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View Full Version : Review: Wireless Sensor Bar



bandit
December 20th, 2006, 02:49
Wii Wireless Sensor Bar
Manufacturer: WirelessSensorBar
Site: Buy from Wireless Sensor Bar (http://www.wirelesssensorbar.com/)
Price: $24.99

Overview : The Wireless Sensor Bar™ can be used with any Wireless / IR control system that uses anchored IR points, such as the Nintendo Wii Remotes ("Wiimotes").

The Wireless Sensor Bar™ is battery powered, extremely easy to use, and has no external wires- perfect for any home gaming or home theatre system.

Quality/Usability : WirelessSensorBar.com (http://www.wirelesssensorbar.com) is new to the peripheral scene. WSB took the same concept such as the candles, TV remotes, PSPs and Christmas lights but turned it into a real product. The WSB is to either replace the sensor bar that was included with the Nintendo Wii or used as a backup. Most people think that the sensor bar that came with the Nintendo Wii is communicating with the Wii with its 12 foot wire but its really not. The sensor bar is actually just being powered when connected to the Wii.

Honestly, the look of the WSB looks cheap. Looks as if someone just took some PVC moldings/pipes, cut them up and slapped them together. Then drilled some holes, added some LEDs and some soldering and BAM! Wireless Sensor Bar.

The WSB is about 13 inches long, 1 inch tall and about 2 inces thick. It's definitely bigger than the sensor bar that came with the Wii.

Aestheticly the WSB looks cheap but does its job perfectly! The IR LEDs are powered by a 9-volt battery. WSB.com claims the battery can last 48+ hours depending on use.

WSB.com also claims that it has the same range and accuracy that the original sensor bars of 3 and 8 feet but can probably go as far as 15 feet. From testing, it does hold true.

On the front of the WSB, it houses 4 IR LEDs (two on each side), a red LED power indicator and a ON/OFF button. The bottom has 13 inches of double sided mounting tape.

To slide off the covering, all you have to do is remove either end of the WSB and slide the top cover off. Once you have removed the top, the case reveals a simple design of the product. You can see all the wires and soldering. The soldering points look clean and I doesnt seem there would be any problems of it coming off. Even if it did, it would be easy for someone to resolder the points back.

When you turn on the WSB, the red LED is lit up to show you that its powered on. The other 4 LEDs dont light up as they shine IR to the remote.

Features :

Uses Wii Standard 3-8 foot ideal range
Setup and use in seconds with 1 button design
On / Off switch with Red LED indicator
48+ hrs of gameplay battery life
Adhesive strip on bottom for easy mounting
Uses 9 Volt battery (extended life)
Designed, produced, and tested in the USA!


Conclusion : Overall, the Wireless Sensor Bar does what its suppose to do. It would of been nice if they made a smaller design and sleeker design. For the price of $24.99, it seems a bit overpriced considering you can use candles, Christmas lights or TV remotes and doesnt include a battery. If you have the cash to burn and/or dont want the extra wires, this is a great alternative.

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