# Inside a Stackmat



## Stefan (Feb 23, 2010)

My stackmat's buttons don't work well anymore so I took it apart hoping to clean/repair it and took some pictures and a video.


----------



## Muesli (Feb 23, 2010)

Hmm...

You should leave it like that. Pretty stylish XD


----------



## d4m4s74 (Feb 23, 2010)

and, is the competition display output anything like the unused soldering points on the cheap one?


----------



## Stefan (Feb 23, 2010)

d4m4s74 said:


> and, is the competition display output anything like *the unused soldering points on the cheap one*?



No idea what you're talking about, sorry.


----------



## Bryan (Feb 23, 2010)

d4m4s74 said:


> and, is the competition display output anything like the unused soldering points on the cheap one?



My "cheap" ones and my ones with competition displays actually have the batteries in different locations, so I don't think they're just a single part removed.


----------



## iSpinz (Feb 23, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> d4m4s74 said:
> 
> 
> > and, is the competition display output anything like *the unused soldering points on the cheap one*?
> ...



I think he's asking if the one with a data port is (almost) the same in structure as one without a data port. I think he wants to know if it's possible to attach a output thing to a no data port one.


----------



## d4m4s74 (Feb 23, 2010)

iSpinz said:


> StefanPochmann said:
> 
> 
> > d4m4s74 said:
> ...


yup

I've seen images of the insides of the one in the toystore sets and there are some unused soldering points near the dataport on the competition timer


----------



## Jake Gouldon (Feb 23, 2010)

Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...


----------



## koreancuber (Feb 23, 2010)

Jake Gouldon said:


> Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...



I totally agree


----------



## Stefan (Feb 23, 2010)

Well, I only have this one and the first generation one (with the gray mat and the timer on the side). And I don't know much about this electronic stuff, so I don't know what to provide besides the pictures. I still have it in pieces, so I could take other pictures if you're interested in something specific.


----------



## Laura O (Feb 23, 2010)

...


----------



## iSpinz (Feb 23, 2010)

larf said:


> Jake Gouldon said:
> 
> 
> > Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...
> ...



It's made in China. It's *cheap.* (to make)


----------



## dillonbladez (Feb 23, 2010)

iSpinz said:


> larf said:
> 
> 
> > Jake Gouldon said:
> ...




so true. 

man, stackmat timers are so expensive though the actual computer (hardware) is cheap.


----------



## ElderKingpin (Feb 23, 2010)

and yet. people still buy them.

They have either mastered the art of cheating people of their money. 
Or the hardware is actually good and reliable.

It looks like its only 12 dollars. But they dont sell JUST the timer. Its either the stackmat complete (mat,timer, and bag) or the timer with a bag, bags are expensive man.


----------



## Deleted member 2864 (Feb 23, 2010)

ElderKingpin said:


> and yet. people still buy them.
> 
> They have either mastered the art of cheating people of their money.
> Or the hardware is actually good and reliable.



They're sorta the only comp-legal timer for cubing and speedstacking. I see why people would buy them...


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

What about the touch sensitive pads? Can you get some pictures of those? I know they're magnetized, I keep accidentally setting it on the dresser and my girlfriends earrings keep sticking to it ha. I'm curious to see what the inside of that looks like though.

What doesn't work well? The start/stop buttons, or all the push buttons (Power, Reset, save, down arrow)?


----------



## Toad (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> What about the touch sensitive pads? Can you get some pictures of those? I know they're magnetized, I keep accidentally setting it on the dresser and my girlfriends earrings keep sticking to it ha. I'm curious to see what the inside of that looks like though.
> 
> What doesn't work well? The start/stop buttons, or all the push buttons (Power, Reset, save, down arrow)?



I don't think the pads themselves use magnets at all it's just magnets on the bottom to hold to two parts together so you can use it on a mat.


----------



## Bryan (Feb 24, 2010)

ElderKingpin said:


> They have either mastered the art of cheating people of their money.



Determine the cost of soda or candy and then complain about markup. Businesses need to make money.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

Another picture:






Googled the big pieces and found these:
3.579545 MHz crystal
CD4066BM Quad Bilateral Switch


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> What about the touch sensitive pads? Can you get some pictures of those?


Can't disassemble it further without breaking glue and I don't want to do that, sorry. I don't think the magnets are for timing, only to hold the pieces together. It seems like those wire-strips continue into the pads between the plastic and the surface sticker and that's it.



fatboyxpc said:


> What doesn't work well? The start/stop buttons, or all the push buttons (Power, Reset, save, down arrow)?


Power and reset. The pads work fine and I don't use save/down.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

to randomtoad and stefan:
I knew there were magnets on the bottom to hold the two pieces together, but i didn't realize they were strong enough to pull through to the other side. I just looked at the location of them and realized that's probably what it's been the whole time.

Have you tried just jumping the switch to see if it's just the mechanics of the switch going bad? Those switches are generally easy to replace, don't require great soldering skills, and are pretty cheap.

Edit: Before randomly jumping the switch(es), I'd suggest using a multimeter to test which sides actually short together when the switch is pressed. If you just do a continuity test and you hear it not making good connection, that alone will tell you it's prob. the switch.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> Before randomly jumping the switch(es), I'd suggest using a multimeter to test which sides actually short together when the switch is pressed. If you just do a continuity test and you hear it not making good connection, that alone will tell you it's prob. the switch.



Yeah... well... I have no idea what you just said . Well, somewhat. But I don't have equipment or experience for this kind of stuff.

The black top part of the reset button is loose and there's no nice click feeling when pressing it. This button works almost not at all anymore. The power button feels nice but also doesn't work properly anymore, though better than the reset button.


