Seriously thinking about modding a Wiimote... has anyone else done this yet?

[clutchjunkie]

I have been seriously kicking around the idea of modding a wiimote lately. They seem like they would be easy to do and have a good bit of room inside.

I was wanting to make a wood juice box with VV, but I don't have woodworking tools or much experience with wood. I am thingking that a wiimote might have just enough room in the top to squeeze in a juice bottle and then use the d-pad as the button to squeeze the bottle.

Anyway, if anyone has done this before, post up. I did a search and I didn't find anything, but it just seems like such a natural device to make a PV out of that I have a hard time believing no one has done it.

 

[bstedh]

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[Scubabatdan]

Back in 2008 this guy did, of course it was a candy container that looked like a wii remote.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/cosmetic-mods/101060-wii-cig.html
Dan

 

[bstedh]

You just have to come up with functions for all of the other buttons!!!

 

[clutchjunkie]

Well, I hit up fleabay and put in some cheap bids on some "as-is" wii remotes. They seem to be going a lot cheaper than I remember, when I bought my wii a couple years ago they were $40, period. Now they seem to be in the $10-$20 range (online anyway) for new ones. Guess in a couple days we shall see...

 

[clutchjunkie]

So, I ordered one of those Nyko wand wiimotes from ebay after I kept getting outbid constantly on actual Nintendo brand ones. Once I get it, I will be taking it apart (duh) and cleaning out the battery bay area to take the biggest LiPo that will fit. I want to leave the led's at the bottom and wire them up to some resistors in such a way that they act as a "gas guage" for the lipo battery.

The device will be VV (as a matter of fact, I think I am going to call it the "VVii". See what I did there? ) but I am not going to use a digital pot as my other digipot mod has been a PITA, both to build and to use sometimes.

I am thinking of using the d-pad as the "hit" button, and using the trigger switch as a "boost" button that bumps up the voltage a tiny bit when you press it. I am also thinking I am going to cover the front of the remote where all the useless buttons and speaker holes are with a nice, shiny piece of stainless or woodgrain, to make it look like it is supposed to be a PV and clean it up a bit.

For internals, I am going with the ti08100 so it will be similar to the boxmod I made, but with a couple more "tricks". If it turns out nice I am going to make a purple one for my wife.

 

[LibertariaNate]

Sounds sweet. I'm really digging your ideas.

 

[bstedh]

(as a matter of fact, I think I am going to call it the "VVii". See what I did there? )

I am stealing your idea and re-naming my VV weller to VVeller.... =]

 

[Stitches]

Instead of ripping out the battery holder why not use 14500s? They'll fit in the battery case and you can use all the molded plastic that that thing came with.

 

[clutchjunkie]

Instead of ripping out the battery holder why not use 14500s? They'll fit in the battery case and you can use all the molded plastic that that thing came with.

If I am going to use something as large as a wiimote, I would like to get some serious battery life out of it. Besides, I already have LiPo's sitting around from my RC hobby days, might as well use them.

Anyway, I got the remote in today and some of the little extras I for it, but I am still waiting on my DigiKey order for all the resistors I need. I am gonna take some pics of the process as I go, but it looks like it will be super easy. Everything lines up so well in there and I haven't done any cutting at all yet.

 

[Lee1111]

Pics or it isn't happening

 

[breaktru]

I seen a wii controller modded, I think it was on a British forum.

 

[clutchjunkie]

Good news and bad news. Last night, I had some free time finally, so I stayed up until 3am making this:

Unfortunately, when I put the battery in and put a dual coil on it to test it out, I got 8 volts to the atty no matter what I set the pots at, and suddenly there was a burning clutch smell. Turns out I soldered the voltage in and voltage out backwards and burned out the ptr08100.

SO, back to the drawing board. I have been following the PWM thread closely and I am probably going to re-wire everything up with a 555 based circuit once I breadboard up one I am happy with. This means I will be going back to the digital pot chip as I have no other potentiometers anywhere near the 50k-100k range.

In the pics, you will notice that I didn't re-use any of the wiimotes electronics at all. I may change this and use the led's, but that circuit board is a tiny PITA. I like this mod though, it feels "right". The buttons are where they should be, it fits in the hand nicely, and I can use Lipo batteries and still swap them out easily if need be. The metal plate on the front is .032" titanium I found in the scrap bin at work that I polished up with some Mother's, btw.

 

[wwturner]

Why not get a VV regulator and use the DPad to adjust the voltage? Maybe add a small voltage display?

 

[Dylando]

Did you ever complete this? I was thinking of modding my own wiimote tonight and thought I should do a search... any updates???

 

[Lazrah]

I cant find it now but I remember back in July I think someone here did a Wii remote looking candy dispenser, it was a bit smaller in every dimension but looked just like a normal wiimote. Were you thinking to make it remain useable with your Wwii? If your gonna mod one might as well make it so you can vape while gaming, without having to grab your pv. Lol

 

[shortyjacobs]

Oooh, I really like this as a VV 14500 type case....dammit, not even done with my last mod yet!

 

[twohandedcreations]

I have a wiimote passthrough that I made.....!!

 

[lightbeast]

Did this ever get finished?