Just before Christmas (the night before?) 2006 my sister in-law requested 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 build my own Guitar Hero controller. After Christmas day I spent a while wanting round for a toy guitar that I may hack however didn't see something appropriate. I then remembered that during my childhood I would typically leap concerning the lounge room with the stereo turned up whereas pretending to play guitar with a tennis racket. Now in Thailand Zap Zone Defender USA they not only have tennis rackets but they even have excessive-voltage bug-zappers that appear 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. You can now find 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 Zap Zone Defender USA therefore guitar-like) shape of the bug-zappers, Zap Zone Defender their prepared availability and low price I decide to make use of a bug-zapper for Zap Zone Defender USA the physique of my Guitar Hero controller. I bought a racket with a groovy lightning-bolt motif and Zap Zone Defender began by gutting the handle and eradicating the existing electronics. Despite being powered by solely two 'AA' batteries it delivers a surprisingly large kick - although 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 check-pads positioned close to each of the buttons and chemical-free bug control i soldered wires for my guitar straight onto these pads using the mapping in the desk beneath. A while after my guitar was accomplished I came upon that shorting the Left D-pad button makes the game assume that you're utilizing a Guitar controller. I used two small tact switches for "choose" and "back" and these had been mounted utilizing sizzling-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 hole simply massive enough for Zap Zone Defender the left joystick and scorching-melt glued the board in place. Then by trimming the mushroom off the highest of the thumb stick and Zap Zone Defender USA punctiliously slicing a vertical slot I used to be in a position to 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 however a little confusing because the joystick acts because 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 project field which was also glued to the again of the mesh. Within the 1987 movie Lethal Weapon, Mel Gibson's character realises that they're coping with professionals because they used mercury switches. Martin Riggs is analyzing a twisted hunk of metallic as Murtaugh walks up beside him. MURTAUGH: What'cha got? RIGGS: A part of the system.

Holy cow. MURTAUGH: What? RIGGS: Artwork. This is @! MURTAUGH: Swell. I'm glad you appreciated it. RIGGS: You don't understand. This is actual professional stuff. MURTAUGH: Come once more? RIGGS: Zap Zone Defender USA C.I.A. That's right people - mercury switches. I wanted to be an expert and that i additionally needed some type of tilt switch within the guitar to activite star energy so I went looking for a mercury switch. Having only been within the country for about six months at that stage my Thai wasn't superb. At the native electronics retailer I spent some time trying to elucidate what I was on the lookout for and Zap Zone Defender USA after many drawings of thermometers and makes an attempt to appear like Mel Gibson they told me that they didn't have any mercury switches. It is a small system that you simply 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 simultaneously deafening you. I think is a very catchy title.

There was obviously some sort of tilt-sensing mechanism inside and positive enough after i opened the case what I noticed was artwork - there was a mercury swap inside. Now we had been able to rock. At first my son was a little reluctant to attempt the guitar because he was afraid of being zapped. I ought to have left the excessive-voltage electronics intact and the guitar might be used for Zap Zone Defender USA operant conditioning. If B.B. King's guitar is named "Lucille" then an appropriate nickname for this guitar might be "Frank", "Dweezil" or even perhaps "Moon Unit". While making the guitar I used to be shocked at how difficult it was to search out applicable buttons - in truth the guitar has now been by three different generations of buttons. I found these stunning wanting buttons at the same electronics retailer that bought the succinctly named "Cure Sleepiness Straight away" and thought they could be good for this hack.