The $4 Wireless Sensor Bar: for that special Wii in your life

So, your Wii sensor bar has slid down the back of your TV for the umpteenth time and you just aren't up for diving into the rats nest of cables this time, maybe this time you should just leave it there. You can pick up this Wireless Sensor Bar for a mere $4, a quarter of what you'll pay for most competing products. Of course, they're using the term "wireless" liberally here, and the bit about being "detected automatically by your Wii console" is pure rubbish -- all it takes is a pair of IR emitters, or even a couple candles to make a sensor bar replacement -- but we'll let it slide for this kind of price.

[Via Wii News]

[lettcco @ Dec 5th 2007 2:37AM]

4 bucks? sure it's not for the VII instead?

[-Chris- @ Dec 5th 2007 2:38AM]

To be honest I don't trust two candles and Wii Sports near my expensive television haha.

[sinenomen @ Dec 5th 2007 3:01AM]

I'd rather have a sensor bar (or modified wiimote?) that I could put on either side of the TV, so that I point directly at it and not a foot up/down.

Not that either is really a problem...

[RAD Moose @ Dec 5th 2007 6:18AM]

Take two of these bars, place them on each side of the TV, covering one of the IR transmitters in each bar.. now you have what you want for $8 and some tape.

[Alexander @ Dec 5th 2007 12:24PM]

Or, break one of these in half and run the wires to each side.

Or, better yet, buy some IR led's and wire. make yourself one of these for under $2.

[klew @ Dec 5th 2007 3:30AM]

can you use more than one sensor bar/IR source for better accuracy?

[Clifton Helpingstine @ Dec 5th 2007 4:19AM]

Yes you can. You just have to cover the two middle sensors in the two bar setup then you will have one big sensor bar. It works great to improve your accuracy on larger TVs.

[Mark @ Dec 5th 2007 3:35AM]

a little more detail and a little less sarcasm would be helpful here. What do you mean by "Of course, they're using the term "wireless" liberally here" mean? That being said I love how it says it picks up the signal from the wiimote, as thought the wiimote actually sends one(yes, yes, I know the wiimote DOES send a signal but it sends it to the wii, not to the sensor bar :P)

[Nick Catalano @ Dec 5th 2007 6:13AM]

All you need are 4 (6?) LED lights... there is nothing special about the sensor bar... really... as long as the remote can 'see' 2 sets of IR-emitting sources of light you are more than OK...

The only nice thing about this is that it doesn't look like crap (aka it has a reasonable plastic housing.) Since the average DIYer doesn't have the ability to mold plastic I think $4 is a pretty good price point.

[John Laur @ Dec 5th 2007 4:18AM]

I actually did the 2 candles thing over Thanksgiving when I took my Wii with me to my in-law's house but foolishly forgot the sensor bar. Two tea lights gave out enough IR to work up close but to get enough distance I had to fashion a couple of reflectors out of aluminum foil.

My first question before I remembered the candles though was, "Do you have any remote controls you don't need anymore?"

[Andre @ Dec 5th 2007 8:56AM]

So, uh, where do you buy the $4 sensor bar?

[R Herrera @ Dec 5th 2007 9:37AM]

I wanna buy it.. the given link doesn't have it.

[Jason Cox @ Dec 5th 2007 10:44AM]

so my questions is, if candles and this wireless sensor bar work, how come the official Nintendo Wii Sensor Bar has to be plugged into the console? is that purely to get POWER or does it actually send some sort of extra info to it that this wireless bar doesnt?

[Kyle @ Dec 5th 2007 11:54AM]

The cord is there just to power the sensor bar.

[Wolfticket @ Dec 5th 2007 1:19PM]

I rest my dvd remote and my tv remote on either side over the top of the tv and tape down a button on each. Works a charm.

(Disclaimer: I don't actually do this; I don't even have a Wii. I just made it up, seems like it might work though, given that all you need is two 'on' ir leds)

[CubeGuy @ Dec 5th 2007 4:27PM]

Provided that the two remotes don't blink too spasticly.

[adam @ Jan 10th 2008 6:07PM]

i bought a mad catz sensor bar and the little finger wont come up on the screen why?

[Tim @ Jan 15th 2008 8:11PM]

I just tried buying this and they want $30+ for shipping.
Way to scheme Hong Kong store (1.8 KILOS per bar? Bullshit!) and way to not check your sources Engadget.

-Tim