Kitsune is a lockout buzzer system designed by myself (Aisling Skeet). I started this project because lockout buzzer systems are ridiculously expensive for a relatively simple piece of hardware, and college quizbowl teams tend not to be absolutely flush with cash. The most common buzzer set in the UK retails for almost twice the price of a Kitsune set, and doesn't even come in fun colours! This throws a massive barrier in the way of new quiz societies. The other reason for the project is that I'd like to make a bit of extra cash, both for myself and for Durham Uni Quiz Society. Win-win!
If you're interested in buying a Kitsune set, please email me at ash.skeet@pobox.com or message amekyras on Discord. I sell them fully assembled in any filament colour I can get my hands on, with all necessary parts included save a USB-C cable (your phone charger probably works fine). I can add customisations (e.g. your society logo) for a small fee (or free if it's very simple). I can also make the clear acrylic version pictured at the bottom of the page, but this was originally just a show piece and I don't have regular laser cutter access, so I'll need a longer lead time.
BASIC USAGE INSTRUCTIONS:
After plugging in the buzzers, press the CONTROL box to start the main loop. This will illuminate the control box. After this, players may buzz in (which will extinguish the control box and illuminate their box, and buzz audibly). Press the control box to reset the buzzers.
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Kitsune++ v1.0
- Compact buzzer system with buzz lights on individual buzzer boxes and central unit
- All ports through-hole PJ306 connectors for TRS 3.5mm audio cables - more resilient than previous PJ320 jacks
- Ten players and one moderator
- Breakouts for all connector jacks and USB ports
- Increased buzzer voltage (5V) - this should be loud enough for almost all players
- Redesigned tail PCBs and housings for resilience
- For hackers, breakouts and solder jumpers allow you to design your own buzzer boxes with e.g. different buttons, different LEDs, etc
- USB-C ports allowing daisychaining of buzzer boxes (under development, firmware can be updated when this functionality is released)
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Kitsune++ v1.1.0
- All of the above, with a 27V buzzer and AO3400 MOSFET
- This is loud as fuck - you can decrease the volume in software if necessary
- Can be effectively downgraded to a v1.0 by cutting the 27V and boost converter jumpers (rear of board) and bridging the 5V jumper
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Kitsune v0.3
- One central box with speaker and USB-C connection, PJ306 metal audio jacks to connect buzzers
- Nine 'tails' - smaller buzzer boxes connected via 3.5mm audio cables
- One tail is used as the moderator's control box to initialise and reset the system
- Complete lockout controlled by Raspberry Pi Pico
- Indicator lights on buzzer boxes as well as on central box indicate which player has buzzed
- DIP switch allows control of debug mode, mute, speaker test, and optional autoreset
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Kitsune++ v0.1
- Ten-player version of Kitsune v0.3
Kitsune++ v1.1.0 - £175 (comes with 12 buzzers and 12 cables)
Kitsune++ v1.0.0 - £170 (comes with 12 buzzers and 12 cables)
Kitsune v0.3 - £150 (comes with 9 buzzers and 9 cables) (discontinued)
Kitsune++ v0.1 - £175 (comes with 12 buzzers and 12 cables) (discontinued)
Free collection at certain UK tournaments or domestic shipping £5 (£7.50 for set of two)
USA/other international pricing for a set may vary, but is currently whatever the currency conversion amounts to plus however much I need to pay for shipping and packing, not including any import taxes you may need to pay if they apply.
Buying multiple sets - 10% discount for 2 or more sets
No cables needed - minus £10 - Cables used are 3.5mm TRS audio cables, any stereo headphone aux cable should work. This may be particularly useful if located outside the UK, as cables constitute most of the shipping volume and so increase the price.
I can't easily do refunds because I'm one person with not much liquidity. However, if your set isn't working and it's my fault, I'll do everything I can to fix it or replace broken parts, and if I don't, you have my express permission to drag me on social media, accuse me of being a PPG merchant, and claim I'm bad at quiz (true).
If you've founded a new quizbowl society and don't yet have a buzzer set, and your society is unable to pay full price for a Kitsune set, please let me know and we might be able to work out a discount or a free set. More quizbowl societies = a bigger UK quizbowl scene!
There shouldn't really be any need to do anything, but if you encounter issues, Kitsune can easily be disassembled.
The central box is held together with four M3x20 BHCS into M3x4x5 (VORON standard) heat-set inserts, which can be unscrewed with a 2mm hex driver. Take care when separating the top and bottom halves - the buzzer attaches to the mainboard via a JST-XH 2-pin connector, which can be removed to separate all the parts.
Individual buzzer boxes are held together by two M2x10 (M2x8, M2x12 also work) SHCS self-tapping screws. These can be unscrewed with a 1.5mm hex driver, but this is not recommended unless the buzzer has stopped working. As these screws are self-tapping, screwing them in several times or too tight can eventually lead to the thread being stripped from the plastic. Only tighten them down as much as necessary to secure the buzzer box.
If the LED on the buzzer box stops working, check that the legs are still soldered to the PJ-320A connector inside the box, and resolder if necessary. The LED is not glued into place so it may shift in its slot in the top of the box, but this is normal and not cause for concern. The PJ-320A connector is also not glued, but is press-fit into the box bottom.
Later buzzer boxes have a custom mini PCB to hold the jack, LED, and button, this eliminates any issues with the LED coming loose.
If the buzzer itself (cylinder on the main box) comes loose in its press-fit slot, it can be secured with a tiny dab of superglue on the side before reinserting it.
See the wiki page here: https://github.com/Amekyras/kitsune/wiki/Firmware-installation
Of course, if you want to change how Kitsune works, go wild - it's all written in Python, somewhat messy but should be broadly intelligible.
I've made this project open-source under a modified Commons Clause. This means that you can make your own Kitsune set, but not sell it. I'm not a lawyer, so in case I've done anything wrong, in plain English - please don't sell Kitsunes.
Yes, I know that the code and photography are messy. I'm a psych student, not an engineer.
Many thanks to https://github.com/james1236/buzzer_music for enabling me to include an easter egg or two :)
Absolutely enormous thanks to the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation for supporting me in building these - check them out, they're a fantastic charity! https://www.sanjaymortimerfoundation.org/
TODO: implement USB device identity, to work with buzzin.live etc
