Just before Christmas (the night time before?) 2006 my sister in-law requested me what I might like for a current. I requested a DualShock-like controller and Guitar Hero II for the Playstation 2 in order that I could build my own Guitar Hero controller. After Christmas day I spent a while looking round for a toy guitar that I might hack however didn't see anything suitable. I then remembered that during my childhood I'd sometimes 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 but they even have excessive-voltage bug-zappers that seem like tennis rackets. They are great for chasing down doubtlessly life threatening mosquitos (using one is clearly a case of self denfence) which disappear in a vivid blue flash accompanied by a satisfyingly loud bang. You can now find an enormous number 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 memories, the tennis-racket-esque (and therefore guitar-like) form of the bug-zappers, their ready availability and low cost I decide to use a bug-insect zapper for the physique of my Guitar Hero controller. I purchased a racket with a groovy lightning-bolt motif and began by gutting the handle and eradicating the existing electronics. Despite being powered by only two 'AA' batteries it delivers a surprisingly massive kick - though at a very low current. I additionally 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 seem like small test-pads situated close to every of the buttons and Insect Zapper i soldered wires for my guitar straight onto these pads using the mapping in the desk beneath. Some time after my guitar was completed I found out that shorting the Left D-pad button makes the game assume that you are using a Guitar controller. I used two small tact switches for "select" and "again" and insect zapper these were mounted using scorching-melt glue at the base of the guitar's neck.

Using some side-cutters I carefully minimize by the mosquito-frying mesh to make a hole just giant sufficient for Zap Zone Defender the left joystick and insect zapper hot-melt glued the board in place. Then by trimming the mushroom off the top of the thumb stick and carefully reducing a vertical slot I used to be able to mount a plectrum in the highest 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 whenever you play Guitar Hero with a DualShock controller! The rest of the DualShock PCB was housed in one-half of a challenge box which was additionally glued to the again of the mesh. In the 1987 movie Lethal Weapon, Mel Gibson's character realises that they are dealing with professionals as a result of they used mercury switches. Martin Riggs is examining a twisted hunk of steel as Murtaugh walks up beside him. MURTAUGH: What'cha acquired? RIGGS: A part of the system.

Holy cow. MURTAUGH: What? RIGGS: Artwork. That is @! MURTAUGH: Swell. I'm glad you favored it. RIGGS: You don't perceive. This is real professional stuff. MURTAUGH: Come once more? RIGGS: C.I.A. That's proper of us - mercury switches. I needed to be a professional and insect zapper that i also wanted some sort of tilt switch in the guitar to activite star energy so I went on the lookout for a mercury change. Having only been in the nation for about six months at that stage my Thai wasn't excellent. At the native electronics store I spent a while making an attempt to explain what I was looking for and after many drawings of thermometers and makes an attempt to appear like Mel Gibson they told me that they did not have any mercury switches. It is a small system 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 get up while concurrently deafening you. I feel is a really catchy title.

There was obviously some sort of tilt-sensing mechanism inside and positive sufficient once i opened the case what I noticed was artwork - there was a mercury switch inside. Now we were able to rock. At first my son was somewhat reluctant to try 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 be used for operant conditioning. If B.B. King's guitar is named "Lucille" then an appropriate nickname for Zap Zone Defender this guitar may be "Frank", "Dweezil" or even perhaps "Moon Unit". While making the guitar I was surprised at how difficult it was to find acceptable buttons - in reality the guitar has now been by way of three different generations of buttons. I discovered these beautiful wanting buttons at the same electronics retailer that bought the succinctly named "Cure Sleepiness Straight away" and thought they could be perfect for this hack.