The Skull

Troubleshooting The Skull

Oh noes! Something went wrong. You suspect your Skull isn't working as it should. We're here to help!

Her eyes won't blink when I touch the grill

First, don't panic! Now, let's check your battery:

  1. Did you remove the plastic pull tab from the battery?
  2. Is the battery inserted all the way through the metal holder?
  3. Is the polarity of the battery correct? The positive (+) side should face you.

She insists not to blink? Try pressing harder/wetting your fingertip. If it still doesn't work, here's how to check for a dead battery:

  1. Short pins 1 and 4 of the ATtiny45 chip (RESET and ground). You can use metal tweezers, dupont wires, or anything conductive.
  2. As soon as you stop shorting the pins, Her eyes should flash once very briefly.
  3. If the eyes don't flash, change the battery.

I can't get Her to stop flashing her eyes!

Try cleaning the grill with a bit of isopropyl alcohol.

I think I screwed up. Can I factory-reset her?

Yes! Simply take the battery out, then touch the grill and put the battery back in while still touching the grill. You will get one of the following results:

  1. Both eyes light up for 1 second - Congratulations, you've factory-reset your Skull! 🎉
  2. Only the right eye lights up for 1 second - You've factory-reset your Skull, but the Flag (step 2) is invalid. You should still be able to solve the rest of the riddle. Contact us for help in restoring the flag.
  3. Both eyes flash briefly - try again, pressing harder on the grill (or wet your fingertip).
  4. Other result - Contact us immediately and mention the code word: Shibboleet.

That's all folks!