Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

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Brand X mk2
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Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Brand X mk2 »

I used to have the original electric motor powered SOM but it was too noisy for the small residence where I live and I had little chance opportunity for privacy so last year I threw it away. Yep. Sorry about that.

I hadn't given it much thought until a couple of months after when I revisited the website I bought it from and there was the Spank-O-Matic mark 2 "Spanking Bench". New design, electric motor replaced by air compressor, self-bondage add-on accessory, and most interesting of all...

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Fully automated PC control! :mrgreen:
Now that got me drooling. Locked in, punishment session programmed, no escape. :whip:

Trouble is, while it is an affordable unit in the US of A at around $1,200 for the basic version with the timer release mechanism, to get it shipped to the UK could be painfully expensive, it's not just the shipping costs (I'm guessing somewhere around $400) it's the crippling cost of import duty. I've seen what appears to be the same machine sold on eBay UK for over £2000 ($3,250), I've emailed Paul at "Orgasm Alley" to find out if it's the same unit or not; I don't want to waste money on an inferior knock-off and I want to find out if it's cheaper to have a machine imported from the USA. Damn, $1,200! So cheap in America, but perhaps double or even triple the price here in rip-off Britain.

I've also looked at the cheaper Robospanker which has also been significantly improved and also has a self-bondage add-on plus an option for a male- masturbator sex toy - get whacked and whacked-off at the same time. :D But.. I dunno, the guy who makes the Robospanker seems to be little bit less than straight with the facts which puts me off. TBH the Spank-O-Matic Mk1 was in some ways disappointing and I'd be tempted to give the Robospanker a try but the SOM II looks to be well engineered.
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Tenderfoot88 »

I don't own one, but I've done similar research and decided I would rather pick up the SOM over the Robospank; as you say, the RS people seem to be somewhat casual about the truth. (Lots of scare tactics about pneumatic systems, which are only really potentially dangerous if you're being an idiot with them (Like, say, shooting the regulator off a filled scuba tank). Plus, that control program looks absolutely amazing - far more options than I ever would have thought to include.

That said, I think the comparison between the two on Orgasm Alley (http://orgasmalley.com/som/som2-competition.htm) is rather biased in the SOM's favor, too. (As any marketing material on a manufacturers website would be.)

If you're comparing features, the SOM is almost definitely more value for the money (though it's been a few months since I last looked at these things), but that's from a North American perspective. Maybe wait until Canada signs the free trade agreement with you Europeans, and have someone in Canada reroute it. (I'm not volunteering; I can't take big packages like this for now, even on a temporary basis.)

If you're sufficiently good with tools and decently equipped, you might be able to make a deal with Paul about buying just the customized components, software and assembly instructions...get everything you can locally and throw it together yourself. Everything about his site suggests he's very customer service oriented.

Keep in mind, though - if noise is still an issue, the SOM really isn't going to be a great option. The pneumatic snap-hiss sound is really quite loud (to the point where you're supposed to wear earplugs when working with pneumatic equipment...not sure if that applies to pneumatic SM toys.)
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Brand X mk2 »

Thanks Tenderfoot. :hi:
I got a reply from Paul today and he confirms that the machine being sold in the UK is indeed genuine but I can probably get it substantially cheaper direct from him. I'd really like to buy the spanking bench because it's ridiculously cheap, I had to re-read three times over to make sure it wasn't just a standalone accessory but no it is indeed complete with spanking unit. Just $975 for the spanking bench model compared to $800 ($750 at the moment - on sale discount) for the standard SOM II - just an extra $175. The bench is available as a standalone for $450 - $530.

My other option, which would reduce shipping weight and storage issues (homes in the UK are the size of American dollhouses) would be to buy the regular floor-standing unit and make a bondage rig for my bed. This is probably the more practical option but ideally I want the "SOM Timed Release Restraint System" too.. It's basically just a normal electromagnet but it also includes a control timer and it can be connected to a PC - I don't know how to do that.

