MegaTouch Replacment Monitor

[Naborneo]

I'm a newbie here, but I feel I know my stuff pretty well or at least can adapt quickly. I had a MegaTouch XL Game Machine that I sold on eBay a few weeks ago. Between shipping it got broke on the way to the buyer. Yesterday I finally got it back and saw the damage of the machine. this-morning I finally decided to take a harder look into what was wrong. and after ripping out the guts of the machine and plugging in one piece at a time to see what went up in smoke, With my computer (non touch screen) VGA monitor plugged in and the hard drive and mother board sitting out on my dinning room table I have come to the conclusion that "lucky" the only thing that went out is the monitor, everything else seems to be running just fine.

With my little knowledge of this machine (and this is where i'm coming to you guys for) It seems like the monitor is just a monitor and their is a plat of "touchscreen" glass in front of the monitor. Am I right??
The touch screen is plugged into the motherboard in the COM1 port.

Now this is what I want to do and if anyone knows please lend me your knowledge. I was looking at touch screen flat screens on ebay. i'm guessing their newer then this machine and have USB for the touch screen port. Is their a way to use on of these touch screen flat panels with the current MegaTouch Motherboard? If so, what do I need to look for with the monitor? Are their any limitations to what I should look for in a new touch screen monitor? Dose anyone know any Monitor models that do work?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me.

[leapinlew]

I do not know which monitor would work. The megatouch I saw was booting up with linux. If yours does too - I'm not sure what it would take to get the USB working.

[Ken Layton]

Merit used a couple of dozen different makes & models of monitors in the Megatouch series. On the back of the neckboard of the monitor (and sometimes on a paper sticker on the outside swingup rear door) is a label that says something like "Type xx Monitor". That tells me the make and model of the monitor that Merit used in your particular machine. You should repair the existing monitor if possible as replacement monitors are very very expensive.  Monitors from the XL series are VGA resolution and do not need an isolation transformer.

The touchscreen glass is bonded (glued) to the front of the monitor with extremely strong glue then wrapped in special black friction tape to seal out dirt and protect the touchscreen wire harness. It can be removed, but it's very tricky. This is a very expensive piece of glass (average $250) and I recommend only professionals or persons experienced in this procedure attempt to remove the touchscreen glass. Once the touchscreen glass is off and were successful in not damaging/scratching it then you'll need to buy the re-bonding kit to attach it to a new monitor.

Megatouch games only work with two touchscreen manufacturers: Microtouch (the most common in Megatouch games) and E.L.O. (the least common and a real piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---). They only work with their respective touch screen controllers. In other words a Microtouch touchscreen only works with a Microtouch controller box.

Here are Happ Controls replacement Megatouch monitors:

49-4019-00 VGA 13" Monitor Kit with ELO Touchscreen and controller $770.65

49-4022-00 VGA 13" Monitor Kit with ELO Touchscreen, no controller $579.95

49-4020-00 VGA 13" Monitor Kit with Microtouch Touchscreen  and controller $848.95

49-4021-00 VGA 13" Monitor Kit with Microtouch Touchscreen, no controller  $611.90

49-4023-00 VGA Monitor Kit without any touchscreen $369.35

49-0919-10 Microtouch 13" Touchscreen glass only for Merit XL $352.75

49-3068-00 E.L.O. 13" Touchscreen only for Merit Megatouch $378.00

49-4035-00 Touchscreen bonding kit $11.00

Keep in mind the above prices are from my copy of the 2001 catalog so naturally prices will have increased since then.

[Naborneo]

The monitor and touch screen glass is not recoverable. Cracked on the glass and the back bulb broken off.
Like I said everything is in working order except the touchscreen and monitor. And looking on ebay I did find TouchScreen Glass from the same machine going (currently) for $20. I'm wondering though, can I use a Microtouch flat screen or any other types of flat screen touch screen monitors? If they have the serial connection which i know a lot now have USB. Also with the ones that have USB is their a USB to Serial Adapter out their that would work.

[Naborneo]

Also someone brought up on a different forum about the drivers that could be a problem, they could stop me from upgrading to a flatscreen...If there is a USB to serial We use the 3m Microtouch at work, I could see if that would work before buying one.

[Ken Layton]

The touchscreen for Merit Megatouch as well as many other parts of it are proprietary hardware. Microtouch and E.L.O. made those screens especially for Merit.

I strongly suggest you telephone Merit tech support (number can be found at www.meritind.com) and get the answers straight from the horse's mouth. Remember that the Megatouch boards and software were only written for certain hardware drivers.

BTW, judging by your description of the monitor damage, it sounds like the monitor was not properly bolted down when you shipped it.

[Naborneo]

I think thats what i'll have to do is just call them Monday Morning. I wounder, I see all these upgrade CD's for sales and I wounder if they might have updated drivers for flatscreen touch screeens...or maybe their is a way to get a drivers on their another way.