Animatronic Sensor Issue

12093 Views 14 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Al14, Oct 21, 2020

ladybug_3777

Discussion Starter · Nov 4, 2014 (Edited)

Hello!! I am a new member, nice to meet you all! I signed up because I'm having an issue with an animatronic I purchased from the Spirit store and was hoping you great folks could lend some advice.

I purchased a Pumpkin Nester from the Spirit store. I have a Try Me button hooked into his sound sensor and it was working great for weeks. Then two days ago it stopped working. I've tried switching out the Try Me button, but he still won't activate when the button is pressed. Strange thing is, if I unplug the Try Me button his normal sound sensor works fine and he will talk. So it seems like the sensor works, yet doesn't (does that make sense?)

Do I need to replace the sensor? If so how do I go about doing that? I can provide pictures of his setup if needed. I don't know what to do and I'd hate to break him completely due to ignorance.

Thanks so much for providing any advice you have!!!

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

Blarghity

· #2 · Nov 4, 2014

ladybug_3777 said:
Hello!! I am a new member, nice to meet you all! I signed up because I'm having an issue with an animatronic I purchased from the Spirit store and was hoping you great folks could lend some advice.

I purchased a Pumpkin Nester from the Spirit store. I have a Try Me button hooked into his sound sensor and it was working great for weeks. Then two days ago it stopped working. I've tried switching out the Try Me button, but he still won't activate when the button is pressed. Strange thing is, if I unplug the Try Me button his normal sound sensor works fine and he will talk. So it seems like the sensor works, yet doesn't (does that make sense?)

Do I need to replace the sensor? If so how do I go about doing that? I can provide pictures of his setup if needed. I don't know what to do and I'd hate to break him completely due to ignorance.

Thanks so much for providing any advice you have!!!

These sensors are incredibly fickle. This year, I discovered the sensor on one prop doesn't work in green light. Another would trip constantly when exposed to either the light of a fire effect spotlight or the shadow of a windblown reaper between it and the spotlight. And that windblown reaper, if I walked by it, nothing. But let the wind blow and it was off to the races. And there was the jumping spider with eyes in the back of its head,and would trip when I walked behind it. So fuss with the lighting and shadows a bit to determine if the sensor is really out of commission first.

Reactions: 1

ladybug_3777

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 6, 2014

3

Thanks for your response! I finally figured it out. I took apart the little black rectangular box that the Try Me button plugs into. I thought it was the actual sensor, but turns out it's just a headphone jack, but a little larger. Inside there were a couple of wires and one of them had come loose! My husband soldered it back on and Pumpkin Nester is working again!

Here's a couple of photos incase anyone else experiences the same problem:

This is the jack where the button plugs in:

Hand Finger Gun Neck Ear

Here are the 4 screws on the box that I had to remove to open it up

Neck Hand Outerwear Fashion accessory Jacket

Here is the plug jack and you can see the white wire has come off

Finger Hand Thumb Nail

See less See more

Reactions: 1

Chris Paulsen

· #4 · Nov 6, 2014

Hi Ladybug, I was wondering if you could tell me where the other end of the wires connect on Pumpkin Nester. The piece you are showing somehow came off. I believe this may be why he isn't working. Thanks for your help!

Blarghity

· #5 · Nov 7, 2014

Chris Paulsen said:
Hi Ladybug, I was wondering if you could tell me where the other end of the wires connect on Pumpkin Nester. The piece you are showing somehow came off. I believe this may be why he isn't working. Thanks for your help!

When a wire comes loose,there is normally some solder left at the point where it was attached, or at least some discoloration as an indicator,the discoloration would be from flux in the solder.

From the photo,it looks like there are two pins on one side,three pins on the other.It looks like there is a scrap of solder left on the second pin on the side with two pins.

Reactions: 1

CreepyCreations

· #6 · Nov 7, 2014

More than likely a cold solder joint. The solder wasn't heated properly when it was originally assembled, so it was hanging on by a thread. Eventually, though use, movement and vibration, it breaks free. Stuff like that sensor are more than likely hand-assembled, so it's more likely to happen. Things like circuit boards are soldered by machine and are less prone to this.

