Bug-zapper Guitar Hero Controller

Just before Christmas (the night time before?) 2006 my sister in-law requested me what I'd like for a present. I requested a DualShock-like controller and Guitar Hero II for the Playstation 2 in order that I could construct my very own Guitar Hero controller. After Christmas day I spent a while wanting round for a toy guitar that I may hack however did not see anything appropriate. I then remembered that throughout my childhood I'd typically leap concerning the lounge room with the stereo turned up while pretending to play guitar with a tennis racket. Now in Thailand they not only have tennis rackets however they also have excessive-voltage bug-zappers that seem like tennis rackets. They're nice 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. You can now discover an enormous variety of DIY Guitar Hero controllers on the net made from LEGO, real guitars, and erector units and even Guitar Hero taking part in robots.



Given my fond childhood recollections, the tennis-racket-esque (and therefore guitar-like) form of the bug-zappers, ZapZone their prepared availability and low price I decide to make use of a bug-insect zapper for the body of my Guitar Hero controller. I bought a racket with a groovy lightning-bolt motif and began by gutting the handle and Zap Zone Defender eradicating the prevailing electronics. Despite being powered by solely two 'AA' batteries it delivers a surprisingly massive kick - though at a really low current. I also removed the circuit board from the DualShock controller and de-soldered the rumble motors and Zone Defender Right analogue joystick. The printed circuit board (PCB) has what appear to be small test-pads positioned near every of the buttons and i soldered wires for my guitar immediately onto these pads using the mapping within the table 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 utilizing a Guitar controller. I used two small tact switches for "choose" and "back" and these had been mounted using hot-melt glue at the bottom of the guitar's neck.



Using some facet-cutters I carefully lower by the mosquito-frying mesh to make a gap just large sufficient for the left joystick and sizzling-melt glued the board in place. Then by trimming the mushroom off the highest of the thumb stick and thoroughly chopping a vertical slot I was able to mount a plectrum in the top of the joystick. A small screw via the shaft held the plectrum in place. It was a novel touch but just a little complicated as a result of the joystick acts because the whammy bar once you play Guitar Hero with a DualShock controller! The remainder of the DualShock PCB was housed in one-half of a project box which was also glued to the back of the mesh. Within the 1987 film Lethal Weapon, Mel Gibson's character realises that they're coping with professionals as a result of they used mercury switches. Martin Riggs is examining a twisted hunk of metal as Murtaugh walks up beside him. MURTAUGH: What'cha bought? RIGGS: ZapZone Defender Part of the gadget.



Holy cow. MURTAUGH: What? RIGGS: Artwork. This is @! MURTAUGH: Swell. I'm glad you preferred it. RIGGS: You do not understand. This is actual pro stuff. MURTAUGH: Come again? RIGGS: C.I.A. That's right people - mercury switches. I needed to be knowledgeable and i also needed some kind of tilt change within the guitar to activite star power so I went on the lookout for Zap Zone Defender a mercury swap. Having only been in the nation for about six months at that stage my Thai wasn't excellent. At the local electronics store I spent some time trying to clarify what I used to be searching for and after many drawings of thermometers and makes an attempt to seem like Mel Gibson they instructed me that they did not have any mercury switches. It is a small gadget that you simply match over your ear whereas driving. Should your head fall forward it then emits an ear piercing beep that causes you to wake up while simultaneously deafening you. I believe is a really catchy title.



There was clearly some kind of tilt-sensing mechanism inside and sure enough after i opened the case what I saw was artwork - there was a mercury switch inside. Now we have been able to rock. At first my son was slightly reluctant to strive the guitar as a result of he was afraid of being zapped. I ought to have left the high-voltage electronics intact and the guitar could possibly be used for operant conditioning. If B.B. King's guitar is named "Lucille" then an appropriate nickname for this guitar is likely to be "Frank", "Dweezil" or even perhaps "Moon Unit". While making the guitar I was shocked at how tough it was to seek out applicable buttons - in actual fact the guitar has now been by means of three completely different generations of buttons. I found these beautiful trying buttons at the same electronics store that sold the succinctly named "Cure Sleepiness Right away" and thought they could be perfect for insect zapper this hack.