Documents

migration.user — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:08:45 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by migration.user on 10/1/2021 6:08:45 PM

Act 6 - Grand Prize Winner Announcement

kellyhensen — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 10:43:15 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 8/4/2021 10:43:15 AM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

The element14 Community team has taken into consideration all of the video entries and the community’s likes and shares. We’ve watched each and every entry; sat and mulled over cups and mugs of coffee, tea, and energy drink and came to our final conclusion. We have finally decided! Here are the ten winners of the Hack Like Heck and Maker Film Festival.

Special Congratulations to our Grand Prize winner Matthew Eargle!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Matthew Eargle

Watch Film

Congratulations to the following Top Ten $500 Winners :

Clemens Mayer

Dave Ploeger

Andy G

Mike G

Elliot Goofe

Mad Morda

ShockSlayer

Andy West

Tony Marino

Tags: hack_like_heck, act 6 - grand prize winner announcement, winners_announced, past_contest, maker_film_festival

Hack Like Heck - Chris Rice: Inappropriate_tools - GamerMan Ultra Classic

pchan — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 18:38:14 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by pchan on 9/26/2018 6:38:14 PM

Inappropriate_tools: Chris Rice GamerMan Ultra Classic

Back to Inappropriate_tools's VCP Profile | Hack Like Heck | Maker Film Festival

www.youtube.com/watch

Questions or comments? Leave them below and I'll get back to you!

Tags: hack_like_heck, gamerman_ultra_classic, chris_rice, hack like heck - chris rice: inappropriate_tools - game, maker_film_festival

Hack Like Heck: MAYER MAKES

makerkaren — Wed, 04 Jul 2018 17:42:39 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by makerkaren on 7/4/2018 5:42:39 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

Help us get to know the Contestants

Ask a question in the comments below

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Audition Video
players.brightcove.net/.../index.html

Declaration of Intent	MAYER MAKES intends to Hack Like Heck
YouTube Channel	MAYER MAKES
Hack Like Heck Project Progress	FINISHED, SUBMITTED....now I'll get some sleep..or start another project rightaway

Name:mayermakes

Element14 Community member since: June 3, 2014

Plan to Hack Like Heck: Making it easier for others by using readily available components.

Notable projects: Portable Workbench, Lunchbox Dev Kit

More about the contestant:

How did you first get into electronics?

My first lurk into hacking stuff was in fact modding and building electric guitars, just because I wanted my guitar to be different, I soon realized that after building a few custom guitars, that I'm better at making stuff than playing those instruments so I left the Trash/Industrial Metal Band that I Co founded in about 2004.

But my real first Projects were PC game mods, espacially Wolfenstein3d (which was illegal to own in austria because of the WW2 theme), I started modding it and making my own non ww2 themed versions of that game and shared it on Floppy disks with hand drawn Logos on them ( I had no access to a printer). I can't remember when I started that but it must have been around 1998/99.

(That flash from the past also might have something to do with my Raspberry Pi build.... *hint hint*)

What would you say are your top projects that you've post to element14? Any that you've done that didn't get posted to element14 that you love?

Well, my favourite Project i have posted to the community is of course the Lunchbox dev kit remix. I have created tons of stuff over the past years which are mostly posted on my Youtube Channel and the paid ones are posted here. https://blog.conrad.at/?s=mayer+makes

My favourite one of those is the IOT-Cookie Jar https://blog.conrad.at/iot-keksdose/

Overall my most favourite project is always the one I am currently building. I tend to pump my enthusiasm always in the ongoing projects..and then move on to the next one.

Currently I'm building a 1:10th Scale RC Crawler (for Rock Crawling) to drive it in the austrian championship ASTS ( austrian scale team series). I have set some serious challenges to myself with this project :

it has to comply with the rules for Class C1 or C2(basically if it would be a real car it would pass a DMCA/TÜV inspection and needs all the scale details like licence plates and functional lights/signals)
it has to perform great in extreme offroad conditions
it has to look freaking awesome ( its a Vw Baja Bug)
AND I have only 24 workhours time to finish it.

HERE IS THE FULL VIDEO for Element14-Community Members in this project! Video is in german but you don't need to understand what Iḿ saying.

I finished this build right before the HLH BOM arrived. The frist drive happened on April 7th and I edited it on April 8th (CET).

A lot of the contestants for Hack Like Heck do video game hacks. You are more of a generalist when it comes to projects, a little bit of everything, but I believe you have done some game hacks. Can you tell me about those projects?<

Yes there was even a sign on Maker Faire Salzburg calling me " The generalist among Makers"...

I've done the usual Retropie projects, hacked a Sega master system to alter its clock speed (you can change the game speed with a switch). Repaired some old Computers that were used for gaming, like an Atari portfolio ( I love that thing!!)and an Epson HX20....veeeery BASIC...get it BASIC... ;-)

I made games on my graphing calculator back in school along with the mentioned Wolf3d mods. I made a portable PS1 and a N64 portable but sold these long ago...I do not hang tight onto finished projects.

Do you do hacking and making for a living, or is it more of just a hobby, or in your case, passion?

It started as a hobby and turned into a passion... mid 2017, I had to start a little business so I can legally do sponsored/paid projects. I dream of doing this for a living. For real. Right now I have a regular day job, selling farming supplies..... not so much my dream.

