# Cowlicious questions



## Torgen (May 25, 2006)

I was going to suggest a Scary Terry Talking Skull kit group buy, since we all have extra skulls from the ACC group buy, but as I started reading, I got the distinct impression I was going to need more than that kit to get him going.

Can someone please walk brain-dead Torg through everything he will need to make the talking skull? I already have the 4th quality bucky skull.


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

Scary Terry's site has a list of what you need Torgen.
http://www.scary-terry.com/buckyservo/buckyservo.htm

You can get the servo and music wire from Monster Guts (a HauntForum member).
http://monsterguts.com/misc.htm

The angle aluminum and screws, nuts, washers, and ties can be found at Lowes or Home Depot.

The Cowlicious board is then used to drive the servo.

Let us know if you have other questions. I know a bunch of us on this board have done this project.


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## Torgen (May 25, 2006)

What I'm looking at is the Skull Kit minus the Skull, part # JTG-K for $27.95 on this page: http://www.cowlacious.com/talking_skull_products.htm

After re-reading the site, I'll need this, plus the Audio Server Driver kit with chip for $32.95 AND a Cowlicious board for $17.95 to program the sound onto the chip? Is the first item just the servo and hardware? I have some old JR servos that I should be able to rewire or buy an adaptor for to make the connections like the HiTec (used to fly R/C planes 15 yr ago.)

Would I be better off just getting the parts from my junk box and Lowes, then I'd just have to buy the Cowlicious board with a chip for $26.95?

I'm so confused..... :googly:


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## ruafraid (Jan 3, 2006)

Torgen, I recently purchased the "guts" package and the sound board. I didn't get the sound recorder chip. The guts kit has the servo and mounting hardware since I already had the skull. It works fine I connected the sound card to my laptop for testing and plan on using a cd player.


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## Torgen (May 25, 2006)

Thanks! Is that the Scary Terry audio server board, or the Cowlicious board?

I have servos, wire, even special pliers to make the Z-bends in the wire for the servo, and the skull. All I need is the electronics, so trying to determine exactly what I need.

What I want to do is make a gravedigger for the front of the yard walkthrough that will activate (using the WalMart motion detector?) and greet the ToTs. A bonus would be to get him to raise an arm that's holding a "flicker" lantern.


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## krypt (Oct 25, 2005)

Well if ya want a skull jaw movement from sound your gonna need a sound source ,speakers,and a servo driver board. .... and linkage for a jaw and a servo. Someone correct me if im wrong. You mentioned that isd chip recorder in chat that would be your sound source......dont have to have one if making custom cd's though.


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## krypt (Oct 25, 2005)

Torgen said:


> Thanks! Is that the Scary Terry audio server board, or the Cowlicious board?
> 
> I have servos, wire, even special pliers to make the Z-bends in the wire for the servo, and the skull. All I need is the electronics, so trying to determine exactly what I need.
> 
> What I want to do is make a gravedigger for the front of the yard walkthrough that will activate (using the WalMart motion detector?) and greet the ToTs. A bonus would be to get him to raise an arm that's holding a "flicker" lantern.


Im no geinus but ill bet it would have to be two operations being ac and dc voltage......those boards being dc and motion dectector being 120vac. One could be a push button switch activated by you then it doesnt go off all night just when you want it to.


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## ruafraid (Jan 3, 2006)

Torgen said:


> Thanks! Is that the Scary Terry audio server board, or the Cowlicious board?


I bought the sound card from Cowlacious. Its one in the same. Scarry Terry designed the card and let Cowlacious make it and sell it. See Scary Terry's website for details on the history of the card. http://www.scary-terry.com/audioservo/audioservo.htm

Here is all I bought to make the talking skull.I already had the skull.

(1) ST100 Assembled Scary Terry Audio Servo Driver (ST100) board.

(1) JTG-K Kit Just need the guts and not the skull? Then, this is the kit you need. This kit includes everything found in the skull kit, but the skull.


