Just before Christmas (the night time before?) 2006 my sister in-law asked me what I'd like for a present. I requested a DualShock-like controller and insect zapper Guitar Hero II for the Playstation 2 so that I might construct my own Guitar Hero controller. After Christmas day I spent some time trying round for a toy guitar that I could hack however didn't see anything suitable. I then remembered that throughout my childhood I might typically leap concerning the lounge room with the stereo turned up whereas pretending to play guitar with a tennis racket. Now in Thailand insect zapper they not only have tennis rackets however they even have high-voltage bug-zappers that look like tennis rackets. They are nice for chasing down potentially life threatening mosquitos (utilizing one is clearly a case of self denfence) which disappear in a vivid blue flash accompanied by a satisfyingly loud bang. Now you can find a huge variety of DIY Guitar Hero controllers on the web made from LEGO, insect zapper actual guitars, Zap Zone Defender and erector units and even Guitar Hero taking part in robots.

Given my fond childhood reminiscences, the tennis-racket-esque (and subsequently guitar-like) form of the bug-zappers, their prepared availability and low price I resolve 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 ZapZone started by gutting the handle and eradicating the existing electronics. Despite being powered by only two 'AA' batteries it delivers a surprisingly large kick - though at a really low current. I additionally eliminated the circuit board from the DualShock controller and de-soldered the rumble motors and Right analogue joystick. The printed circuit board (PCB) has what look like small check-pads positioned near every of the buttons and i soldered wires for my guitar straight onto these pads utilizing the mapping within the desk under. Some time after my guitar was accomplished I found out that shorting the Left D-pad button makes the game think that you are using a Guitar controller. I used two small tact switches for "choose" and "again" and these had been mounted utilizing hot-melt glue at the bottom of the guitar's neck.

Using some side-cutters I rigorously cut through the mosquito-frying mesh to make a hole simply giant sufficient for Defender by Zap Zone the left joystick and insect zapper sizzling-melt glued the board in place. Then by trimming the mushroom off the highest of the thumb stick and carefully slicing a vertical slot I was in a position to mount a plectrum in the top of the joystick. A small screw through the shaft held the plectrum in place. It was a novel touch however 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 a single-half of a undertaking field which was additionally glued to the back of the mesh. Within 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 bought? RIGGS: A part of the system.

Holy cow. MURTAUGH: What? RIGGS: Artwork. That is @! MURTAUGH: Swell. I'm glad you liked it. RIGGS: You don't perceive. That is real professional stuff. MURTAUGH: Come once more? RIGGS: insect zapper C.I.A. That's right of us - mercury switches. I wanted to be knowledgeable and i also needed some form of tilt change in the guitar to activite star power so I went looking for a mercury switch. Having only been in the country for about six months at that stage my Thai wasn't very good. At the local electronics retailer I spent a while trying to clarify what I used to be searching for and after many drawings of thermometers and makes an attempt to look like Mel Gibson they told me that they did not have any mercury switches. It's a small device that you just match over your ear whereas driving. Should your head fall forward it then emits an ear piercing beep that causes you to wake up whereas concurrently deafening you. I think is a really catchy title.

There was clearly some type of tilt-sensing mechanism inside and sure enough after i opened the case what I saw was artwork - there was a mercury change inside. Now we have been ready to rock. At first my son was a little reluctant to attempt the guitar because he was afraid of being zapped. I should have left the high-voltage electronics intact and the guitar might be used for operant conditioning. If B.B. King's guitar is called "Lucille" then an applicable nickname for Zap Zone Defender this guitar may be "Frank", "Dweezil" or even perhaps "Moon Unit". While making the guitar I was shocked at how tough it was to seek out appropriate buttons - in fact the guitar has now been by three different generations of buttons. I found these stunning trying buttons at the same electronics retailer that offered the succinctly named "Cure Sleepiness Straight away" and Defender by Zap Zone thought they would be good for this hack.