UPDATE: no more sellign farming supplies...Now I do 3D printing all day for a living at a filament company. Hurray! This means more videos for you!

Want to know more? Ask in the comments below and tag mayermakes!

Tags: challenger_hlh, mayermakes

Hack Like Heck Terms and Conditions

kellyhensen — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 19:41:35 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/11/2018 7:41:35 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Like all competitions, element14's Hack Like Heck has rules to keep things fair and ensure the integrity of the program

This ensures fair play, prevents abuses, and makes sure everyone has fun. You can read the terms by downloading the attached PDF.

Attachments:

community.element14.com/.../Hack-Like-Heck-_2D00_Terms--Conditions.pdf

Hack Like Heck -Terms Conditions.pdf

Tags: hack_like_heck, hack like heck terms and conditions

Hack Like Heck Program Overview - Acts and Dates

kellyhensen — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 21:06:07 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/10/2018 9:06:07 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Hack Like Heck is an element14 Video Talent Competition designed to find new and emerging Video Content Partners who are passionate about electronics and are interested in sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge with a broad audience. In order to support this search for emerging content creators, the team has organized “Hack Like Heck,” in which members have the opportunity to share their personality and passion for electronics and create and submit a project video for a chance to win $500.

Prizes:

Grand Prize: A trip to Madison Wisconsin to appear in a future episode of The Ben Heck Show

Top Ten Prizes: $500 to each of the top 10 Hack Like Heck videos submitted

Please note, those wishing to participate in the project build phase of the competition may do so even if they have not submitted an audition tape. We simply ask that everyone (even those who submit audition tapes) who would like to be considered for the project build phase of the competition submit a formal declaration of intent.

The Program

Act	Description	Key Dates
Act 1	Auditions People who submitted an audition before Friday, 9-March were eligible to win a promotion pack of goodies - the same BOM Ben and Felix used in the original build.	Closed See the Winners
Act 2	Declare Your Intention Let us know that you intend to submit a video documenting your project build. Required for all participants.	By 31-March
Act 3	Create Your Project and Video Be sure to follow the instructions for submitting your video by the deadline.	9AM CST on Monday 2-April
Act 4	The element14 Maker Film Festival All submitted project build videos will be released for public viewing. Binge-watching encouraged.	Opens Thursday 5-April
Act 5	Voting The final Act where the community gets to help us select five of the top ten submissions.	Voting closes 11-April at 5PM CST
Act 6	Winners Announced! Watch this space for the announcement of the 10 $500 Winners and the one lucky Grand Prize Winner!	13-April-2018

Tags: hack_like_heck, hack like heck program overview - acts and dates

Hack Like Heck: Rory O Connor

makerkaren — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 02:12:35 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by makerkaren on 4/6/2018 2:12:35 AM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

Help us get to know the Contestants

Ask a question in the comments below

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Audition Video
www.youtube.com/watch

Declaration of Intent

Rory O Connor intends to Hack Like Heck

Hack Like Heck Project Progress

Pi Play AR ( I & II ) | Lights, Camera .. Refraction!!!

Pi Play AR (I & II) Foto-Bloggin' a Zombie Horse.. in AR!!!?

Name: rocits

Element14 Community member since: June 12, 2017

Hack like Heck Updates :

Pi Play AR ( I & II ) | Lights, Camera .. Refraction!!!

Pi Play AR (I & II) Foto-Bloggin' a Zombie Horse.. in AR!!!?

..and more? Ask @ rocits!

Back in d'good awld day-s! :

When I was a small kid I broke electronic toys faster than anybody, no time for screwy screws , how does it work!? how can I open it quickly!? While Jobs was probably getting fired I was pretending to create a 'netflix' type interface from video image cutouts on cardboard, completely immersed in my fantasy of the future idyllic conveniences lol, still doesn't exist the way I imagined.. Augmented Reality >>> nearly there now! #AR

Like most over awed by core tech kids creating lego variations, bunk-bed lifts and magnetic controller games , trying to over power motors to make a helicopter with a wired control. I haven't 'played' about with electronics since, I gradually bought some of the core tools hoping I would have spare time! that time is now! lol =D

Electronics & More..

I've Watched TBHS for a good while, really enjoy it right back to first episode and gradually horded masses of attic electro-tech-crud hoping that the electronic mastery of Ben would click in eventually by osmosis as soon as I have time to build, which is now! Also very interested in graphene and hyper practical nano tech!

Why? why? whyyyyyyyyy..

If I can just get through my overly ambitious build [for me] and video it would be way beyond what I ever intended to do..

