My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

XenoBach · Trick Member Joined: 27 Jul 2002 Location: Greeley

Help Wanted:
Need an individual to solder a controller with wires (phone wire is what I'm using) to these designated buttons: up, down, left, right, start, select, x, and triangle.

Please leave the end of the wires stripped as well, so that I can wrap them around my exsisting wires.

I'll pay of course. If you're interested in making some bucks then send me a message.

I really hope someone (with experience) will be able to do this because I suck at soldering, I've already messed up two controllers. Also I do not pay for your mess ups and I'd like it if the controller were tested before being sent off.

To continue talking about these arrangments please PM me. Got all of the pad built but I'm horrible at the soldering..well gotta go! College calls.

SwivelGuy2 · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2002

XenoBach · Trick Member Joined: 27 Jul 2002 Location: Greeley

SarcasmSRA · Basic Member Joined: 23 Sep 2003

I have a set of MyMyBox brand metal pads purchased on Ebay. They've been pretty decent, but they're starting to get pretty squeaky and of course they're very heavy, not very portable.

So I'm working on a homemade design which will hopefully be very durable, sensitive, weigh less than 15 pounds each, and cost under 50 dollars in materials. I almost have it all figured out. It's not meant to recreate an arcade experience, but I think playing in the arcades is a waste of money, so I've only played there a few times, so I wouldn't even know what the arcade 'feels' like anyway. Is anyone else interested in this design?

DDR4ever2003 · Basic Member Joined: 18 Jun 2003

Hey, i was wondering if i pay someone via paypal or money order if they can purchase the controller and do all the solders to the board for me. I tried a few tiems but i just cant do it right. Please someone help...let me know if you'll do it and for what price...thx

Gin_Quaker · Basic Member Joined: 02 Nov 2002

G-MaN · Trick Member Joined: 17 Sep 2003

ddrhomepad's design is a must try...so, now I must try it! it seems to be cheap and high quality!

Blue Beefman · Trick Member Joined: 31 Oct 2002 Location: WI

to the people with soldering problems:

PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! dont think you can solder a controller (No matter how eay it is) if you have never soldered before. Get some spar sheet metal and a spare piece of wire and solder to that, you dont need a huge glump of solder to make a little wire stick. Then after you think you have it down then go to the controller, if not then find some old broken electronic thing and rip it open and solder try soldering to small things on that.

First of all dont rush, soldering isnt supposed to be quick, if you try to be quick when doing it for the first time it will mess up.

But also with soldering, do not leave the soldering Iron on the PCB board (Thats the circuit board you solder to) too long, otherwise you will fry little parts that matter.

Aand before soldering always take a small screwdriver and scrape up the area you need to solder to, Solder sticks to areas that are rough, if its smooth it wont stick well, some controllers actually have a layer of SOMETHING that doesnt allow the solder to stick...LIGHTLY scratch it off, dont get too rough or youll take all the copper off. Thats bad.

Use Rosin Core solder, its meant for this kind of stuff.

and always unplug the controller before soldering.

if you get frustrated STOP wait 10 minutes or so, maybe go eat or take a dump, whatever is in your fancy, then go back, you cant work while angry and frustrated.

and uhuh yeah Pizza is good
_________________

He is the Painkiller

Shadow_Dragonz · Trick Member Joined: 16 Mar 2003 Location: California

Hi,

I read somewhere about having switches....This is a crude, and simple idea. It's much like the softpads too...Couldn't you just take a piece of weatherstripping, cut holes in it (something of that sort), take 2 pieces of sheet metal and put it on the top and bottom of the stripping. Just solder to the sheet metal, and then tape it up.

With the ends of the wires from those, you could just connect them to one ground and positive, and then do it that way...how to hold those "switches" in place would be just to glue them down or something.

That was just a thought/idea that came to mind.

I don't really have anything else to say or to add, except that I've updated my FAQ a bit =).

Til next time.
_________________

My home built metal pad FAQ can be found at http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=6930450&highlight=#6930450
Some lurk in the day, others by night, but he creeps in the shadows.

PaReD FIA · Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 2:56 pm Post subject: Sup all!

I've built my own DDR Homepad EARLY on when he first put up directions... about page 15 or 20 of the first thread...

Anyway, to make a long story short, it worked PERFECTLY, until my little brother #@%! up the damn controller I wired. Now, the controller is shot, and I can't wire another controller! I don't know why, I've gone through two controllers and one PCB board (Topway).

Ok,

1) Does anyone know the best way to get solder to stick to damn board? I've scratched off the black on the controller spots, but the crap still won't stick! I'm getting really frustrated.