Reactions: 1

Chris Paulsen

· #7 · Nov 7, 2014

Hi Guys, thank you so much. You see the part above where ladybug had the wire issue is fine on mine. The issue is the other end of the wire, I have to see where the other two wires connect. I will see if I can find any solder scraps on Nester as soon as I get home.

ChrisW

· #8 · Nov 7, 2014

Good luck with Nester Chris. I've had to solder quite a few battery connections, sensors, sound, etc on these props. They're pretty obvious where the wire came loose.
The issue I've had is the contacts that are globbed up with hot glue. It's used either to reinforce the solder, or in some cases instead of solder. You wonder how some of these items pass QC, or even make it out of the factory in operating condition...

BTW, congrats and good find on your fix Ladybug!

Reactions: 1

ladybug_3777

Discussion Starter · #9 · Nov 7, 2014

2

Chris Paulsen said:
Hi Ladybug, I was wondering if you could tell me where the other end of the wires connect on Pumpkin Nester. The piece you are showing somehow came off. I believe this may be why he isn't working. Thanks for your help!

Chris,
The wires that come out of the black box go into Pumpkin Nester's chest. On mine it goes in next to the power cord as seen here. This photo was taken from Nester's left side:

Room Wire Electrical wiring

On mine they have a lot of glue on them so they won't move around. The front of his chest looks like this:

Technology Chair

I don't see an easy way to open up his chest so if you need to access his circuit board you'd have to be very careful if you need to open him up I'm guessing....

See less See more

ladybug_3777

Discussion Starter · #10 · Nov 7, 2014

Chris, you can probably just add a new jack if needed. (That's what I was thinking I might have to do prior to opening it up). If that jack senses a connection to the try me button (or if the wires are touching each other in a way that would simulate a try me button being plugged in) it turns off pumpkin nester's main sound sensor. Perhaps that is your issue as well....

Actually as I'm re-reading your post maybe I am misunderstanding where your wire problem is. Did you mean that your black/red wires are loose within the headphone jack thingy? (I wish I knew the correct name for it!) Or do you mean where they connect INSIDE his chest?

Chris Paulsen

· #11 · Nov 7, 2014

Hi Ladybug, thank you for the pictures, you have been most helpful. The "try me" cord came off my nester completely which is why I was wondering were the other end connected to. I will open the box and see if I can find the connection points. I'm really not sure what happened or how it was removed as I never used the try me feature but I suspect this could be the issue of why he isn't working. I really appreciate your help Ladybug. I really love my Nester and I want him to work again.

Chris Paulsen

· #12 · Nov 8, 2014

Hi ladybug, thank you for your help and everyone's. I came home from work and found the connections on the bottom if the circuit board. Nester is working! His eyes don't light up, not concerned about that. I couldn't have done it without all if you. Thanks!! Nester thanks you too.

Negguy

· #13 · Oct 20, 2019

Anyone know how to turn off Pumpkin Nesters sound so there is just movement?

Industen

· #14 · Oct 20, 2019

Negguy said:
Anyone know how to turn off Pumpkin Nesters sound so there is just movement?

Unsolder one speaker connection if you want to reattach it, or just cut it.

Al14

· #15 · Oct 21, 2020

ladybug_3777 said:
Thanks for your response! I finally figured it out. I took apart the little black rectangular box that the Try Me button plugs into. I thought it was the actual sensor, but turns out it's just a headphone jack, but a little larger. Inside there were a couple of wires and one of them had come loose! My husband soldered it back on and Pumpkin Nester is working again!

Here's a couple of photos incase anyone else experiences the same problem:

This is the jack where the button plugs in:
View attachment 229913

Here are the 4 screws on the box that I had to remove to open it up
View attachment 229914

Here is the plug jack and you can see the white wire has come off
View attachment 229915

Any Idea of how to get the eyes working? Everything else work fine just can't get the eyes to work.
Thanks

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.