..make a funny audition video dedicated to all the excellent work of TBHS .. for me the jokes/memes would be a serious bonus, it's was ridiculously fun making the audition tape I lost track of all/any edit timing, flow and polish! [maybe a V3 might get me up to scratch]

Fav Projects :

I've attempted!!! lol ..Little bits of everything from household, art, crafts, eco, ecotech, flash/opentoonz animation, sheet metal, civil/mechanical engineering, gyo, diy, teaching 2m+ in 100+ countries core web stuff http://www.goopal.org , Now starting again with core #AR technologies, just like the core web tech had to be figured out gradually, cloud apps , ar ,vr gadgets to IT solutions etc etc etc ...

i.e. ROCITS [Rory O Connor IT Solutions]..maybe should be rocIoTs lol that would be tioght ! https://www.rocits.com

My own 'super cloud systems' Community:

Working on a prototyping inventory/design/VR networked WebApp

[working title- AR/VR update coming soonish, trying to connect everything up with the 'hack like heck' competition

https://plus.google.com/communities/114437638722020066228

My own Google Technology Community :

https://plus.google.com/communities/107514426649254142729

My Fav project is up-cycling broken wheelie bins like a the garden organizer in the audition video, building into a possible 40 + uses ! e.g. a snow plough would have come in handy recently!

A full series on LBRY.io ? would be great! I enjoy working with constraints, they help me be more creative & imaginative to find solutions then most progress becomes a satisfying challenge!

#TheFuture

AR -Augmented Reality is my singlulary focus & I strongly believe [and even google officially announced it is..] the next BIG trilly? platform!

WebGL and WASM [web Assembly] are ones to watch! Some engineering application already available like mysketchup & sketchfab.Many technology areas are merging very successfully.

#AR / #VR Focus on Twitter and Github!

https://twitter.com/rocits

https://rocits.github.io

#AR >>>> Advanced Creative Design & Interaction , Product & Training Solutions, Engineering, Hacking, Iot & Electronics etc.. >>>> #thefuture

Hope & Dreams! D'aw! [... massive shattering bg noise just on time!] DOH!!!

My ultimate ambition is to create a vastly creative, innovative & eco-tech globally networked villages utilizing ecodomes design/builds lol , but may just settle for a up-cycle work-shed on a Mediterranean island! DOH!!! =D

Build Updates :

Pi Play AR ( I & II ) | Lights, Camera .. Refraction!!!

Tags: challenger_hlh

Hack Like Heck: MilLs Dj

makerkaren — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 22:00:14 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by makerkaren on 4/5/2018 10:00:14 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

Help us get to know the Contestants

Ask a question in the comments below

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Audition Video
www.youtube.com/watch

Declaration of Intent	MilLs Dj Intends to Hack Like Heck
YouTube Channel	Bobflannery103
Hack Like Heck Project Progress	Hack Like Heck - Andrew Miller - MilLs Dj - The Ultimate Portable (1972 to 2012, 50+ Gaming Systems, Movies, Shows, Music, Apps, and around 100,000 Video Games, All In 1)

Name: MilLs Dj

Element14 Community member since: March 23, 2018

Noteable Portable :The 64 Boy Micro - The World's Smallest Portable Nintendo 64, and about 30 other portables

Project for Hack Like Heck: The Ultimate Portable - 1972 to 2012, 50+ game systems, movies, shows, music, and around 100,000 video games all in 1.

Get those votes in guys! Thanks to all friends, family, and fellow modifiers that have voted so far!

(4/4/18) Project DONE. here's a bit of the work in photos and some description of the steps taken for some of the questions of "how does that work" Be sure to check out the video; Like, and Share it!

Well everyone, here it is! I explain basically everything in the video but here are some repeated and other specs and notes on the project. Photoshoot time!

Wii

Nintendo 64 PC Engine, Turbo Graphx, Turbo Duo

Virtual Boy NES/Famicom

SNES Genesis/Mega Drive/32x

SEGA CD SEGA Master System

SG-1000 GameBoy

Atari 2600 Atari XE/ST/800XL

MAME/RetroArch NEO GEO/CD

Capcom Play System 1&2 Amstrad

Amiga VectreX

This wasn't all the sections, but you get the idea of alot of games and systems...

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

Watch the video, Its well detailed. Here are some other things I may have missed!

The Ultimate Portable measures in at 9 ½ x 4 ⅞ x 1 ⅜ and as you can see on the front, every little bit of space is utilized! This portable is jam packed with so many electronics it’s insane. I had some space left at the top left by the batteries, but that is because I trimmed a bunch (that wiimote not so much, I'll have to find a better way to make that smaller) ran all the wires the best way I thought. The Wii is located at the bottom left but you can’t even see it because there’s so many wires in this. If you look closely enough, you can see I used 34 gauge wire for a lot of it, and a ton of wires are organized electrical tape and wrapping magnet wire.

The four controllers process explained!

I said before how there is a Gamecube controller, wiimote, nunchuck, and classic pro controller inside. If you connect all together, there will definitely be an issue. The brains of each board get so confused and random inputs are pressed without being pressed, even when all but one is turned off. It was chaos trying to figure this out, and the only result I could find was have power, ground, and every single input. That would mean about 50 switches…so no. I took the IC route and found this chip (1ACEC2T CBT3384A). Datasheet basically says 5v in, GND, and in outs, but there are 2 voltage in points that when fed, it disconnects the pins. When powered, the internal switches bridge and connect, when off, they’re disconnected. I still had to use 3 of these ICs inside, cause the input amount and controllers. This is also how I can switch the D pad Settings on the system to change from holding the wiimote vertical to horizontal. Heres one of the ICs. The blue light on the top right of the system near the abxy buttons shows blue for game cube, green for wiimote, and flashes when syncing internal wiimote.

