Support

Frequently Asked Questions!

• What’s the best way to power my TOUCH TESTER?

  • Often, it’s your phone! Nearly any USB power adapter or power bank/battery that can output 2 watts or more will work. Most phones with a USB C connector can power the TOUCH TESTER using the included USB C cable. Using a USB C to USB C cable is best for powering TOUCH TESTER, as it gives the best quality connection for power… older USB A connections can wiggle enough to fluctuate the supplied voltage and cause incorrect measurements briefly. For the average fencer, the USB C port should be fairly resilient with normal use but if the TOUCH TESTER is being used frequently by a club or armorer, you may want to get a USB C power cable with switch to save wear and tear on the USB C port. One is available for sale on our shop page (coming soon). Remember, USB cables wear out over time (especially if bent a lot) just like any other cable.. see the “I’m seeing strange fluctuations” question below for more about that.

• What’s the best method to test your equipment using TOUCH TESTER?

  • Always test your body cord first, to make sure it is good, then test your weapon using a known good cord. Test your equipment often, you should see similar resistance values from day to day.. if a weapon or cord suddenly starts showing a higher resistance value, it is likely starting to develop some kind of issue.

• When testing my epee or foil weapon, sometimes there are lines of red before and after the point is pressed, is that normal?

  • Yes, a brief line of red indicating high resistance is normal when the point is pressed, and when it is released, as TOUCH TESTER samples at rates high enough to catch the point where the internal spring is just beginning to make contact (on press of the tip) or lose contact (on release).

• My weapon is showing consistently red on the graph when triggering.. will it still work? Do I need to fix or replace it immediately?

  • Even weapons showing red on the graph will likely still trigger a touch (at least for a while..). For example, FIE standards regulate epee scoring machines are guaranteed to detect a touch even if resistance values are at 10 ohms, and probably will work even with much higher resistance values. However, anything showing consistent red (not occasional spikes with triggering, see the previous question) likely have or are developing an issue that could lead to total failure and should be maintained. Weapons showing consistent red will likely not pass inspection at higher level competitions and could be returned as not useable with little or no indication as to why. It’s best to do regular checks of your weapons, and if the check results start to differ from previous ones, something may be starting to work loose or fail.

• Sometimes on the universal TOUCH TESTER version when wiggling the 2-prong connector on my foil/saber body cord in body cord test mode, I see high resistance values fluctuate on the black middle B channel. Is that normal?

  • Yes.. to allow TOUCH TESTER universal to easily test all weapons and cords with a small form factor, it has an epee size B socket that can allow for a little fluctuation in resistance values if you wiggle the 2-prong connector hard enough on the middle (black) B channel when testing body cords. Holding it firmly in place and flexing the cord where it comes in to the connector is the best way to check for a failing saber/foil body cord. In the foil and saber test modes you should wiggle the connector when plugged into the weapon to test for socket snugness.. if you see resistance spikes into the yellow or red, it could indicate the smaller 3mm connector pin on your body cord needs “fattening”. The smaller pin should feel tight when plugged into the weapon by itself.

• I’m seeing strange fluctuations on the graphs but I don’t think my weapon/cable is bad.. what might be happening?

  • USB cables, just like body cables, wear out over time.. everyone has that bin of phone charger cables with broken or frayed connectors. If you start to see odd fluctuations when checking weapons or body cords, check your USB power cable.. you should not see significant changes in readings when just moving the USB power cable around.. if you do, it is likely worn out and become frayed or broken. If powering with a USB battery power bank, if it is low enough on charge it may start to output unstable voltage and cause issues also. If you use a power cable with a USB A connector (the common, flat, rectangular kind that always takes two or three tries to plug in no matter what way you do it) those can wiggle easily with cable movement and cause voltage spikes, which is why USB C to USB C cables are preferred for their more stable connections.

Get the latest updates here! To see your current software version, press the “info” button on the bottom left from the Epee or Foil/Saber main menu. The current installed software version is listed at the top of the info screen.

You can use the included USB C to USB C cable to update with if your computer has a USB C port. If not, any standard USB A (the larger, rectangular connector) to USB C cable should work.

WINDOWS UPDATER

To update, please download the updater guide and follow the directions.

NOTE: Upon first connecting your Touch Tester to a computer it will install a usb driver for it automatically. Sometimes, however, after that first install you may have to disconnect and re-connect the Touch Tester a couple of times for it to show up. If running the updater shows no COM ports to use for updating, try unplugging and plugging in the Touch Tester and trying again. Once it updates successfully, this issue should not re-occur.

Touch Tester Windows Updater Guide (read first!)

TouchTester Windows Updater download

WEB UPDATER - ALL PLATFORMS (Requires Chrome Based Brower)

All platforms (including Mac) can now use our web based online updater here with a chrome based browser.

NOTE: On Windows machines, upon first connecting your Touch Tester to a computer it will install a usb driver for it automatically. Sometimes, however, after that first install you may have to disconnect and re-connect the Touch Tester a couple of times for it to show up. If connecting the updater shows no COM ports to use for updating, try unplugging and plugging in the Touch Tester and trying again. Once it connects successfully, this issue should not re-occur.

TouchTester Online Updater

Limited 12-Month Warranty
Thank you for choosing our product. We stand behind the quality of our devices and want you to be fully satisfied with your purchase.

This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship for 12 months from the date of purchase. If a covered defect arises during this period, we will repair or replace the product at our discretion.

What’s not covered:

• Normal wear and tear

• Damage caused by misuse, accidents, excessive heat, or unauthorized repairs

• Shipping costs to and from our facility for any repairs

We are a small, family-owned company, and we take pride in providing personal, attentive service. If you need help with your product, please contact us—we’re here to assist you.

To make a warranty claim, please provide proof of purchase (or your serial number from the info screen if no proof of purchase is available) and contact our customer service e-mail support@touch-tester.com for instructions

For support issues, please contact us at support@touch-tester.com