DnA 9-8: How to: make a hallmark box

eZine lover (@eZine)

Published in

DnA Electronic Magazine

· 16 May 2023

WARNING! This file contains chessy ascii schematics

<Note: The Hallmark box is a Red Box substitute made from a Hallmark talking greeting card. You can program it with any tones you like. -Ed>

Items Required:

A BRAIN!
Electric Tape.
A Switch. (Not just any switch, A momentary pushbutton switch, the kind that is allways open.)
A Hallmark greeting card. (Voice recording variety)
A Cassette Case.
A Soundblaster. (Or the phone number of someone who does)
An hour or so to build the damn thing.

1. Buy the thing

Just walk into hallmark and buy one. It's fun to open a few of the display cards and hear the idiots saying thing like "Sorry hun, It doesn't work" Etc. Try to find one with out the battery clipper. It's the little plastic piece that goes in between the battery contacts so they'll stay fresh. It's best to get one of these because they haven't been used and the batteries are fresh. The price of these cards ranges from $6.50 to $9.50 and can be had at any Hallmark store.

2. Box Preparation

    ___________            _________      _______ _______ 
   /  |         \          |        \    /       |       | 
   |  |   /\    |  Remove  |  /\    |    |       | 
   |  |   \/    |  this -> |  \/    |    |       | 
   |  |         |          |        |    |       | 
   |  |         |          |        |    |       | 
   |  |         |          |        |    |       | 
   |  |   /\    |          |  /\    |    |       | 
   |  |   \/    |          |  \/    |    |       | 
   \__|________/           |________/     \______|_______| 
      Whole                   P.1           P.2

First, separate the cassette case into two pieces. Remove one of the anti-roll pegs in piece one. You do this so the speaker has a place to go. Now drill a hole for the switch to go into. Drill anywhere you want the switch to mount, as long there is room for the internal part. OK, now you have the box part of the Hallmark Box finished.

3. Device Preparation

Open the card and take out the plastic mounting piece. If you can't get it out, HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS FILE! Now flip it over.

    Reverse View Hallmark Box 
 ----------------------------------- 
|           /---||---\      | ____  |<-Play Position 
| Speaker /   __||__   \    ||   _|=||<-Play/Record Switch (Duh) 
| -----> |   /  ||  \   |   ||  .|  |<-Record Position 
|===============||==========||___|\ |<-The Chip Itself 
|        |   \__||__/   |   |_______\----- One Small Philips screw holding 
|         \     ||     /        |_|_|      down chip 
|           \---||---/         |    | <--Switch (The one you replace 
|             | || |           |    |\. 
|             - || +           |____| 
|               ||            ______| 
|               ||          +|-1--2-| <----- Battery Pack 
|               ||          -|-3--4-| 
|===================================| 
|             -|  |+                | 
|             /----\                | 
|            |   o  | <--Microphone | 
|             \____/                | 
|___________________________________|

Now you are ready to record the tones. The first red box I ever made was done using the described device, I received the tones from a Phello Phreak over the fone and they worked fine. Throw the switch into record and whip out your favorite tone generator. (I recommend OMNI-BOX.) Record several tones onto the chip. I recommend you do alot because this chip holds seven seconds worth of speech. When extracting the speaker, leave it attached to the plastic cover it is mounted on, just break off the rest.

Now extract the whole thing to this.

                   ____ 
                  /    \ 
                 |      | 
                  \____/ 
                    || 
                    || 
                    || 
                  |-----| 
             /====|     || <-- Record/Play Switch 
    ______   ||   |-----| 
   | 1  2 |__//     || \\ 
   |_3__4__--/      ||  \\ 
                   /  \  \\ 
               Mic Leads  \\__ 
                           \-- <-- Switch Leads

4. Assembly

Use whatever switch you have and connect it to the switch leads. Mount it in the case wherever. Now insert the speaker behind the anti roll peg you removed from piece one in step two. While I used electrical tape, some good model glue would have been ideal as the plastic would have bonded chemically.

Put electrical tape all over the chip board because I once had the red battery wire break out of the solder and i was pissed. Also tape the speaker connections so they don't break, and the mic and switch connections. Now take a pin, heat it until its red, and poke about 16 holes over where the speaker goes. This should give you enough sound. A note: These boxes are LOUD , Or maybe I'm just paranoid, so be careful that you have the box securely over the mouthpiece when you use it.

              ______________________________ 
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             \______________________________/ 

                   Finished Product.