Once the DPDT switch that powers gamecube controller or Wiimote is set to Wiimote, I press a buttn, and the wiimote syncs. If not I have the wii system and internal wiimote sync buttons on the bottom to connect it (and external remotes), the 3.1v going to the wiimote is sent to the 3way DPDT switch, and a data line to send to either the nunchuck or classic pro controller. To avoid any power confusion and glitchy controller cpus, I had 2 forms of GND in the System GND, Universal and Wii Controllers GND.

The Control Box

All my portables have a control box for playing the system on the TV like it would as if it were unmodified. It’s a quick and easy pinout for this and expands the gaming horizon back to the classic view of how it was made to be played….or maybe I don’t wanna go outside and play like a couch potato today ok ?

I can sync wiimotes wirelessly and the other usb port on the system itself for connecting usb controllers, so there are only gamecube controller ports to use.

The Case

I measured all the components and developed support on the inside structure of the case to easily load. A lot of people vaccum form, cut the actual parts of plastic they need that house buttons and components and epoxy it on then sand, but this portable is the first of many. Now that the main case is on file, I can adjust it to be easier to make the next one. Once it is perfect, I can just say to HACK with it and press print on the 3D printer and boom, a case. (and paint the way I want it too) This is Prototype 1. Definitely making more.

Specs

Holds built in movies, tv shows, music, games, and apps like Netflix, hulu, and internet.

7 inch Raspberry Pi “touch” screen

WiFi

Bluetooth (Connects wiimotes and Bluetooth controllers)

Rechargeable

3 Speakers

Complete Wii motion sensitivity

Battery life is ? Hours (last for at least 3, I havent timed this)

5v Fan and heatsink for cooling

Painted 3D Printed Case

2 USB ports

Built in 2 TeraByte Harddrive

Built in SD Card

Built in Gamecube Memory Card ( games saved on Harddrive too)

Internal Clock

Custom menu for game selection

Menu music originally composed (chipmusic, by who else but MilLs Dj )

4 Controllers Built in!!!!

Screen/audio controls (not just your brightness and contrast controls)

Headphone jack

Low power indication ( controls start to glitch around, better save quick or plug in!)

Wii sensor bar built in

Hibernation mode

Control box put for 4 external players and tv output

Stylish curves

User manual for Software

User manual for Hardware (how to operate the buttons and things and stuff)

Controllers/Controls on portable worth noting

Gamecube

Wiimote

Numchuck

Wii Classic controller pro

….

Reset Button

Wii Bluetooth Sync

Dual shoulder buttons

GameCube style joystick

6 shoulder buttons (TRIGGERED)

3ds slider

wii sensor bar

...you can also attach or sync... keyboards, a mouse, usb, bluetooth controllers, usb controllers.

Game systems that can be played on the portable!

Wii

GameCube

N64

Virtual Boy

SNES

NES

Famicom

PC engine

Turbo graphx

Turbo duo

Vectrex

Sega Cd

32x

Genesis

Master System

SG-1000

Atari 2600

5200

7800

800XL

Gameboy Advance

Gameboy color

Original Gameboy

Neo geo pocket

Wonderswan

Gamegear

Cavestory (NX Engine)

Colecovision

Creativision

Intelvision

Odyssey

Odyssey 2

MAME

Retro Arch

Neo geo

Neo geo CD

Capcom play system 1

Capcom play system 2

PlayStation 1

MSX

MSX 2

Sinclair zx spectrum

Commodore 64

Tandy color Computer

ScummVM

Amstrad

Amiga

Apple 2

Dragon 32

Vg 5000

Special Thanks and Credit

I can’t take all the credit! I didn’t make wiiflow. Shout outs to wiiflow software design team, Abz, Maxternal, Bobby on Youtube, and Various fellow modders on sites like Youtube, BitBuilt, and ModRetro. Thank you all.

Songs used

Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine 2 Player Vs. Mode theme
Lil' Uzi Vert - All my Friends are Dead

(my songs, 3 haven’t been released yet, but check out more songs by me here! https://chipmusic.org/MilLs+Dj )

Believer

RoBoTiCal

Facing the Wall in Bed

Feelin’ Alive

Like a Kid Again

Any questions, ask me, I probably have the answers And follow me on Instagram! mills_dj

And facebook and youtube

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000879936046

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw9qlCJwbLPzh2SegK681yg?view_as=subscriber

Thank you Element 14 community, I am new to this site and I would love your vote to carry on the legacy. With builds like such, I know I’d keep it more than interesting!

(4/2) More sneak peak photos, stay tuned.

(4/1) I'm submitting the video today, its just under the 18 min limit, but it is FULL of intense goodies explaining the whole project, credited sources of help for the project, and what I had to do to build such a portable. Here's another sneak peak, this is the wii board trimmed and wired to fill my requests of playing so many different types of games. I'll post again soon, remember to vote for me to see more portable greatness!

Wii board no trim vs my trim, and then all the parts wired up!

SNEAK PEAK OF THE GUTS AND GLORY (3/31)

Stay tuned for the final video of it all!

More about the contestant:

A Brief history of my experience becoming a portablizer is me starting to build with Legos and make Domino tracks as early as age 5. It wasnt until I was 8 years old when i picked up my first soldering iron,

and burnt myself.

