DIY Big Buttons for Your Projects
41I modified these "answer buzzers" to turn them into generic buttons for use in my electronics projects.
The donor buttons are 2.75" inch "Answer Buzzers" from Learning Resources. This mod converts them into generic on/off momentary buttons with a 1/8" headphone jack. The headphone jack provides strain relief and makes the buttons modular, so you can swap them between projects without having to rewire or resolder.
To make this modification, pull off the four rubber feet on the bottom of the button and remove the four screws holding it together. Set the ring and button cap aside and focus on the base with the circuit board. Using a craft knife, make two cuts on the PCB: one across the trace from the button to the chip-on-board, and one across the four jumper traces.
Next, use a step drill bit to create a 1/4" hole in the ring for the headphone jack. This hole should be roughly halfway between the speaker and the "VDD" pin on the button PCB. Install a panel mount headphone jack into the hole.
Then solder the wires. One wire should go from the "VDD" pin to 'tip' terminal of the jack, and the other wire should go from the top of the jumpers to the 'sleeve' terminal of the jack. (It doesn't matter which jumper you solder to.) Tilt the ring to reinstall the button cap, being careful to align the notches in the cap with the indents on the ring. Reattach the four screws and rubber feet to complete the mod.
For my buttons I also cut up some 3/8" threaded steel rod to make some AAA battery dummies and placed them in the battery compartment. This is optional, but it provides a little bit of weight to make the finished buttons more stable.
You can connect to the buttons using any 1/8" TS (Mono) or TRS (Stereo) audio cable. Cut up the cable or use a breakout board on the other side to connect it to your project.
📝 Written Documentation: https://www.partsnotincluded.com/diy-big-buttons-for-your-projects
Parts List:
* Learning Resources Answer Buzzers, Set of 4: https://amzn.to/3KgYFzM
* 1/8" Headphone Jack, Stereo (Panel Mount): https://amzn.to/3uYQ4vj
* 30 AWG Stranded Wire: https://amzn.to/3LMKUcl
* 1/8" Mono Patch Cables: https://amzn.to/3ujWKot
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:26 Disassembly
0:53 PCB Modifications
1:20 Adding the Headphone Jack
1:58 Wiring
2:17 Reassembly
2:46 Testing + Demos
3:16 Finished
3:31 Outro