My remote has always had a button that I would have to press 10 times for it to work once. Now I have to press it about 50 times (very hard) before it will work once. One or two other buttons are starting to get stubborn as well. Sometimes they will take 2 or 3 presses to register (with a brand new battery). Is there a 'safe' way to take the remote apart and clean the pads off? I know people used to use erasers to clean remote contacts but I don't know if that's possible with the rio remote. I don't want to humpty-dumpty it...

Doubt it. The whole thing is welded shut and the front is glued on.

I think there is a screw hole/screw under the back sticker. I was wondering if it came apart. I believe I only need to clean the board contacts. Maybe if somone has an old broken one, then can verify if it's welded?

I thought that was where it was injection molded. I could be wrong. I can't actually find any of my remotes at the moment...

Damn, if it is injection molded, I'll have to send in the nanites.

I took one apart once, but it really doesn't want to, and is even more difficult to get back together.

Don't try it.

Cheers

If you are not stuck on branding you might still be able to buy the equivalent Kenwood KCA-R6A version.

Available many places.

Well, as it turns out, the top cover is very easily removed. I was able to twist the remote and get my finger under the top cover plastic pad. It's just held down with double stick tape, and since it's so old, it just peeled right off. It also goes back on with no problems and still works.

The top two rows of pressable buttons have become 'non-conductive'. I temporarily put the top face back on up-side down and all the buttons that didnt work before are now working correctly. That means that the conductive ink/epoxy/whatever it is isn't conducting any more.

I have found a few products out there, such as conductive paint, but I'm unsure if they're going to work becuase the buttons actually flex as you press them. That may cause any paint to fall back off. I have even read that you can use a graphite pencil to re-color in the pads.

Anyone have any suggestions as to how I can recoat the conductive pads? I can take a pic if anyone would like to see what it looks like.

Here is what I've found so far...

http://www.replacementremotes.com/store/productdetailp.cfm?productid=3063

http://www.atotech.com/carbon-conductive-ink-paste.html

Aluminum sticky tape? (after first peeling away the transparent top coat)

For that matter, how about rubber cement and a small piece of aluminum foil?

Maybe first, I'll try coloring them in with a Graphite pencil...

That's the cheapest solution. If that works, I'll see how long it lasts for.

If it doesn't work, I can always try the $17 paint.

In my experience (usually with old video game controllers and cheap touch tone telephone handsets), most contact-button problems are incredibly difficult to "repair", and any repairs you make end up malfunctioning eventually anyway. I remember the Atari 5200, its main A and B fire buttons were those rubber-contact things and they wore out fairly quickly. I tried conductive paint, foil, lots of cleaning, etc., and nothing worked well nor lasted any length of time. In the end the only repair that worked was to cut up and mod the controllers to use great big Radio Shack pushbuttons instead.

I guess what I'm saying is, good luck with your efforts, but don't be surprised if they don't result in anything.

I've got a Rio remote that's doing the same thing yours is doing. Luckily I had an extra on-hand, I'm not sure what I'm going to do when the extra one goes bad.

Ok, well, if anyone is interested in what happens - I'll document the results

Has anyone programmed a Harmony remote to control the empeg?

Or maybe some other 'universal' remote?

Learning remotes and web-programmable universals like the Harmony would likely work well with the empeg. The remotes that depend on preprogrammed codes (like the OneForAll remotes) might not work; I don't know if the Rio Car ever got into their databases or not.

Of course, for use in the *car*, I'd much rather have the tiny original rio remote.

Worst case, there's still the Kenwood remote.

That's true, I also have a spare Kenwood remote. Not as fully functional as the Rio remote, though. Do they still make those Kenwood remotes?

Having tried that myself, other products, same type buttons, It just doesn't pay to try. Once peeled the covers simply won't stay down for any length of time.

And yes the Kenwoods are still available.

Google Search

It's in the Logitech Harmony database already so you don't need to teach the remote i.e. you don't even need an original remote. I use my empeg with my Harmony 785. Just put in "empeg" and it will find it.

I don't use it much though. I think I did hit an issue due to the fact there is no discrete on and off codes though. I can have a look at my Logitech set up if you're interested. Usually can I find ways to reasonably work around these for my system and friends.

I decided to try a #2 pencil on my remote last night (instead of ordering the conductive paint). It worked like a charm. You just have to be careful to ONLY color in on the spots where the pads are, you can't go even a little bit past them or you run the risk of having a button stay on all the time. Also, i had to rub them all down with an alcohol soaked q-tip when I was done to remove any excess or loose graphite. It works just like the first day I got it! All the buttons work again!!

Clarification: If you rubbed them down with alcohol, then what was the graphite for?

Is it simply that the buttons needed cleaning?

I had to wipe the excess off with alcohol and a q-tip (turning the q-tip in a circular motion). It only removed the very top layer that hadn't stuck to the pad. It is almost impossible to remove the graphite once you rub it onto the pad. The alcohol only removed the extra flakes that weren't stuck to the pad...

I originally cleaned the pads a few days ago with alcohol but that had no effect. It wasnt until that nice new top coat of graphite that it worked like new again

Excellent! That sounds great!

Please keep us updated on how this works out in the long run. If it lasts a while for you, I would like to FAQ it.

I'm hoping it does! If you want, you can send me your old remote that you're having trouble with and I can try it on yours too! LoL

Actually, I'd do it myself so that I could photograph it and document the procedure for the FAQ. :-)

Well, so far, it's working better than I ever expected it to...

As long as you can get one corner of the top cover up just twisting it a little, you should be able to peel it off with no problems (since they are so old and tape is less sticky now). It's also possible that my tape is less sticky because the remote has been through about 10 east coast winters...

Just remember not to 'over color' the black tabs with your #2 graphite pencil, you have to stay inside the circle. Also, make sure that you take the qtip (dont get any cotton on the sticky tape) and turn it in a circular motion to rub off the excess graphite and keep it from smearing to where it shouldn't be.

I think you're going to be VERY happy with the results!

Thanks Rez!

Stu