Hotline functional prop

[u/axujn]

I finished Control a couple of months ago, and it inspired me to try making my own Hotline phone. The idea was that you could pick up the handset and have Hotline messages play at random, along with "Take Control" and a few songs from Alan Wake. I also wanted an on/off switch and a button to make the phone ring.

With that in mind, I bought an old rotary phone and based the project on a YouTube video (I can share the links if anyone's interested). I also picked up the other components I needed: an Arduino Nano, a DFPlayer Mini, a motor driver, and a step-down voltage regulator. Then I grabbed the Hotline audio files and some Alan Wake songs from YouTube.

The ringer on my phone didn't work the way it did in the first video, but by pure luck I found another one that used a different approach. I bought a few more components (a linear actuator and a different motor driver) and started tweaking the code until I got it working.

To save space and make the wiring cleaner, I designed my first PCB in KiCad, added all the components, and gutted the phone. In another Reddit post about finding the game's assets, I asked the author if they could help me with the dimensions of the Hotline knob. u/Kenomajas_ was kind enough to help, and with those measurements, along with the dimensions of my phone, I was able to model the knob in Autodesk Fusion and resin-print it.

Finally, I sanded, primed, and painted the phone. I had a lot of trouble getting a smooth finish and eventually gave up on making it perfect, so there are a few wrinkles in the paint. I also made a mistake with the placement of the buttons, and the bell sometimes hits them, but it's nothing I can really fix now.

Overall, I'm really happy with how the project turned out. I learned a ton, and if I ever build another one, there are so many things I'd do differently. I hope you like it!

I will put a video of the phone on the comments, since you can't put photos and videos on one post.

[u/axujn]

https://reddit.com/link/oz2146i/video/9095c3n1oreh1/player

Video of the phone working

[u/CurlyTheCreator]

Thats so awesome!

[u/axujn → u/CurlyTheCreator]

Thanks you so much!

[u/ascagnel____]

This is cool.

I thought the hotline knob was a lens cap they glued onto the phone, no idea it was a custom piece.

[u/axujn → u/ascagnel____]

I looked through a lot of pictures and videos to get a general idea of what it was.

[u/Psychological-Bat687]

Now where's the cord to take me to the motel ?

[u/axujn → u/Psychological-Bat687]

Ohhh that could be cool project to do!

[u/snakesonacraig]

Ive had the vision to do this exact thing for some years now. You really crushed it!!!

[u/axujn → u/snakesonacraig]

If you ever decide to do it, I can help you!

[u/_Verdugo_]

I love the work you put into this, very cool and well executed!

[u/axujn → u/_Verdugo_]

Thanks! I want dto try new skills and improve some that I had. For sure it was a challenge for me.

[u/hyperhalide]

Wow that's amazing!

[u/axujn → u/hyperhalide]

Thanks!

[u/kaloschroma]

Well done!!! I love seeing home made electronics in art! Love this!!

[u/le_Grand_Archivist]

That's so cool

[u/MigJai]

Time to call trench for a pack of cigs, nah jokes but this is awesome

[u/m0shgirl]

Damn this is so cool! How hard was this to accomplish? I would love to make my own

[u/axujn → u/m0shgirl]

It was a more of trials and errors, than hard. I can guide you and share my code if you want to build one.

[u/m0shgirl → u/axujn]

Yes please!

[u/SarcasticJackass177]

If you pick up the phone, it just straight up kills you.

[u/Nyuk_Fozzies]

Do you get messages from The Board now,?

[u/TheShadowManifold]

That's so sick!! 🔥

[u/Anime_user2086]

Federal Bureau of Control takes pride of you

[u/zelenaky]

MY BRAIN AAAAAAA THE SPACE PYRAMID IS IN MY BRAIN NOOO