----------



## miniGOINGS (Feb 24, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> fatboyxpc said:
> 
> 
> > Before randomly jumping the switch(es), I'd suggest using a multimeter to test which sides actually short together when the switch is pressed. If you just do a continuity test and you hear it not making good connection, that alone will tell you it's prob. the switch.
> ...



I actually just finished a course at my school to do just that kind of stuff with computers and other electronics. I got 89% I think.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

I went to school for it for three years 

Do you have a multimeter Stefan?

And in your video, are those buttons on the sides? Or is your hand just shorting the two metal prongs together?


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> Do you have a multimeter Stefan?


No. No soldering or other equipment of this kind, either.



fatboyxpc said:


> And in your video, are those buttons on the sides? Or is your hand just shorting the two metal prongs together?


No buttons, just shorting together.

Fed up enough now to break the buttons open. Doesn't look broken, I guess the metal plate isn't round enough anymore?


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

Touch a paperclip from the top metal part on SW2 to the bottom metal part. Let me know if it works?


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

Found the problem. The metal plate is broken, so after being pressed, it doesn't bend back when released. And I guess that's bad. Might buy a new one and just replace that plate.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

You might be able to bend it back and put super glue in the crack haha. Those types of switches are pretty cheap though.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> Touch a paperclip from the top metal part on SW2 to the bottom metal part. Let me know if it works?



Top+bottom doesn't, but middle+top and middle+bottom both work.


----------



## Ethan Rosen (Feb 24, 2010)

Jake Gouldon said:


> Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...



That's generally a good business plan... charge more than the costs to produce it:fp


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> fatboyxpc said:
> 
> 
> > Touch a paperclip from the top metal part on SW2 to the bottom metal part. Let me know if it works?
> ...



That makes sense, since there is the metal part in the middle. But you're already found the problem it seems  I still like my super glue idea haha


----------



## DavidWoner (Feb 24, 2010)

Jake Gouldon said:


> Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...



Yeah that's totally different from almost every other product ever produced.


----------



## Jake Gouldon (Feb 24, 2010)

Ethan Rosen said:


> Jake Gouldon said:
> 
> 
> > Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...
> ...



I mean that it looks somewhat unreasonably cheap relative to the sale price, more so than most products.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> I still like my super glue idea haha



It's drying already. Doubt it'll work, if not then I'll visit that nearby electronic parts store.


----------



## Weston (Feb 24, 2010)

Ethan Rosen said:


> Jake Gouldon said:
> 
> 
> > Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...
> ...



People dont sell things for how much theyre worth.
They well according to how much people are willing to pay.


----------



## Jake Gouldon (Feb 24, 2010)

Weston said:


> Ethan Rosen said:
> 
> 
> > Jake Gouldon said:
> ...



I sort of hope some ko company sees this thread and makes a cheap one that is accurate. Looking at the inside of this thing makes me willing to pay alot less...


----------



## Ethan Rosen (Feb 24, 2010)

Jake Gouldon said:


> Weston said:
> 
> 
> > Ethan Rosen said:
> ...



http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6940783/description.html


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

Jake Gouldon said:


> I sort of hope some ko company sees this thread and makes a cheap one that is accurate.


QJ?

These look about right:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150410377331


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

Ethan Rosen said:


> http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6940783/description.html



_"Mat for timing competitions"_
I don't need a mat.


----------



## Ethan Rosen (Feb 24, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> Ethan Rosen said:
> 
> 
> > http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6940783/description.html
> ...



It appears to me that this patent also covers the use of the timer, although all I really have to go by here is the picture and the abstract.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

Ethan Rosen said:


> It appears to me that this patent also covers the use of the timer, although all I really have to go by here is the picture and the abstract.



Yeah, but I think the patent is for the whole thing. Including mat, timer, cups and even the stacking routines(!). I don't think every part is automatically patented on its own. And shouldn't patents be for innovation? The whole thing might've been innovative, but a mere timer?


----------



## fundash (Feb 24, 2010)

Ethan Rosen said:


> Jake Gouldon said:
> 
> 
> > Weston said:
> ...


shut up you guys, almost EVERYTHING costs only cents to actually produce/manufacture the parts, but there are many, and I mean MANY more things involved! My dad is an inventor and owns a toy company. (uberstix.com) One thing is shipping, the price MUST be raised to compensate for all the thousands of them being sent out every hour, also, the shipping for the stuff to make things itself. That is a huge amount of materials coming into the factory. Thats all I can think of now. (I would tell more it he were here right now) But, just think of how much those wo alone rack up the price.


----------



## Dene (Feb 24, 2010)

Jake Gouldon said:


> Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...



You, and everyone else that agrees with you is a complete idiot. Yes, the parts would be cheap. Have you no sense of economics? Seriously, learn to live in the real world. Do you honestly think that chunk of plastic on your desk costs $10??? It probably costs 30c.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I was refering to a 3x3 cube.


----------



## chinesed00d (Feb 24, 2010)

hm... i'll try to figure out how to make one in electronics class


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

Making a timer is very simple: get a 555 timer chip (cheap), a resistor, and a potentiometer (variable resistor basically). You can use the resistor and cap to make a timer, whether you want it fast or slow. To get it at a 1/100th of a second cycle, you can A) hook the output up to an oscilloscope or B) get an LED and measure it by eye, but that's not near as accurate (and you should probably do 1sec intervals at that point).

Anyway, Stefan: You might want to actually measure the little switches to see what size they are, I've seen them come in a few different sizes, but I'm not sure how many there are in total (probably quite a few different sizes).


