Key Contact Adjustment Procedure (SmartWriter)

If you are experiencing stacking in your paper notes only and your electronic notes look fine, then your writer probably has a bad clutch and the below described instructions will not help.  Please call our tech support line: 800.937.8228

If you are experiencing stacking in your paper notes and electronic notes in the same place, then the below adjusting procedure may help.

Some reporters prefer to have some keys oversensitive or under sensitive depending on their writing style.  If you have a weak finger, you may want to over sensitize a certain key or group of keys.  If you find that you are picking up certain letters in your electronic notes that you did not depress fully, then you may want to desensitize certain keys.

Step 1:  Set up your SmartWriter as you would normally with paper loaded if you use paper (The thickness of the paper and ribbon will make a difference in the adjustment outcome, so it is important to have your writer setup as you would normally use it, with or without ribbon or paper.)

Step 2:  Turn writer on.

Step 3:  Now depress any key.  What should happen is a black box in the upper right corner of the LCD display should illuminate when the key is in the down position.  If you do not see the black box, go to Step 5.  The black box in the upper right corner of the LCD display indicates when the key is making electrical contact.  From this you can determine how sensitive or insensitive each individual key is adjusted.  Assuming that the black box is appearing, let's try adjusting a key.

Step 4:  Now depress a key.  Hold the key in the down position, but without putting any more pressure than necessary in holding the key in the down position.  You should see the black box illuminate in the upper right hand corner of the LCD display.  If you have to press the key with a lot of force in order to illuminate the black box, then the key is insensitive.  Go to Step 5.  Now start releasing the key extremely slow.  The key should travel 1/16 to 1/4 of an inch upward before the black box extinguishes.  If the key travels upward less than 1/16 of an inch before the black box extinguishes, then the key is insensitive.  Go to Step 5.  If the key travels upward more than 1/4 of an inch before the black box extinguishes, then the key is oversensitive.  Go  to Step 6.

Step 5:  Adjustment for Insensitive Key.  Open the top lid of your writer and insert your adjustment driver (0.035 Allen wrench) into the corresponding screw on the Switch Plate of the key that you are adjusting.  While holding down the key, start turning the screw clockwise until the black box in the upper right hand corner of the LCD display illuminates.  If you turn more than two full turns clockwise and  the black box does not illuminate, it means the key switch is ruptured and has been over adjusted at one time.  (It is time to call us at 800.937.8228 for free tech support.)  Now turn the screw 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn more clockwise.  Go through Step 4 again to verify that the key is adjusted properly.

Step 6:  Adjustment for Oversensitive Key.  Open the top lid of your writer and insert your adjustment driver (0.035 Allen wrench) into the corresponding screw on the Switch Plate of the key that you are adjusting.  While holding down the key, start turning the screw counterclockwise until the black box in the upper right hand corner of the LCD display extinguishes.  If you turn more then two full turns counterclockwise and  the black box does not extinguish, it means the key switch is ruptured and has been over adjusted at one time and will not de-adjust. (It is time to call us at  800.937.8228 for free tech support.)  When the black box extinguishes, start turning the screw clockwise until the black box illuminates.  Now turn the screw 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn more clockwise.  Go through Step 4 again to verify that the key is adjusted properly.

If you have any question, call 800.937.8228 for free tech support .