the 2 clips on the side and then you can push them out.Goes fairly easy.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: rnolan on March 24, 2016, 09:47:58 PM
Hey tg, they seem to working ok now after a clean and pushed them down and span the around.  I had the same with my MC1 years ago, it took allot of use over the years and every now and then one would gum up a bit.

Hey MJMP, thanks for the tip  :wave: , so they push out from underneath through the face plate ?
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: Dante on March 25, 2016, 08:13:55 AM
Hey MJMP, thanks for the tip  :wave: , so they push out from underneath through the face plate ?

Yup, and those plastic clips are usually the ones that break, so your button just sinks into the top
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: MarshallJMP on March 25, 2016, 08:24:33 AM
Hey Dante,i know what you mean but these are not the clips i'm talking about.I mean the clips on the outside.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: Dante on March 25, 2016, 09:56:15 AM
My buttons have plastic clips built into the switch housing, the pop into the top of the board...They are a ring shape with two clips. That is the piece that always breaks on mine. 'zat what you meant?
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: MarshallJMP on March 25, 2016, 02:24:16 PM
Yes i know what you mean but these are about in the middle of the switch,the ones i mean are on top and keep the switch housing in place.If you want i can take a pic of one so you can see what i mean.
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: Dante on March 27, 2016, 10:36:28 AM
AH...I pulled out one of my extra buttons from the parts bin, I see what you're talking about. Not sure if any of mine broke there  :dunno:
Title: Re: Cleaning MXC etc Buttons
Post by: MarshallJMP on March 28, 2016, 08:22:22 AM
Usually not they mostly break in the middle.