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> Anyway, Stefan: You might want to actually measure the little switches to see what size they are, I've seen them come in a few different sizes



Thanks, though I already did. Seems to be 6mm. That's what I meant here:



StefanPochmann said:


> These look about right:
> http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150410377331



I've seen different heights, differing by 0.3mm, but the 6mm width seem to be standard.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

Dene said:


> Jake Gouldon said:
> 
> 
> > Looks very cheap to make, I would say considerably less than what it is sold for...
> ...



Ok I'm confused. Do you disagree or agree with him?


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

Are you going to straight up desolder and resolder on the new switch, or just mess with that metal plate? How'd the super glue ordeal work out?


----------



## Dene (Feb 24, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> Dene said:
> 
> 
> > Jake Gouldon said:
> ...



I agree that the parts would cost a lot less than the price that it would sell for. I disagree with his strong implication that he is now being ripped off because of that, for various reasons, but the most obvious being that a profit needs to be made.


----------



## Zubon (Feb 24, 2010)

People are usually pretty surprised when they find out just how cheap the components of their gadgets are.

I used to muck around with 555 timer ICs and it is pretty easy to make any circuit that involves timing something. I also used to copy the circuit diagrams of analogue guitar effect pedals and make my own knockoffs for $10 instead of $200.

Stefan, thanks for this thread. I have a first generation stackmat timer and I want to connect it to my computer and CCT timer. I wanted to have a look at the circuit board of a timer with the data port as it should be a simple case of soldering wires somewhere.

When I get time, Ill crack open my timer and compare it to yours.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Feb 24, 2010)

Zubon said:


> I used to muck around with 555 timer ICs and it is pretty easy to make any circuit that involves timing something. I also used to copy the circuit diagrams of analogue guitar effect pedals and make my own knockoffs for $10 instead of $200.



The hard part about that is finding the right type of case to use for a foot pedal :/


----------



## Zubon (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> Zubon said:
> 
> 
> > I used to muck around with 555 timer ICs and it is pretty easy to make any circuit that involves timing something. I also used to copy the circuit diagrams of analogue guitar effect pedals and make my own knockoffs for $10 instead of $200.
> ...



For stuff I just threw together, I used old tin cans as cases. Electromagnetically shielded and tough enough to step on.

The hardest part was getting heavy duty switches that still allowed a passive bypass.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> Are you going to straight up desolder and resolder on the new switch, or just mess with that metal plate? How'd the super glue ordeal work out?


Just the plate, as I don't have soldering equipment/experience. Super glue didn't help, I just tried it and it broke with the first press.



Dene said:


> I agree that the parts would cost a lot less than the price that it would sell for. I disagree with his strong implication that he is now being ripped off because of that


Yeah, I just found it funny. That implication was there but I didn't find it strong, and it looked like:
A: It's cheap to make.
B: You're an idiot. It's cheap to make.



Zubon said:


> Stefan, thanks for this thread. I have a first generation stackmat timer and I want to connect it to my computer and CCT timer. I wanted to have a look at the circuit board of a timer with the data port as it should be a simple case of soldering wires somewhere.


The first generation had it already. Are we talking about the same? This:


----------



## Zubon (Feb 24, 2010)

When I said first generation, I meant first of the current design. It is just like yours but doesn't have the data cable jack.

Picked up one of those speedstacking kits with cups and the mat for under $10. Threw away the cups and got a cheap timer. When I heard about CCT timer and computer connectivity, I regretted not getting the expensive version.


----------



## Toire-Dakku (Feb 24, 2010)

Would it prolong battery life if you took out one of the red/green lights (or even both.)? Just a thought. 

My batteries last only a month. The difference might be worth it.


----------



## andyt1992 (Feb 24, 2010)

TAKE THE PLATES OUT OF THE SAVE AND DOWN BUTTON 

And @Toire Dakku - LED's hardly use any power to light up you could light 10 continuosly for almost a month off 2 - AA Batteries. So no it wouldnt noticeably make a difference.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

andyt1992 said:


> TAKE THE PLATES OUT OF THE SAVE AND DOWN BUTTON


If they were large enough, I would've done that already.


----------



## andyt1992 (Feb 24, 2010)

thought i could save you some £££ but instead hastily typed rubbish without looking first. try somestuff like folded paper or cut up an old credit card or library pass or something.


----------



## Stefan (Feb 24, 2010)

Um, actually it wasn't so rubbish. Right after I posted, I actually tried it and while it's certainly much smaller than it should be, it seems to work reliably (connects when pressed, doesn't connect when not pressed). I'll still see if I can get a cheap correct size plate in the nearby store, but otherwise I'll try the smaller one for now. Thanks.


----------



## Stefan (Mar 12, 2010)

Ok... I ended up buying two of these button switches at that nearby electronics store. Took their discs out, put them in in my stackmat, assembled everything, and now it works fine again. Mission accomplished.


----------



## Swordsman Kirby (Mar 25, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


>



The hair!


----------



## mazei (Mar 25, 2010)

Swordsman Kirby said:


> StefanPochmann said:
> 
> 
> >
> ...



*gasp*


----------



## a510592 (Nov 17, 2010)

I have the glow-in-the-dark stackmat and I took the back off to see if there was any way to put a port on it so that I could hook it up to my computer. I found a soldering spot in the bottom left corner that reads R27 and then a small hole beside it that reads DISPLAY. Is there a way to solder a jack to those points?


