As Sinclair home computers such as the ZX Spectrum, and Sinclair QL are now all over 20 years old, the main problem with keeping them running is the availability of keyboard membranes.

These are a small plastic sheet containing micro switches which fits underneath the keyboard and detects all keypresses, converting them into electrical signals for the computer's motherboard to interpret which keys have been pressed by the user (including key combinations). The problem is that whenever you open a computer case, you can easily damage the membrane (as can normal usage), particularly as the membranes become brittle over time whether in use or not - they are affected by Ultraviolet light and also by heat, so even older stocks can be dubious.

Generally the first sign of problems is when one or two of the keys no longer work. This can of course be devastating, depending upon the key in question. Some users also experience what is known as "key bounce" where pressing a key once either does not work or repeats the character many times.

When purchasing second hand machines, you will find that many simply state that they have been shown to display the start-up screen - potential buyers beware and ask the seller to confirm in writing that all of the keys have been tested and proven to work.

Over the years various replacements have been made, including full size keyboards - although many people (especially collectors) prefer to keep the look and feel of the original Sinclair computer.

If you are looking for keyboard membranes for the ZX Spectrum +2 and +3 or the Amstrad CPC +464 etc Computers, then please visit our trading partner, Tradeinpost, who stock these.

** All of our membranes are recently manufactured and come complete with easy to follow fitting instructions. **

Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 Keyboard Membranes

Although first sold in 1980 and 1981, there are still plenty of people who use the Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 (or collect them) and believe it or not, the ZX81s are still available brand new in kit form !!

However, if you need spares, these are few and far between. We have now sourced a manufacturer for replacement Sinclair ZX81 Keyboard Membranes and will shortly begin selling these at a price of £10 plus post and packing.

We are also considering a limited edition production run of 20 x Sinclair ZX80 replacement keyboard membranes - however, due to the limited number on order, the sale price is likely to be £25 plus postage.

Therefore, if you are interested, please leave your details in the guestbook at the bottom of this page and we shall contact you all once we have replacement keyboard membranes for sale.

Timex Sinclair 1500 (TS 1500) Keyboard Membranes

The Timex Sinclair 1500 was basically the Sinclair ZX81 put into a standard Sinclair ZX Spectrum case (rubber key type) for the North American market. The good news is that because it uses the same case (although Silver rather than black), TS 1500 users can fix a non-working keyboard quite easily - they can use the standard ZX Spectrum (rubber key) keyboard membrane.

Timex Sinclair 1500 keyboard membrane
** MANUFACTURED 2007

£8.50

Sinclair ZX Spectrum Keyboard Membranes, Rubber Keyboard Mats
and Keyboard Templates

Replacement membranes for the ZX Spectrum are much more widely available. Current stocks have been made using the latest manufacturing techniques and are much more resilient to ultraviolet light and heat, as well as being much more difficult to damage (unless you take a pair of scissors to them). Unfortunately, the method of fitting the replacement to the standard rubber key Sinclair ZX Spectrum (from 1984) and the Timex Sinclair 1500 involves removing the metal face plate (or keyboard template) which surrounds the keys - often this is bent or dented as a result. We are therefore investigating the possibility of getting a new batch of these metal plates made - please see here if you are interested. In the meantime, we would recommend that you use heat to soften the glue prior to attempting to remove the face plate - unscrew the two parts of the case and remove the trailing leads - you can then either heat up the top with a hair dryer or soak it in hot water.

There are two types of keyboard membrane available, depending upon the type of Sinclair ZX Spectrum you are using:

ZX Spectrum / Timex Sinclair 1500 (rubber keys) Keyboard Membrane ZX Spectrum+ / Spectrum 128 Keyboard Membrane

Please note that all membranes are supplied complete with easy to follow fitting instructions

Sinclair ZX Spectrum (16K/48K) Rubber Key keyboard membrane
** MANUFACTURED 2007

(also fit the Timex Sinclair 1500 and the Argentinian clone CZ-2000).

£8.50

Sinclair ZX Spectrum + / Spectrum 128K keyboard membrane
(Manufactured 2007)

£18.50

Sinclair ZX Spectrum (16K/48K) Rubber Keyboard Mat
** OUT OF STOCK **
£n/a

If you are considering adding a replacement keyboard altogether, we would recommend the easy to fit:

Proface AT External Keyboard Interface (plugs into expansion port - has fully compatible through connector).

Comes complete with high quality stickers to add all the Spectrum keywords to your AT style keyboard.

£48

Sinclair QL Keyboard Membranes

Sinclair QL Keyboard membranes, manufactured in 2007 are now available for sale. These have been manufactured using the latest technology and are heat and ultraviolet light resistant, which should see the QL working for at least another 10 years.

We must thank the Sinclair QL User Group (Quanta) for helping to finance this project and would recommend that all Sinclair QL users continue to support this user group.

They are extremely easy to fit using the instructions provided and at last users can upgrade the internal parts of their QL without worrying about losing the keyboard. Please see our main Sinclair QL section for details of upgrades that are available and also try our second hand section which may allow you to get some upgrades quite cheaply.

Sinclair QL Keyboard Membrane

Post and Packing for 1-3 membranes - please ask for larger amounts:
UK : £2.75
EEC: £4
Rest of Europe: £5
US/Canada: £5.50

Sinclair QL Keyboard Membrane (manufactured 2003)

£19.50

Cambridge Z88 Keyboard Membranes and Rubber Keyboard Mats

As with many of the Sinclair computers from the 1980s, the popular Z88 is now beginning to suffer from keyboard failures. Unfortunately, there are no replacement keyboard membranes or rubber keyboard mats still available. Again, we are considering rectifying this situation, but require quite a bit of interest before looking at the cost of getting new keyboard membranes made.

Therefore, if you are interested in purchasing some keyboard membranes, please leave your details in the guestbook on the Z88 Keyboard Page and we shall contact you all once we have judged the interest in this project.

Enterprise 128 Keyboard Membranes

This is another computer which we have been asked to look at with a view to getting some replacement keyboard membranes made. Again, there is a minimum production run of 500 membranes.

Therefore, if you are interested in purchasing some keyboard membranes, please leave your details in the guestbook on the Enterprise 128 Keyboard Page and we shall contact you all once we have judged the interest in this project.

Testing and Shipping

All items are listed exclusive of post and packing and are all fully tested before shipping. We ensure that they are well protected against the rigours of parcel delivery and send them by Royal Mail First Class post, Parcelforce 48 hour delivery (in the UK) or Parcel2Go (whichever is the cheaper option).

Although we attempt to keep our lists as current as possible, please check on availability of any item prior to ordering. We also offer a 14 day money back warranty on all goods (excluding shipping charges), provided that they are returned in the same condition and packaging.

Sinclair ZX80/ZX81 Guestbook to gauge interest in the manufacture of replacement keyboard membranes

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Keyboard Membranes for

Sinclair ZX80, ZX81, Z88, ZX Spectrum and Sinclair QL

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