(SNIP) Keyboard ordered, received, tested and returned defective, and new keyboard ordered BEFORE THE CHARGE EVEN CLEARED MY ACCOUNT. ![Face Palm :palm:](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xfacepalm.gif.pagespeed.ic.EBDwh1hCfo.png)
mnem
*keyed-off*
So the new keyboard is the RGB one at the bottom yes?
Both are RGB; the new one is the smaller one lit up in rainbow colors, the old one is shown lit up in red.
I wanted a KBD backlit with plain white and never could find one. ![Sad :(](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xsad.gif.pagespeed.ic.L3FGyzQrjB.png)
If you don't mind hacking an existing laptop keyboard into something USB and desktop-able then the old Aluminium Apple G4 PowerBooks had excellent backlit keyboards. You can probably pick up a 'for spares or repair' one (laptop) for a song.
If I were going to do that, I'd do one of the spares from my old ToughBooks. The non-membrane ones were awesome; fully mechanical, daylight bright white, and you could still wash 'em in the sink. But I was looking for ready to go; for $24-26, I'll just buy one. It's just MY luck... If there's a single defective unit in the whole warehouse, it'll find its way to me in just this way; to bring a bit of awesome (Sunday Delivery - woohoo!) and pee in my cornflakes at the same time.
![Banging Head |O](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/bangheadonwall.gif.pagespeed.ce.8iLbFYV4Bc.gif)
If you have a RGB keyboard, is it not possible to get a whitelight from them?
Since both of these keyboards do both rainbow and solid colors, odds are they're WS2812 or maybe even SK6812 (RGBW variant), so white should for sure be possible. If not as they come from the factory, for sure by reprogramming the controller or replacing it with an Arduino or STM32Fxx.
I must say that I like every time bd139 goes, "I scoffed at the thought of paying for a __________ so I knocked one up quickly with some crap I had lying around." And it ends up looking and working much better than just "some crap." ![ThumbsUp :-+](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/icon_smile_thumbsup.gif.pagespeed.ce._JElyJQqdB.gif)
You haven't seen the 10Kg cardboard box full of disasters where the idea didn't work ![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif.pagespeed.ce._hfWAz_QHO.gif)
Fair enough. I won't look. ![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif.pagespeed.ce._hfWAz_QHO.gif)
We all have out skeletons in the closet... trick is to turn them into something useful before they come after you.
![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif.pagespeed.ce._hfWAz_QHO.gif)
stuck 8 new 1000uf, 35v caps in the 5v section of my hp54502 smps. (thanks to a boot in the ass from nmen). it came back to life and completed a self cal.
wooooohoooooo! the old pig lives! (and will sit beside my 54504).
just saw a 54503 for cheap on ebay. naaaawwwwww. that would be the act of a truly twisted mind.
went to the hamfest in berryville va this morning and despite my best intentions brought home a nixie clock. the nice lady behind the table said the magic words (5 bucks). how could a confessed nixie addict resist a bargain like that? to make it worse she even apologized and said it probably didn't work. turns out she was wrong.
but not as wrong as the guy who sold me the no name chinese solder wick. didn't think it was possible, but solder actually beads up on it and falls off without sticking. forget about wicking. unbeeelievable!
Thank you for learning from my mistakes, instead of demanding to make them yourself.
![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif.pagespeed.ce._hfWAz_QHO.gif)
Nice nixie! Don't assume it's all okay just because it works NOW... check the caps!
![ThumbsUp :-+](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/icon_smile_thumbsup.gif.pagespeed.ce._JElyJQqdB.gif)
Yeah, cheap solder wick is worse than useless. ChemWick is worth every penny. SRA Solder has some less expensive stuff that's pretty fair too; worth going there to get some proper 60/40 rosin core in various diameters and some of that as well.
mnem
"Electrolytic caps are the devils's footsoldiers!" ~ me