# try me button



## robp790 (Jan 8, 2008)

Anyone know what is in a try me button? I tried to take one apart and the screws are strpping the heads real easy and I cannot see what is under the board the wires are soldered to.
I need to make one of these with a timer involved so my prop is turned on then off then on....


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## groovie ghoulie (Nov 12, 2008)

> Anyone know what is in a try me button?


Not much that I know of, it's usually just a momentary contact switch.
The easiest way I have found to trigger the store bought items is to get one of the "blinker" bulbs from an old xmas light strand and just put it in front of the photo sensor of the prop.(assuming it's light controlled and not sound activated, they don't make it e-z on us, do they?) Wire the bulb to a wall wart 4.5-6 V and have that plugged in to a motion sensor or whatever, oh and hide the bulb the best you can.


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## robp790 (Jan 8, 2008)

Thanks for a simple solution! That will do the trick.


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## Doc Doom (Aug 28, 2008)

groovie ghoulie said:


> assuming it's light controlled and not sound activated, they don't make it e-z on us, do they?


I don't mean to hijack this thread, but what if it is sound activated?

I bought the Killer Jester in the Box a couple of years ago and tried to hack it last night to run continuously (back and forth motion) and without sound. Managed to replace the battery box with a 4.8V wall wart and cut the speaker leads. Cut and connected the leads to what I thought was the sound activator device (a little flat disk about the size of a quarter), and twisted them together, but then nothing worked. I then untwisted the leads but touched them together once and it came on. Anybody know how to bypass the sound activator?


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

The disk thing sound like a capacitor they should never be shorted. Please post some pictures of the circuit so that I can see it. I might be able to help you. Also what does the board control? Is it just a small motor connected to a gearbox or something?


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## Scottzilla (Jun 13, 2007)

Doc Doom: The disk is a piezoelectric transducer. It converts mechanical energy into electrical and vice-versa. It's being used like a microphone in your prop. It actually outputs a voltage rather than closing contacts so that's probably shorting the wires together didn't keep it running (plus it may be looking for changes in signal rather than any constant signal). Does it have a try-me button input? That might be an easier way to interface with it.


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## Doc Doom (Aug 28, 2008)

Thanks for the info. It does not have a try me button. There is a circuit board that powers both a small gear motor that rocks it from side to side as well as flashing LEDs for the eyes. I guess I could bypass the board entirely but would probably have to replace the eyes.


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## bombshell001 (Oct 26, 2009)

*Bypass sound activated sensor?*

I just got a new awesome standing skeleton prop from the Spirit store, it has a sound activated box that makes lights and sounds, but it only goes off if you clap right next to the sensor. I tried changing the batteries but that did not help at all. It DOES have a wire connected to the box that is believed to have belonged to a try me button at one time. What I would really like to do is bypass the sound activator, and just have it stay on continuously, or hook it up to a timer. I am not very experienced with this sort of thing, but have an intermediate level of understanding with electronics. Is there anyone who can help guide me through this?

Thanks, Bombshelli.


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## theedwin (May 25, 2009)

as far as the original question goes, the inside of the try me button is a small circuit. The button itself has a small rubber "spring" that has a (I want to say) teflon coating on the underside that connects the circuit and causes the machine to turn on. (similar to the buttons on a cell phone or calculator or keyboard). 

Groove Ghoulie has a great idea about the blinker bulb, I am going to try that one. 

bombshell, I have not found a way to make it run continuously, but you could disconnect the sound speaker "switch" (close to the sound speaker) and wire a try me button to it, or a photocell and use the blinker bulb idea. Your contraption (beings it runs a program) can't be made to run continuously and still run the program. I have had great success removing the program (circuit board) and wiring the motors directly to wall warts, but you don't think you want to do that because you will lose the lights and sound that you like.


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## Hallowennie315 (Sep 5, 2007)

I got the talking coachman from Michael's and he's pretty cool! The only problem is that he only works when you touch him - thats not that good because I don't want everyone touching him! Is there any way I can hack a try me button to set him off every couple of seconds or continuously? I can't do the light trick because the sensor is right in the nose of him... not a good place to put a blinking light. Thanks and Happy Haunting! Only 4 days until the big night!


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## groovie ghoulie (Nov 12, 2008)

I know this is a little late Halloweinie, but how about a motion activated spotlight shining on him to set him off?


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## Hallowennie315 (Sep 5, 2007)

groovie ghoulie said:


> I know this is a little late Halloweinie, but how about a motion activated spotlight shining on him to set him off?


Thanks Groovie Ghoulie, would a spot light set off a gemmy figure?


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Heres how you can do it.. 

Shine a small spot light onto the sensor and when some one breaks its beam it will set the gemmy off


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