The photo (click to enlarge) shows the rather obvious effects of cigarette smoke on the keyboard membranes of a Kenwood TS-2000. The owner complained that the backlighting had gone very weak, so he suspected a circuit malfunction. Alas, his heavy smoking was the sole culprit.
The membrane soft plastic is normally semi-translucent whitish - not so after having been exposed to cigarette smoke for a while. It turned brown - and the worst part is, that this brown colouring is permanent! Obviously the stain gets into the plastic! This brown colouring acts as a filter for the green backlight, attenuating it greatly, to the point that it can be barely seen in complete darkness only. I have seen (and smelled!!) many rigs owned by smokers, it's definitely causing them serious cosmetic - and functional - harm.
So, if you are a smoker, just imagine what kind of stuff the smoke is leaving behind in your poor lungs - perhaps quitting is the best option, both for you and your beloved rigs!