----------



## a510592 (Nov 18, 2010)

I also found another soldering hole that reads FREQ which i'm guessing stands for frequency. I have tried testing many different soldering points with a headphone jack with the headphones removed, leaving me with the wires on the other end (positive, negative, and ground) I got the timer to turn "on" on cct timer program, but I still couldn't get the timer to start and stop, it was only recognized by the computer. Can anyone help me further with this experiment/mod? I can post some pictures if needed.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Nov 18, 2010)

I suggest looking at the stackmat pictures in Stefan's first post. In the second picture, the bottom left hand corner has the headphone jack. Notice how if you look at the first picture, in the bottom right (where the headphone jack is now) you see three wires? That's for left, right, and common/ground/neutral (whatever you prefer to call it). My guess is that the middle solder point is the common.

What do you mean by you got the timer to turn on?


----------



## Kenneth (Nov 18, 2010)

I guess he got CCT to react but it probably needs tuning (input volume and program settings) to work properly.

Where it says R27, R is for resistance, mabye you also need that resistor to get it to work...


----------



## Pixel 6 (Nov 18, 2010)

Day late, dollar short... but here is where i've always purchased my electronic parts for repairing various things.. (I've built two 1 watt white light laser projection systems)

http://www.mouser.com:80/Search/Refine.aspx?Keyword=6mm+switch&No=25&FS=True (the part you were looking for is somewhere in this area)

http://www.mouser.com


- Pixel -


----------



## cuberkid10 (Nov 18, 2010)

My stackmat won't turn on, and I tried to disassemble it, and when talking off the back plate, was met with ribbion looking things holding the halves together. What do I do? (Or how do I get my stackmat to work? It's Not the batteries. I checked)


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Nov 18, 2010)

When you say you checked, do you mean you checked the voltage of the batteries with a meter? Or possibly try your battery in another stackmat?


----------



## amostay2004 (Nov 18, 2010)

Hmm while this thread is here, I'd like to ask about a problem with my stackmat:

The time and date is still displayed, and when I hit the power button the 0.00 comes out. But when I put my hands on the timer the display it goes 8:88.88 very briefly then goes off. Is it out of battery or something? I don't have a new battery that I can test it with =/


----------



## Tim Major (Nov 18, 2010)

amostay2004 said:


> Hmm while this thread is here, I'd like to ask about a problem with my stackmat:
> 
> The time and date is still displayed, and when I hit the power button the 0.00 comes out. But when I put my hands on the timer the display it goes 8:88.88 very briefly then goes off. Is it out of battery or something? I don't have a new battery that I can test it with =/


 
Yeah, that's the same symptoms mine had when it ran out of battery, and same with a few QJ timers I think. A new battery _should_ fix it.


----------



## cuberkid10 (Nov 18, 2010)

I put the battery in a Old tamagotchi and it worked fine. So I put it back in the stakmat. It's a first gen stackmat and the reset button's covering is cracked, but not damaged.


----------



## amostay2004 (Nov 18, 2010)

ZB_FTW!!! said:


> Yeah, that's the same symptoms mine had when it ran out of battery, and same with a few QJ timers I think. A new battery _should_ fix it.


 
Alright, thanks


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Nov 18, 2010)

Most likely that is a low battery. You can use a meter to verify, but I suggest getting a new battery. That was to amos, I didn't realize there were so many posts ahead of mine.

cuberkid: Does the tamagachi stay on for a good bit? They might require less voltage to run than the stackmat timer.


----------



## cuberkid10 (Nov 19, 2010)

Yes, the tamagotchi stays on for a good bit. I think maybe water seeped into a crack in the reset button.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Nov 19, 2010)

Hrm, I'm guessing you know how the water got in there then. Did the issue start right after the water got in? If you look at Stefan's pictures though, it should be pretty clear how to open it if you really insist


----------



## sgosiaco (Nov 19, 2010)

Im a noob and this may be in the wrong section but do you really need a stackmat timer for a competition?


----------



## Kenneth (Nov 19, 2010)

The tamagotchi runs on much smaller voltage than the timer that has got LEDs (that are eating the battery, whithout them it would last for years instead of months). Water should not be a problem, when it drys everything is back to normal (if it was not salty water, then you may get problems).

sgosiaco, the competiton organiser have the timers you use in comp and yes, it is in the rules it must be a stackmat timer (fairness).


----------



## cuberkid10 (Nov 19, 2010)

I think the water may have gotten in after I took a shower. I think I stood over it for a while. The issues didn't start then though. That happened... ~July. My timer stopped working in.. ~August. Before it stopped though, the reset button was stupid. It didn't always work.


----------



## Kenneth (Nov 19, 2010)

The buttons are crap, I have my power switch working in like 10% of the tries and the reset button I had to change for a new one because it was compleatly dead (my timer is about 5 years old and was used a lot the first years).

I did not do as Stefand but used a soldering iron and removed the old button compleatly.


----------



## cuberkid10 (Nov 19, 2010)

Hmm, I guess I'll go and buy a new battery, I hope it will work.


----------



## Kenneth (Nov 19, 2010)

Yes, try that first.


----------



## a510592 (Nov 21, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> I suggest looking at the stackmat pictures in Stefan's first post. In the second picture, the bottom left hand corner has the headphone jack. Notice how if you look at the first picture, in the bottom right (where the headphone jack is now) you see three wires? That's for left, right, and common/ground/neutral (whatever you prefer to call it). My guess is that the middle solder point is the common.
> 
> What do you mean by you got the timer to turn on?



