Dirt Cheap Hacking Tools Blog

The Dirt Cheap Hacking Tools storefront is open again, Come on down! we got #DirtCheapProbeV2, #DirtCheapJtagAdapter, 100db #whistle 5-packs, #noai #stickers, and #shirts!

https://www.dirtcheaphackingtools.com/

Wow, it sure has been a whirlwind of a few weeks. I moved, shut down the store front temporarily while I work on business stuff, and the world is a frightening and uncertain place! I can't get any of the tariffs I paid back! wah wah!

Where all of these projects?!

Store Front

This will be back up after I finish doing LLC formation for DCHT.

LiDAR Detector

Breadboard prototypes work, PCB Prototypes ready to order. I submitted a CFP about it.

EMP

Working on a blog post for work that involves it. Hoping to make this marketable soon but I need to finish settling into the new space first.

Probe

V2 of these are out, when the store front is back up they will be orderable again. I will have them for pickup at DEF CON again this year.

JTAG Adapter

Same, available when the store front is back up and at DEF CON.

Mesh Casino Badge

I have been working on code for this while moving since I can do that with just a laptop. Still very early in the works.

Payphone Backpack, BananaPhone, Dialer

These are still in the works, I should have an early working prototype ready in time for DEF CON but do not yet have a plan for how to get it there if I do.

Other projects

Who knows, we will see when they get unpacked.

The Dirt Cheap Hacking Tools storefront will be closed for a bit while the dungeon moves.

The Dirt Cheap LiDAR Detector is an small device which uses PIN silicon infrared diodes, a Schmitt Trigger, and some math to detect the TrueDepth Dot Grid Lattice LiDAR projected from the backs of iPhone Pros, and possibly other LiDAR sources too!

I originally made this because Samy Kamkar inspired me with his laser mic talk and then fellow hackers at DEF CON discouraged. I did it anyway after pointing my phone at a flipper zero a few months later and remembering all of that.

I wrote a couple of blog posts for my day job employer about the hardware and firmware design process, you can read those here and here.

Final Design Features

• Can operate standalone (USB-C)
• Plugs into the Flipper Zero (requires 5V rail and installing the app)
• 6 discrete IR Pin silicon photodiodes
• iPhone Pro TrueDepth LiDAR detection
• Optional RGB detection indication
• Optional super bright white LED pair for lens dazzling upon detection

When can I get one?!

Project State

• Concept
• Design phase
• Testing
• Blog Posts for Work
• Feature Creep, add flipper headers, dazzle LEDs, fancy up design and UI
• Redesign for Dual USB/Flipper format
• Prototyping
• Testing
• Maybe something special, but probably not!
• Small Batch Order and Sales Round One
• Find contract manufacturer
• Mass produce
• Sell

The Dirt Cheap Probe Arm is a handsfree probe arm which combines the convenience and ease of use of a magnetic base and flexible arm with the stability and resistance to falling of a rigid frame. The arm features M4 screw terminator to which probe heads can be mounted. The following heads are directly supported:

• Dirt Cheap Probe V1
• Dirt Cheap Probe V2
• SensePeek SP10

Overview

Coming soon...

When can I get one?!

Project State

• Concept
• Materials Selection
• Design phase
• Testing
• Find contract manufacturer
• Mass produce
• Sell

These Probes Fit Everything!

The Dirt Cheap Probe is a low-cost high-quality probe head for third-hands like SensePeeks SP/SQ series and more common 4mm screw and air nozzle style third hands. These heads feature premium Schmartboard jumpers and P50B sharp pogo pins, and are easily end-user serviceable.

We released V1 back before DEF CON 32, and have received feedback and noticed some areas where we could improve in our own testing, and have been working on a new design for V2 we are releasing in Q1 2026!

V2

Redesigned for a shorter reach and a lower center of gravity while still maintaining compatibility with as many third-hand arms as we could find! Available now!

Technical Details

Drawing

Known Fits

• SensePeek SP10
• SensePeek SQ10
• M4 Bolt Generic
• Loc Line Nozzle ¼”
• Most Generic Third Hands Available On Amazon and Ali Express

When can I get one?!

Project State

• Concept
• Initial PoC
• Finalize design
• Mass Produce
• Sell (V1)
• Redesign (V2)
• Mass Produce (V2)
• Sell (V2)

V1

Now Retired

Testimonials

The center of gravity is kind of high, but otherwise really nice

— Coworker given a set for free

It being more narrow really pays off for these tiny 1.27mm jtag pads

— Nullstring during testing V1s

Yo dog you got the fresh tools

— Satisfied Customer

The ESP32anza is a clip-on debugging harness for common ESP32 SoMs. The design leverages FlexyPins to achieve an easy to apply and remove clip which can be applied directly to the castellated edges of the ESP32 SoM. Access to the pins is exposed via second board connected via FPC which provides plain 2.54mm pin headers for all target device pins.

Overview

Coming soon...

When can I get one?!

Project State

• Concept
• Initial PoC
• Finalize design
• Find contract manufacturer
• Mass Produce
• Sell

The Dirt Cheap Dialer is a retro pocket tone dialer designed around a SAMD21, LiPo battery, amplifier, and a speaker. The device features a full 12-button keypad, visual display, touchpads, rocker switches, and lots and lots of LEDs. Small enough to be kept in the pocket, but beautiful enough to want to wear on a lanyard.

Overview

Coming Soon...

Features

• Redbox tones
• Bluebox tones
• Graybox/DTMF tones
• Custom tones
• Customizable keypad assignments
• Unique, beautiful hardware and UI design
• Lots of LEDs!

When can I get one?!

Project State

• Concept
• COTS PoC
• Early design stages
• Final design, order, and testing
• Mass produce
• Sell

The BananaPhone is a Bluetooth-to-RJ-11 FXS-SLIC which turns any landline into what your cellphone will see as a nice headset with external controls!

Don't you miss twirling the cord around your finger while you gossip with the girls? Don't you miss slamming the handset down on the base so hard the punk on the other end of the line would get an ear ache? Don't you miss the old Conair phones?!

WAKE UP, BB, The Past is Calling!

Overview

Coming Soon...

When can I get one?!

Project State

• Concept
• COTS Prototype
• SAMD21 design
• SAMD51 design
• Redesign after learning no phones support HFP over USB
• Final Board Design
• Firmware Work
• Testing
• Mass Produce and Sell

The Dirt Cheap Filament Jam Sensor is an ADNS9800-based device which installs like a filament filter and monitors the motion of filament through itself during printing. The device can be configured to provide information like consumed filament and detected jams over Wi-Fi to a remote host, such as a Home Assistant instance, as well as be physically connected to a 3D printers filament runout sensor circuit.

The design motivation behind this device was a discovered difficulty in directly observing extruders to detect jams or grinds as opposed to a break or runout. Most extruders do not expose a view of the gears in a manner which can be easily observed in an affordable way. Rather than trying to figure out how to train some model and use some camera to detect this, I decided using something simple like a computer mouse would work way better.

This idea has been successfully tested with some COTS boards. ADNS9800 breakouts are pretty easy to acquire, and other than that you really only need a microcontroller. ESP32s make this very easy, so if you want to skip waiting and buying this from me, making your own should not be too bad!

Overview

Coming soon...

Project State

• Concept
• COTS PoC
• Early board design
• Prototyping
• Final design and order