I quickly found a passion for taking everything that was electronic apart to see the guts and glory (butchering tons of remote controls basically).

I grew up playing Nintendo 64 and Original Gameboy/Color games with my older brother; also played the Genesis, but that was more his style.

It got to a point where I played too much and I became a basement dweller. My parents told me, "Stop playing so many video games!"... so I started building video games (Best loop hole ever).

Taking this route with electronics was very different from the knowledge my parents and siblings had. My brother played, but had no interest in building, my sister and mother were not into it much at all, and my Dad, being the very intelligent man that he is, barely knew how to turn TV with a Comcast box on. I helped with computers, electronics, and appliances around the house for them; and still do.

Highschool had no programs with building video games hardware wise, the closest thing was wood shop and Visual Basic. Everything that I learned was from researching, experimenting, and/or creating myself; with appropriate credit given to various online sources and teams. Since it was a small school district, I found very little friends that could even understand a fraction of the creations I was constructing.

This is actually one of the first times I'm using a forum too. I only posted very little to Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and chipmusic.org (for chiptunes), and even now I don't post much. I mainly build for the absolute passion of doing so.

This contest interests me beyond belief and it saddens me I didn't find out about it sooner. I want to show that creativity and expressing passions is never the wrong thing to do, even when surroundings seem limited. I went from playing video games to building, hacking, coding, developing, and creating them. I even make music with them! I know everyone has ideas, but not everyone applies them to become real. That's the legacy I'm carrying on here at Millersville University and what I see should continue after Ben retires on his show. With what i know from before and double major,I intend to continue building past what is seen as "impossible" and show that if I can, we all can.

After everything, it's not about recognition or prizes. It's about the Thrill of the Build.

~MilLs Dj

Want to know more? Ask in the comments below and tag millsdj!

Tags: millsdj, next ben heck, mills dj, ultimate portable, wiiflow, portable wii, challenger_hlh, hack like heck, audition

Hack Like Heck: Nobble

makerkaren — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 17:16:32 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by makerkaren on 4/5/2018 5:16:32 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

Help us get to know the Contestants

Ask a question in the comments below

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Audition Video
www.youtube.com/watch

Declaration of Intent	Nobble intends to Hack Like Heck
YouTube Channel	Nobble
Hack Like Heck Project Progress	RetroPie Furutreboy DMG RPi 3 Handheld

Name: nobble

Element14 Community member since: August 27, 2016

Notable projects: Mini Raspberry Pi Vehicle Computer, PiP:Raspberry Pi Portable, Portable SNES, Nobble64 N64p, Wiikipad Switch, Attiny85 Arduinoboy 2" Micro Handheld

VOTE HERE!

Who are you? & What makes you The Next Ben Heck?

My real name is Elliot. I am 25 years old. Most of my modding abilities have been self-taught or from family and friends. As a kid, I was born into the house of an IT Wiz for Micron and Circuit City. My father was a big influence in my educational journey and structuring of the tech skills I hone today. So naturally, this kind of passion was in my blood. By the time I was 4, he had me installing Linux distros via the collection of floppy drives that needed to be inserted one after another. At the age of 8, I was gifted my very first desktop. After that, I was HOOKED! The goal was to learn as much as I could in Linux because deep down, I knew it would be the end-all of Operating Systems in the future. Now here we are in 2018, Raspberry Pi computing is the new trend for Linux/pocket computing/emulation gaming/programming/etc. I have been working with all types of Raspberry Pi boards for over 4 years now. Within my first year I built a portable Raspberry Pi B+ and have continued to make more as the years went on. Making handheld devices is a big hobby of mine, and I like to share my finished projects on my YouTube Channel to inspire others in hopes to grow the community and get more people on board to start their own projects!!!

What sets you apart from anyone with a soldering iron and rotary tool?

Since I started modding electronics and making my own project builds, I aimed to document as much as I could via sites like Instructables, Hackaday, Blogger, ModRetro, BitBuilt, and more! Then I decided to start a YouTube Channel after a few builds. I have been updating it more often since I have more time for projects currently. My builds generally don't take more than a few months (usually a week or two) in my off-time to complete. If I was given the ability to work on something everyday, my time frames would be cut down significantly. That would open up options for projects that are more involved and will both challenge and grow my skill set. Whatever is new and uncharted territory intrigues me, and it encourages me to add in out-of-the-norm technology into anything I make. I would like to make lots of DIY Tutorials to help people who are not yet well-versed with soldering and layout design. I'm no Einstein or Tesla, but I aim to continuously learn, grow, and expand my abilities for the betterment of all to Live Long, And Prosper the way we all should! I just need the advanced tools and resources to do so, with your help of course!

Have you ever worked on a very difficult project that required a lot of troubleshooting and debugging? If so, what steps did you take to overcome the issues and bring it all to completion?