I meant that I got it to show that the timer was "on" on cct timer program. I'll try to post some pictures up, I have to fix my camera. I was looking at stefan's pictures, and I think that there are some parts on the new timers that aren't on the old one.



amostay2004 said:


> Hmm while this thread is here, I'd like to ask about a problem with my stackmat:
> 
> The time and date is still displayed, and when I hit the power button the 0.00 comes out. But when I put my hands on the timer the display it goes 8:88.88 very briefly then goes off. Is it out of battery or something? I don't have a new battery that I can test it with =/


 
You just need a new battery. 

Ok, so with some more testing today I should figure this out. I think that the timer I have is missing some parts that are on the new timer. I have got my hands on two 3.5 mm jacks (one with a resistor on it, one without) and I think that I might actually be able to figure this out with some help from my uncle (very smart with electronics). Hope everything works out, and maybe if my uncle can fix my camera, i'll post up pictures on how my timer looks. If I figure it out i'll post it up here and I'll make a video tutorial. Cheers 



Kenneth said:


> I guess he got CCT to react but it probably needs tuning (input volume and program settings) to work properly.
> 
> Where it says R27, R is for resistance, mabye you also need that resistor to get it to work...


 
Do you know what size resistor I would need for what ever R27 is? also there is something to the right of it that reads DINA and has two soldering points with the sign for an amplifier on it (sideways triangle with horizontal line on either end). So i'm guessing that this "amplifier" spot is for the sound wave that is sent through the wire to the computer? What kind of "amplifier" would that be?



cuberkid10 said:


> My stackmat won't turn on, and I tried to disassemble it, and when talking off the back plate, was met with ribbion looking things holding the halves together. What do I do? (Or how do I get my stackmat to work? It's Not the batteries. I checked)


 
You might have a bad switch. Carefully open the timer, you don't want to damage the ribbon. Also, make sure that the wires to the battery are all completely connected to the battery place and the circuit board. cheers


----------



## a510592 (Nov 22, 2010)

UPDATE: Ok, so I figured out where to connect the two wires from a headphone jack to make the timer work, now I just need to figure out how to attach and actual jack to the timer so I don't have to have a wire hanging off my timer. With the help of my awesome uncle, I found that I need to attach one of the wires to ground and the other one to the right square where it says R27. So just one more step to go, i'll have to continue next week because I won't see my uncle until then. Cheers


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Nov 22, 2010)

That "sideways triangle with a line" is for diode, not amplifier. Since the jack is stereo, you would probably need to connect all three wires to something. Notice how the jack in Stefan's pictures have all three points soldered in, but on the solder points you can't see them leading to any traces, so I'm guessing they lead somewhere else on the front side. I didn't see an R27 anywhere close to the jack though, but I might have missed it. It would probably be easier to look at it in person.


----------



## a510592 (Nov 22, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> That "sideways triangle with a line" is for diode, not amplifier. Since the jack is stereo, you would probably need to connect all three wires to something. Notice how the jack in Stefan's pictures have all three points soldered in, but on the solder points you can't see them leading to any traces, so I'm guessing they lead somewhere else on the front side. I didn't see an R27 anywhere close to the jack though, but I might have missed it. It would probably be easier to look at it in person.


 
Yeah, I am going to test it later on during the week and will post an update, and hopefully a tutorial if it actually works.


----------



## Kenneth (Nov 25, 2010)

So, you put the wire where the resistor is supposed to be and it does not work else?

The resistor is a lead but with resistance, if it is missing there is no lead there at all so this is why it works that way, you take a shortcut by putting the wire at that place.

R27, the number 27 is just the numbering for the resistors of this particular card and it does not say anything about the size of the resistor, you have to look at one on a a card that has got it and I can't see it on Stefans pictures. Probably it is only on the special revision of the card that lacks the display jack.


----------



## a510592 (Nov 25, 2010)

Kenneth said:


> So, you put the wire where the resistor is supposed to be and it does not work else?
> 
> The resistor is a lead but with resistance, if it is missing there is no lead there at all so this is why it works that way, you take a shortcut by putting the wire at that place.
> 
> R27, the number 27 is just the numbering for the resistors of this particular card and it does not say anything about the size of the resistor, you have to look at one on a a card that has got it and I can't see it on Stefans pictures. Probably it is only on the special revision of the card that lacks the display jack.


 
So, if I want to put a port on the circuit board, I have to put a certain sized resistor on it as well? I am going to go see my uncle this saturday and sunday, so I will let you know if we figure out anything else. If it works I will post exactly how I did it, and a link to a video tutorial. Thanks for helping. Cheers!


----------



## Kenneth (Nov 25, 2010)

I'm not sure you need the resistor, it may just be a small value like a few K or so, it may work fine without it.


----------



## cuberkid10 (Nov 25, 2010)

OK, the new battery did nothing to help the stackmat. I tried both types of battery. CRxxx and the Dxxx. (I have no idea the real name) Both didn't work.


----------



## a510592 (Nov 26, 2010)

Kenneth said:


> I'm not sure you need the resistor, it may just be a small value like a few K or so, it may work fine without it.


 
Oh, ok. That is good to know. Just a couple more days and I can continue testing, can't wait! Cheers!


----------



## a510592 (Nov 26, 2010)

cuberkid10 said:


> OK, the new battery did nothing to help the stackmat. I tried both types of battery. CRxxx and the Dxxx. (I have no idea the real name) Both didn't work.


