HTPro 2 buttons failed

[ElizabethD]

Old and hardly used. Just unarchived. Exact number is URC-9811B00.
Problem: VOL- and Mute buttons don't work. I made keymoves to some other buttons where at least they work. But VOL- won't repeat there.
Is the only solution to open it and somehow or other clean the keypad?

[The Robman]

If you've tried everything else, yeah, open it up and use some contact cleaner (or similar) to clean the PCB, and you may need to add some contact maker stuff to the base of the buttons too.

[ElizabethD]

Oh boy!
Rob, I don't have any contact cleaners.
Can I use rubbing alcohol or is it too dirty?
I do have few drops of USP alcohol. Will that do?
Don't know what contact maker is

Now I have to find Tommy's instructions how to crack it open. I did it once but need a reminder. It wasn't easy on 6131.

[The Robman]

The 6131, omg, that one isn't difficult, I did hundreds of them back when I used to modify them and re-sell them.

So, contact cleaner is a product like DeoxIT and it's wonderful stuff, it's a really good idea to always have of this stuff lying around. Anytime you find a volume knob on a radio or something that crackles, this stuff will fix it. It's also great for taking off sticky labels and the gunk they leave behind:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006LVEU/

Another item that's really useful to have around is lighter fluid, this stuff is really great for cleaning stuff off of surfaces:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K2U3JG/

To repair the buttons themselves, you could use a product like this. I don't have any first hand using this so I can't vouch for how well it works.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026PRMVM/

[ElizabethD]

Rob,
DeoxIT sounds great. I need it for a radio with crackling volume wheel.
Is it OK to use for the buttons inside? Amazon description talks of metal to metal contacts.

That button repair stuff (your 3rd link) is beyond my skill level.

[The Robman]

DeoxIT is fine to use to clean the PCB but I wouldn't use it on the rubber buttons.

If I understand the button stuff correctly, all you need to do is paint some of it on the underside of the rubber button.

[HamburgerHelper1]

My experience with the button repair stuff was not the best.
It states to apply a thin layer but the stuff is thick so I ended up with a thick coat. I probably did not leave it dry long enough just overnight.
If i tried it again I would leave it dry a full week before testing the remote.
Some buttons did not work the best and the repair maybe lasted one month.
Once opened the bottle does not have much of a shelf life.
Mainly you have to do a lot of repairs in one sitting because by the time you need the stuff again it will have hardened
As a last ditch effort it may be worth the trouble depends on how desperate you are to have that particular remote working again

[ElizabethD]

If I clean the buttons with USP alcohol will that be ok?
I read someplace that acetone (nail polish remover) can be used - true? false?

Why would the buttons not work in a remote that was hardly used? It even got sticky on the outside while in a box. I cleaned that off with rubbing alcohol.

I have another HTPro and see none of the problems. Buttons work and surface is not sticky.

Finally - regarding that paste/paint for the repair. I read about how accurate and thin it has to be. I may not be able to do it precisely. Also I read 3 star reviews on Amazon. Apparently there are some issues as HH described above.
So I'm going to skip it. Thanks HH for your notes.

[The Robman]

Regarding the outside of the remotes getting sticky, UEI was using this rubberized coating for a while and it turns out that it degrades over time and becomes sticky. For some reason this doesn't happen to every remote, as I'm using a coated 15-1994 right now that is fine, I think it may be a case of a well-used remote doesn't deteriorate whereas one that sits in a box for years does, not sure.

Either way, as you've found, if you remove the coating the plastic underneath is fine.

When you talk about using alcohol on the "buttons", do you mean the button part of the PCB, or do you mean the buttons themselves? I'm no expert here, but I wouldn't use it on the rubber buttons themselves, but others may say different.

[ElizabethD]

I mean how to clean the little black backs of physical buttons that touch the gold traces on the PCB.

[The Robman]

I don't think you need to "clean" them, I think you need to restore their ability to conduct electricity. If you think about what a button does, it completes the circuit that is prepared for it by the button pattern on the PCB, so if it doesn't conduct, pressing the button won't do anything.

[ElizabethD]

Understood. Thanks Rob