RedOctane Metal Pad Review

NYDance · Trick Member Joined: 14 Oct 2003

Ok, so how much lower are the arrows then the metal frame on top on the RO?

Is the RO like a replica of the arcade pad?

NYDance · Trick Member Joined: 14 Oct 2003

Ok, so how much lower are the arrows then the metal frame on top on the RO?

Is the RO like a replica of the arcade pad?

genedefect · Trick Member Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Location: Redmond, WA

Btw, has anyone here gotten 2 of these in yet? If so, how have you set them up for doubles if you have. With how good my one is working, I am considering getting a 2nd for Christmas and finally getting doubles going again at home.

Used to do some Doubles on 2 Iginition 2.0's, but once I got the RO Metal, I haven't been able to go back to playing on soft.

timor · Trick Member Joined: 18 Sep 2003

I'd like to know exactly how much lower the arrows are than the frame compared to the actual arcade, too.
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Housemaster · Trick Member Joined: 27 Dec 2002 Location: ARFENHOUSE!!!1

Without being stepped on, maybe 1/8", while being stepped on, maybe 1/4"? The RO is far from an arcade replica, but it feels 500x more like the arcade than a CF.

diabloslayer469 · Trick Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Location: Neo-Geo Land

NYDance · Trick Member Joined: 14 Oct 2003

Hmmmm, well now I am sort of in a bind as to chose the RO or the CF.

I wanna get good in arcade at home, and want the pad to work for along time and still work like when I first got it.

What would most of yall rec?

Mikeweiser · Trick Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Location: Saginaw, MI

For having a cheap contact system, the RO is a bad choice if you want longevity. If the RO was $150 or cheaper, it wouldn't be too bad, but at $200+ with shipping, it's price starts to creep closer to the CF, and if you are going to pay that much, you might as well get something that will last.

I guess the arcade feel is a must for the RO: It's owners will need an answer when they think to themselves "Why did I buy this?" as they search online for a tutorial to replace the contacts.

spoonsman · Trick Member Joined: 01 Dec 2002

Argh, well newest update on my pad.

The bottom is just a thin piece of wood covered by the sticky grip stuff. I know this because the piece of wood is coming out and shoving off the layer of grippy stuff. It is literally falling apart.

Jeez RO, I thought you guys knew what you were doing and had made a good pad. The pad is great when its brand new, but its falling apart after only six weeks. The Airborne Express guy just picked up my pad to head back to Cali.

Too bad, I had high hopes.

NYDance · Trick Member Joined: 14 Oct 2003

Well, looks like CF for me then.

Thanks for your input guys.

ddartistic · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2003 4:24 pm Post subject:

I emailed Redoctane and they said they replaced the foil that you guys think is crappy with a thicker and I believe better contact foil...So I am going to get the metal pad with the new and improved contact foil.

-Schuyler

Mikeweiser · Trick Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Location: Saginaw, MI

Foil is foil. After many emails, someone at RO decided it was time to buy some Reynolds Wrap... I don't understand, how do you replace crap, with "better crap", and think people will be pleased?

Also, after what spoonsman said, I would think that the contact system should be the least of anyone's concern if they wanted to purchase a RO metal pad.

ddartistic · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2003 5:25 pm Post subject:

From: "RedOctane Support" <[email protected]> | Add to Address Book
To: "Schuyler Warren" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: one more question about the metal pad..
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 11:15:55 -0800

The new pads are going to have a thicker foil that spans the whole arrow and it's edges are held down by a layer of rubber-ie foam. Such a massive improvment!!
----- Original Message -----
From: Schuyler Warren
To: RedOctane Support
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 11:12 AM
Subject: one more question about the metal pad..

What kind of foil is used for the censors located inside of each arrow? because I heard that the foil on someone's pad started to curl and trigger the arrow without them on it....

Thanks for your time, Schuyler

The exact email that was sent back, and the email I sent them...And MikeWeiser, I would have to disagree. In the beginning of this thread people were thinking that this pad had to have an exact, or similar contact system as the ignition pads, but this is a metal pad, and it is the first metal pad made by redoctane. I just thought some people would like to know that Redoctane is improving on the pad by listening to the feedback from the people who already have the pad.

cryptoddrfweak · Trick Member Joined: 05 Aug 2003

.......................................

Sigh.............................

This is why I keep telling people about BNS. It uses sheet metal contacts instead of foil. I dont want people to keep getting ripped off like that.

Anyway, dont feel too bad. Theres an easy mod you can do to get rid of the foil.......let me just find the link.............................

added: sorry, but the little tutorial I made is gone.

When I bought the old version BNS last year, I modded it so it would have sheet metal contacts instead of foil. It still works great today.

i posted like 20 pics and explained how to do it,(under a previous name, which was banned) but that was last year and I cant find it anymore on this site. I think its gone.

just buy a big piece of sheet metal, cut out squares the size of the arrow
and remove the tin foil crap. glue (I used goop) 1 piece of sheet metal to the top (underside of arrow) and 1 to the bottom. then attach 1 of the 2 wires to the top, and the other one to the bottom piece of metal. ( it doesnt matter which wire goes where).

Its cheap, easy to do and it makes the pad waaaay more sensitive.

It still sux that you even have to consider modding it when you paid 200+ though.

Mikeweiser · Trick Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Location: Saginaw, MI

Bahamut727 · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Location: CA

Heres hoping for Red Octane Metal Pads 2.0 before Christmas

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cristian989 · Trick Member Joined: 11 Dec 2002 Location: Amherst, MA

okay, well after reading all this negative sh*t about the RO pad, (and after a friend lemme borrow his CF for a few days), i have decided to go for the CF instead, this thing looks and feels soo sturdy, seems like it'll work forever...one question, any one in here who's owned the CF for more than a year...is it still working like when you 1st got it?

spoonsman · Trick Member Joined: 01 Dec 2002

While its nice that they are listening to the customer's concerns and made the foil (hopefully) more durable, it is still foil. The foil was also splitting and cracking all around, just not the edges. I suppose thicker foil would help this somewhat, but I'd still like to see a better contact system for the arrows.

I wish I could have taken pictures of the bottom of my pad before I sent it back. About a foot of the grippy stuff had come completely undone (this was in the middle of the front). The thin piece of wood (about a centimeter thick) was protruding beyond the edge of the pad. The grip stuff was also starting to unpeal (though not as bad) in other places.

I only used the pad on tile and really short carpet (the kind in carpeted gyms). I don't know how much better or worse regular carpet would have made the situation.

For the helluvit I'll put forward some ideas RO should implement. Some I've said before, some new-

Make the solo arrows an option. They aren't used by enough people to make them standard. I'd prefer to just have the 4 arrows on the pad and controls on the control box (including D-pad so you can select songs on the control box). Hell just have the pad be the 4 arrows, and then have a complete PSX controller including R and L buttons for edit mode.
Do something different with the grippy bottom. It just peels off/gets destroyed way too easily
The bottom of the pad should not fall out
Better contact system (as in NO FOIL)
Hard arrows instead of the flexible ones
Arrows slightly more indented
Current product isn't worth the money. Lower price or Make It Better.

Well in other words- COMPLETE PRODUCT REDESIGN.

Bahamut727 · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Location: CA

cristian989 · Trick Member Joined: 11 Dec 2002 Location: Amherst, MA