 
When you disassembled it, or if you are going to do it again. Make sure that your battery is connected properly and that none of the wires are broken, crimped, or disconnected from the circuit board or the connections that the battery actually touches. Also look to see if there are any parts that look burned or damaged in any way, water in the system can cause a short. Lastly make sure that you are getting power to the on/off switch on both ends of the switch. If you are only getting power to the on/off switch, but not on the other side when the switch is turned on, then your power switch is bad. Chances are your on/off switch is bad considering it was working for months after water got in it. I would try replacing the on/off switch and the reset switch it should only cost you a couple bucks. If that isn't the problem then something is probably shorted out.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Nov 26, 2010)

A lot of times people use resistors in line with microphones, so since this is broadcasting a signal, maybe that's why the resistor is there. Although I'm not sure, since you'd think that should be on the version with the jack, not the version without.

Were you ever able to give us pictures? It would be good to have both stackmat versions to compare/contrast.


----------



## cuberkid10 (Nov 27, 2010)

a510592 said:


> When you disassembled it, or if you are going to do it again. Make sure that your battery is connected properly and that none of the wires are broken, crimped, or disconnected from the circuit board or the connections that the battery actually touches. Also look to see if there are any parts that look burned or damaged in any way, water in the system can cause a short. Lastly make sure that you are getting power to the on/off switch on both ends of the switch. If you are only getting power to the on/off switch, but not on the other side when the switch is turned on, then your power switch is bad. Chances are your on/off switch is bad considering it was working for months after water got in it. I would try replacing the on/off switch and the reset switch it should only cost you a couple bucks. If that isn't the problem then something is probably shorted out.


 
I'll try that. Im going to have to look up half of what you just said though. Im so electronically challanged.


----------



## a510592 (Nov 27, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> A lot of times people use resistors in line with microphones, so since this is broadcasting a signal, maybe that's why the resistor is there. Although I'm not sure, since you'd think that should be on the version with the jack, not the version without.
> 
> Were you ever able to give us pictures? It would be good to have both stackmat versions to compare/contrast.


 
I will be able to post some pictures tomorrow. Cheers!


----------



## a510592 (Nov 27, 2010)

cuberkid10 said:


> I'll try that. Im going to have to look up half of what you just said though. Im so electronically challanged.


 Haha, it ok. You'll know if anything is burned or damaged, if it is that means its shorted out, or too much heat is pushed through the component causing it to get burned and die. The switches are just the buttons that are under the on/off button and reset button. You can test them with a voltmeter. Hope this helped, if you have any other question, please ask, I am happy to help. Cheers!


----------



## a510592 (Nov 28, 2010)

So my brother was leaving to college today, so I was not able to go to my uncle's house and finish the timer. Sadly we will have to wait another week. I will try some of my own tests on the timer while I wait. If I get it right I will make a video. Cheers!


----------



## a510592 (Dec 4, 2010)

Ok, now i'm just angry. It's snowing over here right now and I really hope it stops. I was really looking forward to getting my timer finished tomorrow, hopefully i'll be able to finish it tomorrow.


----------



## a510592 (Dec 5, 2010)

Hey everyone, great news! I just got back from my uncles house and the timer worked! I will post up some pictures below. Enjoy, cheers!


----------



## a510592 (Dec 7, 2010)

a510592 said:


> Hey everyone, great news! I just got back from my uncles house and the timer worked! I will post up some pictures below. Enjoy, cheers!


 
Ok, so after using the timer for 2 days I came across two problems. 

1) While timing, after a certain amount of time my computer would randomly put down times on the side like 7.01 or 13.01. 

2)yesterday when I tried to use it yesterday it didn't work. 

I think I do need the resistor that was missing I just need to figure out how big or small the resistor needs to be. Any ideas?


----------



## Kenneth (Dec 7, 2010)

Did you tune the input volume in your computers mixer?

If that does not work (or you tried it already), then try to write to stackmat and ask for a flowchart (usally all component values are explicity written in those), they may be kind and send one to you.


----------



## a510592 (Dec 7, 2010)

Kenneth said:


> Did you tune the input volume in your computers mixer?
> 
> If that does not work (or you tried it already), then try to write to stackmat and ask for a flowchart (usally all component values are explicity written in those), they may be kind and send one to you.


 
What do you mean by tune the input volume in my computers mixer? 

Sure I'll try asking stackmat for the flowchart.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Dec 7, 2010)

He means adjusting the volume of that jack you plugged it into. Like when you plug in your microphone you can adjust the sensitivity of it in the sound control panel. Don't forget that you can change the value in CCT from 50 to something close to 50. I was having a problem where my stackmat would keep repeating the same time I just got, so I changed it to 53 and it cleared it up.


----------



## a510592 (Dec 8, 2010)

I tried asking speedstacks, but they would not give me the flow chart.  Now what?


----------



## a510592 (Dec 10, 2010)

fatboyxpc said:


> He means adjusting the volume of that jack you plugged it into. Like when you plug in your microphone you can adjust the sensitivity of it in the sound control panel. Don't forget that you can change the value in CCT from 50 to something close to 50. I was having a problem where my stackmat would keep repeating the same time I just got, so I changed it to 53 and it cleared it up.


 
Could you tell me how to get to the adjustment thing on cct, my mic is turned all the way up, so my computer should be able to pick it up just fine. I even did a test to make sure it was picking up sound.


----------



## a510592 (Dec 20, 2010)

So I still can't figure out why my timer won't work anymore, my computer picks up the sound just fine and I can hear the sound that it's supposed to make when I hook it up to my speakers. Also, I contacted the stackmat company, but they won't give me any information on the circuit board because it's "classified information" blah blah blah. Any suggestions? 

SN: I tried putting some pictures on here, but I have to put a link to it or something? I couldn't figure it out. Could someone maybe post the pics up for me of my stackmat? If so contact me somehow and I will send you the pictures. 

