Touch and Tell

[the_zombiest]

I've managed to find many a bend on this machine over the past 4 hours, and I'm elated that i've found loops and glitches galore.  The one thing that's majorly vexing me is the play-card setup.  I don't want to use the cards, they look shit and it'd be very impractical for live use.  Does anyone know how to wire it up using toggles to bypass the gaudy stars and scary clown? 

I have a feeling that i'm looking for a complex solution when it's probably gonna be as easy as opening a tin of beans that was already open.

any advice would be greatly recieved.

[Circuitbenders]

You need to wire up a switch to replace or parrellel each of the buttons that are held down (or not) by the holes punched in the cards. Then just note down which black buttons are on and which are off for each card and activate the  right switches when you turn the machine on. It should select that card without it actually being inserted.

I hope that made some sense.

I think there are two different versions of the touch & tell, at least i have two versions with two different sets of cards.
How many cards do you have with yours?

[Circuitbenders]

Actually, it just occured to me that a more fiendish way of doing it would be to wire up a IC holder to the black push switches and then set up a DIP switch block for each card. If you have one set of DIP switches to represent each card you could just plug them into the IC holder when you want them.

I'm not entirely sure that it would work but its something to consider.

[the_zombiest]

Mine has 8 cards:
clown face/body parts
how many?/hidden numbers
colors/objects
numbers 1-10/numbers 11-30
home scene/shapes
in the jungle/animal babies
farm animals/at the farm

my buttons are blue instead of black, but i guess that makes no difference.
I wired up some toggle switches to the 5 solder 'pads' on the underside of the pcb and linked them to the metal contacts but the first switch doesn't want to work right, and when toggled on with any of the other switches, it makes the 'no cards inserted' beep.  I've checked my soldering and it all seems intact.  I've removed the metal 'set of five' contact switches that the blue/black buttons press down on and hooked up the middle lugs of the toggles to the screw. *I'm hoping this is making sense, i'm shit at explaining stuff.* any suggestions on whats went wrong?

Thanks for all your advice thus far.  I would'nt have made any progress without it.

[the_zombiest]

well, if i'd have spent two minutes just looking at the cut-outs on the cards, i'd have realised that the first button is always open anyways, so does not require a toggle switch... ARSE!

[Circuitbenders]

hmmm, so why is the 1st button there at all, some kind of test mode maybe?

when you say 8 cards i assume you mean 7 cards, in that you have listed 7 cards and the three full sets i have all have 7 cards each

I've never seen an expansion pack for the touch & tell but apparently they are fairly common in the US.

[the_zombiest]

i think it's becoming obvious that i can't count.  I think the solder fumes are melting my brain 

The 1st button bewilders me.  It seems like it's there to act as an alarm, if it's pressed the t&t makes that 'boop' noise to let you know that you've put the card in the wrong way... It's a thought at least.

either way, it's a magnificent beast and by far my favourite bend so far... now all i need to do is paint it.

[Tyler1144]

Paint the card black :/