That is a very big part of most of my builds, although some can be more challenging than others. I started taking apart home video game consoles and turning them into portable devices as a kid. Understanding how to slim-down and modify circuits, design the internals, and making all the components fit inside the case of choosing was tough. Back then, the information on Portables was slim, and trying to find all the information to do so meant, scouring the internet for weeks trying to understand more complicated circuits and how to wire up a power supply safely without turning my fingers into microwaved hotdogs. I had taken electronics classes in school, but this type of work was more advanced. This lead to the process of destroying a few SNES and N64 boards before actually coming out with a working handheld. I had learned the basics of how to solder a 2S2P lithium polymer battery with a protection circuit built in for recharging. Hard wiring the expansion pack on a N64 board seemed to prove difficult for Ben Heck, but with some magnet wire and a nice sharp tip on my iron, I was able to achieve a successful trim and relocation that laid flat against the main board more than a few times. (I have built 3 portable N64's, one being a commission for someone else when I was at the age of 16.)

Tell us about your project goals for 2018 and how you aim to complete them!

Currently, I have 3 major projects I am also working on!

First is my 2-in-1 Wiikipad Switch. I am about halfway done and have the case about 80% finished and painted. I have shelved it for the duration of the contest. I expect it to be wrapped up by the summer. All that is left is to wire up audio and power, then mount everything in!

Second project for 2018 is a commission from a popular YouTuber named Dylon Desbiens. He works on pocket bikes and small engine vehicles. Recently he approached me to design and create a Raspberry Pi Mini Computer for his Pokemon Pocketbike (And yes, I am Poke Guru, the guy in the Pikachu suit.) The device is built, all that is left is to design a GPS based speedometer and UI for the system. I am looking into all options that are within the budget. But I expect a final showcasing of the device this spring.

The third build is an idea I've had to build a giant tablet for everything I need to do in my everyday computing. I want to use a mini gaming PC and a touchscreen around 22" to create a very powerful slate computer to run resource-heavy applications and video games. I do a lot of editing on the go, and it would be nice to have something I can bring around and not skimp out on power and specs. This is still just an idea, and in order for me to build it, I would need a larger budget to continue to pay my rent. hehe.

More about the contestant:

In my early years as a modder, I watched Ben and other portablizer enthusiasts online make these amazing handhelds with TV consoles and batteries. The soft, malleable fat-mass inside my head instantly was on fire! I had to do this TOO!!! So I decided to build a Portable SNES. Worked great, except for I had an external battery pack...welp. The second try was a N64p, that worked better! I ended up making 2 of those and moved on to a X360 laptop. I have a knack for "Frankencasing" my projects together and love a challenge!

Currently I am working on building and documenting a 2-in-1 Wii / Pi Zero W portable console. I dubbed it the Wiikipad Switch because I am building it out of the Gamevice Wikipad Controller (DON'T SUE Mii..). You can check out my work log HERE.

For the contest I am planning on making an upgraded Gameboy Pi!

I also made a Hackaday Project Page dedicated to this contest where I will post all my project updates!

Want to know more? Ask in the comments below and tag nobble!

Tags: portable, nobble, ben heck show, programming, raspberry pi, challenger_hlh, handheld, arduino, video games

Act 4 - The element14 Maker Film Festival

kellyhensen — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 15:33:09 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/5/2018 3:33:09 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

On Thursday, 5-April, element14 will be presenting the first Maker Film Festival featuring all of the videos submitted in the Hack Like Heck competition.

All of the entries will be kept under wraps until the simultaneous unveiling so that all entries get equal time in front of the Community during the voting period.

We'll be providing more details on the Maker Film Festival as the date approaches.

Tags: hack_like_heck, act 4 - the element14 maker film festival

Act 1 - Auditions - Now Closed

kellyhensen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:59:55 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/4/2018 6:59:55 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Auditions are now closed BUT don't forget. . .

We're looking for new talent to make videos for the element14 Community. Check out the Content Partner Program for opportunities beyond Hack Like Heck.

Tags: hack_like_heck, act 1 - auditions - tell us about yourself!

Auditions Winners Announcement: Free BOM Kits!

tariq.ahmad — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:58:42 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by tariq.ahmad on 4/4/2018 6:58:42 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

What am I supposed to build?Terms and Conditions

Hack Like Heck is an element14 video talent competition. Because it makes for good theater, the program was divided into 6 acts, with the First Act being auditions and the Second Act being a declaration of intent to participate. The Second Act, the declaration of intent to participate, closes on March 31st. The first act allowed us a chance to get to know you better and see how you looked in front of the camera. It also gave you a chance to win a free Bill of Material, just like the one that Ben Heck used to build a Raspberry Pi MAME. Everyone that auditioned won a free Ben Heck T-shirt.

If you were not one of the top 10 audition finalists, don't worry, as long as you've declared your intent, you're still eligible to win!

Everyone who submits a Declaration of Intent by 31-March is eligible to participate.

The Following Challengers Get a B.O.M. Kit:

	Andy West Watch the Audition		Benny Michaels Watch the Audition
	Clem Mayer Watch the Audition		DJ Harrigan Watch the Audition
	Douglas Wong Watch the Audition		Drew Littrell Watch the Audition
	James Lewis Watch the Audition		Matthew Eargle Watch the Audition
	Shock Slayer Watch the Audition		Dave Ploeger Watch the Audition

Act 2 - Declare Your Intention

kellyhensen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:57:57 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/4/2018 6:57:57 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

The deadline has passed.