Quick recap: It worked for a day then cct wouldn't recognize the timer anymore, not sure why, sadly speedstacks wouldn't help us out.


----------



## a510592 (Dec 28, 2010)

OK so my timer stopped working because I had it on the wrong setting this whole time  

But I still can't figure out why the random times show up. I tried setting the value from 50 to something else, I tried all kind of stuff I even put it down to one, but it won't stop. Any suggestions?


----------



## a510592 (Dec 28, 2010)

Here is a link to the video of the picture I took and my timer actually working.


----------



## a510592 (Jan 12, 2011)

Hey guys I just made a new tutorial of my stackmat mod describing what I did with a custom made macro lens for my flip ultra hd camera. I need to finish editing it then I will post a link here of the video, stay tuned!


----------



## a510592 (Jan 18, 2011)

Ok so here is another tutorial, I show the glitch at the very end at 8:30 in the video. If anyone knows how I could get rid of this problem please help. v=M31Sq_psqwA


----------



## Kenneth (Jan 18, 2011)

Here you are posting time after time and nobody notice 

I will watch you vids later, I tried now but had bad lags


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Jan 18, 2011)

I haven't watched it all yet (had to go off and do something), but the "Buzz" setting you are talking about is the setting used to check diodes. It is often shown as a symbol with a diode and a dot with the 3 volume semi-circle type things that gradually get larger (like parenthesis).

http://www.generaltools.com/images/instruments/DMM333-XL.jpg To the bottom left of the round "Shift" button.


----------



## a510592 (Jan 18, 2011)

Haha thanks for replying, I thought i'd post the vids up here just incase someone came across a solution.


Kenneth said:


> Here you are posting time after time and nobody notice
> 
> I will watch you vids later, I tried now but had bad lags


----------



## a510592 (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks, I didn't know that, at the end of the video I show the "bug" in the mod, any ideas?


fatboyxpc said:


> I haven't watched it all yet (had to go off and do something), but the "Buzz" setting you are talking about is the setting used to check diodes. It is often shown as a symbol with a diode and a dot with the 3 volume semi-circle type things that gradually get larger (like parenthesis).
> 
> http://www.generaltools.com/images/instruments/DMM333-XL.jpg To the bottom left of the round "Shift" button.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Jan 20, 2011)

Sorry to take this long to get back to you  If you got o your CCT options, specifically the stackmat timer options, you'll see a value (default is 50) that you can change. Change your value to 51, 49, etc. Keep changing it until it stops. I had to set mine at 53. The same thing happened to me (except I also had it where it would repeat the time I stopped on multiple times) until I changed this value.

File -> Configuration -> 4. Stackmat Settings -> Set Stackmat Value


----------



## a510592 (Jan 21, 2011)

What does this value actually do? I even put it down all the way to 1 and nothing happened. I'll try doing all the different values and see if anything happens. Thanks for the help btw!


fatboyxpc said:


> Sorry to take this long to get back to you  If you got o your CCT options, specifically the stackmat timer options, you'll see a value (default is 50) that you can change. Change your value to 51, 49, etc. Keep changing it until it stops. I had to set mine at 53. The same thing happened to me (except I also had it where it would repeat the time I stopped on multiple times) until I changed this value.
> 
> File -> Configuration -> 4. Stackmat Settings -> Set Stackmat Value


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Jan 21, 2011)

Like I said, try to keep it around 50 (that's what it says in the documentation, anyhow). Did you try it at 51/52/53? Or 49/48/47? I'm not quite sure what it does, to be honest. You might ask Lucas Garron, I know he currently maintains the project. You might also ask Walter Sousa (might have spelled his name wrong, owner of Prisma Puzzle Timer), as he has included stackmat compatibility in his project.


----------



## masterofthebass (Jan 21, 2011)

Usually these kind of time issues come from an iffy signal coming into CCT. Check the gain on your line/mic in and make sure you are getting a good level for the stackmat. The stackmat value really doesn't need to be changed.

Also, Lucas only hosts the cct site on garron.us. He doesn't actually maintain any of the code.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks for the clarification, Dan. Was he the one to last update it from 0.9.3 to 0.9.5?

I didn't check gain on my line in setting when I changed the value, but it worked for me. When I get back I'll check the signal level and see if I can go back down to 50 and clean up the signal a bit.


----------



## a510592 (Jan 22, 2011)

How do I change the gain value? Is it in the mixer settings? I'll try to figure it out and update here. Thanks for the help Dan.


masterofthebass said:


> Usually these kind of time issues come from an iffy signal coming into CCT. Check the gain on your line/mic in and make sure you are getting a good level for the stackmat. The stackmat value really doesn't need to be changed.
> 
> Also, Lucas only hosts the cct site on garron.us. He doesn't actually maintain any of the code.


----------



## a510592 (Jan 22, 2011)

I'll try seeing if changing it around 50 does anything, I remember trying 51, 52, and 53 but it didn't really do anything. I'll try Dan's suggestion, it sounds more like my problem because I think the sound is being distorted from mine.


fatboyxpc said:


> Like I said, try to keep it around 50 (that's what it says in the documentation, anyhow). Did you try it at 51/52/53? Or 49/48/47? I'm not quite sure what it does, to be honest. You might ask Lucas Garron, I know he currently maintains the project. You might also ask Walter Sousa (might have spelled his name wrong, owner of Prisma Puzzle Timer), as he has included stackmat compatibility in his project.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Jan 22, 2011)

Yes, to adjust the value go to your mixer settings, and make sure you are on the "Recording" properties, not "Playback."