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Obviously I can buy an electromagnet myself rather than having it imported (which would reduce shipping weight) but I need information on (a) how to wire it up and (b) how to use it as a self-bondage device.
There's some instructions for the "TRRS" here but I can't quite visualize the system: http://www.orgasmalley.com/som/TRRS-userguide.pdf
Can anyone advise me on this? The first thing that has be baffled is how to attach handcuffs to the magnet without being able to simply unplug it! The instruction guide does mention that "you can disable this feature" but I can't figure it out. Need pictures..
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Tenderfoot88 »

Hmm, looking at it, the electromagnet is just a 12 V, 0.5A electromagnet with a 2.1mm power jack and mounting options. The AC adapter is just a standard transformer/rectifier turning 110V AC to 12V DC (and since North Americans need to be protected from real electricity, you'll need a step-down transformer/adapter for NA style power, too). It appears to merely operate on an off-on toggle, via either the packaged wall timer unit, or a signal from the auxiliary jack of the hardware used with PC control

The only thing that seems at all complex about this is that the strike bar has some manner of spring-release system, so if the power flickers (clearing a digital wall timer unit, thus leaving it on forever), the strike bar will be pushed far enough away from the magnet that it won't be pulled back in. You could use an analogue timer set to a specific time of day to prevent this - a power flicker isn't going to change the jumper settings or dial position.

Disabling the emergency power release is typically an inelegant solution. The options suggested in the userguide are taping a guard to the magnet (a half inch tube attached to the frame and not the wire), preventing you from touching the plug, and just taping the plug directly to the magnet. The guard option is more effective in the long run - it's possible to worry your way through most types of tape pretty quickly.
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Brand X mk2 »

Thanks again Tenderfoot. :)

If I could beg a bit more advice, I'm doubtful about how to wire-up an electromagnet. Looking at these electromagnets sold at Screwfix, none of them seem to have any convenient hole where I can plug in an adapter.
http://www.screwfix.com/c/ironmongery-s ... /cat810256
I know just enough about electrics to know not to mess around with them unless I know exactly what I'm doing.
Tenderfoot88
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Tenderfoot88 »

Going by the pictures, this http://www.screwfix.com/p/deedlock-aem1 ... lock/72119 looks like it's exactly like what OrgasmAlley is using - the 500mA draw is also consistent with his specs. Not sure if the bracket he mounts it on is one of the ones here, or if it's something else (the ones here are probably intended to attach to a door and hold the strike bar

As for the wiring issue, it's probably designed to connect to in-wall power (sensible - its primary purpose is a door lock, and you don't want people to be able to unplug the door and unlock it). Which means it should have an access panel in it somewhere that allows for electrical work. Then it's just a matter of picking up the proper jack (the female half of the plug) and some wiring from an electronics seller (which may or may not be available locally), drilling a hole to mount the jack, mounting it and wiring it up.

An electromagnet shouldn't have any capacitors, thus minimal residual charge, but I'd still touch all of the open wires to a house ground wire.* After that, you should be able to work in peace - since you've shorted every accessible part of the circuit to ground, any residual charge should be gone.

You could, of course, contact the guys at screwfix or deedlock and ask them about how to set up the socketed connection. There's probably at least one boring/vanilla reason to wire it that way.

*If you don't have one, get some wire and a plug (one of the big bulky things for DIY work), crack it open and tape the contacts to everything except the ground connector. Attach the wire to the ground connector, close up the case, and strip some of the other end of your wire. Plug it in and consider it live until you do something to prove it's not (like routing it direct to ground and seeing if it trips the circuit breaker (not as good an idea if you're using fuses, since fuses break when they trip). At that point, you have a ground wire and can connect anything to household ground with it. They're great for any kind of circuitry or computer work, too. (Also great for getting reactions from friends, since it just looks like a plugged in bare wire.
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Sir Cumference »

In my experience, pneumatics can be quite noisy.
But a cheap compressor beats them all when it comes to noise. Your neighbors will really hate you for having one of those in an apartment.
You can buy quality compressors that are very quiet, but the price of those is about ten times that, of the cheap hobby ones.