Tags: hack_like_heck, act 2 - declare your intention

Act 3 - Submit Your Project Video

kellyhensen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:55:37 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/4/2018 6:55:37 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Terms and Conditions

Anyone can enter to win! You don’t have to have a top 10 audition to participate in Hack Like Heck.

To enter you must:

Declare your Intention - so we can get to know you better. (Closes March 31st)
Build a portable gaming project showing off your engineering and electronics skills.
Make a video of the steps you went through to create your awesome project - see Project Video Specifications
Submit it to element14 following these instructions before 9am on April 2nd CENTRAL Daylight Time.

Need some Tech Support because you've run into an issue with your build?

You're in the right place! Post a discussion/question to let the Community Members know what you're trying to do and what isn't quite working the way you want it to. . .

Need some Video Support?

That's us, too! Comment below Start a discussionStart a discussionso we can help you create the best video ever.

Also check out Making Project Videos: Tips & Tricks from the Ben Heck Crew!

Tags: hack_like_heck, act 3 - create your project and video

Act 5 - Vote for your Favorites

kellyhensen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:53:31 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/4/2018 6:53:31 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

The element14 Maker Film Festival will release all project build videos on April 5th. At that point, members will be able to begin voting for their favorite entry.

There are two ways to vote for your favorite video:

"Like" the document that features the builder's video
Share the specific content on social media

While you only have the ability to "Like" a video once, you can share that same video as many times as you'd like across various social media platforms. Each "Like" and each "share" constitutes one vote apiece, so share your favorite builder's video as much as you can in order to rack up more votes and help him or her win the grand prize! Sharing on social media is a great way to expand your outreach and drum up excitement for your favorite video.

Content creators and fellow tech enthusiasts, want to earn even more votes? Use your social media channels to encourage your followers to visit the element14 Community and "Like" your work. We won't judge you for pestering grandma to vote for your video.

After voting closes on April 11th, we will tally up all of the "Likes" and shares for each video and determine the winners. A total of 10 winners will be announced on April 13th. The top five builders whose videos receive the most Community votes will join an additional five builders (including the grand prize winner) selected by the element14 team.

Tags: hack_like_heck, act 5 - vote for your favorites

Hack Like Heck - The Prizes

kellyhensen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:52:40 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/4/2018 6:52:40 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Project Build Phase Prizes

Top ten winners will receive $500.00 USD
Grand prize: $500.00 USD and a trip to Madison, WI to work with Ben and the crew of The Ben Heck Show on a future build and a featured appearance on the show

For the Grand Prize, element14 will cover the costs of travel, lodging, food, and ground transportation. Winner is required to travel to Madison, WI between April 29, 2018 and May 2, 2018.

See full Terms and Conditions

Tags: hack_like_heck, hack like heck - the prizes, the_prizes

How to Submit Your Project Video

tariq.ahmad — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:44:35 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by tariq.ahmad on 4/4/2018 6:44:35 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

What am I Supposed to Build? | Create and Submit Your Project Video | Terms and Conditions

To submit your project video, you'll need:

A name for your video - "Hack Like Heck: [your name] - [name of project]"
A link to your UNPUBLISHED video on YouTube (instructions here)
A short description of your video/project (2-3 sentences, spelling counts)
The list of parts you used in your project

It's best to have everything written up before clicking the button at the bottom of this page.

Be sure you have fulfilled everything laid out in Hack Like Heck - Project Video Specifications.

The entry has two fields, one for the name and one big text block that needs to include items 2, 3 and 4 from the list above.

Submission form is not working as intended.

Until this has been resolved please submit your unpublished YouTube link to tariq.ahmad or makerkaren and include the short description and parts used as well.

Submit your Final Video

Check out Making Project Videos: Tips & Tricks from the Ben Heck Crew to help make your video as best as can be!

What am I supposed to build?

kellyhensen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:43:58 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by kellyhensen on 4/4/2018 6:43:58 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

See all the project videos in the Maker Film Festival

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

What am I Supposed to Build? | Create and Submit Your Project Video | Terms and Conditions

Just to clarify - if you accept the challenge because you think you can Hack Like Heck - you're being asked to build a portable gaming device (in two weeks time).

Why? Because, as Felix says at https://youtu.be/x0EGnydxxf4?t=15 - the Community asked for a portable version of the SNES Mini.

But Ben didn't like that idea, as he explains here: https://youtu.be/x0EGnydxxf4?t=22

So he ended up building the Pi No HDMI MAME as featured in these episodes :

Episode 322: Rasp Pi No HDMI - Portable MAME Part 1

Episode 328: Rasp Pi No HDMI - Portable MAME Part 2

Hack Like Heck: Chris Foote

makerkaren — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 20:54:34 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by makerkaren on 4/3/2018 8:54:34 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

Help us get to know the Contestants

Ask a question in the comments below

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Audition Video
players.brightcove.net/.../index.html

YouTube Channel	Christopher Foote
Hack Like Heck Project Progress	COMING SOON!

Name: Chris Foote

Element14 Community member since: April 1, 2015

Notable projects: PiSwitch

More about the contestant:

Unedited version of the audition video: https://youtu.be/ZNcsGBApAuI

Check out my Build instructions:https://www.instructables.com/id/PiSwitch/

More about the contestant:

How did you first get into electronics?

