Keyboard backlight almost non-existent

My keyboard backlight is almost non-existent. With the diffuser layer you can only make out that there is a backlight on the brightest of keys, only on the brightest level, in a fully darkened room. Without the diffuser you cannot see any backlight at all unless in a fully darkended room, on the lower level only the bright keys show the backlight, and on the bright level the bright keys show what I would consider a decent backlight level, and the dimmer ones barely glow but it is there. Turn the light on though and even without the diffuser you can toggle between off, low, and high and not be able to see any difference or tell if it is on at all or not.

Is there any way to fix or improve on this? I know some people say they are getting better than this. Most seem to agree you are better off going without the diffuser, but it is usable if you do this. For me, even without the diffuser, I only get a few keys lit up, and that is on the brightest setting in a totally dark room.

I took the keyboard board out and I had to use a magnifying glass to see the LEDs, so I know that soldering in not in my future for this. I saw a model on Printables.com for a top panel to stylize the unit to look retro (uConsole 500 by Grhmhome | Download free STL model | Printables.com) so the keyboard and spaces around it have already been modeled. Perhaps I can use that to create a model for a new diffuser sheet. I wonder if printing one layer thick (at .2mm) in clear PET-G would be a better compromise than no diffuser or the stock one.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

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