Regarding the noise from the escaping air, those who sell pneumatics also sell "silencers" for the exhausts.
The blue one in the lower left corner is my favourite.
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Phantom980
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Phantom980 »

Bit of an old topic I know. Didn't see it when it was fresh, but figure I'd add my 2 cents, or 5 now since pennies are gone :)

Either way, I bought one of these a little over a year ago now I think, the LT model. Here's what I can say about it:

Sound : The unit itself doesn't have a muffler on it, but it's pretty quiet. It's no louder than the smack of the paddle. Your compressor will be the loudest thing.

Power : Personally I'm not a fan of the paddle. Of course I've tried it but my idea from when I ordered it was to re-purpose the end effector with a whip. But with the paddle I found at 30psi it had quite the powerful strike. However even with the power level set the same on the controls I found unless you have a really good regulator, the variance of actual pressure in the line caused for some extra hard hits, or weak ones that would almost come up short. This is also aggravated by having the regulator at a lower pressure. But I found the first hit would be really hard, then any subsequent hits would be progressively weaker. The controls for power level I found lacking but I'll address that next. I found a solution at the cost of variable power levels. The piston is double-acting with nothing tubed to the return stroke side. An external spring pulls the paddle back to it's home position. This allowed me to install a flow-control valve on return port. I was able to have my line pressure at 90 lbs, and have the perfect strike each time with as many in a row that I could take without losing power.

Controls : I opted for the SOM2PC (pictured in first post) over the handheld controls because if you know me, I like it all controlled by my programmable master :). I was a little disappointed. The idea is great, but it's buggy. The power level controls the amount of time the solenoid is open in milliseconds. At the pressure I used it just didn't work. I couldn't handle the strike at a higher pressure to tell if it made a difference. For me the higher the 'power' it would just hold the piston out longer, lower 'power' it wouldn't achieve a full stroke. You really had to fiddle with it to get the perfect stroke, coupled with a lower end regulator, it was really just random.

Giving up variable power, automatic mode was nice, but I wanted more control. To be able to program a session and couple it maybe with other toys I have. The recording and sessons tab let you do that but it's not easy. You program each hit seperated by milliseconds and for some reason if you edited back your program it would crash. Now those who know me know I know my stuff.. that was a mouthful. It's buggy. Any change made would need to be saved, close the program, re-open then reload, then hit play. Anything else would cause it not to work and you'd have to re-open. Manual mode works great, but when solo, I want to be tied up, not fiddling with a computer.

The network mode has yet to work for me. I tried a thousand way to get the remote feature to work, it will not connect for the life of me. Again, I know my stuff, firewalls, forwarded ports, etc... It wont work for me. I liked the idea of giving someone control. I have my own method, but it would of been nice if that worked easily.

Finally, the TRRS. For me the software does not work properly.. I've tried out all it's settings, and repeatedly it would not release when it was set to. I will not trust that program as a method of release. The idea is great. It has options for timed release, release after so many hits, release after a session, timed release after session etc... but it just wouldn't work :(. Manual mode worked fine to turn it on and off, but I might as well be unrestrained if I have to manually click release.

I opened the controller up the day I got it just to see, I forget exactly what it was but it was like a 4 channel arduino. Channel A was the piston, channel B was connected to a simple plug on the box to connect an electro-mag. And two unused channels. The unit came with a 6A 12V power source. The e-mag I use is 12V with 1A max draw. The software would toggle channel B for the TRRS, and it worked great with my e-mag, just the software was unreliable.

I did at one point connect it directly with the home automation plc and was able to run it through that. Since I had to move tho, I no longer have a compressor, nor a plc to connect it to. The next house, but for now the whole thing sits in storage :-?

While searching for this machine I found a site which seems to just have video clips of a machine being used on girls, but it doesn't look like it's for sale anywhere. This machine looks perfect for what I want. The size it right, it plugs directly into a wall, and is computer controlled. It an electric motor with a spring for power. So I don't know if it actually has variable power, or you set the spring and that's it. I watched some of the clips to see how it works and it looks like it only one speed, controlled by the operator, but who knows.

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Last edited by Phantom980 on 18 Apr 2014, 23:29, edited 1 time in total.
cjbusta
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by cjbusta »

Thanks for your review. I've had my eye on the SOM II for a while now and I definitely appreciate the information.

