Introduction: HACK YOUR OWN BLUETOOTH HEADSET FOR CHEAP

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I love bluetooth, short range hi-tech radio that can transmit all sorts of data. Bluetooth headsets are AWESOME because you can listen to music, game, or call your friends with no cord hanging around. I have had trouble making my own bluetooth module so this is definitely a hack, not a build. You can connect this headset to any bluetooth enabled device such as a tablet, computer, or almost any phone. There is NO DONGLE NECESSARY, and it only costs about 20$. The headset I used was a 'Skullcandy slyr' pair I had laying around. I like these because they are cheep, they have great quality sound, and they come with a mic. Get some Here. The second component you will need is a bluetooth speaker. Radioshack makes one for about 20$. I loved it so much as a speaker that I bought 2 so I could still have a speaker after the hack was done. Don't go all out on the quality of your speaker, it only makes life harder if you accidentally break it. Get a Radioshack speaker here (or at your local store). Now then, ONWARD AND UPWARD.

Step 1: OPEN UP YOUR HEADSET

The first step of course is to open up your headset. Depending on which headset you have, it is different so I am not going to show a bunch of pics.

Step 2: Take Apart the Speaker

first you want to roll of the silicone sleeve, and then you want to pry off the bottom. Next you cut the wires from the board to the rest of the speaker. The thick wires are to the speaker, and the thin wires are to the battery. DO NOT CUT BOTH BATTERY WIRES AT ONCE, AND WHEN THEY ARE CUT TAPE THEM UP SEPARATELY. YOUR BATTERY MIGHT EXPLODE IF YOU CONNECT THE WIRES, EVEN THROUGH WIRE CUTTERS. The actual speaker is glued in, so you need a knife or a flathead screwdriver to pry it off. keep the speaker, its good Q.

Step 3: Semi-perminateley Monoize Your Headphones.

sadly, this bluetooth connection is mono, so your going to have to short out your headphones. No pics here, all you need to do is find the two positive connections, and solder them together.

Step 4: EXTRACT THE BATTERY FROM THE SPEAKER.

This is the trickiest part by far, extracting the battery from the speaker, I suggest pinning it down and sawing the abs down until you get some better prying leverage. DO NOT DAMAGE THE CELL! (bending, ripping, etc.). I poked a hole in my first cell with a sharp screwdriver and it caught fire and spewed toxic gas. If you accidentally puncture your cell, buy this from radioshack to replace it: Any rechargeable battery that is 3.7-3.6 volts and at least 400 mah will work fine! The higher the MAH rating, the longer life your device will have. DO NOT GO OVER 2000 MAH PLEASE, IT COULD BLOW UP YOUR CAPACITORS ON BOARD.

Step 5: Shove the Bluetooth Board in There.

You need to attach the small wires back onto their battery that can be placed in your headphones wish some glue or double stick tape. And you need to connect the thick wires to the same color on your headphones (Red=+). They will automatically connect to your other headphone if you have Semi- Permanently monoized them correctly. Make sure the on/off switch is viewable as well as the bind button. I had a little trouble fitting it inside my headphones so I am going to 3D print a cover for the battery and back slot at TECHSHOP SF! Tech shop is awesome. I used their tools to make this happen, and then I got to show it off. Thank you soo much for viewing my FIRST INSTRUCTABLE, I have built so many instructables in the past I can't believe I am finally writing one. Feel free to ask any Q's you have. I am pretty knowledgeable from 3D printing and CAD software to RC flight so I am sure I can answer any questions you throw at me.

-Nathan Esterkyn (Javastar18) SF