"Enter" Key

If you're having problems with the hardware of a DM41X or DM42, post about them here.
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twylo
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:38 pm

"Enter" Key

Post by twylo »

I have had my DM42 for a long time now (serial number 00264) and it has become my favourite calculator. I have to struggle to find anything bad to say about it. In fact, I think I got lucky because I have never had trouble with the keyboard contacts or battery life, and I'm grateful for that (other than the known problem of the battery disconnecting if the calculator is dropped... but this can be fixed with a capcitor!)

However, there is one daily annoyance that I do face. The "Enter" key is much harder to actuate on the left side of the key than on the right side of the key. When I press the left half of "Enter", it is very mushy, with no tactile feedback, and there's no way to know if it will register or not. When I press on the right half of the key, it is very firm. I try to aim right for the middle, but it's annoying.

Are there any plans to improve the "Enter" key actuation?
Dave Britten
Posts: 137
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2017 9:27 pm

Re: "Enter" Key

Post by Dave Britten »

This is a common issue, at least with the early units. Mine is serial number 260, so no doubt from the same batch as yours.

I can't find the post on here, but the easy way to fix it is to open up the calculator, cut two or three small strips from the gummed portion of a Post-It note, and stick them horizontally across the middle of just the left metal dome under the Enter key. Layer them on top of one another. This is usually enough to compensate for the slight curvature in the early units.

After you've used it like this for a while, you may need to open it up again and add one more strip to the stack, as the paper will probably compress a little bit over time.
Logan
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2017 1:03 am

Re: "Enter" Key

Post by Logan »

If you haven't tried it yet, you might give flexing the keys a shot. Made a huge difference in all my keys, including the ENTER key.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDxVxw6_SKU
DM42 SN:00210
DM41X SN:00014
Thomas Okken
Posts: 1100
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 5:48 pm
Location: Netherlands
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Re: "Enter" Key

Post by Thomas Okken »

Logan wrote:
Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:36 pm
If you haven't tried it yet, you might give flexing the keys a shot. Made a huge difference in all my keys, including the ENTER key.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDxVxw6_SKU
I second that. Not only did it improve the feel of the keyboard overall in my unit, but mine also had the asymmetric ENTER key feel, and that was also remedied by the flexing, and it feels crisp now whether I press it on the left, right, or middle. This is a beta unit, serial # 62.

It's actually hard to imagine the flexing itself fixing the asymmetric feel of the ENTER key -- could be that it was just slightly out of alignment, and taking it apart and putting it back together is what fixed it. I guess I'll never know for sure. :D
Dave Britten
Posts: 137
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2017 9:27 pm

Re: "Enter" Key

Post by Dave Britten »

I also heartily recommend flexing the keys if you find them too stiff, but be very careful that you don't go overboard and break any of the legs. A tiny bit of epoxy applied with a toothpick can fix a single broken leg, but it will be very difficult to get the key positioned correctly if you break it completely off.

The Post-It note thing for the Enter key is a very low-risk fix, and should fix the uneven feel and response of the Enter key.
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