Enlarge pics by clicking on them!
Shameless Plug: My Youtube Account, click if you want to
http://www.youtube.com/user/DOPPELgameplayVIDEOS
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I'm a rather heavy Online Player on PSN, and it's not the same without voice chat, being unable to tell what you see or need to tell to make your team mates do something.
The problem is, my state-of-the-fart $8 Bluetooth Headset, while having decent audio quality, is too small, easily gets lost and the batteries are so bad that it can cut out at any given time.
One day on the boring night of July 3, I was cleaning my DualShock because the right analog was sticking and I noticed that there is a small space you can use to cram in a small item.
(Note the small space between the white plastic and the circuit board.)
Thinking the Bluetooth can be crammed in there, I took apart the headset and got the board out. (Click to enlarge)
The Bluetooth Board is VERY small, as if it could just be crammed into that small space. I went a go for it!
First off, modification of the BT board has to be done. Here's what I did to it first:
- Internal 100 mAH battery removed: It's a piece of crap that dies all the time, and the board will draw power from the DS3's battery.
- Earpiece removed. I prefer hearing voices with the game sounds, as I wear headphones.
- Volume Control has been removed. No need for that after the earpiece is gone anyway.
- Wires extended. An extension of wires allows placement of mics and buttons and interconnects. (we'll see later)
(Left: Bye bye battery! Right: Bye Bye Volume Control!)
After the Bluetooth Board was stripped (too lazy to remove the USB charging port at the time), a test fit was made.
(Left: Board in the gap. Right: Nice fit.)
Once the fit was confirmed and the project indeed possible, it's time for a little "plastic surgery."
(Above: A Hitachi power drill that has served me for three years)
First, a hole was drilled at the front. Microphone goes there.
(Left: Planning to drill. Right: Drilled hole.)
Then, a hole was drilled at the back. The tact switch from the Bluetooth Board goes there. It serves as MUTE button when given a quick press and serves as a POWER button when held down.
(Left: Planning to drill.)
Bring out the trusty Hot Glue Gun!
(The blue glowing thing was my Desktop PC, if you were wondering.)
Microphone hot-glued in place. The center of the mic is as aligned to the drilled slot as best as I can.
After that, I hot-glued the Bluetooth Board into place. A quick application of power confirms the board is not damaged.
(Note the blue light from the board.)
When I have confirmed the BT board isn't broken, I wired in the Microphone. I fired up the PS3, and using my Blu-ray remote, tested the board for the first time.
(Left: Wires connected to microphone. Right: SUCCESS!)
The first test was a success. The Microphone has been properly aligned and recieves voice loud and clear, while the Bluetooth Board transmits it to PS3,
Up next is a test fit. But now there's a problem. The USB charging port of the Bluetooth Board now touches the DS3 motherboard. For some reason, the hot glue raised the board a little bit, causing the USB port to touch. Trying to screw and fit all the parts together bends the DS3 board to the point that the board is so bent that it worries me. The solution is to remove the USB port.
Some people would desolder the thing properly. Not me! I just took some pliers and smashed the port up then ripped it off. The charging circuit isn't needed, because the BT board will draw power from the DS3's internal battery. The Bluetooth still works, by the way. No damage done.
(Left: Super Pliers Action, Center: BT board after port removal, Right: Success on BT board test.)
Up next is powering the BT board. I chose to draw power directly from the DS3's battery. Because the voltage is the same, It wouldn't hurt the board. And because it charges when I charge the controller, I wouldn't need to worry about the DS3 (and headset) going flat.
(Left: Wired up to power. Right: Success!)
Finally, FINALLY is the part where I install switch.
A tiny tact switch is wired to the back of the unit above where the label is. The label on mine is long gone. Hah. It is secured with more hot glue. The position is accessible yet non-intrusive. My fingers don't hit it yet I can still turn it over to mute or power it off or on.
(Below: Tiny push button wired into the board, it's so tiny the camera can barely pick it up.)
FINALLY, THE FINAL PRODUCT!
Looks like a regular PS3 controller on the surface.
Until you notice the small hole for the microphone!
Yes, this works.
In MAG, Putting Mic Sensitivity on 70% allows me to talk to my team-mates without the clicking noises of my controller being transmitted over.
I am incredibly satisfied with what I have created. Now looking for worry-free online chatter!
-Doppel D.
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Shameless Plug: My Youtube Account, click if you want to
Afrowhitey wrote:
Love the project, Dopple.
Very innovative. How the controller holding up? Would you update this thread to keep the project up to date and to
see if any problems arise.
Thanks and have a great day!
PSN ID: Afrowhitey
No man is so foolish but he may sometimes give another good counsel, and no man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other counsel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.
Hunter S. Thompson RIP 1937-2005
Thank you for the comment.
I have ran the controller until the battery ran flat. I charged it normally, and the bluetooth and controller operated as expected. No problems to report so far.
I do not see that the battery life has been shortened, the Bluetooth circuit board is designed to save power as much as it can (thus the reason you get hundreds of hours Standby time with these things) and the rumble motors ought to draw more power than the bluetooth itself.
mattnet1 wrote:
Sony sells their controllers for at least $55... But that would be GREAT for Sony to invest in...
It would be fine by me if Sony takes my cue and makes controllers with mics in them.
Heck, they could add active noise cancellation in it to cancel any clicking noises made by the buttons and sticks completely.
HWGuy14 wrote:
i drop my controller sometimes, and i whouldnt want the mic to fall out of place, but thats greeat
The hot glue seems to do a good job of holding the internals. The microphone and the BT board does not weigh much and it would (applied properly) hold even after dropping it multiple times. I wouldn't suggest dropping or throwing a controller though, the exposed triggers and analog sticks would likely bear the brunt of the impact.
assassinsonic wrote:
ok , i know its a stupid thing to do , but i tried doing this my self.
at first i thought it wouldn't hurt since i have3 extra controllers and a second BT , what would go wrong?
so.....wrong......non-epic...fail
I wouldn't suggest this as a beginner project, because applying heat too long on either the BT Board or the DS3 board will spell certain doom.
I use a 6W battery operated soldering iron for close quarters like this. Even a 15W and a 30W soldering iron (very common, and cheap) produces too much heat and can dislodge tiny surface-mount components.
Keep the questions and comments coming, guys, and I'll answer to them as best as I can.
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