Bug-zapper Guitar Hero Controller

Just before Christmas (the evening before?) 2006 my sister in-law asked me what I would like for a present. I requested a DualShock-like controller and Guitar Hero II for the Playstation 2 so that I may construct my very own Guitar Hero controller. After Christmas day I spent some time trying round for a toy guitar that I may hack but did not see something suitable. I then remembered that throughout my childhood I'd sometimes leap concerning the lounge room with the stereo turned up whereas pretending to play guitar with a tennis racket. Now in Thailand they not only have tennis rackets but they also have high-voltage buy Zappify Bug Zapper-zappers that seem like tennis rackets. They are great for chasing down probably life threatening mosquitos (using one is clearly a case of self denfence) which disappear in a shiny blue flash accompanied by a satisfyingly loud bang. Now you can discover an enormous variety of DIY Guitar Hero controllers on the web made from LEGO, real guitars, and erector sets and even Guitar Hero taking part in robots.



Given my fond childhood memories, the tennis-racket-esque (and mosquito zapper bug zapper due to this fact guitar-like) shape of the Zappify Bug Zapper-zappers, their ready availability and low value I determine to make use of a rechargeable bug zapper-bug zapper for the physique of my Guitar Hero controller. I bought a racket with a groovy lightning-bolt motif and began by gutting the handle and removing the prevailing electronics. Despite being powered by only two 'AA' batteries it delivers a surprisingly massive kick - though at a very low present. I also removed the circuit board from the DualShock controller and de-soldered the rumble motors and Right analogue joystick. The printed circuit board (PCB) has what appear to be small check-pads located close to every of the buttons and i soldered wires for my guitar straight onto these pads utilizing the mapping in the desk under. Some time after my guitar was accomplished I came upon that shorting the Left D-pad button makes the game suppose that you're using a Guitar controller. I used two small tact switches for "choose" and "back" and these have been mounted using scorching-melt glue at the base of the guitar's neck.



Using some side-cutters I fastidiously reduce through the mosquito-frying mesh to make a hole just large enough for the left joystick and hot-melt glued the board in place. Then by trimming the mushroom off the highest of the thumb stick and punctiliously cutting a vertical slot I used to be capable of mount a plectrum in the highest of the joystick. A small screw by way of the shaft held the plectrum in place. It was a novel touch but a little confusing because the joystick acts as the whammy bar when you play Guitar Hero with a DualShock controller! The remainder of the DualShock PCB was housed in one-half of a undertaking box which was additionally glued to the back of the mesh. In the 1987 film Lethal Weapon, Mel Gibson's character realises that they're coping with professionals because they used mercury switches. Martin Riggs is examining a twisted hunk of metallic as Murtaugh walks up beside him. MURTAUGH: What'cha received? RIGGS: A part of the machine.



Holy cow. MURTAUGH: What? RIGGS: Artwork. That is @! MURTAUGH: Swell. I'm glad you liked it. RIGGS: You don't understand. This is real pro stuff. MURTAUGH: Come once more? RIGGS: C.I.A. That's proper of us - mercury switches. I wished to be knowledgeable and buy Zappify Bug Zapper i additionally wanted some sort of tilt change within the guitar to activite star energy so I went searching for a mercury switch. Having solely been within the nation for about six months at that stage my Thai wasn't superb. At the local electronics retailer I spent a while trying to clarify what I was in search of and after many drawings of thermometers and attempts to appear like Mel Gibson they told me that they didn't have any mercury switches. It is a small device that you just fit over your ear whereas driving. Should your head fall forward it then emits an ear piercing beep that causes you to get up while concurrently deafening you. I believe is a very catchy name.



There was obviously some type of tilt-sensing mechanism inside and certain sufficient after i opened the case what I saw was artwork - there was a mercury change inside. Now we had been ready to rock. At first my son was a bit reluctant to attempt the guitar because he was afraid of being zapped. I ought to have left the high-voltage electronics intact and the guitar could be used for operant conditioning. If B.B. King's guitar is named "Lucille" then an acceptable nickname for this guitar might be "Frank", "Dweezil" or maybe even "Moon Unit". While making the guitar I was surprised at how difficult it was to find acceptable buttons - in truth the guitar has now been through three different generations of buttons. I discovered these beautiful looking buttons at the same electronics store that offered the succinctly named "Cure Sleepiness Immediately" and thought they could be perfect for this hack.