Could you elaborate on how well the variable power works? I'm an electrical engineer, not a mechanical, so I'm not too good with pneumatics and airflow and pressure regulation and all that. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're saying:

Without a regulator, the impact force is hard to predict based on the power setting, aka solenoid timing.

With a regulator, the impact force doesn't change based on the solenoid timing.

If so, that's disappointing. My goal is to be able to strap myself in to selfbondage and have the software be able to deliver light taps, severe strikes that leave me in tears, and everything in between, without having to adjust the hardware.

Electronically controlled pressure regulators exist, but they seem to run around $400 on the low end, which on top of the cost of the SOM II is a significant investment. I'd also have to figure out how to jury rig it into the system, and it probably wouldn't work too well with the SOM2PC software.

Also, you mentioned using the SOM II with a whip. How well does that work? It seems to be designed for hard implements, but I was curious if I could use it with a flogger or a leather belt or something like that.
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Tenderfoot88 »

Hmm, looks a lot like that could be a Robospanker minus the case. The simpler, electrical design fits the bill. If it is, the machine can be purchased at www.robospanker.com

Be warned that there is quite a fierce rivalry between the gent who makes the pneumatic version you had so much trouble with and the robospanker people, and I know at least the pneumatic guy visits this board from time to time.

As an aside, I've also heard he's pretty good with customer service - not sure if you got in touch with him about your troubles with the device, but he may be able to help solve at least some of those problems.

(That said, I would always power that electromagnet restraint system (or rather, any electromagnetic restraint system) with a daisy-chain of kill-power timers. Killing power to the system disables electromagnets and thus causes them to instantly release. Since I'm paranoid, I'd have at least 5 timers (tested shortly before the session) in series between the magnet and the wall power. Maintenance classes taught me the multiple redundancy response to keeping a system reliable, and when that system is "the reason this situation isn't elaborate suicide", you want slightly more reliability than usual.)
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Phantom980
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Phantom980 »

Without a regulator the pressure would be too high. The compressor I use to use cut out at 125 psi. The idea for the SOM II is you would run it around 50 - 70 psi I think?, and at that pressure the timing of the solenoid would work for variable hits. My problem was that pressure was too high for me, that thing has a powerful smack. So I had to turn the pressure down, and had a crappy regulator that probably has a variance of ±5 psi or more. Low pressure also means the line 'recharges' slower so it was just too hard to maintain a stable hit.

With that being said, if you run it at a higher pressure, with a half decent regulator the variable power settings should work just fine. The software lets you fine tune it as well.

As for the whip attachment, a real whip doesn't really work. What I use is more like a crop, but instead of a solid leather end there's 15 short thin tails. They have to be short or they'd flail all over the place and not hit the target :)
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by cjbusta »

Ah, gotcha. That makes more sense, I figured I was misunderstanding your first post. I wouldn't mind tinkering with it a bit at first, as long as I can get it to the point where I don't have to fiddle with it every time. I may just have to order one soon.
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Brand X mk2 »

Thankyou Phantom, that review was very helpful. I still haven't bought the SOM II despite having £1000 burning a hole in my pocket due to a persistent lack of space - I currently have about 6 inches of floor space and it's driving me nuts! I'm disconcerted to hear that the release mechanism isn't reliable, when I emailed the guy who makes them he told me it works perfectly - to be fair he said it should always be used with a backup, but it's not a good sign. I still want the SOM, but after reading your review I'm not lusting after it as much as I did.
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by Manx »

Phantom, can you add any more detail to your mods. Model of regulator, how you piped it. All would help.
I have bought one and agree that the initial stroke can be very powerful. I am thinking of writing some Python routines for it. There is an API on the Phidget site, combined with something like a Raspberry Pi it is possible to come up with some very intricate combinations of operation.
The control with the SOM-2 are simply 4 relays, so binary on or off. I am thinking along the lines of programmable regulator but know little about such things.
There are a number of people offering air control things on EBAY, so time to do some exploration on possibilities.

thanks
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Re: Spanking machines. Does anyone own a SOM II?

