Honestly we didn't think that the Wii sensor bar, the thin bar that you probably put on top of your TV to read your Wii-motes' signals, was ever a mess to hide. Nintendo did a pretty good job of making sure that it was something that even the most minimalist aesthetite would be able to leave out when he's not playing Wii (The Rock Band controllers, however, need some work). But a friend with a white TV, who loves the Wii console for it's own shiny white exterior, hates the black sensor bar for intruding on his virginal entertainment center. We're going to point him towards this hack for making a Wii sensor bar out of an old remote. They use a remote because it has all of the inner workings to become a sensor, like battery power and IR LED lights, but you could take their 'How To' and modify it...
How To: Camouflage Your Wii Sensor Bar
The instructions and photos are a little hard to follow for those of us who aren't electrician-savvy, but it might be worth ruining a few remotes to try and get this right.
Open the old remote and drill a few holes into the side for the IR LEDs. If the remote comes with two LEDs, you are in luck. If not, you may have to buy a few new IR LEDs. Disconnect the existing battery connection to the remote control circuit and connect it to the mounted LEDs. You should select a current limiting resistor that will prevent the LEDs from being over driven and having a short life. (To select the resistor value use an online LED resistor calculator.)
[ Via instructions">Hacked Gadgets ][ First image from FrenchHope @ Flickr ]
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While I applaud the ingenuity of replacing the casing with something more common place and unnoticeable, it would definitely be a step down from the sensor bar. I am not really seeing the point in replacing something that looks alright-but slightly noticeable, with something that is ugly but probably ignored.
view Benji's profile
here, here to that comment above.
seems like a disaster waiting to happen as well...unsuspecting guests yank and rip the DIY sensor bar, thinking that it's a functional remote for the multitude of gadgets before them.
view jonli's profile
um, i don't think the remote is wired, the point being, it can be put away when not in use. they only used a remote because it had all the required components...
view Enamorada's profile
I agree that the remote is more common, but much more visible than the stock sensor bar. Why not just dye/paint the opaque black sections of the sensor bar white to match the tv.
view SBGamesCone's profile
@Benji et al:
I know the remote is less than attractive or practacal, but I still thought the project was worth sharing because of the ability to take the basic plan and make a sensor bar out of any hollow thing, including building it straight into the TV or other components if it was possible.
view tarynevelyn's profile
dude... white TV guy, get some white contact paper and/or white fabric and CALL IT GOOD. That a really complicated hack when he just needs to cover it.
view DahliaCactus's profile