My grandpa was an engineer, he built a 35" color T.V. and my mom as a result was the first on her block with a color T.V. I was about 7 and going through my grandpa's magazines and saw the coolest robot. The robot would lift and drop a pen in order to draw. It had bumper switches and you could program its movement in BASIC. I begged my mom for it but my grandpa was the one that ended up buying it for me. he helped me color code the resistors and taught me how to solder. He told me if I wanted to use it I had to build the whole thing myself. so at 7 years old I built my first robot with my grandpa's assistance color coding resistors (I'm color blind, now I use a multimeter), I fell in love with electronics and never looked back.

What are some of your more recent projects?

My most recent project has actually been a part of my job. I've been building and developing an rfid key tracking system. It's for car lots with shared inventory between locations. So that way even if a key isn't at the same facility as you, you can locate exactly where it is and who had it last. My favorite project I've worked on recently is my PiSwitch which is a raspberry pi game system that uses the switch controllers, that's the one in my video. It's had a bit of a following, I had a lot of fun developing a touch menu on boot that switched between one and two player mode, media center, and debian with the pixel xserver. I stripped all the usb, ethernet, gpio header, and everything from a pi 3, I'm building a much thinner PiSwitch that I hope will actually be compatible with the original Switch dimensions. Lastly, I'm also currently hacking an old ipad video to have a 2tb harddrive, and building a beautiful wood veneer with a highly polished case.

Updates:

Battery is in progress:

22000mah of wonderful charge, lets see how far I can get this week

Bowing Out:

Unfortunately life got hectic and due to family health issues I wasn't able to find time to work on this. So good luck to all you amazing hackers out there. I did manage to get everything completed but the last step of building a new case to work with my smaller foot print.

Want to know more? Ask in the comments below and tag cfoote7!

Tags: challenger_hlh

Hack Like Heck: Andy West

makerkaren — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 21:21:17 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by makerkaren on 4/2/2018 9:21:17 PM

The Hack Like Heck Competition

Help us get to know the Contestants

Ask a question in the comments below

About Hack Like Heck

Content Partner Program

The Prizes

Audition Video
players.brightcove.net/.../index.html

Declaration of Intent	Andy West intends to Hack Like Heck
Hack Like Heck Project Progress	My build is done... it's video time!

Name: andywest

Element14 Community member since: February 12, 2018

Plan to Hack Like Heck: Raspberry Pi 3 Mini Arcade with a large battery

Notable projects: IR Roku remote mod

More about the contestant:

I'm really pushing myself to the limit to participate in this challenge. Which means that no matter what, the learning experience will be huge. I'm way out of my comfort zone, but I consider that a good thing!

Why are you interested in hacking like Heck?

I'm a software developer, but I've always been fascinated by video game hardware as well. I read André LaMothe's "The Black Art of Video Game Console Design" several years back and it was inspiring. But that was before inexpensive 3D printers and single board computers. I'm a fan of TBHS, so when I saw the Hack Like Heck announcement, I no longer had an excuse. I had to go for it.

What are your favorite projects or projects you are most proud of?

My favorite projects are the VR-related ones. My first virtual reality experience was a DOS demo way back in the 90s by a company called Superscape. I was immediately hooked. I built a head-mounted display from a pair of Casio "Pocket" TVs and some welding goggles. It was stereo 3D and everything. The thing was huge and ridiculous by today's standards, but it worked. I kind of regret that I don't have it any more.

Build log entries

Build Log #1: The Trouble with Joysticks

Final update

Well, this is incredibly disappointing. I just finished building my portable three hours before the deadline, but I don't have time to install the software or finish my project video. Late last night I ran into trouble with my USB hub, and several hours later I gave up on it. I hacked the case to make room for a different hub, but by then it was too late.

Anyway, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go get a few hours of sleep. This competition was really fun to participate in and hey, I've got a portable arcade system to play around with now! I'll post some images or video once I'm rested and get some games running on it.

Best of luck to all the other competitors!

I'm back!

I just got the awesome news that the project video deadline has been extended two days! This is really great because my build is done and I have a bunch of raw footage ready to go.

I've actually been playing the mini arcade today and it's super fun. I'm so glad I still get to share it and compete. Woohoo!

Want to know more? Ask in the comments below and tag andywest!

Tags: challenger_hlh

Documents

Documents

Act 6 - Grand Prize Winner Announcement

Congratulations to the following Top Ten $500 Winners :

Hack Like Heck - Chris Rice: Inappropriate_tools - GamerMan Ultra Classic

Hack Like Heck: MAYER MAKES

Hack Like Heck Terms and Conditions

Hack Like Heck Program Overview - Acts and Dates

Hack Like Heck: Rory O Connor

Hack Like Heck: MilLs Dj

MilLs Dj Intends to Hack Like Heck

Bobflannery103

Hack Like Heck: Nobble

Act 4 - The element14 Maker Film Festival

Act 1 - Auditions - Now Closed

Auditions Winners Announcement: Free BOM Kits!

Act 2 - Declare Your Intention

Act 3 - Submit Your Project Video

Act 5 - Vote for your Favorites

Hack Like Heck - The Prizes

How to Submit Your Project Video

What am I supposed to build?

Hack Like Heck: Chris Foote

Hack Like Heck: Andy West