Sensor Bar to USB or external power?

Lodey · (This post was last modified: 03-09-2014, 05:50 PM by Lodey.)

So, before anyone says it, I have a USB sensor bar, but it's not that great--only 6 IR LEDs and it runs at a lower voltage than the official one, so the whole thing is more inaccurate and jittery. I happen to have a spare RVL-014, the model with 10 IR LEDs and would like to learn how to get it running on external power (via 7.5v adapter, sources say this is the right voltage that won't fry your bar) or over USB, either is fine.

Does anyone have any resources on how to do this? Tips? I've never done this before, but I'm ready to learn and think any tutorial should be more than enough.

Thanks.

**AnyOldName3** · 03-09-2014, 11:47 PM #2

It might be easier to open your existing USB bar and swap out the resistors for weaker ones. The brightness issue won't be fixed solely by adding more LEDs if the resistors in the new bar are still too enthusiastic for USB power.

Lodey · 03-10-2014, 07:00 PM #3

That doesn't solve the issue of having only 6 LEDs, though.

**ulao** · (This post was last modified: 03-11-2014, 02:30 AM by ulao.)

The best known way to get wireless is to go batteries. Yes they eat up fast. I tried a few voltage regulators but over time the bar burned up. Got to pricey to continue. You have the voltage right, I forget the max out current and I believe you need a switching transformer.

rokclimb15 · 03-11-2014, 02:32 AM #5

My solution: get some rechargeable AA batteries from Amazon (they have their own branded ones). They are relatively inexpensive and recharge effectively.

**ulao** · (This post was last modified: 03-11-2014, 03:14 AM by ulao.)

This is also what I do. with this
http://www.amazon.com/Official-Nintendo-Wii-Wireless-Sensor-Extended/dp/B002E1MLR8
I get 1-8 feet with it.

Lodey · 03-11-2014, 05:39 AM #7

(03-11-2014, 03:12 AM)ulao Wrote: This is also what I do. with this
http://www.amazon.com/Official-Nintendo-Wii-Wireless-Sensor-Extended/dp/B002E1MLR8
I get 1-8 feet with it.

Agh, why can't they just have a wired version? Battery operation for something like this is so 90s, especially for a console device.

**AnyOldName3** · 03-11-2014, 06:43 AM #8

(03-10-2014, 07:00 PM)Lodey Wrote: That doesn't solve the issue of having only 6 LEDs, though.

The issue is actually unlikely to be a low number of LEDs unless they have a really crap viewing angle. Look at them through a digital camera. If there are a lot of areas you can see no LEDs from, then yes, you need something with more LEDs. If you can see light from practically any angle, but it's dim, then it's just the brightness, which is more easily fixed by reducing the resistance.

By the way, two years ago, the default reaction was to place two candles under the monitor, but I've not seen it mentioned for ages. Why is that?

Lodey · 03-11-2014, 12:01 PM #9

(03-11-2014, 06:43 AM)AnyOldName3 Wrote:
(03-10-2014, 07:00 PM)Lodey Wrote: That doesn't solve the issue of having only 6 LEDs, though.

The issue is actually unlikely to be a low number of LEDs unless they have a really crap viewing angle. Look at them through a digital camera. If there are a lot of areas you can see no LEDs from, then yes, you need something with more LEDs. If you can see light from practically any angle, but it's dim, then it's just the brightness, which is more easily fixed by reducing the resistance.

By the way, two years ago, the default reaction was to place two candles under the monitor, but I've not seen it mentioned for ages. Why is that?

Viewing angle is the issue for sure. I tested the original Nintendo one out side by side with the USB sensor bar, if I put the USB sensor bar on top of my monitor, no inputs are detected at *ALL*. Whereas the original performs flawlessly. The difference in range and angle is immensely disproportionate. All this time I've been using this thing and didn't know how much it sucked until now.

http://www.amazon.com/Nextronics-Sensor-Bar-USB-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B001UAAX60

So overpriced, too...