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## Torgen (May 25, 2006)

Excellent! I was right, and the board ISN'T in the skull guts kit. I have a ton of old R/C airplane stuff, even the Z-bend pliers to make those bends in the wire, so I have all the "guts" I need.

So, you're using a CD player for the sound? How are you triggering it?

I wonder if I could get the Cowlicious ISD board, then use Dr Morbius's circuit to move the servo/mouth. We're down to counting pennies here, especially since I"ve decided to build a FCG crypt!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Torgen, the Audio Servo Driver kit will drive the servo in your skull to track an audio source. You have 2 choices for audio source, you can connect an external CD/mp3/etc player to the Audio Servo Driver, OR you can buy the Cowlacious ISD Chip Recorder/Player to record 120 seconds of sound onto the 25120 that is included with the Audio Server Driver.



Torgen said:


> What I'm looking at is the Skull Kit minus the Skull, part # JTG-K for $27.95 on this page: http://www.cowlacious.com/talking_skull_products.htm
> 
> After re-reading the site, I'll need this, plus the Audio Server Driver kit with chip for $32.95 AND a Cowlicious board for $17.95 to program the sound onto the chip? Is the first item just the servo and hardware? I have some old JR servos that I should be able to rewire or buy an adaptor for to make the connections like the HiTec (used to fly R/C planes 15 yr ago.)
> 
> ...


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## Torgen (May 25, 2006)

heya HJ!

I'm figuring that using the Cowlicious to program the chip for the Audio Servo board will be the easiest way to go. That way I don't need another power source for the CD/mp3 player, and don't have to worry about how to hit the "play" button (or wait for the CD to spool up to speed.)

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how to actually trigger the prop when the TOTs get close.

Since it looks like I'll need both boards plus some way to interface a trigger, I may just wait til next year for this prop.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Torgen said:


> Thanks! Is that the Scary Terry audio server board, or the Cowlicious board?
> 
> I have servos, wire, even special pliers to make the Z-bends in the wire for the servo, and the skull. All I need is the electronics, so trying to determine exactly what I need.
> 
> What I want to do is make a gravedigger for the front of the yard walkthrough that will activate (using the WalMart motion detector?) and greet the ToTs. A bonus would be to get him to raise an arm that's holding a "flicker" lantern.


If you don't mind a touch of delay you can always plug the CD player into the PIR, much like the guy on this how-to-plugs in a drill to a PIR http://www.markbsplace.net/creepzone/semitb.htm. You could also keep the sound source going continously and switch it on with a relay that is plugged into the PIR.

As for the arm raising, could you set something up where the arm is raised as long as the PIR is triggered, tha goes down when the PIR goes off?


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Torgen said:


> heya HJ!
> 
> I'm figuring that using the Cowlicious to program the chip for the Audio Servo board will be the easiest way to go. That way I don't need another power source for the CD/mp3 player, and don't have to worry about how to hit the "play" button (or wait for the CD to spool up to speed.)
> 
> ...


You may want to get some feedback on that option, I seem to recall there was a question of sound quality using the chip.


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## Torgen (May 25, 2006)

Hmm, that may be the way to go, HJ. I want the gravekeeper to greet the TOTs, so I'll need to be able to start and stop the CD player. I guess if worse comes to worst, I can take out the "play" button and solder the connection closed so it starts every time power is applied.

I was thinking of using a "quarter scale" R/C airplane servo for the arm, and look what I found! http://e-clec-tech.com/quscgeh.html

Too bad it's $60 

Here's one ten dollars less: http://e-clec-tech.com/stge.html


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## Torgen (May 25, 2006)

uh, how do you convert oz/in to how much weight a servo can move?

http://e-clec-tech.com/hsqscka.html


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Regarding the sound quality of the ISD chips: I've used both the 2560 and 25120, and the sound is way muddier on the 25120. If you pay attention to the output level when downloading to the chip, you can get really clear sound from the 2560. For voice and sound effects tracks it works well, for clean music a CD is the way to go. For triggering the prop, one could try this - http://www.thefrighteners.com/Gary's .htm
It's cheap and easy to build, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.


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