----------



## a510592 (Jan 23, 2011)

I turned it all the way down to zero, and all it did was have a slower response and give random times about every 15-20 seconds instead of every 5-10 seconds. Do you think adjusting the microphone boost would help stop it? I am going to try putting it to zero instead of 10(db) and see what happens, also when I put it up to 51, 52 and 53 it made it worse again.


fatboyxpc said:


> Yes, to adjust the value go to your mixer settings, and make sure you are on the "Recording" properties, not "Playback."


----------



## a510592 (Jan 23, 2011)

Ok so I tried turning off the microphone boost by setting it to 0 db and it helped but didn't eliminate the problem. The random times reduced to only showing up every 20-25 seconds but I couldn't get it to go away by changing the stackmat value setting on cct. It seems to me that 50 is where the random times show up the least. I'm thinking that there needs to be a resistor put into the mod to reduce the distortion of the sounds. Is anyone willing to look into there 2nd gen stackmat to see if it has a resistor anywhere close to the port?


----------



## TimMc (Jan 23, 2011)

Just as an attempt to hi-jack this thread away from CCT configuration discussions, and out of general interest:
*How did the WCA timer discussion with Speed Stacks go?*

A while ago there was some discussion and I think it was determined that it wasn't financially viable.

It'd be good to see some more durable timers on the market...

Tim.


----------



## FatBoyXPC (Jan 23, 2011)

Did you not look at the original pictures in this thread? They are 2nd gen. What values have you tried in the configuration page?


----------



## a510592 (Jan 23, 2011)

Haha, I forgot about that  I think on stefan's picture (the one that shows the back of the circuit board) there is a small resistor beside the jack. Correct me if i'm wrong, does R4 stand for Resistor 4? I think I am going to invest in a couple of different small resistors, any suggestions on how much resistance they should be?


fatboyxpc said:


> Did you not look at the original pictures in this thread? They are 2nd gen. What values have you tried in the configuration page?


----------



## a510592 (Jan 29, 2011)

Does anyone know how big or small of a resistor I should get? I'm sure it's going to be a small resistor, I just need to know how small it is.


----------



## a510592 (Mar 17, 2011)

No, the speedstacks company wouldn't give me any info on the timer. So it's been a long time since I have posted anything on here, but I still haven't determined what sized resistor I should get. I am going to try and call my uncle and see what he thinks, then I will buy some from radioshack and let you guys know how it turns out. I'll also make a video on it and post a link here.


TimMc said:


> Just as an attempt to hi-jack this thread away from CCT configuration discussions, and out of general interest:
> *How did the WCA timer discussion with Speed Stacks go?*
> 
> A while ago there was some discussion and I think it was determined that it wasn't financially viable.
> ...


----------



## a510592 (Mar 18, 2011)

Ok so, I asked one of my teachers and my uncle about what resistor I should get and they said it would be anywhere from 100 to 1000 ohm 1/4 watt resistor. I tried a 1/4 watt 330 ohm resistor and it was giving me the same problem every 15 seconds. I think that I will go and buy 2 more packs of resistors, I will try a 100 ohm resistor and something a little less like 50-75 ohms. Hopefully it works. If anyone has any idea of what kind of resistor I should get, please let me know.


----------



## daniel0731ex (Mar 18, 2011)

did you try to read the color code on the resistor?


----------



## d4m4s74 (Mar 18, 2011)

couldn't you just unsolder the resistor and use a multimeter?
http://www.ehow.com/how_4847759_use-digital-multimeter-test-resistor.html


----------



## a510592 (Mar 18, 2011)

Well the 1st gen stackmats do not have resistors on them because they don't have a built in port. I don't own a second gen stackmat so I can't really test the resistors on it. I am pretty sure it is a 1/4 watt resistor, no clue how many ohms though because there is no color coding on it to my knowledge. I am going to get some 100 ohm resistors today so hopefully it works.


----------



## a510592 (Mar 19, 2011)

Ok so I have somewhat of a dilemma, I got the 330 ohms resistors yesterday and they didn't help the problem, I am going to try and get some 1000 ohm resistors instead and see if that works. I don't think getting 100 ohm resistors would help because they would cause less resistance than the original 330 ohm resistor that I tried yesterday, I think 1000 ohms should do the job, but if not I will try to get an even bigger resistor, hopefully the modification will be complete soon. If anyone can tell me how many ohms of resistance I should get please post it here. Cheers!


----------



## millerj (Mar 19, 2011)

Thanks for this post! I would try this on the timer of my stackmat. My younger brother jammed the living day lights out of it. He was too excited timing in and out on the mat that he frequently hit the pad for the hands. better visit the hardware store to get some soldering iron and lead. Again, thanks for your post.


----------



## a510592 (Mar 19, 2011)

Lol, that really stinks, your welcome btw, hopefully you learned a thing or two.


millerj said:


> Thanks for this post! I would try this on the timer of my stackmat. My younger brother jammed the living day lights out of it. He was too excited timing in and out on the mat that he frequently hit the pad for the hands. better visit the hardware store to get some soldering iron and lead. Again, thanks for your post.


----------



## a510592 (Mar 19, 2011)

Ok, so I have reached a new conclusion to my timer mod "bug". I have decided that it is not a resistor that is missing, but maybe more? I have tried the 1000 ohm resistors, but they have not changed the problem at all, actually not even the 330 ohm resistor did anything. I'm not really sure what the problem could be, so if anyone can give me any sort of help my modification video is on page 11 of this thread. It is not that well made so if anyone has any question please ask, also I show the bug near the very end, so you don't need to watch the whole video, although watching the whole thing might be useful because it shows how I set my timer up.


----------