2) Would anyone be willing to solder a controller to a CAT5 cable, leaving the other end with the reg. ethernet connection and send it my way? I'd pay, of course, for everything, including about $20 for labor...

I can't find that damn gamestop controller again, and it's pissing me off!

HELP!

xercess · Basic Member Joined: 27 Sep 2003

I was thinking of building my own metal pad and I was looking at the different types of contacts fpr the pad. I came across this pic from a post a while back about a MyMyBox pad contacts and I was wondering if the people that make MyMyBox's be using stuff inside heating pads or something similar to that for contacts?

DDR4ever2003 · Basic Member Joined: 18 Jun 2003

If someone can solder me a controller like PaReDFIA id be very greatful...name ur price

tolookah · Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 9:27 pm Post subject:

Hey all, I just finished my own home pad (no one specific design, mostly an undertaking all on my own) and while doing so, came across a great site for plastics (if you are willing to pay for shipping) and its cheap:
www.plasticmaterial.cc

they sell their sheets in sizes as small as 12x12, and if you ask them before ordering, they will cut them down to size to whatever you want. I myself bought the polycarbonate material, which is a material called "Hyzod", which so far has passed all my pounce tests (my and a few friends all pouncing on them), i even went to buying 2 extra to do these tests. Just a heads up for that.

Also, if anyone is having troubles with finding soldering points and other soldering help, feel free to ask me for advice, i had no issues with mine (i actually like soldering) just be ready to send me a picture of the controller

Shadow_Dragonz · Trick Member Joined: 16 Mar 2003 Location: California

Another day, another project.

Well, I'm about to embark on creating another dance pad. This one will be based on Riptide's, with Beefman's idea for the corner contacts.

Now for the fun part, adding lights...I'm still going through the endless forums for information, but could anyone redirect me or give me any information on adding lights eg which ones, where to get them, what relays or transistors, and such. Anything would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advace.

_________________

My home built metal pad FAQ can be found at http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=6930450&highlight=#6930450
Some lurk in the day, others by night, but he creeps in the shadows.

PaReD FIA · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2003 9:06 am Post subject: Help...again!

Sorry about the rant be4, I finally have it working now... (SONY pads are EVIL!!!!)

I have a pad where in a few corners the wood has become rundown and lost it's grip on the screws (I believe you say the wood is 'stripped').

Anyway, is there anything I can put in the holes in the wood so the screws can catch grip again? I remember seeing somewhere that you can put sanddust in there? Or maybe something similar..?

mactek · Basic Member Joined: 17 Feb 2003

KickTheCan · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2003 11:59 am Post subject:

for instructions on how to add lights to the pads go to patsters site he has a very comprehensive set of instructions on how to do it
_________________

"I am Jack's smirking revenge."
"I am Jack's cold sweat"
"I am Jack's raging bile duct"
"I am Jack's broken heart"
"I am Jack's complete lack of surprise"

Shadow_Dragonz · Trick Member Joined: 16 Mar 2003 Location: California

Hi,

```KickTheCan```

Well, I know there is instructions for putting lights on a DDR dance pad for Patster's design. And sorry if I'm coming off rude by this. If you look(ed) at my FAQ on DDR metal dance pads, you'll see that I do have reference to him. I should have a link to his "instructions" too. But, the thing is, I'm building a Riptide design DDR metal dance pad. Not only that, but I'm having the blue beefman mod on it. So, that dance pad doesn't have the capasity to hold a lightbulb of that size.

Also, I'm looking into LED lights, which are cheap, efficient, and can run off a simple battery. I could go with the outlet plug....but I don't know how I would do that for LED lights, and I don't really know where to begin for that.

So, in all, I have asked help for putting lights on a Riptide DDR metal dance pad, if that clarifies anything up. Sorry for any misconceptions anyone had. Also, any information on LED lights, which ones to get, what all the abrievs mean, etc. I am not electronic literate, or as of yet. I do hope to learn from this, and get some knowledge in doing this, so I can too help out others.

Also, I already have a "switch" idea for getting the circuit complete for the lights. I just need all the other information

I hope that helps out, for anyone that can help me out.

*****

BTW, this project that I"m working on is for my senior project...so any information would be greatly appreciated (the sooner the better

)

Also, I plan on updating my DDR metal dance pad FAQ when I finish this project. Maybe when I'm done, I'll have a mod for lights to the Riptide DDR metal dance pad

. Ah...but it's just a thought.

Thanks in advance...sry for rambling, and no offense intended

E-mail: [email protected]
_________________

My home built metal pad FAQ can be found at http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=6930450&highlight=#6930450
Some lurk in the day, others by night, but he creeps in the shadows.