Post by OrgasmAlley »

Reviving a bit of an older thread, but I certainly want to respond to some things herein. My name is Paul, and the Spank-O-Matic is my product. Above all else, I'd like to note that I am always available to provide support for my products, via email or phone. Obviously not a frequent forum reader, though!

Tenderfoot88 wrote "That said, I think the comparison between the two on Orgasm Alley (http://orgasmalley.com/som/som2-competition.htm) is rather biased in the SOM's favor, too. (As any marketing material on a manufacturers website would be.)"

A statement can be biased and accurate or biased and not accurate. If you think anything on that page is inaccurate in any way, I hope you will reply with what and why. There's no doubt that I am biased... but I stand by the accuracy or every word on that page. Except the first sentence if you want to consider the SpankerMachine a spanking machine. It's more of a toy spanker, IMO, with little power and using short, very lightweight implements to generate sting.

Phantom980, I don't know if you contacted me about any of the issues you describe or not, but I do think I can help with at least some them.

Based on the timing of your post and statement that you had then had your unit for a year, you would have been using the beta release of the v2 (pictured at the top of this thread) software. The full release around the middle of last year will have addressed a couple of things, I suspect (unless you're on Windows XP, which won't recognize the software, pending solution). For example, the lack of accurate control over the TRRS in the beta... it was noted on the SOM2PC page, the documentation, and the download link that the beta did not control the TRRS. You received a digital wall timer for control. The full release controls the TRRS, although it is not presently integrated into Recording or Sessions. I am familiar with a couple dozen people who use networking -- and off the top of my head I think that was working in the beta -- and no one who hasn't been able to get it to work. I would certainly like to learn more about what you've tried and how it has failed. Your issue with Sessions isn't one I am familiar with either, as it doesn't happen on my install. If you don't mind -- and do read this -- I would really appreciate a quick rundown of your setup... OS, error message or result on networking attempt, error message from the Sessions, etc.

To both Phantom980 and Manx regarding the issue of a powerful initial stroke, this is an air supply issue. You can avoid it by filling your compressor with the regulator set to a lower-than-use pressure before connecting the incoming air line to it, then increasing the regulator setting to the desired operating pressure. Or drop the regulated pressure well-below the target after pressurizing (should hear a hissing release from the line pressure) and then bringing it up to target. Or issue a very brief initial stroke or two. Each of these things bleeds the excess pressure build up through a low-end regulator as tank pressure increases, which is leading to higher pressure in the hose than you've set for use. After the initial stroke, even a cheap regulator should effectively deliver consistent output unless your output pressure is above the compressor's turn-of PSI or you're demanding volume in excess of the compressor's capability. In either of these cases, the available tank pressure will drop below the regulator setting, and so will the output pressure.

Also, please note that the controls -- via hand control or SOM2PC -- operate on the basis of milliseconds of valve open time. On the hand control, for example, the power knob sets ms between something like 25 and 250, a very wide range than accommodates different incoming pressures and styles of play. However, what a given open time really translates to in terms of stroke power varies depending on incoming pressure, since a higher pressure will pass the cylinder's volume faster than a lower pressure. For any incoming pressure, a small portion of the available open time range actually varies the power, and where that range lies changes with pressure. For example, at 50 PSI the "just make contact" stroke might be at 40ms, while the "full force" stroke is 100ms. That could be 3 to 6 on the dial. Times beyond 100ms cause the paddle to be held into the target for additional ms after the stroke, while those less than 40ms cause a whiff. If you then increase the incoming pressure to 150 PSI, the range will change... it might be from 30ms to 60ms, perhaps 2 to 4 on the dial. You must consider this interplay when changing the air pressure and looking to deliver partial power strokes. Note that those open times and dial numbers are made up for illustration purposes.

With or without a regulator, the power of stroke can absolutely be varied by the controller, and with accuracy.

I encourage anyone with questions (or issues, for that matter) to contact me directly at paul@orgasmalley.com. Happy to answer whatever.

I'll leave you with a couple recent tidbits:
- A customer's audio of her random self-spanking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkW2tCm5cW0
- A couple of teaser cuts from the latest SOM video from RealSpankings: http://www.thespankingblog.com/index.ph ... k_o_matic/

Regards,
Paul
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