>Is there any hope for fixing a screwed up key pad other
 >then replacing it?  I have a handheld scanner and a TV
 >remote that the most used buttons are starting to
 >refuse to work.  On the old remotes I've taken a part
 >there seems to be a little piece of carbon  over a
 >open circuit and when you press the button the carbon
 >completes the circuit.  In the past I've tried cleaning
 >both the contact on the circuit board and the carbon
 >'button' with varying success.
 >
 >I'm hoping that there is an fairly easy fix, maybe a
 >conductive paint for the 'button', or some thing.  I
 >hate to think that I'm going to have to replace the
 >entire thing because of this.
 >
What've you tried cleaning them with? About the best thing to use is a pencil 
eraser, and follow that with a TINY amount of WD40. I've gotten several TV 
remotes back up and running this way.
Also, often times, the problem isn't actually the keypad, but rather the 
battery contacts. If they're dirty, it sometimes takes more effrort to get 
the keys to work. Try cleaning those, too.
Good Luck! Let me know how it works.
--- SLMAIL v5.02  (#0226)
---------------